{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{original research|date=November 2013}} {{Infobox NCAA football yearly game | game_name = Outback Bowl | subheader = 27th Outback Bowl | title_sponsor = | image = | caption = | date_game_played = January 1 | year_game_played = 2013 | football_season = 2012 | stadium = Raymond James Stadium | city = Tampa, Florida | visitor_school = University of South Carolina | visitor_name_short = South Carolina | visitor_nickname = Gamecocks | visitor_record = 10–2 <!-- Field should contain record prior to game --> | visitor_rank_AP = 11 | visitor_rank_coaches = 10 | visitor_rank_BCS = 10 | visitor_coach = Steve Spurrier | visitor_conference = SEC | visitor_1q = 14 | visitor_2q = 7 | visitor_3q = 0 | visitor_4q = 12 | home_school = University of Michigan | home_name_short = Michigan | home_nickname = Wolverines | home_record = 8–4 <!-- Field should contain record prior to game --> | home_rank_AP = 19 | home_rank_coaches = 22 | home_rank_BCS = 18 | home_coach = Brady Hoke | home_conference = Big Ten | home_1q = 3 | home_2q = 10 | home_3q = 9 | home_4q = 6 | odds = South Carolina by 10<ref>Bowl Schedule, ''Los Angeles Times'', December 8, 2012</ref> | MVP = Ace Sanders (WR- S. Carolina) | anthem = | referee = Jeff Maconaghy (Big East) | halftime = Both schools' bands performed a show; in addition 20 high schools bands from across the nation combined as 1 giant band | attendance = 54,527 | payout = 3.4 million per team | us_network = ESPN | us_announcers = Mike Tirico (play-by-play) <br> Jon Gruden (analyst) <br> Shannon Spake (sidelines) | ratings = 4.3 (7 Million viewers)<ref>Michael Humes, [http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2013/01/combined-overnight-ratings-for-rose-bowl-and-orange-bowl-bcs-games-rises-over-2012/ Combined Overnight Ratings for Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl BCS Games Rises over 2012], ESPN, January 2, 2013</ref> }}
The '''2013 Outback Bowl''' was a post-season American college football bowl game, held on January 1, 2013, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, as part of the 2012–13 NCAA bowl season. It was the 27th edition of the Outback Bowl, named after sponsor Outback Steakhouse, and was telecast at 1:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. It featured the South Carolina Gamecocks from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) versus the Michigan Wolverines from the Big Ten Conference. South Carolina won with a final score of 33–28.
South Carolina finished their season with 11 wins for only the second time in school history, while Michigan endured their second bowl loss in three years.
"The Hit" by South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has often been considered one of the greatest defensive plays in college football history, as well as one of the greatest college football plays from the 2010s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grossman |first=Hallie |date=2018-01-01 |title='The hit heard around the world,' five years later |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/21918760/jadeveon-clowney-michigan-wolverines-hit-fifth-anniversary |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2019-10-10 |title=The top 10 defensive college football plays of all time - ESPN Video |url=https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/27816237 |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2015-10-22 |title=College football's most incredible plays of the past decade |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/list/best-plays-decade-college-football-kick-six-bush-push-prayer-at-jordan-hare/tmvn1jd2ovcq1klubgv2mnhnz |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=www.sportingnews.com |language=en-us}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Kirshner |first=Alex |date=2020-01-08 |title=84 plays that defined 2010s college football |url=https://www.bannersociety.com/2020/1/8/21041816/college-football-best-plays-2010s-decade |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=Banner Society |language=en}}</ref><ref name="wistv.com">{{Cite web |date=2013-07-18 |title=Jadeveon Clowney wins ESPY for 'Best Play' |url=https://www.wistv.com/story/22870585/jadeveon-clowney-wins-espy-for-best-play |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=www.wistv.com |language=en}}</ref>
==Teams== [[Image:Raymond James Stadium American flag.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The 2013 Outback Bowl was played at Raymond James Stadium.]] The Michigan Wolverines and South Carolina Gamecocks had met twice before, in the 1980s, and entered this contest with the series tied at 1-1.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Winsipedia - Michigan Wolverines vs. South Carolina Gamecocks football series history |url=https://www.winsipedia.com/michigan/vs/south-carolina |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=Winsipedia |language=en}}</ref>
===South Carolina=== {{See also|2012 South Carolina Gamecocks football team}}
South Carolina entered the game with a 10–2 record, having lost to #14 LSU and #9 Florida.
