What's new
By:
Filters
Gamecock Fanatics

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

1984 Season Game Week Flashback

kingofnerf

kingofnerf

GCF Super Moderator
Messages
10,905
Fanatics Cash
52,129
Points
8,235
We were essentially picked to go 5-6 in 1984, but went 10-2 instead.  This season feels a lot like that one, so I am going to start this thread to compare then and now as a companion to FeatheredCock's game week discussion threads.  I am behind on Game 1 so I will combine that with Game 2 this week.  It will go Monday-Sunday on the current game week to give people the chance to talk on Sunday about the previous day's game before starting the next Game Week post on this thread on Monday.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
South Carolina's "Black Magic"started off slowly, gathered momentum as the Gamecocks broke into the nation's top 20 after three games, zoomed all the way to second after nine games, and climaxed with a come-from-behind win over arch rival Clemson for a 10-1 final regular season record. The reward was the Gamecocks' third trip to the prestigious Gator Bowl, Dec. 28 in Jacksonville and sixth bowl trip in history, as well as post season honors for head coach Joe Morrison and a number of Carolina players.

As Morrison and his staff began their second season at South Carolina, published prospects for 1984 indicated the Gamecocks might be slightly improved over their 5-6 finish in 1983, but be the underdogs against teams like Georgia, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Florida State and Clemson. South Carolina defeated them all, as well as East Carolina (which was coming off its finest season ever), The Citadel, Duke, Kansas State and North Carolina State. Only against the Midshipmen of Navy did the Gamecocks stumble.

It all started rather inauspiciously. Favored over The Citadel Bulldogs in Game 1, the Gamecocks found themselves trailing 21-14 at halftime thanks to three second period touchdown passes by Cadet quarterback Robert Hill. Scott Hagler's field goal and a 50-yard Allen Mitchell-to-Ira Hillary pass gave the Gamecocks a 24-21 lead after three quarters, but The Citadel tied it up with a field goal.  With a minute and two seconds to play, Quinton Lewis' 40 yard halfback pass to Chris Wade gave Carolina the lead, 31-24, but The Citadel wasn't through. Mike Lewis returned the kickoff 77 yards with Chris Major's diving tackle at the Gamecock 18 preventing a touchdown. Otis Morris intercepted a fourth down pass in the end zone with nine seconds left to preserve the win.

Senior center, Tom Garner, takes a short break during the Citadel game. (below)

nbumuEeMR4z4FH2JhhAVlWDXhGLXD20cviT1-2FtQYYEZtKzVj9N_nNr3736tcdzBXHOYCJCGyN48wVJdAtxnwOcJFZ2UfWK1COuHpqwRvFCiQIAyhsfAFpzs7l9mQEdTPWIKvkUUw=w2400


Defensive end Tony Guyton (93), and linebacker Paul Vogel (44), prepare to hit the Citadel quarterback. (below)

UyXLtBR2RcICnQRUAg859z-eXSM3SNJ3iJsMx9UvDckxixDR_54D7BYDyWX7tr27SO3nK87E_sDOlJ_kKJzQXL_Xd_gJmL5l_3t7y9Tf03vWW0xiIVyP_Rq_EakbSZ4fxYVDYzm69w=w2400


Citadel quarterback, Robert Hill, finds out just how tough the Carolina defense can be as he is hit by Bryant Gilliard (20) and Roy Hart (54). (below)

_WzJhgnuU0wGnzwLj3-79KS0XU1RpYdF8TPVxFLLu3O3aiiyxjyD5aEgCpXuaLGzasEP--xe0VNEsNJ4kAxxW4_ceI1EG7yoCZtCNqOT6o-qIhy5LtsWSO_7_URBvOUlD-tH_Ui5xA=w2400


71,200 fans watched the Citadel-USC game at Williams-Brice Stadium.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
We had some good content on the Countdown thread.  Feel free to add drop some stuff in here from the Countdown thread that you feel is relevant to the 1984 Game Week discussions.  Anything from a prior 1984 Game Week can be added at any time.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
The Gamecocks played Duke in Game 2 and defeated them 21-0, handing Duke their only shut-out of the 1984 season.

