The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams–Brice Stadium located in Columbia, South Carolina, and were led by Shane Beamer, who was in his fourth year as their head coach.

Predicted to win five games and finish thirteenth in the SEC,[1][2] South Carolina achieved the eighth nine-win season in program history.

[15][16] The winning streak earned South Carolina consideration for the College Football Playoff,[17][18][6][19] but they were instead invited to the Citrus Bowl,[20] where they lost to Illinois.

[19][22][23] Kyle Kennard won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, honoring him as the top defensive player in college football, and was a finalist for the Lombardi Award.

[31][32][33] This is the first season South Carolina does not play Georgia since the Gamecocks joined the SEC in 1992, and only the sixth time the two teams have not met since 1958.