The 2012 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Gamecocks were led by eighth-year head coach Steve Spurrier and played their home games at WilliamsâÂÂBrice Stadium. They were a member of the East Division of the Southeastern Conference. The season finished with 11âÂÂ2, 6âÂÂ2 in SEC to finish in third place in the East Division.
South Carolina started the season 6âÂÂ0, capped off by a blowout win over No. 5 Georgia at home. By this point, the Gamecocks were on a school-record ten-game winning streak dating back to last season and were subsequently ranked No. 3 in the country. This was the program's highest ranking since 1984, and the 2012 Gamecocks began receiving comparisons to that 1984 team, which started 9âÂÂ0 and came close to winning a national championship. This ten-game winning streak and No. 3 ranking in 2012 has not been matched or surpassed by the program since. Back-to-back losses on the road to top-10 opponents (No. 9 LSU and No. 3 Florida) sent South Carolina plummeting in the rankings and out of national championship contention. The Gamecocks rebounded, winning the rest of their games in the regular season, including against archrival No. 12 Clemson. They were invited to the Outback Bowl, where the Gamecocks defeated No. 19 Michigan 33âÂÂ28 by a game-winning touchdown with eleven seconds remaining in the game. South Carolina finished the season with eleven wins and ranked in the top ten for only the second time in school history.
Sophomore defensive end Jadeveon Clowney emerged as the best defensive player in college football. Clowney had thirteen sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss, both school records. He won the Ted Hendricks Award and finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting. Clowney was a unanimous All-American, only the second in program history. He won the ESPY Award for best play of the sporting year for his Outback Bowl tackle on Michigan running back Vincent Smith, since regarded as one of the greatest plays in college football history.
On April 14, 2012, the Black squad defeated the Garnet squad, 38âÂÂ24, in the annual Garnet & Black Spring Game, in front of a crowd of 34,513. Quarterback Connor Shaw finished the day 6âÂÂ7 for 128 yards and two touchdowns for the Black team, while Garnet QB Dylan Thompson was 15âÂÂ20 for 168 yards and a rushing touchdown.
The October 6 game against Georgia played host to ESPN's College GameDay, the school's sixth time hosting the popular ESPN show.
As part of their penalty for NCAA violations, LSU has retroactively vacated its 2012 victory over South Carolina. However, the penalty to vacate victories does not result in a loss (or forfeiture) of the affected game or award a victory to the opponent, therefore South Carolina still considers the game a loss in their official records.
Projected starters and primary backups versus Clemson on November 24, 2012.