The Georgia Bulldogs have been a long-standing rival, even before the Gamecocks joined the SEC. In 2013, it was UGA that gave South Carolina football one of their two losses (along with Tennessee…more on them later). Without that loss, USC would have gotten a crack at Auburn in the SEC Championship Game with a National Championship berth on the line.
North Carolina was once a bigger rival for the Gamecocks, but fans (especially older fans) still hold a lot of contempt for their border rival to the North. The old basketball rivalry was one of the most hostile ones in the entire country.
South Carolina-Tennessee has always been somewhat of a rivalry, but in recent years, things have ratcheted up to a new level. The matchup is tied 8-8 in the last 16 meetings, and a helmet-catch from UT’s Marquez North cost the Gamecocks an SEC East Championship and a shot at playing for the national title. The current head coaches (Shane Beamer and Josh Heupel) do not like each other, and that rivalry has only increased the fan bases’ disdain for each other.
The Gamecocks never had a rivalry with Kentucky until Mark Stoops came around. Not only has Stoops beaten USC more often than he’s lost, he does not care much for the last two Gamecock head coaches (Will Muschamp and Shane Beamer), and the South Carolina football fanbase has rallied behind their coaches and learned to hate the Wildcats.
Even other schools like Florida, Texas A&M, and Missouri are pseudo-rivals for the Gamecocks. Florida always has been a minor rivalry, and A&M and Missouri are now “trophy games” as USC plays the Aggies for the Bonham Trophy and the Tigers from “the other Columbia” for the Mayor’s Cup.
But the biggest rival, though, is unquestioned. The Clemson Tigers are the rival for the South Carolina Gamecocks. “That team from the Upstate” is headed to Columbia this weekend for the annual rivalry game, and that means it is officially Clemson Hate Week for South Carolina football fans.
Let’s take a look at the top-5 moments from the rivalry since the year 2000.
South Carolina Football vs. Clemson:
Honorable Mentions
There are too many great moments in this rivalry to limit the list to just five, so here are a handful of honorable mentions:
The Dylan Thompson/Jadeveon Clowney Game
This one is less about a particular moment (that will come later) and more about the impressiveness of an entire game.
In 2012, less than an hour before the Gamecocks and Tigers kicked off, it was announced that Connor Shaw was unable to go, and Dylan Thompson would play. Most fans thought that the game was decided at that point as Thompson had struggled in spot duty for the oft-injured Shaw, but the Gamecocks had other plans that night.
Dylan Thompson absolutely shredded the rival Tigers for almost 350 total yards and 3 touchdowns. He also had two long 3rd down conversions on the ground to seal the victory late.
After significant trash talk from Clemson receivers Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins, the defense did its part to slow down the high-powered Clemson offense, too.
Jadeveon Clowney might have had the single-best defensive lineman performance in school history as he sacked Tajh Boyd 4.5 times, including one on the last play of the game.
Clowney let Boyd hear about after the play, too, as the Clemson QB took several opportunities to talk trash during the week leading up to the game, including repeatedly saying “I’m not scared” of Clowney, something that stuck with him through the 2013 game as Clowney told interviewers that Boyd “sure did look scared” on the field.
The win gave Steve Spurrier the all-time record for wins as the coach of the South Carolina football program.
There will be more from the 2012 game later.
George Rogers Is the Only Heisman Winner in This State
In 2009, six Heisman Trophy candidates had separated themselves from the rest of the country. Running back Mark Ingram (Alabama), quarterback Colt McCoy (Texas), running back Toby Gerhart (Stanford), defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska), and quarterback Tim Tebow (Florida) were five. The sixth? Clemson running back CJ Spiller.
Heading into the annual rivalry game that season, Spiller’s Heisman hype was high as the 2009 race was one of the closest in the history of the award. Many were ready to hand him the award after he took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown (on his 2nd try; the Gamecocks were called for a phantom offside penalty on the 1st kick).
However, as much hype had been built up, it was gone by the time the Gamecocks were done with Spiller that day. In a dominant performance, the Carolina defense held the Clemson offense without a touchdown until the 3rd-stringers were in the game, and Spiller had just 18 yards rushing and lost a fumble.
Spiller’s showing was so bad that he and head coach Dabo Swinney offered up different (fake) excuses for what happened. Spiller said he was “sick,” while Swinney said Spiller “tweaked his groin.” The abysmal showing left him out of the Heisman Trophy ceremony altogether. Mark Ingram won the award.
