2011 South Carolina Gamecocks football team explained

The 2011 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Gamecocks were led by seventh-year head coach Steve Spurrier and played their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium. They were a member of the East Division of the Southeastern Conference and finished 11–2 for the season and 6–2 in SEC play.

While they finished undefeated against the East Division, a 13–16 loss to Auburn and a 28–44 loss to Arkansas left them second in the division standings behind Georgia. In the Capital One Bowl, they defeated Nebraska 30–13. The 11 wins were a school record; it was only the second time in the school's 119-year football history that it won as many as 10 games. They also finished eighth in the final Coaches' Poll and ninth in the final AP Poll—their first-ever top-10 finishes in any major poll.

Preseason

On April 10, 2011, the Garnet squad defeated the Black squad, 21–17, in the annual Garnet & Black Spring Game, in front of a crowd of 30,100.

Game summaries

East Carolina

See also: 2011 East Carolina Pirates football team.

Georgia

See also: 2011 Georgia Bulldogs football team.

Navy

See also: 2011 Navy Midshipmen football team.

Vanderbilt

See also: 2011 Vanderbilt Commodores football team.

Auburn

See also: 2011 Auburn Tigers football team.

Kentucky

See also: 2011 Kentucky Wildcats football team.

Mississippi State

See also: 2011 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team. Marcus Lattimore was injured during this game and he remained out for the remainder of the season.

Tennessee

See also: 2011 Tennessee Volunteers football team.

Arkansas

See also: 2011 Arkansas Razorbacks football team.

Florida

See also: 2011 Florida Gators football team.

The Citadel

See also: 2011 The Citadel Bulldogs football team.

Clemson

See also: 2011 Clemson Tigers football team.

Capital One Bowl

See also: 2011 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team and 2012 Capital One Bowl.

Players

Depth chart

Projected starters and primary backups versus Clemson on November 26, 2011.

Awards

• Antonio Allen – AP Second-Team All-SEC;^[1] AP Second-Team All-American^[2]
• A.J. Cann – Coaches SEC All-Freshman Team^[3]
• Jadeveon Clowney – Coaches Second-Team All-SEC;^[4] Coaches SEC All-Freshman Team;^[5] SEC Freshman of the Year;^[6] Sporting News All-Freshman Team^[7]
• Bruce Ellington – SEC Co-Freshman of the Week, 10/17/11;^[8] Coaches SEC All-Freshman Team^[9]
• Melvin Ingram – Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week, 9/11/11;^[10] SEC Special Teams Player of the Week, 9/12/11;^[11] SEC Defensive Player of the Week, 9/26/11;^[12] SEC Defensive Player of the Week, 10/3/11;^[13] AP & Coaches First-Team All-SEC;^{[14] [15]} AFCA All-American Team;^[16] Walter Camp First-Team All-American;^[17] AP First-Team All-American;^[18] Sporting News All-American Team^[19]
• Alshon Jeffery – AP Second-Team All-SEC;^[20] Capital One Bowl MVP
• Marcus Lattimore – SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, 9/19/11;^[21] AP & Coaches Second-Team All-SEC^{[22] [23]}
• Mike Matulis – Sporting News All-Freshman Team^[24]
• Travian Robertson – SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week, 10/14/11^[25]
• Connor Shaw – SEC Offensive Player of the Week, 10/10/11;^[26] SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, 11/28/11^[27]
• D.J. Swearinger – SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week, 10/17/11^[28]
• Rokevious Watkins – SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, 9/5/11;^[29] AP First-Team All-SEC;^[30] Coaches Second-Team All-SEC^[31]
• Brandon Wilds – SEC Freshman of the Week, 10/31/11^[32]
• Dalton Wilson – Capital One Academic All-America Second Team^[33]

2011 recruiting class

Rankings

See also: 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings.

