1980 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

The 1980 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season, and they competed as a Division I-A Independent. The team was led by head coach Jim Carlen, in his 6th year, and played their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. They finished the season with a record of eight wins and four losses (8–4 overall) and with a loss in the Gator Bowl against Pittsburgh.

1980 South Carolina Gamecocks football
Gator Bowl, L 3–37 vs. Pittsburgh
Conference	Independent
1980 record	8–4
Head coach	Jim Carlen (6th season)
Home stadium	Williams-Brice Stadium

1980 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 2 Pittsburgh		–		–				11	–	1	–	0
No. 5 Florida State		–		–				10	–	2	–	0
No. 8 Penn State		–		–				10	–	2	–	0
No. 9 Notre Dame		–		–				9	–	2	–	1
No. 18 Miami		–		–				9	–	3	–	0
Southern Miss		–		–				9	–	3	–	0
Navy		–		–				8	–	4	–	0
South Carolina		–		–				8	–	4	–	0
Virginia Tech		–		–				8	–	4	–	0
Boston College		–		–				7	–	4	–	0
Northeast Louisiana		–		–				7	–	4	–	0
Rutgers		–		–				7	–	4	–	0
UNLV		–		–				7	–	4	–	0
Tulane		–		–				7	–	5	–	0
Colgate		–		–				5	–	4	–	1
North Texas State		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Villanova		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
West Virginia		–		–				6	–	6	–	0
Louisville		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Richmond		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Syracuse		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
East Carolina		–		–				4	–	7	–	0
Illinois State		–		–				4	–	7	–	0
Temple		–		–				4	–	7	–	0
Army		–		–				3	–	7	–	1
Holy Cross		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
Cincinnati		–		–				2	–	9	–	0
Memphis State		–		–				2	–	9	–	0
William & Mary		–		–				2	–	9	–	0
Georgia Tech		–		–				1	–	9	–	1
Rankings from AP Poll

Season

In 1980, the South Carolina Gamecocks returned with plenty of talent, which was headlined by senior running back and Heisman candidate George Rogers. His 1,781 yards was the best in the nation and earned him a spot as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.[1] The Downtown Athletic Club in New York City named Rogers as the winner of the 1980 Heisman Trophy. Rogers beat out an impressive group of players, including Pittsburgh defensive lineman Hugh Green and Georgia running back Herschel Walker.[1] Rogers also earned spots on eight All-America teams, all First Team honors.[2]

Rogers had his number "38" retired during halftime ceremonies at South Carolina's final 1980 home game. He was the first University of South Carolina player to have his jersey retired while still active at the school.

Rogers left the Gamecock football program as its most successful running back, and many of his records remain after all these years. His 5,204 yards is still the highest career total by any Gamecock running back, and his 31 rushing touchdowns is tied with Harold Green for second place behind Marcus Lattimore. He is second on the all-time points scored list with 202. He also gained more than 100 yards in each of his final 22 college games.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 6	Pacific		Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC		W 37–0	56,211
September 13	Wichita State		Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC		W 73–0	55,761
September 20	at No. 4 USC	No. 20	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	WOLO	L 13–23	58,385
September 27	at No. 17 Michigan		Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI		W 17–14	104,213
October 4	NC State	No. 18	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC (rivalry)		W 30–10	56,581
October 11	Duke	No. 17	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC		W 20–7	56,451
October 18	Cincinnati	No. 15	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC		W 49–7	56,599
November 1	at No. 4 Georgia	No. 14	Sanford Stadium Athens, GA (rivalry)	ABC	L 10–13	62,200
November 8	The Citadel	No. 15	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC		W 45–24	55,937
November 15	Wake Forest	No. 14	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC		W 39–38	55,583
November 22	at Clemson	No. 14	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC (Palmetto Bowl)		L 6–27	64,200	[3]
December 29	vs. No. 3 Pittsburgh	No. 18	Gator Bowl Stadium Jacksonville, FL (Gator Bowl)	ABC	L 9–37	72,287
Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game

• Reference:[4]

Roster

1980 South Carolina Gamecocks football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class TE 47 Willie Scott Sr RB 38 George Rogers Sr	Defense Pos. # Name Class	Special teams Pos. # Name Class	Head coach Jim Carlen Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt

Team players in the NFL

Player	Position	Round	Pick	NFL Club
George Rogers	Running Back	1	1	New Orleans Saints

• Reference:[5]

Awards and honors

• George Rogers, Heisman Trophy

References

1. "S.C.'s Rogers runs off with Heisman Trophy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Google News Archives. Associated Press. December 6, 1980. p. 11. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
2. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Award Winners (PDF). 2011 NCAA Division I Football Records. NCAA.org. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
3. "Clemson Shocks Carolina, 27-6". The Times and Democrat. November 23, 1980. p. 1B – via Newspapers.com.
4. 2011 South Carolina Football Media Guide (PDF). Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Athletics Media Relations Department. 2011. p. 133. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
5. "1981 NFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2012.