Clemson vs South Carolina Game Notes

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Tiger Seniors 3-0 vs. South Carolina

Clemson's senior class is looking to post a 4-0 record against South Carolina. A

victory on Saturday would make this group of seniors perfect against Clemson's

state rival. The last group of seniors to post a 4-0 record against South

Carolina was the class of 2000. Rod Gardner was the most prominent player in

that class and twice he caught game deciding passes from Woody Dantzler against

the Gamecocks.

Overall 10 Clemson senior classes have been 4-0 against South Carolina in the

history of the series, including four in a row from 1937-40 when Clemson won a

record seven consecutive games. The seniors of 1900, 1919, 1930, 1937, 1938,

1939, 1940, 1983, 1991 (Levon Kirkland's senior year) and 2000 have all done it.

A look to the list shows that this current group of seniors can become just the

fourth class since 1941 to defeat South Carolina four consecutive years.

Whitehurst Hopes to Make History

Charlie Whitehurst will be attempting to become the first quarterback in the

history of the Clemson vs. South Carolina series to lead his team to victory as

the starting signal caller four times. Whitehurst is 3-0 against the Gamecocks

having led the Tigers to victory at Clemson in 2002 and 2004 and at South

Carolina in 2003. Whitehurst has had his best overall stats against South

Carolina in his career in terms of completion percentage, passing yards and

efficiency on a career basis. He is 60-92 for 740 yards and four touchdowns

passing. That computes to a 65 percent completion percentage and a passing

efficiency of 142.8.

His top game took place in Columbia in 2003 when he led the Tigers to a 63-17

victory, the most points scored in the history of the series and Clemson's

largest margin of victory in the series since 1900. Whitehurst completed 18-26

passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns. He started the game 10-10 and threw

three touchdown passes in the first period. He also rushed for 43 yards in the

game to finish with 345 yards of total offense. The only other Clemson

quarterbacks to beat South Carolina three times are Steve Fuller and Homer

Jordan. Fuller was 3-0 in three starts vs. South Carolina from 1976-78 and

Jordan won three straight as the starter from 1980-82.

Whitehurst Chases Record tying Seventh Ranked Win

If Charlie Whitehurst starts the South Carolina game on Saturday and the Tigers

defeat the 19th ranked Gamecocks it would give Whitehurst a record tying seven

wins over top 25 teams during his career. With the win over 17th-ranked Florida

State, Whitehurst now has six top 25 wins, three as a sophomore in 2003, one as

a junior in 2004 and two this year. His play has certainly been a contributing

factor to all of those wins. Whitehurst is 122-199 for 1495 yards and six

touchdowns for those six wins combined. His average game for those six contests

is 20-33 for 249 yards and a touchdown and his passing efficiency is 128.4.

Rodney Williams tops the list of Clemson quarterbacks with seven wins over

ranked opponents. Williams recorded seven victories as the starter from 1985-88.

Whitehurst is second with six, while Homer Jordan, Mike Eppley and DeChane

Cameron all had four. Nealon Greene and Steve Fuller had three apiece.

246 is Magic Number for Whitehurst

If Charlie Whitehurst had a lucky number it would be 246. That wouldn't fit on a

jersey, but it certainly fits when it comes to his statistics. Over his career

Whitehurst has had some strong performances, in terms of passing yards or total

offense. The number 246 seems to come up when he has a big win.

In 2003, he led the Tigers to a 27-14 win over sixth-ranked Tennessee in the

Peach Bowl, the highest ranked win in a bowl game for the Tiger program since

1981. Whitehurst threw for 246 yards in that win. In 2004, in the victory at

10th ranked Miami (FL), Whitehurst had 246 yards of total offense in Clemson's

24-17 overtime win. In 2005, Whitehurst had 246 yards passing in Clemson's 31-10

Thursday night national TV victory over NC State. Then, last Saturday in the win

over Florida State, Whitehurst had 246 yards of total offense to lead Clemson to

a 21-point lead over the nation's 17th ranked team.

Perhaps that number will come up again this weekend. For his three wins over

South Carolina, Whitehurst has thrown for 740 yards. That computes to 246.7

yards per game. So, a 244-yard passing day would make it an even 246 yard

average for his career.

Bowden With Chance to Beat Spurrier and Bowden

After defeating his father, Bobby Bowden on November 12, Clemson Head Coach

Tommy Bowden has a chance to defeat Steve Spurrier on November 19. Both Bobby

Bowden and Steve Spurrier have won the national championship within the last 10

years. Only two other coaches have defeated both Bobby Bowden and Steve Spurrier

in the same year. Phillip Fulmer did it for Tennessee in 1998, the year his

Volunteers won the National Championship, and Butch Davis did it in 2000, his

last year at Miami (FL).

Clemson Head Coach Danny Ford actually had a chance to do it in 1989 when he

defeated Bobby Bowden of Florida State in the second game of the year, but he

lost to Spurrier's Duke team 21-17 in Durham, NC.

Tommy Bowden already has nine wins over four coaches who have won the

National Championship in their careers since he became the head coach at Clemson

in 1999. He had three of the nine wins in a four game span to end the 2003

season.

Tommy Bowden had five wins over Lou Holtz, who led Notre Dame to the title in

1988, between 1999-2004. Tommy Bowden defeated Phillip Fulmer of Tennessee in

the 2003 Peach Bowl, 27-14. Fulmer led the Volunteers to the title in 1998. He

has twice beaten his father, Bobby Bowden, who won the title in 1993 and 1999

with Florida State, and defeated Larry Coker of Miami, last year at the Orange

Bowl, 24-17. Coker led the Hurricanes to the National Championship in 2001.

