South Carolina Football’s GOAT Series: Top-10 greatest defenses of all-time
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football’s No. 8 Greatest Defense of All-Time:
1984
The 1984 season was one of the most famous in South Carolina football history. “Black Magic” was not the only nickname for the first 10-win season in Gamecock history. The Carolina defense coordinated was known as “The Fire Ant” defense due to its dark uniforms and relentless effort on that side of the ball. The Fire Ant defense was not overly talented (just three players went on to the NFL), but they never quit and saved the Gamecocks on numerous occasions when the game was on the line.
The 1984 defense was even better at home, where they allowed opposing offenses to score under 17 points per game. The best of these home efforts came in a 17-0 shutout of former ACC rival Duke that, according to head coach Joe Morrison, granted the Gamecocks enough confidence to turn around and beat Georgia the following week, a win that set the tone for the 10-1 regular season.