Coaching staff

• Steve Spurrier – Head coach^[34]
• Ellis Johnson – Assistant head coach, defensive coordinator^[35]
• Lorenzo Ward – Defensive coordinator, cornerbacks coach^[36]
• John Butler – Special teams coordinator^[37]
• Shawn Elliott – Offensive line coach, running game coordinator^[38]
• Craig Fitzgerald – Strength & conditioning coach^[39]
• Jay Graham – Running backs and tight ends coach^[40]
• Jeep Hunter – Safeties coach^[41]
• Brad Lawing – Defensive line coach^[42]
• G. A. Mangus – Quarterbacks coach^[43]
• Steve Spurrier, Jr. – Wide receivers coach^[44]

Notes and References

1. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120511aae.html Five Gamecocks Named All-SEC
2. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121411aaa.html Ingram Named First-Team AP All-American
3. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120811aac.html Gamecocks Place Three on SEC All-Freshman Team
4. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120611aaa.html Ingram Named to SEC Coaches' First Team
5. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120811aac.html Gamecocks Place Three on SEC All-Freshman Team
6. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120711aaa.html Clowney Named Freshman of the Year
7. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121511aaa.html Ingram Named to Sporting News Squad
8. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/101711aab.html Swearinger, Ellington Honored by SEC
9. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120811aac.html Gamecocks Place Three on SEC All-Freshman Team
10. http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/091111aaa.html Ingram Honored as Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week
11. http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/091211aab.html Ingram Honored by SEC
12. http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/092611aaa.html Ingram Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week
13. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/100311aab.html Ingram Earns SEC Honors Again
14. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120511aae.html Five Gamecocks Named All-SEC
15. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120611aaa.html Ingram Named to SEC Coaches' First Team
16. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120511aaa.html Ingram Named AFCA All-American
17. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120811aaf.html Ingram Named to First Team Walter Camp All-America Squad
18. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121411aaa.html Ingram Named First-Team AP All-American
19. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121511aaa.html Ingram Named to Sporting News Squad
20. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120511aae.html Five Gamecocks Named All-SEC
21. http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/091911aaa.html Lattimore Honored For Performance
22. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120511aae.html Five Gamecocks Named All-SEC
23. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120611aaa.html Ingram Named to SEC Coaches' First Team
24. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121511aaa.html Ingram Named to Sporting News Squad
25. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111411aab.html Robertson Honored By SEC
26. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/101011aaa.html Shaw Earns SEC Accolades
27. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/112811aaa.html Shaw Honored by SEC
28. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/101711aab.html Swearinger, Ellington Honored by SEC
29. http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/090511aaa.html Watkins Named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week
30. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120511aae.html Five Gamecocks Named All-SEC
31. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120611aaa.html Ingram Named to SEC Coaches' First Team
32. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/103111aab.html Wilds Named Freshman of the Week
33. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120811aaa.html Dalton Wilson Named to Capital One Academic All-America Second Team
34. Web site: Bio: Steve Spurrier . 2011-09-01 . 2008-12-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081223125835/http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/spurrier_steve00.html . dead .
35. Web site: Bio: Ellis Johnson . 2011-09-01 . 2008-12-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081223160728/http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/johnson_ellis00.html . dead .
36. Web site: Bio: Lorenzo Ward . 2011-09-01 . 2009-10-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091008025820/http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/ward_lorenzo00.html . dead .
37. http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/butler_john00.html Bio: John Butler
38. http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/elliott_shawn00.html Bio: Shawn Elliott
39. Web site: Bio: Craig Fitzgerald . 2011-09-01 . 2009-10-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091008025722/http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/fitzgerald_craig00.html . dead .
40. Web site: Bio: Jay Graham . 2011-09-01 . 2009-10-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091008025732/http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/graham_jay00.html . dead .
41. http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/hunter_jeep00.html Bio: Jeep Hunter
42. Web site: Bio: Brad Lawing . 2011-09-01 . 2008-12-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081225112623/http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/lawing_brad00.html . dead .
43. Web site: Bio: G.A. Mangus . 2011-09-01 . 2009-10-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091008025800/http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/mangus_ga00.html . dead .
44. Web site: Bio: Steve Spurrier, Jr. . 2011-09-01 . 2011-10-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111001224045/http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/spurrierjr_steve00.html . dead .