Another Bowden Faces Spurrier

Clemson will face South Carolina and Head Coach Steve Spurrier this Saturday

night in Columbia, SC. This will be the first time Clemson has faced a Steve

Spurrier coached team since 1989 when Spurrier's Duke team defeated a

seventh-ranked Clemson team by a score of 21-17. Clemson's 1989 team, coached by

Danny Ford, had beaten Florida State three games previously and entered the

contest 4-0. Duke went on to tie for the ACC Championship that year, while

Clemson did not win the conference, but finished with a 10-2 record and a #12

national ranking by Associated Press.

Clemson is 2-1 against Spurrier with all the games coming when Spurrier was

at Duke. Clemson defeated his Blue Devils in 1987 by a 17-10 score and in 1988

by a 49-17 score. Both games were played at Clemson Memorial Stadium. The 1988

game was actually a battle of top 25 teams. Clemson was 11th entering the game

and Duke was 22nd. This will not be the first time Spurrier has faced a Bowden.

Spurrier was 5-8-1 against Tommy Bowden's dad, Bobby Bowden, when Spurrier was

the head coach at Florida and he faced Bobby Bowden's Florida State teams

between 1990-2001.

And, Spurrier faced Tommy Bowden's brother Terry Bowden when he was the head

coach at Auburn. Spurrier was 4-2 against Terry Bowden when Spurrier was at

Florida and Terry Bowden was the head coach at Auburn.

Tigers Lead ACC in Red zone scoring Percentage

Clemson has been the ACC's most effective team as far as scoring either field

goals or touchdowns in the red-zone so far this season. Clemson has gone inside

the opponent's 20 on 43 occasions and has come away with a score 39 times, a

.907 percentage. Clemson is just ahead of Virginia, who has scored on 35 of 40

trips to the red zone. The Tigers have scored 24 touchdowns and 15 field goals

when they reach the red zone. Clemson has scored 15 touchdowns rushing and nine

passing in red zone situations.

This is the second consecutive year Clemson has been strong inside the red

zone. Clemson scored on 25 of 27 trips to the red zone in 2004. Of course you

can see the improvement of Clemson's offense this year by the number of red zone

opportunities. Clemson has already reached the opposing team's red zone 16 more

times than last year in one less game.

Adams and Bennett Stepping Up of Late

Clemson's Bookend Defenders, Gaines Adams and Charles Bennett have been coming

on strong at the close of this season. They combined for six tackles for loss

and 2.5 sacks in the win over Florida State. Their constant pressure was a big

reason the Seminoles had just 14 points, no offensive touchdowns, 11 first

downs, and 126 yards passing, the second lowest figure for this year's ACC

leader in passing offense and total offense.

For the season, Adams has 44 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss to go with 6.5

sacks. Bennett has 39 tackles to go with 8.5 quarterback pressures and 2.5

sacks. The duo has combined for 40 quarterback pressures. The entire Clemson

team has just 75.

Landmark Accomplishments in Victory Over Florida State

·Clemson defeated Florida State for the second time in three years. NC State had

been the only other ACC school to defeat the Seminoles twice in a four-year

period.

·Gave Tommy Bowden his 50th victory at Clemson in a game that was played against

his father. When Bobby Bowden defeated Clemson in Tommy's first year (1999) it

gave him his 300th career coaching victory.

·Gave Florida State back to back ACC losses for the first time since they joined

the league in 1992.

·Clemson's largest margin of victory (35-14) over Florida State. The previous

best was 16 points in a 26-10 win in 2003.

·The 21-point victory margin was the second worst defeat against an ACC team for

Florida State since they joined the ACC in 1992. North Carolina defeated Florida

State 41-9 in 2001.

·The 35 points scored by Clemson were the most by the Tigers in the history of

the series.

·The Clemson defense held Florida State without an offensive touchdown, the

first time in the history of the series Clemson has achieved that. Florida State

led the ACC in total offense entering the game with 420 per contest.

Clemson and South Carolina Record Ranked Victories

Clemson and South Carolina both enter this game coming off wins over top 25

opponents. Not only is it the first time both teams enter the rivalry game

coming off a ranked victory, the November 12, 2005 dated marked the first day in

history that both schools recorded wins over top 25 opponents as Clemson

defeated 17th ranked Florida State 35-14 and South Carolina topped 13th ranked

Florida, 30-22.

Tigers Look for Second Straight top 20 Win

Clemson will be looking for a second consecutive win over a ranked team when the

Tigers face South Carolina. The Gamecocks are ranked 19th by AP and 21st by the

Coach's poll. Clemson has not beaten ranked teams in consecutive games since

1988 when the Tigers defeated 25th ranked South Carolina in the regular season

finale (29-10) and then defeated ninth ranked Oklahoma in the Citrus Bowl.

Clemson has not defeated top 25 teams on consecutive Saturdays since 1983 when

the Tigers defeated 10th-ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill on November 5,

then downed 11th-ranked Maryland on November 12th at Clemson.

Clemson has beaten top 20 teams on consecutive Saturdays just twice

previously in history. Clemson defeated top 20 teams from North Carolina and

Maryland in 1982 and in the aforementioned instance in 1983. This will also be

an opportunity to add a tombstone to the entrance way to Clemson's practice

field. Clemson documents top 25 road with a tombstone at the entrance to its

practice fields behind the Jervey Athletic Center. Clemson last had an addition

to the area last year when it won at 10th ranked Miami (FL) 24-17 in overtime.

