South Carolina Gamecocks Football - Secondary Rivalries

Secondary Rivalries

• Georgia – The South Carolina-Georgia Rivalry, South Carolina's "border rivalry" with Georgia dates back to 1894. While the Bulldogs got off to a fast start in the series and hold a 46-17-2 lead, the Gamecocks have kept the series interesting recently with hotly contested games (4 out of the last 7 match-ups have been decided by a touchdown or less). One of the most memorable games was the 1980 matchup between Heisman Trophy hopefuls George Rogers and Herschel Walker. Led by Walker's 219 rushing yards, Georgia won 13-10 and would go on to capture the National Championship. Rogers turned in 168 rushing yards in the contest, setting the stage for a successful finish to his Heisman Trophy campaign. The last 15 match-ups between the schools have been nationally televised, dating back to 1997 (6 on ESPN2, 5 on ESPN and 4 on CBS). Additionally, the last three SEC East division championships were won by either of these two teams, highlighting the importance of their game.

• Florida – The USC-Florida rivalry (along with the UK-USC and UT-USC rivalries) is the most recent addition to South Carolina's rivalries. However, this rivalry is considered more intense than USC-UK or UT-USC because Steve Spurrier was UF's first national championship coach but turned down an opportunity to interview for the job when it became open again in 2005. Also, that year, USC spoiled Florida's SEC championship hopes by upsetting them in Columbia, adding fuel to the fire. In 2010, South Carolina clinched the SEC Eastern Division title with a 36-14 win in Gainesville. Florida holds a 23-6-3 lead in the series.