South Carolina Football: Top-5 Gamecock moments from modern Carolina-Clemson rivalry

South Carolina Football vs. Clemson Top Rivalry Moments:
No. 1 The Hit/”The Flex”

DJ Swearinger. What can be said about #36? One of the greatest safeties to ever wear a Gamecock uniform, 2Spoonz was also one of the best leaders, as well. No one consistently missed assignments when Swearinger was on the field because they feared the repercussions from their captain.

The swag and intimidation factor of DJ Swearinger was almost tangible for opposing offenses. Teams tried to avoid throwing over the middle for fear of big hits or timely interceptions. Sometimes his intensity would get the best of him with a penalty, but the occasional 15-yard infraction was worth it for everything else he brought to the table.

In the Carolina-Clemson rivalry, Swearinger’s biggest moment came when he met up with another South Carolina native.

After interrupting Clemson’s pregame warm-up with a nicely-timed interception, Swearinger led the Carolina defense in an impressive effort, holding Clemson to about 200 yards fewer than their average for the rest of the season.

The moment here is one that every South Carolina football fan reading this knew was coming. In the 4th quarter, with the Gamecocks leading 20-17, Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd handed the ball off to running back Andre Ellington around the right side. After turning upfield, Ellington came face to face with DJ Swearinger.

Swearinger plowed his right shoulder straight through Ellington’s left one, spinning the Berkeley High School alum (and Bruce Ellington’s cousin) around like a top as he crumbled in a heap. After the hit, JungleBoi stood over Ellington and flexed (Akeem Auguste joined him), drawing a 15-yard penalty.

The play was emblematic of the whole game. Though the score was close, there were not many watching the game who thought the Gamecocks would lose. At that point, it was 20-17, but it felt as dominant as a 3-point lead could possibly feel. The Swearinger hit fed the Gamecocks a huge helping of momentum, and a few plays later, Brison Williams picked off Boyd.

The Gamecocks went on to win 27-17 for the 4th win in a row in the series.

Swearinger’s play was originally known as “The Hit,” but Jadeveon Clowney’s decapitation of Michigan’s Vincent Smith in the Outback Bowl after the season caused many to refer to Swearinger’s as “The Flex” instead. Either way, every South Carolina football fan who is old enough remembers what DJ Swearinger did in Clemson that day.