===Michigan=== {{See also|2012 Michigan Wolverines football team}}
Michigan entered the game with an 8–4 record, having lost to #1 Alabama, #4 Notre Dame, #3 Ohio State and #25 Nebraska.
==The Hit==
'''"The Hit"''' is widely considered to mark the turning point in the game for South Carolina and it earned a "Best Play" ESPY Award for South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney.<ref>http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/07/18/4172479/clowneys-hit-wins-espy.html#.UnqdYvkqiSo {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202225301/http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/07/18/4172479/clowneys-hit-wins-espy.html#.UnqdYvkqiSo |date=2013-12-02 }} Clowney’s ‘hit’ wins ESPY</ref>
"The Hit" refers to a play by defensive end Jadeveon Clowney which occurred midway through the fourth quarter of the game. After a Wolverines fake punt, followed by a controversial call awarding Michigan a first down during a critical time-consuming drive, Clowney gained instant fame for his tackle of Michigan running back Vincent Smith that came with 8:21 remaining in the fourth quarter. "The Hit" dislodged Smith's helmet and forced a fumble that Clowney himself recovered.<ref>{{YouTube|gC44nP7ClxM|Jadeveon Clowney's Top Play}}</ref> "The Hit" set up a touchdown pass to wide receiver Ace Sanders on the next play. Although "The Hit" itself did not result in the game-winning touchdown, it is considered by many to have motivated a previously lethargic Gamecock offense to rally and ultimately win the game.<ref>[https://www.espn.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/58538/clowneys-big-hit-defines-outback-bowl Clowney's big hit defines Outback Bowl]</ref>
==Game summary==
===Scoring summary=== Source.<ref name=playbyplay>[https://www.espn.com/college-football/playbyplay?gameId=330010130&period=0 South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Michigan Wolverines play by play]. ESPN Retrieved 1 January 2013.</ref><ref name=boxscore> [https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore?gameId=330010130 South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Michigan Wolverines box score]. ESPN. Retrieved 3 January 2012.</ref> {{AmFootballScoreSummaryStart|VisitorName=USC|HomeName=UM|state=}} {{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=1 | Time=13:26 | Team=USC | DrivePlays=3 | DriveLength=67 | DriveTime=1:34 | Type=Other | Other=Damiere Byrd 56 yd pass from Connor Shaw (Adam Yates kick) | Visitor=7 | Home=0 }} {{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=1 | Time=7:28 | Team=UM | DrivePlays=8 | DriveLength=51 | DriveTime=3:14 | Type=FG | yards=39 | Kicker=Brendan Gibbons | Visitor=7 | Home=3 }} {{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=1 | Time=3:29 | Team=USC | DrivePlays=3 | DriveLength=-10 | DriveTime=1:58 | Type=Other | Other=Ace Sanders 63 Yd Punt Return. (Adam Yates Kick) | Visitor=14 | Home=3 }} {{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=2 | Time=12:41 | Team=UM | DrivePlays=11 | DriveLength=76 | DriveTime=5:48 | Type=Other | Other=Drew Dileo 5 Yd pass from Devin Gardner. (Brendan Gibbons Kick) | Visitor=14 | Home=10 }} {{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=2 | Time=10:54 | Team=USC | DrivePlays=4 | DriveLength=75 | DriveTime=1:47 | Type=Other | Other=Ace Sanders 4 Yd pass from Dylan Thompson. (Adam Yates Kick) | Visitor=21 | Home=10 }} {{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=2 | Time=2:47 | Team=UM | DrivePlays=8 | DriveLength=8 | DriveTime=4:34 | Type=FG | yards=40 | Kicker=Brendan Gibbons | Visitor=21 | Home=13 }} {{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=3 | Time=6:54 | Team=UM | DrivePlays=11 | DriveLength=45 | DriveTime=4:29 | Type=FG | yards=52 | Kicker=Matt Wile | Visitor=21 | Home=16 }} {{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=3 | Time=0:02 | Team=UM | DrivePlays=10 | DriveLength=65 | DriveTime=4:28 | Type=Other | Other=Jeremy Gallon 10 Yd pass from Devin