South Carolina football: 3 unluckiest moments of the last decade

Marquez North makes one-handed catch

South Carolina was up late in a 2013 matchup with a bad Tennessee team as it looked to continue its path to the SEC Championship. The Gamecocks had overcome an early season defeat to Georgia, winning four straight games to get back in the conference title hunt.

The Vols, on the other hand, entered the game at 3-3 with losses to Georgia, Florida, and Oregon. The only wins the team had picked up came out of conference against Austin Peay and a couple of Sunbelt foes.

With time ticking down, a stout Carolina defense was trying to protect a one-point lead on Tennessee’s final drive. Facing third-and-long, Vols quarterback Justin Worley dropped back and was steps away from being sacked by Jadeveon Clowney. He heaved up a prayer, which was answered in the form of a one-handed catch by Marquez North. The Gamecock defender had tight coverage, but he actually pinned the ball to North’s arm when he went to swat the pass away.

North held on to the football as he hit the ground, making an improbable grab to set up a game-winning field goal as time expired.

South Carolina would not lose another game, finishing the year ranked in the top five, but the loss would cost them a chance to play for the SEC title and a possible BCS Bowl berth.

Relive all of the pain here.

Steve Spurrier makes famous “two or three years” comment

Fresh off of three straight 11-win seasons and five consecutive bowl appearances, South Carolina was rolling on the recruiting trail. Steve Spurrier and Co. had the Gamecocks’ 2015 class ranked in the top five nationally, and it seemed the program was finally being set up for long-term success.

In an offseason interview, however, Steve Spurrier responded to a question from the media regarding the length of his tenure in Columbia. The Head Ball Coach stated that he planned to be at South Carolina for “two or three more seasons” before hanging it up to make a home on the golf course.

The uncertainty resulted in a rash of decommitments. Spurrier attempted to backtrack, but the damage was done. The Gamecocks were able to salvage the class with a 20th-place finish, but it was a far cry from what could’ve been a special group.

To make things worse, the comments led to Spurrier losing a portion of his current roster, which ultimately resulted in a midseason resignation amid a 2-4 start. The Gamecocks would finish the year at 3-9, go on to hire and fire Will Muschamp, and are still working to rebuild the program to where it was just 10 short seasons ago.

Did we miss an unlucky moment? Let us know in the comments section.