Tommy Bowden also defeated a ninth ranked Georgia Tech team on the road in 2001.

Clemson has never beaten a top 25 South Carolina team in Columbia. Clemson is

0-3 vs. top 25 South Carolina teams in Columbia. Clemson has faced a ranked

South Carolina team in Columbia in 1979 (19th), 1987 (12th) and 2001 (22nd).

Hill, Dean Semifinalists for National Awards

Two Clemson players are semifinalists for national position awards this season.

Cornerback Tye Hill is one of 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, while

kicker Jad Dean is one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award. This is the

first time Clemson has had two national award semifinalists in the same year

since the 2001 season when Woody Dantzler was one of 12 semifinalists for the

Davey O'Brien Award and Kyle Young was one of five finalists for the Dave

Rimington Award.

Hill is sixth on the team in tackles with 49, as he has 37 first hits and 12

assists. He also has six passes broken up and three interceptions for nine total

passes defensed, first on the team. He now has 39 career passes defensed to rank

in a tie for seventh in Clemson history.

Dean leads the ACC in scoring with 9.2 points per game. He is third in the

nation in field goals per game with 20 in 10 games and has made 20-26 attempts

for the season. He made six field goals in the season opener against Texas A&M

and was named National Player of the Week by USA Today.com. He has 25 touchbacks

on 58 kickoffs so far this season and 14 other kickoff returns that have not

gone past the 20.

Mel Kiper's Top Senior Prospects

(September 2005)

Hill Preseason Honors for 2005

*Writers All-America Watch List

*Honorable mention All-American by collegefootballnews.com

*First-team All-ACC by Street & Smith

*First-team All-ACC by Rivals.com

*First-team All-ACC by collegefootballnews.com

*First-team Preseason All-ACC by ACC Sportswriters Association

*Second-team All-ACC by Athlon

*Second-team All-ACC by Lindy's

*Second-team All-ACC by Phil Steele

*#5 NFL prospect at cornerback by collegefootballnews.com

*#6 Best Cornerback in nation by collegefootballnews.com

*#7 Cornerback in the nation by Lindy's

* #16 Cornerback in the nation by Phil Steele

*#17 Best Player in the ACC by collegefootballnews.com

*Clemson's "Star of the team" by collegefootballnews.com

Clemson Grad wins $1 Million

Chris Bostic won $1 millions in a BiLo Healthy Choice Pigskin Challenge on

November 12. He won the money with a 25-yard toss through a 20-inch hole in a

promotion contest that was held in between the first and second quarters of the

Clemson vs. Florida State game at Clemson Memorial Stadium.

The successful toss was made before a crowd of 80,500 people at Death Valley.

Bostic was a $10 an hour landscaper prior to Saturday's successful throw. He

served a year in Afghanistan with the 25th Infantry before coming home last

March. He is a second cousin of former Clemson football stars Joe Bostic and

Jeff Bostic. Jeff Bostic played 14 years with the Washington Redskins, including

three Super Bowl championships. Joe played nine years in the Cardinals

organization.

Chris Bostic made the rounds on the morning television shows in New York on

November 14, including the Today Show where he threw the football in the street

outside the studio with Matt Lauer and Katie Couric.

Stuckey Established Clemson First

Chansi Stuckey had to answer questions from media, fans and teammates early in

this season about his inability to get into the end zone via a pass reception.

Stuckey already had thrown a touchdown pass (2 vs. Wake Forest in 2003) and

rushed for one (at South Carolina in 2003). Then he returned a punt 47 yards for

a score in the win over Texas A&M in the 2005 season opener, Clemson's only

touchdown in a 25-24 victory.

Stuckey did not catch a touchdown pass in 2003 or 2004 and entered the season

with 27 receptions. He then went the first 44 catches this year without a

touchdown catch. Against Duke on November 5, he broke the streak with an 11-yard

scoring pass from Will Proctor with just seven seconds left in the half. Then he

had a 40-yard touchdown catch from Proctor on Clemson's first pass of the second

half.

Against Florida State, Stuckey had a second consecutive double touchdown

reception game, both receptions from Charlie Whitehurst. That means Stuckey went

71 consecutive catches without a touchdown catch, then had four in his next 14.

Further research showed that Stuckey is the first Clemson receiver in history

to have consecutive games with multiple touchdown receptions. Rod Gardner,

Dwight Clark, Jerry Butler, Perry Tuttle....none of them did what Stuckey has

done in terms of getting in the end zone the last two weeks.

Stuckey had 11-156 against Florida State in the receiving department, had

eight yards rushing and 24 in punt returns for 188 all-purpose yards, his career

high. Stuckey now leads the ACC in receptions with 58 and he is third in yards

per game. He has 735 receiving yards for the season. The 11 receptions rank

second in Clemson history behind Airese Currie's 12 against Middle Tennessee

State in 2003. His 156 receiving yards rank tied for fifth best for a single

game, the second highest total in the 65-year history of Clemson Memorial

Stadium.

It marked the second time this year Clemson had a 150-yard receiver in a game.

Aaron Kelly had 155 receiving yards against Temple. This marks the first time in

history Clemson has had two different receivers record a 150-yard receiving game

in the same season.

Kelly Sets Freshman Record

Wide receiver Aaron Kelly set a Clemson single game freshman record against

Temple when he had seven receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown. The yardage

total broke the Clemson freshman record of 139 yards (on six catches) by Roscoe

Crosby against Duke in 2001 and was the sixth most by any player in Clemson

history. Chansi Stuckey has now exceed the total by one yard.

