The 2023 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina as a member of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Gamecocks played their home games at WilliamsâÂÂBrice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, and were led by Shane Beamer in his third year as their head coach.
This was also the final year for the East division, as Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC in 2024.
Despite quarterback Spencer Rattler and wide receiver Xavier Legette having two of the best individual seasons in school history in their final college year, the team was noted by the media for being heavily affected by injuries. South Carolina finished sixth in the final SEC East, with an overall record of 5âÂÂ7, missing a bowl game for the first time since 2020.
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team drew an average home attendance of 77,833 in 2023, the 16th highest in college football.
Prior to the season, several sports websites named South Carolina as having the most difficult schedule in the country in 2023.
During halftime of the home game against Mississippi State on September 23, 2023, the university retired Alshon Jeffery's jersey, only the sixth retired jersey in program history, and second in two years, following Jadeveon Clowney in 2022.
Several weeks later, during halftime of the home game against Jacksonville State on November 4, 2023, the university honored the 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 Gamecock football teams, ten years after the 2013 team played. Over that four-year stretch, Steve Spurrier led the Gamecocks to a combined 42âÂÂ11 with one SEC East Championship. It was the most successful era in program history. Spurrier as well as roughly forty former players and their families were in attendance for the ceremony.
A special recognition had been in the works for several years, but had been rescheduled several times because of the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, and conflicts with SpurrierâÂÂs schedule and availability. However, the timing was still not without some controversy, as D.J. Swearinger publicly expressed his displeasure with the ceremony taking place at halftime against a non-SEC and non-Power 5 school.
Spurrier gave a speech to the crowd: âÂÂEverybody asks, howâÂÂd you guys do it? I say, first of all we had talented players with the attitude, effort and leadership among the older guys passed through the team ... IâÂÂm a Florida Gator now, but my wife and I will always be South Carolina Gamecocks.âÂÂ