CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Gamecocks vs Tigers: Game Notes


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>Game 12: Clemson vs.

South Carolina

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Kickoff: Noon

Clemson Memorial Stadium (81,500)

Frank Howard Field

Television: ESPN2

Announcers: Eric Collins, David Norrie

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>Clemson Radio Network

Announcers: Pete Yanity, Will Merritt, Patrick Sapp

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>Series History:

Clemson leads 64-37-4

at Clemson: Clemson leads 15-8-1

at Columbia: Clemson leads 49-29-3


First Meeting: South Carolina 12-6

Last Meeting; Clemson 23-21, at Columbia, 2007

Last South Carolina Win: 31-28 at Clemson, 2006

Last 10 Years: Clemson won 8, S Carolina 2

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>Clemson Personnel Update

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>Jamie Cumbie (DT)--Broken wrist, out for year.

Barry Humphries (OG)--Suffered torn ACL at practice on October 23, out for the season.

Ricky Sapp (DE)--Suffered a partially torn ACL at Virginia on November 22 and is out for the season.

Chris Clemons (FS)--Suffered a knee injury against Virginia and is questionable for South Carolina.

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>Clemson and South Carolina Meet for 100th Consecutive Year

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> •This will be meeting number-106 between Clemson and South Carolina and the 100th consecutive year the two schools have met. That is the third longest streak of consecutive years played in a rivalry in the nation.

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>•The series dates to 1896 and the first year of football at Clemson, the fourth season for South Carolina. Clemson holds the advantage 64-37-4 since that first meeting in Columbia, a game won by South Carolina 12-6. Clemson’s first win took place the following year, a 18-6 victory in Columbia.

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>•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 (631). When Clemson won in 2004 it was Clemson’s 600th all-time win.

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>•The two teams played in Columbia as part of Big Thursday every year until 1960. For the 57 Big Thursday games, Clemson had a 33-21-3 advantage. Since the teams have gone to a home and home schedule in 1960, Clemson has a 31-16-1 advantage. Clemson’s winning percentage is nearly identical home and away over that time. Clemson is 15-8-1 against South Carolina at home since 1960 and 16-8-0 in Columbia.

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> •Clemson won last year by a 23-21 score on a 35-yard field goal on the last play of the game by Mark Buchholz. Cullen Harper completed four passes for 70 yards, all to Aaron Kelly, on the game winning drive.

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> •Each of the last three games in the series have been decided by four points or less. In fact, the point margin has gone in descending order. Clemson won by four points (13-9) in Columbia in 2005, then South Carolina won by three points (31-28) in 2006 at Clemson. The Tigers won by two points last year (23-21). Are we ready for a one-pointer this year?

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> •The Clemson and South Carolina seniors of 1965 experienced four consecutive games decided by four points or less and that is the only time it has happened in the history of the series. Clemson won in 1962 (20-17) and 1963 (24-20), then South Carolina won in 1964 (7-3) and 1965 (17-16). But, even those players did not play in all four games. In 1962 freshmen were not eligible, so those 1965 seniors didn’t even dress for the 1962 game. Thus, if the game is decided by four points or less today, these two senior classes will have played the most competitive four years in the history of the series.

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> •South Carolina won the last time the two teams met at Clemson, 31-28, but the Tigers have won five out of six, nine of 11, and 15 of the last 20 in the series. The visiting team has won each of the last three games. The visiting team won seven years in a row between 1991-97.

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> •This year’s Clemson senior class has a 2-1 record against South Carolina. Clemson classes who have beaten South Carolina four consecutive years were the seniors of 1900, 1919, 1930, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1983, 1991, 2000 and 2005. In 2005, Charlie Whitehurst became the only quarterback for either team in the series to start four victories.

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> •Clemson has an overall record of 49-29-3 in Columbia over the years, including a 30-17-2 mark in Williams-Brice Stadium. Clemson has been especially successful in Columbia since 1988. The Tigers are 9-1 in Columbia since then with the only loss coming in 2001. That was played during the day. Clemson has not lost a night game in Columbia since 1987, winning night games in 1989, 1997, 2003, 2005 and 2007.

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> •This weekend’s game will be played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving for the third year in a row, but just the third time since 1984. Clemson has an 8-3 record against South Carolina when the game is played the Saturday after Thanksgiving or on Thanksgiving Day. The only game played on Thanksgiving was the 1963 contest that was moved from the Saturday before Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving due to the death of President John F. Kennedy.

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>Memorable Clemson Plays in the Series with South Carolina

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>1948 --Phil Prince blocked a 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. The play took place with 4:15 left in the game.

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>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.

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>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.

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>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.

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>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.

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>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.

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>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.

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>1977--Jerry Butler made a 20-yard touchdown 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.