Kelly's seven receptions were two off the single game record for a freshman.

Derrick Hamilton had receptions for 90 yards against Virginia in 2001 and Terry

Smith had nine for 84 against Maryland in 1990. Kelly, a native of Georgia, has

38 receptions for 471 yards and two touchdowns so far this season. He still has

a ways to go to catch Hamilton's freshman records in both areas. In 2001,

Hamilton had 53 receptions for 684 yards. Kelly has had at least two receptions

in every game this year. He and Chansi Stuckey are the only Tigers to have at

least one reception in every game this year.

He had his first career kickoff return at Georgia Tech, an 81-yard run that

set up a Clemson score. It was the third longest non-scoring kickoff return in

Clemson history and first play for over 80 yards this season.

Coleman Leads Tigers in First Start

Duane Coleman was Clemson's top tackler in the win over Florida State, one of

the highlights of the Florida native's career. It was Coleman's first career

start, and he recorded nine tackles on six first hits and three assists. Coleman

played running back for the first two games of the 2005 season, then made the

move to the secondary starting with the Miami (FL) game.

Coleman had 14 tackles over the first nine games of the season, then nine in his

10th game. He also had a pass deflection and was a contributing factor to

Clemson holding the ACC's top total offense to just 226 yards overall, just 122

passing.

Coleman has had success as a running back in the Clemson program. He has 920

career rushing yards, second among active Tigers, and has 50 career receptions,

also second among active Clemson players and one of the top 10 running back

totals in Clemson history. He is one of two Clemson running backs in history to

have 600 yards rushing and 300 yards receiving in the same season (2003).

Waters Continues to Lead Tiger Tacklers

Anthony Waters continues to lead the Clemson team in tackles and needs just five

to reach the century mark for the season. Waters averages over 10 tackles per

game and is third in the ACC in that category. The junior from Lake View, SC is

one of the most improved defensive players in the ACC. He had 70 tackles all of

last year in 11 games.

Waters leads the Clemson team in tackles for loss with 12.5 and is among the

team leaders in passes broken up with six, an indication of his abilities as a

pass defender. Waters has led Clemson in tackles in five of the 10 games so far

this year, including 14 in the win over Maryland in College Park, MD. He also

had 14 at Georgia Tech and 11 at NC State, so he obviously comes to play in

games on the road. For his career, Waters now has an even 200 tackles and 21.5

tackles for loss.

Hamlin Making Impact as Freshman

Michael Hamlin's insertion into the starting lineup has paralleled Clemson's

improvement in the won-loss column. Hamlin, a freshman from Timmonsville, SC

became a starter at the NC State game on October 13. Clemson has won four of the

five games he has started so far this year.

A starting CAT safety, Hamlin had his second interception of the year in the

win over Florida State and now leads the team in interception return yards with

42. He also had an interception against Georgia Tech when he met the challenge

and took the ball away from Tech's Calvin Johnson. For the season, Hamlin is

seventh on the team in tackles with 47. He has one pass deflection to go with

the two interceptions.

Clemson in Top 20 in Turnover Margin

Clemson ranks 18th in the nation in turnover margin, much improved over the 2004

season when Clemson was 100th in the nation. The Tigers have forced 20 turnovers

so far this year and committed just 10. Clemson has lost just three fumbles,

fewest in the nation, and all three took place in one half against Georgia Tech.

Clemson ranks first in the nation in fewest fumbles lost this year.

Clemson has forced at least one turnover in every game this year, joining

Virginia Tech as the only teams in the ACC to force at least one turnover in

every game. It is a contributing factor to Clemson's 55-10 advantage in points

off turnovers so far this season.

Clemson Closing Fast Again

Clemson has won four of its last five and is making its annual strong finish

under Tommy Bowden. Each of the last two seasons Clemson has won five of its

last six games and this 2005 team can make it five out of six to close the

regular season with a win over South Carolina. Clemson is now 10-3 in the month

of November since November of 2002 (or when Charlie Whitehurst became the

starting quarterback).

Finishing fast is nothing new for the Clemson program. The Tigers won five of

the last six games 22 times in history, including 19 times since 1948. Danny

Ford won at least five of his last six during six different seasons, including

1981-82-83 when Clemson had a combined 30-2-2 overall record.

Cannon Records Two Sacks

One of the more shocking performances in Clemson's win over Florida State was

the stat line for junior defensive end Brandon Cannon. The native of Lithonia,

GA had played just 11 games and 68 snaps on defensive over his three years on

the varsity. Then, on Saturday against a top 20 Florida State team, Cannon had

two sacks and three total tackles in just eight plays. Those were his second,

third and fourth career tackles.

Tiger Defense Stepping Up vs. Good Teams

When Clemson defeated Florida State, it held the Seminoles to 226 yards of total

offense, 11 first downs and did not allowed Bobby Bowden's team to score an

offensive touchdown. Florida State entered the game leading the ACC in total

offense with 420 yards per game. Getting pressure on the quarterback had a lot

to do with that. Florida State had allowed just 1.9 sacks per game this year,

but Clemson recorded six in the 35-14 victory.

Earlier in the year, Clemson held Miami (FL) to 264 yards of total offense

during regulation before the Hurricanes won 36-30 in triple overtime. That is

the fewest yards of total offense for the Hurricanes through regulation in a

game this year.

Clemson Veterans versus South Carolina

Gaines Adams (DE) -- Has played two games against South Carolina and

has had exactly four tackles in each game.

