South Carolina football fans remember "the good 'ole days" under head coach Steve Spurrier. During the Head Ball Coach's tenure, the Gamecocks peaked as one of the best teams in the country, winning the SEC East in 2010 before ripping off three 11-2 seasons in a row and then being just a few 4th quarter defensive collapses away from another double-digit win total in 2014.
During that 5-year stretch, the Gamecocks had a dominant combined record against the rival Clemson Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators, and Tennessee Volunteers of 15-5, going 4-1 against Clemson, Georgia, and Florida and 3-2 against Tennessee.
One opposing player who has talked about those great Gamecock squads a lot since playing against them is former Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley.
One of the best players to roll through the loaded Georgia backfield in recent years, Gurley played in Williams-Brice Stadium twice and lost both times. The defeats have left a lasting impression on the former All-SEC rusher.
Over the years, Gurley has spoken highly of South Carolina football fans and the environment they create at Williams-Brice Stadium on gamedays. Speaking on the Saturday Down South podcast recently, Gurley was asked about the toughest road environment he played in while donning red and black, and he quickly responded with, "I would say South Carolina because I lost there twice."
Gurley's response matches up with his thoughts during his playing career. After both of his 2012 and 2014 losses in Columbia, the star running back told the media a variation of "this crowd is incredible" and "I hope I never hear 'Sandstorm' again."
Gurley's first trip to Columbia was the Gamecocks' utterly dominant 35-7 beatdown of the 'Dawgs in 2012. He managed just 39 yards, and his Bulldog offense only found the end zone after USC called their own dogs off and had the 3rd-team defense in the game late.
In 2014, Carolina won a close one 38-35. Gurley and Georgia's offense were better than they were in 2012, but it didn't matter as Dylan Thompson and the South Carolina offense put up 38 points and sealed the victory with a 4th-and-short quarterback sneak conversion that yielded a cacophonous roar from the 80,000+ Gamecock fans in Williams-Brice Stadium.
Despite having played Georgia more than any team other than the in-state Clemson Tigers, South Carolina football fans will not get a chance to see their team match up with the Bulldogs in 2024 or 2025. With a new custom SEC schedule in place, USC won't see their border rival to the west until 2026 unless they meet in the SEC Championship Game or College Football Playoff.