Gamecock linebacker Paul Vogel (#44) prepares to make a tackle on a Duke ball carrier. (below)

eybIsHz1MSs1BV0l2ExnLvWaa3akndRg5pqVoaVLg60-PmEfWYN83LjJesPkVUSdpf9_rG0t805XoSfQmtWBXUBtjTM40-PkYJps2DEHVsyURdUV3L1rdwPd3nra-j4RRMshY3BCLw=w2400


Alter making a quick move on a Duke defender, Allen Mitchell runs for needed yardage. (below)

dNMBhMB3WQNpmx9_vCgvdpxpi8_J2GkWPLpAD0OpNEE-hX6AVJ-FVoVpoO-e87tWXiIQ9s56aWY08rFDiFP7o03wumHy6kewlQtCf5XOBT8-U876IXvM0RkFXth6Ji6-EkjDxu5OWg=w2400


 
One of my favorite season till the bowl game. Remember seating in the end zone watching in amazement on the due receivers Citadel had. Tall and fast.  Man to me that was the biggest win. Why? By winning a game the Gamecocks should have really lost. but we won and the team felt they could pull out victories' out of the jaws of defect. Gamecocks learned how to win. Went too every game in 84 counting the bowl BLACK MAGIC!!

 
Great thread. :football-touchdown-dance-smilesmall:

 
Joe Morrison Shows 1984 (NC State, Florida St, Clemson)


You guys will enjoy blast from the past.



 
South Carolina 1984 Raw footage (Citadel, UGA and Kansas St.)




 
As Swayin' pointed out in the Countdown thread, 1984 was also the first season we returned playing on natural turf at W-B.

DAxb1l9wRVdXak0cYqRgjo3ScH2HOj5aOaMuCBWTLJ3FYPVdBMKaERxhcfW13b_qseHf4HCc5vUOxTVOML1ncgIGhB9urrV-14G0soFIL5pNlg3OUDJUVdbP66zJgH43p99uw1hRcA=w2400


 
Last edited by a moderator:
This was the season that got me hooked and made me a lifelong Gamecock fan. I was 10 years old and we had moved to Columbia the year before. I didn't care much for football or the Gamecocks prior to this. But that win streak pulled me in. Me and my brother would listen to Bob Fulton on the Radio, then try to watch the highlights during the evening news. 

 
FeatheredCock said:
One of my favorite season till the bowl game. Remember seating in the end zone watching in amazement on the due receivers Citadel had. Tall and fast.  Man to me that was the biggest win. Why? By winning a game the Gamecocks should have really lost. but we won and the team felt they could pull out victories' out of the jaws of defect. Gamecocks learned how to win. Went too every game in 84 counting the bowl BLACK MAGIC!!
Click to expand...
I think the ECU game was our OOC gut-check game like the Citadel game was in 1984.  We got behind back then, but hunkered down and found a way to win.

 
The 1984 Street and Smith's College Football Yearbook predicted The University of South Carolina Football Team to have a 5-6 season and called that a good year. Athlon's Atlantic Coast Football Magazine said in an article that "there are signs that the renaissance of South Carolina football had begun," while going on to say, "it's one of the nation's most difficult schedules." 

The talk around Columbia was whether or not USC could manage a winning season, but who would have dared to dream that Carolina would go through the regular season 10-1 and earn a berth in the Gator Bowl? 

The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia​

The 12th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs came to Williams-Brice Stadium on September 29th, 1984, for the Gamecocks' third game of the season.  The Gamecocks won the toss and elected to kick to Georgia, who would go 3-and-out on their first possession.  The Gamecocks' first drive started on their own 20-yard line after a UGA punt.  They scored on their first possession following strong runs by running backs Quinton Lewis and Thomas Dendy and quarterback Allen Mitchell, who would punch it in to the end zone from the 2-yard line for the Gamecocks' first score.

The Dawgs would settle for a FG on their next possession to make it 7-3 Gamecocks with 1:54 to go in the first quarter.  The Gamecocks would drive down into the UGA red zone on their next possession, but have to settle for a 25-yard FG from Scott Hagler to make it 10-3 with 12:14 left in the second quarter.  The defenses for both teams would not allow any more points in the first half and the Gamecocks would go into the locker room at halftime leading the Dawgs 10-3.