George Rogers is still the only Heisman Trophy winner between the two programs.
Alshon Jeffery Makes Williams-Brice Cry Tears of Orange
In 2011, Clemson fans thought that the Tigers were going to beat the Gamecocks to get back into the win column in the rivalry series. Carolina had a really good year but didn’t seem quite as good as their record.
Losing Marcus Lattimore for the year to an injury, a quarterback change midseason to an inexperienced Connor Shaw, close games against average teams like Navy and Mississippi State, and a loss to a bad Auburn squad gave some credence to those feelings.
Those Gamecocks were just a little better than the Tigers had hoped, though.
USC’s defense swallowed up Clemson that day, holding the powerful Chad Morris offense to less than 200 yards and Tajh Boyd to the worst game of his career.
The offense was pretty good, too, as quarterback Connor Shaw accounted for 4 total touchdowns and over 100 yards on the ground.
An 18-yard strike from Shaw to Alshon Jeffery was the final score as the Gamecocks went up 34-13. Jeffery stood over Clemson cornerback Coty Sensabaugh, and the Clemson fans in attendance couldn’t take any more disappointment.
With over 5 minutes left on the clock, the upper deck of Williams-Brice Stadium looked as if it were crying tears of orange as Clemson fans left with their dejected Tiger tails between their legs.
South Carolina Football vs. Clemson Top Rivalry Moments:
No. 5 Wide Left
In 2006, South Carolina and Clemson were just two years removed from the infamous brawl that took place in Clemson’s Memorial Stadium to end the 2004 season. Nothing of note happened in the 2005 contest as both quarterbacks (Blake Mitchell and Charlie Whitehurst) played poorly, and Clemson won a competitive game in Steve Spurrier’s first shot at the rivalry.
In the first rivalry game in Clemson since the brawl, the two teams made sure to make things look different than ’04. Both teams wore different uniforms, and for the second year in a row, there was a big team handshake before the game. One thing remained the same from 2004 to 2006, however: kicker Jad Dean missed a kick. In the ’04 Tigers win, Dean missed an extra point, but in ’06, his field goal miss was more costly.
The Gamecocks had been relatively dominant as running back duo Mike Davis and Cory Boyd combined for over 200 yards and 3 touchdowns, but three Blake Mitchell interceptions (including one for a touchdown) kept the Tigers ahead for much of the game.
After Carolina came back and eventually took a 3-point lead on a Ryan Succop field goal, Clemson’s ground attack marched the Tiger offense back down the field. When forced to pass on 3rd down inside the Gamecock 20-yard line, Jasper Brinkley and Syvelle Newton teamed up to sack quarterback Will Proctor, forcing a slightly longer field goal attempt from Dean.
The game-tying attempt was just 39 yards, but Dean could not convert, pulling the kick wide left. The miss gave the Gamecocks the win and inspired many memes (yes, memes were a thing back in 2006, they just weren’t named memes yet) that derived from Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” lyrics in which she repeatedly sang, “to the left, to the left.”
It was Steve Spurrier’s first taste of victory in the rivalry, but it certainly was not his last.
South Carolina Football vs. Clemson Top Rivalry Moments:
No. 4 Brilliant Brison, Cooper to Wilds, and “High Five, Dabo!”
Under Steve Spurrier, the South Carolina football program reached new heights and was a few unfortunate plays away from competing in the SEC Championship game (with a shot at the National Championship game on the line) in three straight seasons.
A butt-sliding catch for Auburn and a clock operator error in the same game in 2011, an uncharacteristic 2-interception game from Connor Shaw against LSU in 2012, and a ridiculous helmet-catch by Tennessee’s Marquez North in 2013 kept the best team in the SEC East (and maybe the entire conference) out of the title game three years in a row.
While USC missed out on those trophies from 2011-2013, they were in the midst of a nice streak of wins for another one. From 2009-2013, the South Carolina Gamecocks owned the in-state rivalry over Clemson. Each one of the Palmetto Bowl matchups was a double-digit victory for the good guys.
The 2013 contest arguably was the most competitive of the five wins, and it produced two massive in-game moments and an ongoing “moment” during the offseason that all sit in high places in South Carolina football history.
The game started with what looked to be a sure Clemson touchdown as Tiger wide receiver Sammy Watkins attempted a double-pass to a wide-open Adam Humphries. Or at least, he seemed wide-open. Backside safety Brison Williams read the play better than anyone else in the stadium and flew in from across the field to intercept the pass in the end zone.