Curtis Baham (WR) -- Caught one pass for 17 yards in the 2003 game. Had 2-15 as

a starter receiving in the 2004 game.

Charles Bennett (DE) -- Made four tackles in only eight snaps in 2003 and five

tackles in 30 snaps as a starter in 2004.

Tramaine Billie (LB)--Had nine tackles, including two tackles for loss, one a

sack, in 2004.

Cole Chason (P) -- Has had the two highest net punting figures in his career

against South Carolina. Had 41.0 net and a 42.0 gross in the 2003 game on five

punts, and had a 41.5 net and a 40.3 gross on four punts in 2004.

Duane Coleman (TB) -- Ran eight times for 54 yards and caught four passes for 37

yards and a touchdown in 2003. Had 13-43 rushing and had 3-34 receiving in 2004

Clemson win at Clemson.

Jad Dean (PK)--Made three field goals in three attempts and had his only career

missed PAT. Scored 11 of Clemson's 29 points.

David Dunham (LB) -- Had three tackles including a tackle for loss in only 10

snaps in 2003. He had three tackles against South Carolina in 2004, including a

caused fumble on the opening kickoff.

Jamaal Fudge (ROV) -- Posted four tackles as a freshman in 2002. Had five

tackles including two tackles for loss and two interceptions in 2003 game. Had

six tackles in 50 snaps as a starter in 2004.

Tye Hill (CB) -- Had three tackles and a pass break up in 2003. Contributed

three tackles and game best four passes broken up in 2004.

Reggie Merriweather--Had 28-125 rushing and three touchdowns in Clemson victory

in 2004.

Chansi Stuckey (WR) -- Had career highs in both carries (six) and yards (77) and

a rushing touchdown in 2003 game in Columbia. Had seven receptions for 74 yards

in 2004 game at Clemson.

Anthony Waters (LB) -- Had four tackles in only 20 snaps in 2003 game. Had three

tackles in 43 snaps in 2004 game.

Charlie Whitehurst (QB) -- Has a 3-0 career record against the Gamecocks

completing 60 of 92 passes for 740 yards and four touchdowns against South

Carolina. Had 18-26 for 302 and four touchdowns in his only previous game in

Williams Brice Stadium. Completed 27 passes against Gamecocks in 2002, most

completions ever by a Clemson quarterback against the Gamecocks. The 302 yards

passing in the 2003 game is also a Clemson record for a quarterback against the

Gamecocks.

Bobby Williamson (TE) -- Caught two passes for 22 yards in 2002. Had one tackle

as a defensive end in 2004.

Last year vs. South Carolina

Clemson 29, South Carolina 7

Clemson scored 14 early points and only allowed South Carolina to snap the ball

in Tiger territory four times, as Clemson beat the Gamecocks for the seventh

time in eight years by the score of 29-7. The game got off to an exciting start

for the Tigers when David Dunham hit Cory Boyd on the opening kickoff, jarring

the ball loose from the Gamecock return man. Steven Jackson recovered for

Clemson on the nine.

After a Charlie Whitehurst pass to Cliff Harrell, Reggie Merriweather scored

his first of three touchdowns on the day from three yards out, and Clemson had a

7-0 lead 52 seconds into the contest. It was the earliest Clemson had scored in

a game since September 28, 1996, when Joe Woods caught a Nealon Greene pass and

raced 80 yards on the game's first play from scrimmage in a 21-10 victory over

Wake Forest.

The Tigers moved the ball 58 yards in nine plays, with the drive culminating

in a seven-yard Merriweather scoring run. Seven of the nine plays on the drive

gained five yards or more.

Neither team could sustain a drive for the remainder of the first quarter, and

the Gamecocks finally struck seven minutes into the second quarter. On a

third-and-14 play, South Carolina quarterback Syvelle Newton scrambled and threw

deep to Boyd. The Gamecock receiver made a diving catch and skidded across the

goal line to cut the Clemson lead in half at 14-7.

Clemson went on one of its most impressive drives of the season to open the

second half when it covered 80 yards in 14 plays and burned 7:14 off the clock.

Merriweather carried seven times on the drive for 48 yards and scored his third

touchdown of the day from 12 yards out.

On the next Gamecock possession, Gaines Adams tipped a Mike Rathe pass and

Cory Groover intercepted the ball for the Tigers. It was the fourth interception

of the season by a Clemson defensive lineman. After a seven-yard return, Clemson

had the ball deep in Gamecock territory at the 12. After forcing another punt,

the Tiger offense went on its final scoring drive of 2004. Merriweather carried

five times, and Whitehurst hit Curtis Baham for 23 yards for a key third-down

conversion on a drive that ended with Dean converting his third field goal of

the day, this time from 20 yards out.

Merriweather led the ground attack by carrying 28 times for 125 yards.

Whitehurst completed 15 of 28 passes for 151 yards, and Chansi Stuckey caught

seven passes for 74 yards. Tramaine Billie led the Tiger defense with nine

tackles and a sack, while Tye Hill had four pass breakups.

Last Meeting in Columbia

Clemson 63, South Carolina 17

At Columbia, SC 2003

Clemson ended the 2003 regular season on a three-game winning streak in

decisive fashion, as the Tigers defeated South Carolina 63-17 in Columbia. The

63 points were the most in the history of the series by either team. It also

marked the most points scored by Clemson against any team since Clemson defeated

Wake Forest 82-24 in the 1981 National Championship season. The 46-point victory

margin was the highest in the series since Clemson won 51-0 in 1900.

