On Thursday,South Carolina won its border war contest over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, 38-21.
With the win, the Gamecocks have further established themselves as “The Real Carolina.” First-year head coach Shane Beamer has the Gamecocks going in the right direction, and did something in year one not many thought he would do.
Entering Thursday, South Carolina was ranked 20th in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings. That is the highest in the state currently and South Carolina has potential to climb even further.
South Carolina just defeated a regional rival that is ranked No. 9 in recruiting. So while Coach Beamer gets his 4-gallon mayonnaise bath, let’s look back at the history of South Carolina vs North Carolina teams:
South Carolina is now 9-6 vs. North Carolina since the ACC departure
Many like to jab at South Carolina for only having one conference championship (1969, ACC). The Tar Heels have only won their conference three times since the Gamecocks left in the early 1970.
Fast forward to 2021, and South Carolina football is in a better place than majority of its former Tobacco Road counterparts. This millennium, North Carolina only has four bowl game victories, while South Carolina has seven.
North Carolina only has one 10-win season since 2000 while South Carolina has triple the amount.
South Carolina is 28-11-1 vs. Power 5 North Carolina Programs
The state of North Carolina is huge in regards of recruiting and South Carolina can start making moves in that area. In their 2022 class, the Gamecocks have zero commits from the Tar Heel State, but maybe this bowl win and consistent success against North Carolina teams could help here.
Bottom Line: Which program would you rather be backing in 2022 and beyond in this region?
The “Real Carolina” under Shane Beamer seems like the correct answer.
A win… with Twang! 😎 pic.twitter.com/1vReV9J5E2
— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) December 30, 2021