South Carolina had a strong defense, especially against the pass; the Gamecocks were 15th in the nation in total defense, 22nd in scoring defense, 46th in run defense, and 12th in passing defense. The Gamecock defense was led by linebacker Eric Norwood. Described as "one of the most disruptive defenders in the country", Norwood was a three-time All-SEC selection and had compiled seven sacks on the season, tied for third-best in the conference. He was South Carolina's all-time leader in both sacks and tackles-for-loss.
