South Carolina was picked to finish last in the SEC East, so making any bowl had to be considered a success.
Despite being the 10th team in the conference’s bowl lineup, the Gamecocks still somehow found themselves facing a ranked opponent with 10 wins. USF was favored by 11 points in Thursday’s Birmingham Bowl, and when the Bulls were up by 18 midway through the third quarter, they seemed to be justifying that spread.
But unlike when they got down big in their final regular-season game, the Gamecocks continued fighting. An impressive comeback forced the game to overtime, but allowing a 25-yard touchdown pass on USF’s first snap in extra time proved the difference in a 46-39 loss.