The offenses for both teams would continue to struggle in the second half.  Georgia would score first in the second half on a 17-yard TD pass to tie the game 10-10 with 5:16 left in the 3rd quarter.

Coach Joe Morrison would rely on QB Mike Hold in the second half, but UGA's defense would not let him get the Gamecocks past midfield until the 4th quarter.  Hold would get the Gamecocks to their own 32-yard line and let fly a 62-yard bomb to receiver Ira Hillary to finally get the ball inside UGA's red zone.  Hold himself would punch it in himself with a 1-yard run to make it 17-10 Gamecocks with 8:04 left in the 4th quarter.

The Fire Ants would stiffen the rest of the game and not allow the Dawgs to score again to secure the 17-10 Gamecock upset win.  The upset was the Gamecock football program's first win over a ranked opponent in nine attempts.

The Fire Ants stack it up against UGA with Carl Hill (85) and Joe Brooks (23) leading the way, while Bryant Gilliard (20) prepares to make the final hit. (below)

Gaea-JjEMPPZ9UM3-7w_KdIBnX-httZTVMMm8R8OrQIwsmQcYJt9ojuTbjVS9qVkXbetfm5ct0RFNJhv3SYrMFbyPyw7w5z_YCjEZekXL_zHdBowfMI7XRrx_8Kn36P1_RlPJXeL9w=w2400


Two Carolina players, Greg Philpot and Otis Morris, embrace in the locker room following the upset of Georgia. (below)

S2Hd9yK_09R7l0LccsVoYMh5eAw33g6_r9oH6njg9lMfPUvIDjM3iYfic9SXDZ41j_y2nKsAd3yfuksNjppxsCeB_bkcGfJufJow3P9_olbDsTSU2Ppuwo5pUppJZ34RBO4nvxmd6Q=w2400


According to Coach Morrison, the closeness of the team was a key factor in their success.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just saw this thread.
The Citadel game was the first game I ever went to as a student. I didn't really know much about football, not like every other kid I went to high school with, for whom it was mother's milk.
I had heard of a "trick play" and to act like I knew something about football to my dormmates (a bunch of us from the dorm went in on some block seating, so a lot at stake for me), I said with the Gamecocks down late in the game we ought to try a halfback option pass right about here.
And we tried a halfback option pass right then, and I couldn't convince me dormmates that I really didn't know what I was talking about for a while.
True story.
And even though I started working the Saturday shift at the Russell House movie theater and couldn't go to any more games that season, I was hooked.

 
sguilfoyle said:
Just saw this thread.
The Citadel game was the first game I ever went to as a student. I didn't really know much about football, not like every other kid I went to high school with, for whom it was mother's milk.
I had heard of a "trick play" and to act like I knew something about football to my dormmates (a bunch of us from the dorm went in on some block seating, so a lot at stake for me), I said with the Gamecocks down late in the game we ought to try a halfback option pass right about here.
And we tried a halfback option pass right then, and I couldn't convince me dormmates that I really didn't know what I was talking about for a while.
True story.
And even though I started working the Saturday shift at the Russell House movie theater and couldn't go to any more games that season, I was hooked.
Click to expand...
I went to the Russell House movie theater on a regular basis.  Always a good time.  Had a couple of friends who were into Rocky Horror and they always enjoyed those shows as well.

 
kingofnerf said:
I went to the Russell House movie theater on a regular basis.  Always a good time.  Had a couple of friends who were into Rocky Horror and they always enjoyed those shows as well.
Click to expand...
Aw man. That brings back some memories. The only time I ever saw a movie at the Russel House theater was The Rocky Horror Picture show. I had never seen it before and some friends dragged me to it. We had been smoking some of the funny stuff before hand, and let me tell you, I was so frigging confused. It was the whole production with the people acting out the movie in front of the movie, and the rice throwing and water pistols, etc. Don't remember much about the movie itself, other then it was not very good, but definitely remember the experience. Blew my mind. 

 
They showed Rocky Horror when I was a student. 
but they showed it in the ballroom to get more people in. 

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top