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>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.

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>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.

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>1988—Rodney Williams, a native of Columbia, led Clemson to a 29-10 victory in his final game at Death Valley. Clemson’s winningest starting quarterback in history threw for 192 and rushed for 38 and scored a touchdown.

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>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.

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>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.

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>1999--Rod Gardner’s 29-yard scoring catch on a fourth-down play from Woody Dantzler clinched Clemson’s 31-20 victory in Columbia.

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>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.

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>2007—Mark Buchholz kicked a 35-yard field goal on the last play of the game, to give Clemson a 23-21 victory in Columbia.

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>Clemson’s most significant wins in the South Carolina Series

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> 1900 51-0 part of a perfect 6-0 season under first-year head coach John Heisman

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> 1928 32-0 Clemson wins battle of unbeatens. Both teams were 5-0 entering the game. Clemson went on to 8-3 record, a season mark for wins in a season at the time.

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> 1939 27-0 Banks McFadden leads Clemson to victory, important win in 9-1 season that ended with win over Boston College in the Cotton Bowl

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> 1948 13-7 Phil Prince blocks a field goal late in the game, leading to Clemson victory that preserves unbeaten season. Clemson went on to perfect 11-0 record

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> 1956 7-0 a 20th ranked Clemson team downs South Carolina in ACC rival game. Tigers went on to win the ACC Championship

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> 1959 27-0 Clemson wins final Big Thursday game in Columbia behind Harvey White. Tigers went on to 9-2 record and number 11 final ranking

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> 1960 12-2 Clemson wins first ever game between the two schools in Clemson

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> 1967 23-12 Clemson wins game in final game of season to clinch ACC Championship. The last time Clemson won an ACC title by beating South Carolina in final game (it also happened in 1966)

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> 1977 31-27 Jerry Butler’s catch in final seconds gives Tigers come from behind victory. Victory sends Clemson to the Gator Bowl, its first bowl game in 18 years

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> 1980 27-6 Clemson upsets 14th-ranked South Carolina team behind Willie Underwood’s two interceptions and 17 tackles. South Carolina had Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers and had won at Michigan earlier in the year. South Carolina was 8-2 entering the game.

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> 1981 29-13 Clemson closes out perfect regular season on way to National Championship.

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> 1988 29-10 Clemson won battle of top 25 teams in Rodney Williams final home game. Clemson then beats Oklahoma in bowl game to finish season in top 10.

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> 2000 16-14 Clemson wins battle of top 25 teams thanks to Rod Gardner’s 50-yard reception from Woody Dantzler in final seconds

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> 2003 63-17 Clemson’s most points scored against the Gamecocks and largest victory margin since 1900. Charlie Whitehurst threw for four touchdown passes.

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> 2005 13-9 Clemson defeats 19th ranked South Carolina team in Columbia, only time it has beaten top 20 South Carolina team in Columbia.

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>Clemson Memorable Senior Day Performances

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> One thing to watch for on Senior Day is first time accomplishments for a senior in his last home game. Over the there have been some first time occurrences and outstanding performances.

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> 1954: Ken Moore had 152 yards rushing in just five carries in a victory over The Citadel in his final game as a Tiger. The 30.4 yards per carry is a Clemson record for a single game, given a minimum of 100-yards rushing.

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> 1974: Willie Anderson had a career high 21 tackles to lead Clemson to victory in his final game at Clemson. He was named

Sports Illustrated National Defensive Player of the Week.

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> 1980: Willie Underwood had two interceptions in his final game against South Carolina after going his first 47 games at Clemson without an interception. Underwood was named Sports Illustrated National Defensive Player of the Week.

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> 1981: Jerry Gaillard went his first 40 games without catching a touchdown pass, then had one against Maryland in his final home game. Perry Tuttle had 10-151 receiving on the same day in his final game at Clemson.

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> 1983: Kevin Mack had a career high 186 yards rushing 30 carries and raced 42 yards for a touchdown on his final carry (with just one shoe) in his final game at Clemson against Maryland.

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> 1990: Chris Gardocki, although a junior at the time, had a 78-yard punt on his final kick in Death Valley. Most knew it was his final performance as a Clemson kicker, so we will include it in this list.

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> 1995: Brian Dawkins tied a Clemson single game record with three interceptions, all in the second quarter, or Clemson’s 34-17 win on Senior Day against Duke. Dawkins was named Sports Illustrated National Defensive Player of the Week.

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> 1998: Howard Bartley went his entire four year career without an interception, then had a 48-yard interception return for a score on the second play of the second half, giving Clemson a 21-7 lead on the way to a victory over South Carolina.

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> 1999: Brandon Streeter completed 22-30 passes for 279 yards in his senior day game against Duke, the most passing yards ever by a Clemson quarterback on his senior day.

