The Huskies were selected to play in the 2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl following a tumultuous 7–5 regular season that included five losses by a total of just fifteen points, a double-overtime victory at Notre Dame, and the murder of cornerback Jasper Howard.

Pregame coverage focused on the tragedy that marked the Huskies' season, as well as on head coaches Steve Spurrier of South Carolina and Randy Edsall of Connecticut.

Connecticut scored twice in the first quarter: on a one-handed 37-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Kashif Moore and then on a 33-yard field goal after South Carolina failed to convert a fourth-down play at its 32-yard line.

South Carolina scored its sole touchdown after the game had effectively been decided, on a two-yard run by Brian Maddox.

Connecticut wide receiver Marcus Easley and South Carolina linebacker Eric Norwood were among four players from the teams to be selected in the subsequent 2010 National Football League (NFL) draft.

Steve Spurrier was named head coach of the Gamecocks in 2005; in his four seasons in charge of the program, the team had a combined record of 28–21 and was bowl-eligible every year.

In the end, quarterback Stephen Garcia's pass on 4th-and-4 from the 7-yard line with 22 seconds remaining was batted down by the defense and fell incomplete, preserving a 41–37 win for Georgia.

[20] Next up was a win against in-state Division I-FCS opponent South Carolina State[21] With the victory, the Gamecocks earned their first Top 25 ranking of the 2009 season, appearing in the AP Poll at No. 25.

Defensive end Cliff Matthews knocked down Kentucky's pass attempt on what would have been a game-tying two-point conversion to preserve the 28–26 win.

2[Note 1] Alabama, eventual Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mark Ingram II ran for a then-career record 246 yards and a touchdown; South Carolina lost 20–6.

Clemson star running back C. J. Spiller returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown; he was held to 18 yards rushing the rest of the game.

The departure of running back Donald Brown—the NCAA rushing leader in 2008—as well as three other Huskies selected in the first two rounds of the 2009 NFL draft, was expected to hurt the team.

Connecticut led 10–0 through three quarters, but North Carolina tied the game with 2:36 left and took the lead when UConn was called for a holding penalty in its end zone, which by rule resulted in a safety.

UConn held a 21–6 lead with less than four minutes left in the third quarter, but Pittsburgh rallied to win with a field goal as time expired.

[52] In the third quarter, with UConn leading 21–13, Louisville running back Bilal Powell ran off left tackle near the end zone.

[53] Connecticut kicked a field goal on the ensuing drive and won the game 38–25, giving the Huskies a 4–2 overall record, 1–1 within the Big East conference.

Connecticut came back in the fourth quarter to take a 24–21 lead with 38 seconds remaining; Rutgers completed an 81-yard touchdown pass one play later to win 28–24.

Notre Dame expanded its lead to 17–10 in the third quarter, but Todman ran back the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a game-tying touchdown.

[73] The Connecticut offense was led by the rushing attack of running backs Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon, who were described as "one of the best running-back tandems in the nation".

Described as "one of the most disruptive defenders in the country",[70] Norwood was a three-time All-SEC selection and had compiled seven sacks on the season, tied for third-best in the conference.

[70] UConn's pass defense was hurt by the loss of Jasper Howard; following his death, freshman cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson was forced into the starting lineup alongside senior Robert McClain.

[81] The game was telecast on ESPN, with Dave Neal and Andre Ware in the broadcasting booth and Cara Capuano reporting from the sidelines.

Steven Garcia's quarterback sneak was stopped for no gain by the UConn defense, returning the ball to Connecticut on loss of downs.

Four Dixon rushing plays advanced the ball to the 24-yard line; the quarter expired with the Huskies leading 13–0 and in good position to expand their margin.

[87] After three Dixon runs failed to get a first down, Connecticut punted;[87] the kick by Desi Cullen was partially blocked, and South Carolina recovered the ball at the UConn 40-yard line.

[79] In the postgame press conference, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said: "The first thing I want to do, and hopefully half the team does, is apologize to about 30,000 Gamecocks that came down here to see a football game, and we couldn't put one on.

Less than 24 hours after the conclusion of the PapaJohns.com Bowl, South Carolina announced new offensive line coach Shawn Elliott, who previously worked at Appalachian State.

[100] They dropped to 3–4 after seven games with losses to Temple, Rutgers, and Louisville[101] as Zach Frazer was benched[102] and Cody Endres was dismissed from the team.

Defensive end Clifton Geathers, selected in the sixth round by the Cleveland Browns, was the other South Carolina player drafted.

The company instead opted to refocus its marketing dollars on the NFL[111] and its sponsorship of Louisville's home field, Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.