COLUMBIA, S.C. — One year after making a return to the bowl game series with a notable victory over North Carolina, the Gamecocks are coming back again - but this time not to the Dukes Mayo Bowl.
South Carolina has learned it will be headed to Jacksonville for the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Notre Dame. The game will be held on Dec. 30 at 3:30 p.m. in Jacksonville, Florida at TIAA Bank Field.
The appearance will mark its second time in a bowl game since a short drought that followed their 2018 bout in the Belk Bowl.
South Carolina's bowl game stock increased in value significantly in its last two regular season games with wins against Top 10 teams. The Gamecocks shocked the football world with wins against Tennessee and the now-ACC champion Clemson Tigers - the latter of which notably won the 2022 title in a title game against South Carolina's 2021 bowl opponent North Carolina.
The two upset wins catapulted South Carolina to the 20th spot on the AP Top 25 after being previously unranked. The jump came after, just weeks earlier, the Gamecocks visited the 25th spot after a win over the Aggies of Texas A&M - one that was quickly humbled by a loss to Missouri a week later.
The Gamecocks ended their roller-coaster of a regular season 8-4 overall and 4-4 in the conference. Now ranked 19th in the College Football Playoff rankings, they're hoping to cap that with a second bowl victory over 21st-ranked Notre Dame.