Clemson came out firing in the first quarter and never looked back. On the

first play of the game, Leroy Hill and Khaleed Vaughn sacked Dondrial Pinkins.

Clemson got the ball after a three-and-out to open the game, and responded with

the first touchdown. Derrick Hamilton caught a 36-yard touchdown pass from

Charlie Whitehurst. For Hamilton, it marked the fifth consecutive game in which

he caught at least one touchdown, setting a school record.

Following another three-and-out, Clemson again went to the air. This time,

Whitehurst connected with Columbia native Airese Currie for a 28-yard touchdown.

It was Currie's first touchdown catch since the Georgia Tech game on September

20 and second of his career in his hometown.

The Tigers extended their lead to 21-0 on their third offensive possession

after Whitehurst again threw a touchdown pass. After an audible at the line, he

found Ben Hall wide open over the middle for a 39-yard score, his first of the

season. In the first quarter alone, Whitehurst was 7-7 for 149 yards and three

touchdowns.

The Gamecocks responded with 10 points in the second quarter, but Clemson put

the game out of reach in the final five minutes of the quarter. Chad Jasmin

scored on a one-yard run to extend the lead to 28-10. He then added his second

touchdown minutes later from the same distance. The Tigers' 35 points at

halftime were the most scored by Clemson against South Carolina in one half.

On South Carolina's first possession of the second half, Pinkins had a pass

tipped and then intercepted by Leroy Hill. It was his third interception of the

season. Jasmin scored again from one yard out to put the Tigers ahead, 42-10.

Clemson pushed the lead to 56-17 late in the third after Jasmin scored his

fourth touchdown run of the game. He became the first Tiger since Boo Armstrong

in 1918 to score four touchdowns against the Gamecocks. The play was set up by

Jamaal Fudge's second interception of the game. Fudge appeared to be well on his

way to score before tripping inside the five-yard line.

The Tigers added a touchdown when Chansi Stuckey gave everyone a glimpse of

his potential. He scored on a 33-yard quarterback draw in which he drug

defenders into the endzone.

Whitehurst ended the game 18-26 for 302 yards and four touchdowns. He also

rushed for 43 yards. He tied the Clemson single-season record with 21

touchdowns, first established in 2001 by Woodrow Dantzler.

Offensively, the Tigers gained 542 total yards, a season high for 2003.

Clemson had 240 rushing yards, also a season high. The Tigers averaged 8.1 yards

per play over the course of the game. Defensively, the Gamecocks were held below

their season average with only 153 rushing yards. Part of the reason was the

play of several Tiger defenders. Hill had four tackles for loss, the second time

he had four in a game.

Fudge had two interceptions for Clemson on the night. It was the first time

all season a Tiger defender had multiple thefts in a game. Travis Pugh, the

other starting safety for Clemson, had six tackles, a pass breakup, and a

blocked field goal.

Top 10 Unusual Facts about the Clemson vs. South Carolina Series

10. One of the two coaches to win a bowl game will be on the sidelines

for Saturday's game, but he will be in a Clemson coaching uniform. Brad Scott

was the first South Carolina head coach to win a bowl game when he took the

Gamecocks to victory in the 1994 Carquest Bowl over West Virginia.

9. The visiting team won seven consecutive years in games played between

1991-97.

8. Josh Cody had a 4-0 record for Clemson against South Carolina between

1927-30. He is the only coach in the series to have a perfect record, given a

minimum of three games coached.

7. Paul Williams is the last player to letter for both schools. He lettered

for Clemson in 1978 and for South Carolina in 1980.

6. A Clemson captain actually played for South Carolina. Cary Cox lettered

for the Gamecocks in 1943. After the war, he enrolled at Clemson and served as

captain for the Tigers in 1947.

5. O.K. Pressley had four tackles for loss on four consecutive plays in

Clemson's 32-0 win over South Carolina in Columbia in 1928. Pressley went on to

become Clemson's first All-American at season's end.

4. In 1948 and 1981 a blocked punt returned for a touchdown proved to be the

pivotal play in a Clemson victory, victories that allowed Clemson to go on to an

undefeated season. In both instances, the original line of scrimmage was the

South Carolina 28-yard-line.

3. Willie Underwood had two interceptions to lead Clemson to victory over

South Carolina in 1980. A starter for four years, the strong safety never had

recorded an interception in any of his first 46 games as a Tiger, then had two

against the Gamecocks in his 47th and final game.

2. In a placekicking career that spanned five years, Bob Paulling made 107 of

109 extra points. Both of his misses were at South Carolina, one in 1981 and one

in 1983. He had a streak of 70 consecutive made extra points (second longest in

Clemson history) in between the two miscues. Current Clemson kicker Jad Dean has

had just one miss on a PAT in his career and it was against South Carolina last

year.

1. In the 30 games that Frank Howard coached at Clemson against South

Carolina, Clemson scored 411 points and South Carolina scored 411 points.

The 103rd Meeting Between Clemson and South Carolina

This will be meeting 103 between Clemson and South Carolina. The series

dates to 1896 and the first year of football at Clemson, the fourth season for

South Carolina. Clemson holds the advantage 62-36-4 since that first meeting in

Columbia. Clemson has more wins over South Carolina than any other school and

those victories represent over 10 percent of Clemson's all-time victory total

(606).

Clemson won last year's game at Clemson 29-7. It was the 600th victory in

Clemson football history. It was Clemson's third win in a row in the series, the

seventh in the last eight and 13th in the last 17. Clemson has won all but one

game played in Columbia since 1989, a 7-1 record at Williams-Brice Stadium since

1989.

