USC out of Gasparilla Bowl due to coronavirus issues

In an unusual season that was extended one game for the University of South Carolina football team in an unusual way, the Gamecocks saw their 2020 season come to an end on Tuesday, again in an unusual way.

USC, which was selected to play in Saturday's Gasparilla Bowl despite going just 2-8 during the regular season, had to back out of the game against Alabama-Birmingham after coronavirus issues began to affect the team.

"The team was excited to learn Sunday that it would play in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa on Saturday," Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner said in a press release. "However, between members of the coaching staff and student-athletes, COVID and contact tracing has taken a toll too high for us to overcome. I have notified the bowl and the SEC (Southeastern Conference) office that we are not able to play in the game on Saturday.

"I am proud of this team. Their commitment to represent their program and university, themselves, their families, and their coaches, is second to none."

South Carolina's regular season was unusual in the fact that it got through its 10-game, SEC-only schedule without any delays or cancellations due to coronavirus. The Gamecocks found out they were playing in the bowl on Sunday, and in a Zoom conference interim head coach Mike Bobo said the team was ready to play even though it was short or numbers. They only dressed 53 scholarship players in the regular-season finale against Kentucky on Dec. 5, and Bobo said 51 or 52 scholarship players in Sunday's practice.

USC canceled practice on Monday, however, because several positive cases and the contact tracing left the roster too thin.

After a players-only meeting followed by a meeting with Tanner on Tuesday, the announcement was made that Carolina would not play in the game. It brought an end to a season that ended with a 6-game losing streak. The last win came over a then-ranked Auburn team, South Carolina's first over Auburn since the 1930s.

That was followed by three straight losses in which the Gamecocks allowed 159 points, leading to the firing of head coach Will Muschamp on Nov. 15 after a 59-42 loss to Mississippi.

"Our football team has been on campus since the summer preparing for a football season that saw change being the only constant," Tanner said. "They had to go through strict COVID testing protocols that were as varied and numerous as any group of young people has had to do.

"Our team competed hard all season, despite injuries, positive COVID tests and contact testing, and several opt outs late in the year."

USC was the second SEC team to back out of a bowl game because of COVID issues. Tennessee withdrew from the Liberty Bowl on Monday.

Carolina was invited to the bowl because the NCAA waived the minimum number of wins this season because of the uncertainty brought by the pandemic. Also, the SEC had a high number of bowl tie-ins.

Shane Beamer was named the new head coach the day after the loss to Kentucky. He wasn't taking part in bowl preparation, but he was in Columbia.

"With new head coach Shane Beamer, staff, and student-athletes, we will be ready for 2021 and we're excited about the future," Tanner said.