A few more years of Fran and we could have been there. Being in the same state as Clemson and also having to compete for recruits with Georgia makes it a tough go for the Gamecocks. The overall record is just above .500, and they have won 1 Conference Championship, the ACC in 1969. I don't think they have ever played in a major bowl game.
South Carolina is one of few state universities that traditionally is behind the land grant school in football. The only other examples that comes to mind is Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia and Purdue and Indiana University.