2022 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

The 2022 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This season marked the Gamecocks' 129th overall season, and 31st as a member of the SEC East Division. The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams–Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, and were led by second-year head coach Shane Beamer.

The 2022 Gamecocks squad displayed significant growth under Shane Beamer's leadership in his second year as head coach. Despite inconsistent offensive production and a lackluster rush defense throughout the season, the Gamecocks finished on a high note, posting an 8–5 record and finishing the season ranked at No. 23 in both the Coaches and AP poll.^[1]

The Gamecocks' eight wins were the most since 2017.^[2] Along the way, they won four consecutive games, won three true road games, defeated archrival Clemson, and finished ranked, all for the first time since 2013. Additionally, they defeated Texas A&M, three top-15 teams, and back-to-back top-ten opponents, all for the first time in program history.^[3][4]

The consecutive victories over No. 5 Tennessee and No. 8 Clemson have been described as "two of the biggest upsets in program history".^[5] Hosting Tennessee, South Carolina's dominant 63–38 victory set the record for most points scored by an unranked team against a top-five team in college football history.^[6] Quarterback Spencer Rattler's six touchdowns broke the school record for most touchdown passes in a single game.^[7] South Carolina fans stormed the field for the first time since 2001.^[a] At Clemson, South Carolina snapped the Tigers' 40-game home winning streak.^[12] It was also the Gamecocks' first win over Clemson since 2013.^[13] It was just the seventh time in history that a school had defeated AP top-ten opponents in consecutive weeks as an unranked team, and the first since 2003.^[14]

The 2022 special teams have also been considered arguably the greatest Gamecock special teams of all time, earning the No. 1 spot in ESPN's efficiency ranking.^[15]

South Carolina and the SEC announced the 2022 football schedule on September 21, 2021.^[16][17][18]

The University of South Carolina and others have published many highlights from the Gamecocks' 2022 football season.^{[21][22][23][24][25]}

• The 8–5 overall record and 4–4 SEC record were both one-game improvements over the 2021 season
• Predicted by the media to finish 5th in the SEC East, but finished 3rd
• Only the fifteenth season of 8+ wins in school history, and first since 2017
• Ranked 23rd in the country in both the final Associated Press and USA Today Coaches’ polls
• Only the tenth season to finish ranked in the AP poll in school history, and first since 2013
• First wins over back-to-back top-10 teams in school history
• Only the seventh time in history a school has defeated top-10 opponents in consecutive weeks as an unranked team, and first since 2003
• Only the sixth season in school history to beat three ranked teams, and first since 2013
• First season in school history to beat three top-15 teams
• Beat Texas A&M for the first time in nine tries
• Won at Kentucky for the first time since 2012
• Defeated Clemson for the first time since 2013
• Won three true road games for the first time since 2013
• Had a four-game winning streak for the first time since 2013
• Defeated top-5 opponent at home for the first time since 2012
• Yards of offense and points against Tennessee were both the most by an unranked team against an AP top-5 opponent in the poll era
• Selected as the FWAA's National Team of the Week after the win against Tennessee, winning the honor for only the fifth time since 2002
• Snapped Clemson's 40-game home winning streak
• The Gator Bowl was the highest rated non-New Year’s Six bowl game of the season
• The Tennessee game and Gator Bowl were the fifth-highest and sixth-highest rated Gamecock football games of the last ten seasons
• Sold out all six Saturday home games
• Averaged 75,785 in attendance for seven home contests, which ranked 16th in the country
• Entered the AP Poll rankings for the first time since 2018, and entered the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time since 2017
• Reached highest ranking in AP Poll since 2014
• Reached highest College Football Playoff ranking in program history
• Won four of their five non-conference games, improving their record to 40–13 in their last 53 non-conference games
• Used 42 different starters, including 20 on offense and 22 on defense
• Averaged 32.2 points per game, which ranked 39th in the country and was nearly a 10-points per game increase over the 2021 campaign, when they averaged 22.6 points per game
• Scored 30+ points in nine games for the first time in school history
• Ranked 27th in the country in pass efficiency defense and 34th in passing defense
• Forced 23 turnovers, which ranked second in the SEC and 20th in the country
• Made fifteen interceptions, which ranked first in the SEC and 14th in the nation
• Had the nation’s top-ranked special teams unit, earning the No. 1 spot in ESPN’s special teams efficiency ranking
• Ranked tied for second in the country in blocked punts, third in blocked kicks, fourth in punt returns, fifth in kickoff returns, seventh in net punting, 23rd in opponent kickoff returns and 27th in opponent punt returns
• Perfect in field goal attempts at 11-for-11, only the second season in school history to do so with a minimum of ten attempts, after 1980