Clemson has won seven of the last eight in the series. A look to "rivalry

games" entering this year over the last eight seasons shows that Clemson's 7-1

lead in the series during this time period is tied for the best in college

football. Kansas State has beaten Kansas seven of the last eight and Purdue has

beaten Indiana seven of the last eight years. The following schools have a 6-2

advantage over their rivals the last eight years: Navy over Army, Southern Cal

over UCLA, Ohio State over Michigan, Michigan over Michigan State, Wisconsin

over Minnesota, and Washington over Washington State.

Clemson won the 100th meeting at Clemson by a 27-20 score in 2002. Clemson

won by a 63-17 margin the last time the game was played in Columbia. The point

total was Clemson's highest ever against the Gamecocks and it was the largest

victory margin in the series for Clemson since a 51-0 victory in 1900. The

Gamecocks last won in 2001 in Columbia by a 20-15 score. That South Carolina

victory ended a four-game winning streak for the Tigers. South Carolina has not

beaten Clemson in consecutive years since the 1968-70 era.

Tommy Bowden is 5-1 against South Carolina in his previous six games in this

rivalry. The 5-1 start is the best among Clemson coaches who have coached the

Tigers for at least six years. Josh Cody (1927-30) had a perfect 4-0 record

against South Carolina, the only Clemson coach with a perfect record in the

rivalry game. The Clemson vs. South Carolina series ranks in a tie for 14th in

college football history in terms of most played rivalries. The most played

rivalry is the Minnesota vs. Wisconsin series, which had been played 114 times

entering tis year.

This will be the 97th consecutive year that Clemson and South Carolina have

met on the gridiron, every year since 1909. It will move into third place all

time for longest uninterrupted series in college football history this year. It

moves past the Kansas vs. Oklahoma series. The only active rivalries that are

longer are the Kansas vs. Nebraska rivalry (active since 1906) and the Minnesota

vs. Wisconsin rivalry (active since 1907). The Kansas vs. Oklahoma rivalry ran

96 consecutive games before it was interrupted after the 1997 game.

Throw out the Record Books?

We always here the phrase, "You can throw out he record books when these two

teams get together." While there have been some upsets in this series, usually

the team with the better record comes away with the victory. The team entering

the game with the better overall record has a 17-3-1 record in the series since

1981. That computes to 83.3 percent over a 24-year period. Three times during

that era both teams had the same record.

The norm was broken last year, however, as South Carolina had the better

record entering the game at 6-4 compared to Clemson's 5-5, but the Tigers won

the game, 29-7. This year South Carolina has the upper hand with a 7-3 mark

compared to the 6-4 for Clemson.

The team with the better record entering this game won every year between

1997-2003. In 1996 the team with the worse record won. Current Clemson offensive

coordinator and assistant head coach Brad Scott was the head coach for South

Carolina in that game.

For the history of the series, Clemson has a 39-14-3 record when it enters

the contest with the better record, a 72.3 winning percentage. Clemson has had

the better record in 56 of the 102 previous meetings. The teams have had the

same winning percentage entering the game nine times and Clemson has a 7-2

record in those situations. Thus, Clemson is 46-16-3 (.731) against South

Carolina over the years when the Tigers enter the game with at least the same

record as South Carolina.

Clemson has a 62-36-4 advantage in the series overall, so the Gamecocks have

a 20-16-1 record in the series when they enter the game with the better record.

Memorable Clemson Plays in the Series with South Carolina

1948 --Phil Prince blocked punt and Oscar Thompson returned the ball for a

touchdown that gave Clemson 13-7 win in Columbia and allowed Clemson to keep an

undefeated season. Play took place with 4:15 left in the game.

1959--Harvey White connected with future Super Bowl Champion Bill Mathis for

a 26-yard touchdown pass in the third period to put Clemson up 19-0 in the final

Big Thursday game in Columbia. White completed 9-10 passes on the day and led

the Tigers to the 27-0 victory.

1962--Don Chuy and Billy Weaver combined to sack Dan Reeves for a 13-yard

loss with just 33 seconds left, preserving Clemson's 20-17 victory. South

Carolina had driven to the Clemson 25 for that last play.

1966--Harry Olszewski, an All-America offensive guard, picked off a fumbled

snap in mid-air and ran 12-yards for a touchdown. The 35-10 victory allowed

Clemson to win the ACC title. No Clemson offensive lineman has scored a

touchdown since.

1967--Buddy Gore's 43-yard run in the third period that led to a Tiger

touchdown was a momentum swaying play in Clemson's victory over the Gamecocks, a

win that allowed Clemson to clinch a tie for the ACC championship. That was the

key run on this day that saw Gore become the first Clemson back in history to go

over 1000 yards in a season and break Brian Piccolo's ACC single season rushing

record.

1971--Eddie Seigler kicked a 52-yard field goal to lead Clemson to a 17-7 win

over the Gamecocks. It was the first field goal of at least 50 yards in Clemson

history.

1972--With Clemson leading 7-6 in the fourth period, Jimmy Williamson batted

down a Dobby Grossman two-point conversion pass to preserve the victory for the

Tigers.

1977--Jerry Butler made a 20-yard catch of a Steve Fuller pass with 49

seconds left to give Clemson 31-27 win in Columbia. It clinched Gator Bowl bid

for the Tigers, Clemson's first bowl bid in 18 years. It was a backwards diving

reception.

1980--Willie Underwood had a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown that

clinched Clemson's upset of South Carolina in 1980. Underwood was named Sports

Illustrated Player of the Week for his performance in that game.

