The University of South Carolina’s 2021 football schedule was announced today. This will mark the inaugural season for coach Shane Beamer in South Carolina. Once again, the schedule includes seven home games, including visits from Florida, Auburn and Clemson during the month of November.
South Carolina will open its 2021 season at home in a non-conference game against Eastern Illinois on Saturday, September 4. This will be the first encounter on the battlefield between Gamecocks and Panthers. Eastern Illinois competes at the FCS level and is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. They didn’t play in the fall of 2020, but have a seven-game schedule in the spring.
The 2021 opening is scheduled for Saturday, September 11, when the Gamecocks travel to Greenville, NC for a meeting with the East Carolina Pirates. Gamecocks holds a 14-5 lead in the all-time series between the two schools, including wins in all four games played in this century. This will mark the Gamecocks’ first trip to Greenville since 1997. Carolina is 2-1 when playing at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville.
The South Carolina SEC debut is scheduled for Saturday, September 18, when the Gamecocks travel to Athens to face the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia leads the all-time series among these neighboring state universities by a margin of 52-19-2, including a 29-9 lead when playing in Athens, but the Gamecocks won in overtime on their last trip to Sanford Stadium in 2019 for a 20-17 score.
The Gamecocks’ home debut at the SEC is set for September 25, the last Saturday of the month, against the Kentucky Wildcats. Carolina holds an 18-13-1 lead in the all-time series, including a 9-5-1 lead when the game is played in Columbia. Kentucky maintained the advantage recently, winning six of the last seven meetings between these two East Division rivals, after a period in which the Gamecocks won 13 of the 14 decisions between 2000 and 2013.
Gamecocks leave the conference on Saturday, October 2, when they host Troy Trojans outside the Sun Belt Conference. The teams have met three times before, with Carolina winning all three competitions, including a 69-24 victory in 2010, the last time the two teams met on the football field.
Carolina returns to conference action the following week on Saturday, October 9, with Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville. The Vols won the last two meetings after the Gamecocks won three consecutive wins from 2016-18. Tennessee leads the all-time series by a 27-10-2 margin, including a 17-3 lead at Knoxville.
South Carolina will receive the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday, October 16. Gamecocks completely dominated the all-time series with Vandy, with a 26-4 lead, including wins in each of the last 12 games, with ‘Dores’ last win coming in 2008. Carolina holds a 12-2 lead in the series when the game was played at the Williams-Brice Stadium.
Carolina is on the road again the following week, traveling to College Station, Texas for a Saturday, October 23, clash with Texas A&M Aggies. Gamecocks will seek their first win in the annual interdivisional series with the Aggies, having lost all seven previous meetings, with the winner securing the Bonham Trophy.
After the only open date (Saturday, October 30) of the 2021 schedule, Gamecocks will be back in action on Saturday, November 6, when they will host the current SEC Eastern Division champion, Florida Gators. Florida leads the all-time series by a 29-9-3 count, with the Gamecocks’ last win taking place in 2017. Florida has a 12-7-1 lead when the game was played in Columbia.
Gamecocks’ last road trip in the 2021 season will take place on Saturday, November 13, when they travel to Columbia, Missouri, to face the Missouri Tigers in the annual Mayor’s Cup battle. The Tigers won last year at the Williams-Brice Stadium and took a slight 6-5 lead in the all-time series. The teams shared the previous four games at Memorial Stadium / Faurot Field equally.
The SEC slate ends on Saturday, November 20, when Gamecocks host the Auburn Tigers for the second year in a row. Gamecocks won a 30-22 victory over 15th place Tigers in the 2020 season, Carolina’s first win over Auburn since 1933. Auburn leads the series of all time by 10-2-1, including a 3- 1 playing in Columbia.
The regular 2021 season comes to an end on Saturday, November 27, when Palmetto’s state rivalry is renewed with the Clemson Tigers. Teams have met 117 times previously, meeting every year from 1909-2019, but due to COVID-19, they were unable to play in the annual battle for the state’s bragging rights in 2020.
All 12 games will be televised, with the network and kick schedules announced at a later date.
2021 SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
September 4 EASTERN ILLINOIS
September 11 in East Carolina
September 18 in Georgia
September 25 KENTUCKY
October 2 TROY
October 9 in Tennessee
October 16 VANDERBILT
October 23 at Texas A&M
October 30 OPENING DATE
November 6 FLORIDA
November 13 in Missouri
November 20 AUBURN
November 27 CLEMSON
Copyright 2021 WRDW / WAGT. All rights reserved.