After three eleven-win seasons, South Carolina began ranked No. 9 in the country, and tied for the eleventh-best odds to win the national championship.[2][3] However, despite Dylan Thompson breaking the school record and leading the SEC in passing yards,[4] this season would mark the end of South Carolina's golden age.[a] The opening upset blowout loss to No. 21 Texas A&M snapped the Gamecocks' eighteen-game home winning streak.[11] The Gamecocks rebounded, winning the next three games, including an upset over No. 6 Georgia.[12] However, South Carolina lost five of their last eight games in the regular season, including a loss that sent them out of the top 25 for the first time since 2010,[13] and their first loss to archrivalClemson since 2008.[14][15] The fourth consecutive bowl victory was a school record, but the seven wins were the fewest since 2009.[16][17] For the rest of the mid-to-late 2010s, South Carolina would struggle to return to national prominence.[b]
The Gamecocks open the 2014 season with a Thursday night matchup against conference foe Texas A&M. It will be the first meeting between the two schools. With kickoff set for 6:00 p.m. EDT, this game was scheduled to be the first live football game broadcast on the SEC Network.[26] As the first game of the Gamecocks-Aggies cross-division rivalry, the winner of this game will be awarded the new Bonham Trophy, named after Alamo war hero and South Carolina alumnus James Butler Bonham.[27]
South Carolina hosts East Carolina for Week 2 of the college football season. The Gamecocks hold a 12-5 all-time series record against the Pirates.[28] South Carolina won the most recent matchup in 2012 by a score of 48–10.[26] It was the first career start for then-backup QB Dylan Thompson, who threw for 330 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions in the victory.[29]
The SEC East rival Georgia Bulldogs visit South Carolina on September 13, 2014, to conclude the Gamecocks three-game homestand. Georgia leads the all-time series 48-17-2;[26] however, the Gamecocks have won three of the last four matchups, including a dominating 35–7 victory in the last meeting at Williams-Brice Stadium.[30] The Bulldogs won last year's matchup 41–30 in Athens, Georgia behind a 4 touchdown performance by Aaron Murray.[31]
South Carolina travels to Vanderbilt for the first road game of the 2014 season. South Carolina holds a 19-4 all-time series record against the Commodores, and has won the last five meetings.[32]
The Gamecocks host the defending SEC East division champion Missouri Tigers for the 2014 Battle of Columbia. The all-time series record is tied at two wins apiece. South Carolina, however, has won both meetings since Missouri joined the SEC in 2012.[33] Last year's meeting saw Gamecocks QB Connor Shaw lead a 17-point, fourth quarter comeback in Columbia, Missouri to send the game into overtime.[34] The Gamecocks would go on to win in double overtime, becoming the only team to defeat the Tigers in the regular season. The winner of this game receives the Mayors’ Cup Trophy.
South Carolina's second road test of the season takes place in Lexington, Kentucky against SEC East foe Kentucky. South Carolina leads the all-time series 17-7-1.[35] The Gamecocks have won the last three meetings, including last year's 35–28 win at home.[36]
South Carolina visits the defending SEC champion Auburn Tigers on October 25, 2014. Auburn leads the all-time series 9-1-1.[26] Auburn has won all seven matchups since South Carolina joined the SEC in 1992, including the 2010 SEC Championship Game.[37]
The Gamecocks host SEC East rival Tennessee for the ninth game of the 2014 season. Tennessee leads the all-time series 23-7-2, but South Carolina has won three of the last four meetings.[38] South Carolina will look to avenge last year's matchup in Knoxville, Tennessee when the Volunteers handed the Gamecocks their second and final loss of the 2013 season, made possible by a one-handed catch by WR Marquez North to set up a game-winning field goal.[39] The loss eventually cost South Carolina the SEC Eastern Division title and a trip to the SEC Championship game.
South Carolina comes off their second bye week with a trip to Gainesville, Florida to take on the Florida Gators in the final SEC game of the season. The Gators lead the all-time series 24-7-3; however, the Gamecocks have won three of the last four meetings. Four of the Gamecocks’ seven wins against Florida have come since Gator legend Steve Spurrier took over as head coach in 2005.[40] South Carolina's last win in Gainesville took place in 2010 in a game that clinched the Gamecocks’ first SEC East division title.[41]
South Carolina hosts its final home game of the 2014 season against the South Alabama Jaguars. It will be the first meeting between the two schools.[26]
South Carolina travels to Clemson, South Carolina for the 112th Battle of the Palmetto State. Clemson leads the all-time series 65-42-4; however, South Carolina has controlled the heated rivalry series as of late, winning the last five meetings by an average margin of 16.8 points. The Gamecocks’ five game winning streak is Carolina's longest winning streak in the series. Steve Spurrier is 6–3 against the Tigers since taking over as head coach in 2005.[42] Gamecock QB Dylan Thompson made his second career start in the last matchup at Memorial Stadium, replacing injured QB Connor Shaw. Thompson threw for 249 yards with 1 touchdown in the 35–17 loss to the Tigers.[43]
^The 2010 through 2013 seasons are widely considered the best era in Gamecock football history.[5][6][7][8][9][10]
^In 2017, South Carolina would win nine games, but none against ranked opponents.[18] Between 2015 and 2021, South Carolina would only be nationally ranked in two different weeks: one week at No. 24 in the CFP rankings in 2017, and one week at No. 24 in the AP Poll in 2018.[19] Between 2015 and 2020, South Carolina would go 31–42, with four losing seasons.[20]
