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100 Years of Rivalry: Game Recaps

100 Years of Rivalry: Game Recaps

Nov. 20, 2002

To celebrate the 100th meeting between Clemson and South Carolina on the gridiron, each game program will recap every game played between the schools. Read an excerpt below from 10 of the games and be sure to pick up your game program this Saturday.

1896South Carolina 12, Clemson 6 South Carolina won the first contest between the two state rivals 12-6 at the state fair grounds in Columbia. Gamecock Cansen Foster scored the go-ahead touchdown in the second half on a five-yard run. The lone Tiger highlight of the day was a trick play that resulted in a 60-yard touchdown run.

1910Clemson 24, South Carolina 0 This was the first year forward passes were deemed legal under college football rules. Clemson would use it to its advantage. With a confusing array of passes and a strong rushing attack, the Tigers beat the Gamecocks by a score of 24-0. The Tigers reached into their bag of tricks when left halfback Marion Coles hit right halfback Paul Bissell on a “delayed pass” to make the score 12-0 at halftime. Quarterback Bill Connelly added two touchdown runs in the second half to clinch the win.

1922Clemson 3, South Carolina 0 A field goal by Charlie Robinson in the second half turned out to be the only points scored in Clemson’s 3-0 win over South Carolina. Clemson nearly scored in the first quarter when Rhett Turnipseed crossed the goal line. However, he fumbled, resulting in a touchback. South Carolina’s lone threat came in the second half when it reached the seven-yard line. But the Gamecocks tried four straight runs and turned the ball over on downs, ending any chance.

1941South Carolina 18, Clemson 14 South Carolina jumped out to an 18-0 lead by halftime and Clemson could not recover, as it fell to the Gamecocks 18-14. South Carolina used a speedy ground game and spectacular passing to get past the Tigers. Al Grygo scored a touchdown run straight up the gut in the late stages of the second quarter to put the Gamecocks ahead by 18 points at halftime. Clemson stormed back in the second half. Booty Payne almost single-handedly brought the Tigers back into the contest. But it was not enough, as time ran out on Clemson.

1947South Carolina 21, Clemson 19 Bishop Strickland went 38 yards untouched on a reverse to score a touchdown. The excitement never let up. Clemson missed two crucial extra points, and as a result fell to South Carolina by a score of 21-19. Strickland ran for 71 yards. Teammate Bobby Giles intercepted a pass in Clemson territory, then ran in a one-yard touchdown to give South Carolina the lead for good. Clemson was led by Ray Matthews, who rushed for 104 yards, including a 66-yard touchdown run early in the contest.

1950Clemson 14, South Carolina 14 Numerous penalties cost South Carolina a chance of victory. Fortunately for the Gamecocks, Clemson was unable to take full advantage of their mistakes. This game saw several holding and clipping calls end South Carolina’s scoring threats, and as a result, the two teams tied 14-14. Steve Wadiak was a man amongst boys in this game. The Gamecock halfback rushed for 256 yards on 19 carries, including two touchdowns, still the most rushing yards ever against Clemson in a single game. Clemson was led by fullback Fred Cone, who ran for 117 yards and a touchdown.

1955Clemson 28, South Carolina 14 A hungry Clemson team halted South Carolina’s winning ways by a score of 28-14. The Tigers regained their offensive punch by rushing the ball for 283 yards in the contest. It was Clemson’s first “Big Thursday” win since 1948. Joel Wells ran extremely well all day for the Tigers. He rushed for 116 yards on only 17 carries, including a touchdown. Charlie Bussey provided the Tigers’ big play by connecting with Willie Smith for a 55-yard touchdown early in the first quarter.

1972Clemson 7, South Carolina 6 Clemson defeated South Carolina 7-6 in what turned out to be the last game of Hootie Ingram’s brief tenure as the Tigers’ head coach. Linebacker Jimmy Williamson was the hero, batting down a Gamecock two-point conversion attempt to preserve the win. Clemson rushed for 205 yards. Hal Davis ran for 100 yards, while Smiley Sanders scored the Tigers’ only touchdown in the contest. South Carolina turned the ball over five times against none for Clemson to establish the difference in the game.

1989Clemson 45, South Carolina 0 Clemson rushed for 355 yards and demolished South Carolina by a score of 45-0, its greatest margin of victory over the Gamecocks since 1900. Terry Allen rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. However, the junior running back was injured late in the first half and never played another snap for Clemson. Fullback Tony Kennedy added 67 yards and two more scores in a backup role. Clemson’s vaunted defense held South Carolina’s offense to just 155 yards and forced five turnovers. Doug Brewster led Clemson with 10 tackles, while Wayne Simmons had eight stops, a sack, and two pass breakups. It was Danny Ford’s final game coaching in the series. He finished with a 7-3-1 record against South Carolina.

2001South Carolina 20, Clemson 15 South Carolina won its first game over Clemson since 1996 by a score of 20-15. Backup quarterback Corey Jenkins scored on a one-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the Gamecocks up 20-9, a lead which they would not surrender. Phil Petty was an efficient quarterback for the Gamecocks, who went on to a nine-win season. All-ACC quarterback Woodrow Dantzler gained 306 yards of total offense to lead Clemson. He threw touchdown passes to freshmen Airese Currie and Derrick Hamilton. The Gamecocks rushed for 215 yards in the contest. Andrew Pinnock led the Gamecock ground attack with 80 yards, while Daniel Weaver kicked two field goals in a solid effort.

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