Gardner. (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed) | Visitor=21 | Home=22 }} {{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=4 | Time=8:06 | Team=USC | DrivePlays=1 | DriveLength=31 | DriveTime=0:04 | Type=Other | Other=Ace Sanders 31 Yd pass from Connor Shaw. (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed) | Visitor=27 | Home=22 }} {{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=4 | Time=3:29 | Team=UM | DrivePlays=10 | DriveLength=64 | DriveTime=4:37 | Type=Other | Other=Jeremy Gallon 17 Yd pass from Devin Gardner. (Two-Point Rush Conversion Failed) | Visitor=27 | Home=28 }} {{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=4 | Time=0:11 | Team=USC | DrivePlays=11 | DriveLength=70 | DriveTime=3:18 | Type=Other | Other=Bruce Ellington 32 Yd pass from Dylan Thompson. (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed) | Visitor=33 | Home=28 }} {{AmFootballScoreSummaryEnd|Visitor=33|Home=28}}
===Statistics=== {| class="wikitable" ! Statistics !! USC !! UM |- | First downs || 17 || 24 |- |Rushes-yards (net)|| 17–85 || 45–141 |- |Passing yards (net) || 341 || 214 |- |Passes, Att-Comp-Int || 36–25–0 || 37–18–1 |- | Total yards || 426 || 355 |- | Time of Possession|| 22:01 || 37:59 |- |}
== Aftermath and legacy == With a victory in their bowl game, South Carolina would finish the season ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll, the highest final ranking in program history until then. It remains the second highest final ranking in school history.<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Carolina Gamecocks College Football History, Stats, Records |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/south-carolina/index.html |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>
Meanwhile, despite the loss, Michigan would also finish ranked in the AP Poll (for the second consecutive season, and for only the second time since 2008). Head coach Brady Hoke would coach at Michigan for two more seasons before being fired.
"The Hit" has often been considered the greatest play of the 2012 season, one of the greatest defensive plays in college football history, and one of the greatest college football plays from the 2010s.<ref name="Kirk">{{Cite web |last=Kirk |first=Jason |date=2013-07-22 |title=Clowney would've been ejected, says Pereira |url=https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/7/22/4545524/jadeveon-clowney-hit-ncaa-ejection |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=SBNation.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name="wistv.com"/> It propelled Clowney to instant fame, and he would go on to be the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft.<ref name="Johnson">{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Richard |date=2018-01-01 |title=Let's relive the Clowney hit in all its destructive grandeur |url=https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/1/1/16814366/clowney-hit-michigan-south-carolina-outback-bowl |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=SBNation.com |language=en}}</ref> It has also been called "one of the last tackles of the pre-targeting era" and "truly the last of its kind, a savage hit unencumbered by the threat of [ejection]". Nine months after the play, starting in the 2013 season, the NCAA implemented a new rule that required officials to eject players for targeting an opponent's head during a hit.<ref name="Johnson"/><ref name="Kirk"/>
Under new head coaches, South Carolina and Michigan would rematch in the same bowl game exactly five years later, with the Gamecocks winning by a score of 26–19.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{2012 bowl game navbox}} {{ReliaQuest Bowl navbox}} {{Michigan Wolverines bowl game navbox}} {{South Carolina Gamecocks bowl game navbox}}
Category:ReliaQuest Bowl Outback Bowl Outback Bowl Category:2010s in Tampa, Florida Category:Michigan Wolverines football bowl games Category:South Carolina Gamecocks football bowl games Category:January 2013 sports events in the United States