Then, with Clemson hoping to get a late-game stop on 3rd down, Steve Spurrier dialed up some brilliance. Freshman wide receiver and wildcat quarterback Pharoh Cooper took the snap, faked the QB power, and pulled up. Instead of blocking, running back Brandon Wilds faked the block and leaked through the line for a dump-off pass for the 1st down…except no one from Clemson could catch up to Wilds, and he scampered all the way to the end zone to put the game away. “Chaos! Chaos in Williams-Brice!” was the appropriate call from play-by-play man Todd Ellis.
After the win, Gamecock fans were on cloud nine. Multiple times during the offseason, South Carolina football fans would ask Clemson fans for pictures, only to covertly hold up five fingers. The best of these photos came when Gamecock fans got Clemson coach Dabo Swinney with the troll. A number of offseason pictures with the caption “High Five, Dabo!” circulated the internet.
Gamecock fans didn’t quite realize how good they had it back then.
South Carolina Football vs. Clemson Top Rivalry Moments:
No. 3 2001: A Gamecock Oddysey
South Carolina football fans had witnessed the best turnaround in college football history (at the time) from 1999 to 2000 when the Gamecocks went from 0 wins to 8 in one season after an Outback Bowl victory over Ohio State.
Unfortunately, the regular season finale was a loss to the rival Tigers after a famous/infamous play known by one side of the rivalry as “The Catch” and the other side as “The Push Off.” It was Carolina’s 4th-straight loss in the series.
2001, though, saw the Gamecocks enter the Clemson game with the same number of wins as the previous season. Coming into the game, USC had won 7 games, but the Tigers stood in the way of their 8th.
Gamecock fans set a then-attendance record at Williams-Brice Stadium when Clemson rolled into town. Every one of those 85,000 fans was a factor in one of the loudest games in stadium history.
With South Carolina up a score in the 4th quarter, USC had the ball at the CU 2-yard line on 4th and goal. Lou Holtz elected to go for it, sending in his backup quarterback. The athletic Corey Jenkins had some memorable performances in spot duty earlier in the season (especially against Georgia), so it came as no surprise to see the veteran coach put him in the game.
Operating out of the wishbone, Jenkins kept the ball on a simple triple option and leaped over the submarining defensive line dressed in orange and white. He crossed the plane of the goal line, and the score put the game away for Carolina’s first win in the series since 1996. Several minutes later after the final whistle, cries of “It’s over!” echoed through Williams-Brice.
Sheldon Brown was the player of the game, picking off two Woody Danzler passes and recovering a late-game onside kick, and Jenkins’ touchdown was the play of the game.
South Carolina Football vs. Clemson Top Rivalry Moments:
No. 2 Meet at the Paw
One of the biggest differences between the ACC and SEC in terms of gameday experiences is that the SEC does not allow fans to come onto the playing field (or court) after games. It falls into the category of a “safety issue” for the SEC, so schools are fined for infractions. Clemson, as an ACC team, does not restrict this and, instead, encourages fans to “meet at the paw” after games.
Last November, South Carolina football fans took advantage of the ACC’s laxness.
Clemson entered the game as a 2-touchdown favorite and had their eyes set on the College Football Playoff. A win over South Carolina in the rivalry game and a win over North Carolina in the ACC Championship, and the Tigers would have made another CFP.
The Gamecocks came into the game after knocking off Playoff-hopeful Tennessee in dominant fashion 63-38, so Clemson wasn’t taking their rival lightly.
Even so, on the backs of standout performances from Spencer Rattler, Juice Wells, Kai Kroeger, the kick coverage units, and the Gamecock secondary, USC pulled off the road victory.
The 31-30 win had several critical moments. A Marcellas Dial interception, a long touchdown to Juice Wells, and two special teams fumble recoveries were the biggest of these moments.
However, arguably the most memorable moment came after the final whistle.
The Gamecock Faithful who traveled to the Upstate for the game took Clemson’s tradition into their own hands. South Carolina football fans met at the midfield Tiger paw, waving garnet and black flags, chanting “Beamer Ball” (among other things), and quarterback Spencer Rattler recreated one of the most iconic photos in rivalry history.
Knocking the in-state rival out of College Football Playoff contention was sweet, but knocking the in-state rival out of College Football Playoff contention in their stadium was even sweeter for the Gamecocks.
USC will look to start a winning streak over their rivals this Saturday.
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.