South Carolina Football: Five Worst Losses of the Decade
By Jacob Elsey
TEXAS A&M 2014
Riding high from a top 5 finish in the 2013 season, the Gamecocks entered the year ranked ninth in the preseason polls. South Carolina faced off against the Texas A&M Aggies on a national stage, as the game represented the launch of ESPN’s brand-new SEC Network.
Heisman winner Johnny Manziel was no longer in College Station, and the Aggies were breaking in new quarterback Kenny Hill. Hope was high for the Gamecocks, who’d won 18 straight home games. The crowd was raucous, and Williams-Brice Stadium was rocking.
The cheering would be few and far between, though, as Hill shredded the Gamecock defense for 511 yards. They surrendered seven touchdowns in a 52-28 rout. Early hope was crushed and the wind escaped the sails of the Carolina program.
It was the beginning of a season that saw the defense allow 30 or more points in seven contests. The Gamecocks blew two-score, fourth-quarter leads on three occasions, and four of their six losses came by a touchdown or less.
Despite having the most successful offense in the Spurrier era, the Gamecocks finished the year 7-6 after beating Miami in the Independence Bowl. The loss to A&M was the beginning of the end for South Carolina’s most successful run in program history.