2001 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
2001 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 2001 South Carolina Gamecocks represented the University of South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. They were led by head coach Lou Holtz, in his third year, and played home games at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.
After a remarkable turnaround in 2000, the 2001 team enjoyed another successful season. The September 11 attacks caused the season to pause, and the September 20 game against No. 17 Mississippi State was the first NCAA Division I-A game played after 9/11. About a week later, South Carolina defeated Alabama for the first time in program history, a win that prompted fans to rush the field.
By early October, the Gamecocks were 5–0 and ranked No. 9 in the AP poll, their highest ranking since 1988. They finished the season 9–3 overall and 5–3 in the SEC, earning a No. 13 ranking in both the AP and Coaches polls.
South Carolina defeated No. 22 Ohio State in the Outback Bowl, earning back-to-back bowl wins and finishing the year as Outback Bowl champions with a 31–28 victory. This 9–3 record and top-15 ranking were among the best in school history at the time, and Lou Holtz became the first Gamecocks coach to win two bowl games.
Other notes: ESPN’s College GameDay appeared for the November 10 game, a first for the program. A game against Bowling Green scheduled for September 15 was canceled after 9/11, and Wofford was added to replace the open date on November 3. The team ran a spread offense and used a 3–3–5 base defense, with Skip Holtz as offensive coordinator and Charlie Strong as defensive coordinator.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 02:51 (CET).