| Sport: | football |
| Year: | 2003 |
| Team: | South Carolina Gamecocks |
| Conference: | Southeastern Conference |
| Division: | Eastern Division |
| Short Conf: | SEC |
| Record: | 5–7 |
| Conf Record: | 2–6 |
| Hc Year: | 5th |
| Off Coach: | Skip Holtz |
| Oc Year: | 5th |
| Dc Year: | 1st |
The 2003 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Gamecocks were led by Lou Holtz in his fifth season as head coach and played their home games in Williams–Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.
After starting the final two games of last season, Dondrial Pinkins was the Gamecocks' starting quarterback in 2003.[1] [2] South Carolina started 2–0 and ranked No. 25 after a blowout upset win over No. 15 Virginia,[3] the first ranked opponent they had beaten since 2001, and the highest-ranked opponent they had beaten since 2000.[4] [5] [6] However, out of the next five games, the Gamecocks lost three, all to top-10 opponents. South Carolina won one more game, against Vanderbilt, before ending the season on a four-game losing streak. This included a historic blowout loss to archrival Clemson in front of one of the largest crowds that Williams–Brice Stadium has ever held.[7]
The Gamecocks finished the season with a final record of 5–7, but this would be their last losing season until 2015.[8]