1981--Just as it had happed 33 years previously, a blocked punt played a big

part in a Clemson victory over South Carolina that allowed the Tigers to have an

undefeated season. Rod McSwain blocked a South Carolina punt and Johnny Rembert

recovered in the endzone for the touchdown. Just as it had been 33 years

previous, the line of scrimmage was the South Carolina 28.

1990--Chris Gardocki made his final punt in Death Valley memorable when he

had a 78-yard boot in the fourth quarter to give South Carolina bad field

position and clinch Clemson's 24-15 victory over the Gamecocks. It remains the

second longest punt in Clemson history.

1995--Emory Smith carried South Carolina tacklers 20 yards on the way to a

54-yard run that led to the game clinching touchdown in Columbia. Smith ended

the game with 101 yards rushing.

1999--Rod Gardner's 29-yard scoring catch on a fourth-down play from Woody

Dantzler clinched Clemson's 31-20 victory in Columbia.

2000--Rod Gardner's 50-yard reception from Dantzler with 10 seconds left led

to Aaron Hunt's game winning field goal with three seconds left.

Stockstill Coaching Against Clemson.

South Carolina assistant coach Rick Stockstill will coach against Clemson on

Saturday. Stockstill coached at Clemson for 14 years serving the positions of

wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach at recruiting coordinator over the

course of that time. He recruited and coached some of Clemson's greatest players

ever, including Rod Gardner, a first-round draft choice, All-American and

graduate during the 2000 season.

Stockstill was an assistant coach at Clemson between 1989 and 2002. He

coached in 11 bowl games in his 14 years at Clemson. No Clemson coach, assistant

or head, has been on the sidelines for more Clemson bowl games. He served under

four head coaches, Danny Ford, Ken Hatfield, Tommy West and Tommy Bowden. On top

of all that, Stockstill played his college football for Tommy Bowden's father,

Bobby Bowden, from 1978-81.

Stockstill is the ninth coach to serve on the staffs at both Clemson and

South Carolina since 1989. The list includes current Clemson assistant head

coach and offensive line coach Brad Scott, who served as South Carolina's head

coach from 1994-98. Former Clemson head coach Tommy West (1994-98), also served

on the staff at South Carolina (1991-92).

Clemson Offense Up Almost 100 Yards Per Game

Clemson has made a strong improvement in terms of offense this year. The Tigers

have gone from 295.6 yards per game in 2004 to 390.3 yards per game so far in

2005. That is an improvement of 94.7 yards per game over last season, the ninth

best total offense improvement in the nation. Notre Dame and Southern Cal have

made the largest improvements, followed by Penn State. All three of those teams

are ranked in the top 10 in the nation.

Clemson has improved by 60 places in the national rankings in total offense

over last year. Clemson is currently 50th after ranking 110th at the end of the

2004 season. A check to Clemson history shows that a 94.7- yard improvement

would be the fourth biggest gain from one year to another on record. Clemson

improved by 107.3 yards per game from 1994 to 1995 under offensive coordinator

Clyde Christensen, who is now an assistant coach with the Indianapolis Colts.

A look to the ACC stats for this year shows that Clemson is third in the

league in total offense at 390.3 yards per game. Passing efficiency has also

made a dramatic improvement this year under offensive coordinator Rob Spence.

Clemson has a 137.9 team efficiency rating so far this year, fourth best in the

ACC. Clemson's team efficiency last year was just 96.0. If the season ended

today the 137.9 team passing efficiency would be third best in Clemson history.

The 1950 team had a 148.0 rating and the 1989 team was at 139.8.

 

Last Regular Season Game for Seniors

This will be the final regular season game for Clemson's 20 seniors. Clemson won

its seventh straight Senior Day game with the 35-14 win over Florida State. Now

Clemson will try to close the regular season with a victory for the ninth

straight year. Tommy Bowden is 6-0 in the final regular season game of the year

and Tommy West won his last two regular season finale's. Clemson has not lost

the last game of the regular season since 1996 when South Carolina defeated

Clemson 34-31. Clemson has not lost its last regular season game when it has

been on the road since 1987, a 20-7 loss at South Carolina.

Here are some of the highlights for this 2005 Senior Class:

·Has already recorded six wins over top 25 teams, including a season opening win

over 17th ranked Texas A&M and the victory over 17th ranked Florida State on

November 12.

·The six wins over a top 25 teams give this senior group the most wins over

ranked teams as a class since the 1994 seniors had seven top 25 wins. A win over

19th ranked South Carolina would tie that total.

·Has three wins over top 10 teams in a 2003 win over #3 Florida State, 2004

Peach Bowl over #6 Tennessee and a 2004 win at 10th ranked Miami (FL). The

seniors of 2004 are the only other class with three wins over top 10 teams since

the seniors of 1984.

·Has been bowl eligible each of their four seasons. Clemson has an overall

record of 28-19 with this class and has been at least .500 in the ACC in each

season.

·Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst has led the Tigers to 23 victories in the last

four years, third best in Clemson history. He trails only Rodney Williams and

Nealon Greene. He can tie Greene with a win over South Carolina. He has

established 40 records during his Clemson career, including career marks for

passing yardage, total offense, touchdown passes and completions.

·The class has a 3-0 record against South Carolina so far in their careers and

will strive to be the first Clemson senior class to have a 4-0 record against

Clemson's state rival since the seniors of 2000.

·Has finished each of the last two years by winning five of its last six games.

They have a chance to do it for the third consecutive year if they defeat South

Carolina.

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