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> 2000: Rod Gardner caught a 50-yard pass to set up a game winning field goal with just 11 seconds left in Clemson’s 16-14 win over South Carolina.

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> 2001—Woody Dantlzer became the first player in NCAA history to gain 2000 yards passing and 1000 yards rushing in a victory over Duke in his last home game as a Tiger.

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> 2005—Charlie Whitehurst completed 21-32 passes for 269 yards and three scores to lead Clemson to a 35-14 win over Florida State in his senior day game. Florida State went on to win the ACC Championship that year.

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>Clemson Veterans vs. South Carolina

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>Thomas Austin (OL)—Graded out at 87 percent with 13 knockdown blocks as a starter in 2007.

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> Mark Buchholz (PK)—Converted 3 of 5 field goal attempts, hitting from 48, 28, and 38 yards, including the game-winning field goal as time expired. Also made both extra point attempts, scoring 11 points as a starter in 2007.

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> Crezdon Butler (CB)—Had three tackles, including one tackle for loss, in 19 snaps in 2006. Recorded four tackles in 38 snaps as a starter in 2007.

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> Chris Chancellor (CB)—Registered four tackles and broke up two passes in 53 plays as a starter in 2006. Had six tackles, intercepted one pass, and broke up one pass in 40 plays as a starter in 2007.

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> Chris Clemons (FS)—Recorded one tackle in eight snaps as a freshman in 2005. Registered 12 tackles in 69 snaps as a starter in 2006. Had four tackles, including one tackle for loss, in 52 snaps as a starter in 2007.

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> James Davis (RB)—Had 27 carries for 145 yards and one touchdown, as well as three catches for 14 yards, as a freshman starter in 2005. Ran for 19 yards on 11 carries as a starter in 2006. Rushed for 122 yards on 23 carries as a starter in 2007.

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> Jacoby Ford (WR)—Caught a 76-yard touchdown pass, had one 12-yard carry, and had one 17-yard kickoff return in 2006. Did not play due to injury in 2007.

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> Michael Hamlin (SS)—Registered six tackles in 53 snaps as a freshman starter in 2005. Had 10 tackles and broke up two passes in 72 snaps as a starter in 2006. Recorded five tackles and broke up two passes in 52 snaps as a starter in 2007.

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> Cullen Harper (QB)—Completed 28 of 38 passes for 239 yards and one touchdown, along with five carries for three yards, as a starter in 2007.

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> Aaron Kelly (WR)—Caught five passes for 68 yards and had one kickoff return for 29 yards as a freshman in 2005. Had one reception for nine yards in 2006. Had nine catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns as a starter in 2007.

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> Jimmy Maners (P)—Had four punts for 154 yards, averaging 38.5 yards per punt, as a starter in 2007.

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> Ricky Sapp (DE)—Recorded two tackles and one quarterback pressure in 14 snaps in 2006. Had seven tackles in 46 snaps as a starter in 2007.

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> Dorell Scott (DT)—Recorded four tackles in 46 snaps as a starter in 2006. Had four tackles and two quarterback pressures in 27 snaps as a starter in 2007.

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> C.J. Spiller (RB)—Ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns on ten carries and caught two passes for 17 yards in 2006. Had 16 carries for 88 yards, four receptions for nine yards, two punt returns for -1 yards, and two kick returns for 31 yards.

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>Throw out the Record Books?

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> 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 an 18-5-1 record in the series since 1981. That computes to 77.1 percent over a 27-year period. Three times during that era both teams had the same record.

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> South Carolina has the better record this year with a 7-4 mark compared with Clemson’s 6-5 record.

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> However, the norm was broken three years in a row from 2004-06. In 2004, 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. In 2005, South Carolina had the upper hand with a 7-3 mark compared to the 6-4 for Clemson, but Clemson won the game, 13-9. In 2006, Clemson had the better record at 8-3, while South Carolina is 6-5, but South Carolina won, 31-28. Last year Clemson had the better record and won the game, 23-21.

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> 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.

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>For the history of the series, Clemson has a 40-15-3 record when it enters the contest with the better record, a 71.5 winning percentage. Clemson has had the better record in 58 of the 105 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.

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>Thus, Clemson is 47-17-3 (.720) against South Carolina over the years when the Tigers enter the game with at least the same record as South Carolina. Clemson has a 64-37-4 advantage in the series overall, so the Gamecocks have a 20-17-1 record in the series when they enter the game with the better record.

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>Clemson vs. South Carolina to Play for 100th Straight Year

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>The Clemson vs. South Carolina series ranks in a tie for 13th in college football history in terms of most played rivalries with 105 games played. The most played rivalry is the Minnesota vs. Wisconsin series, which had been played 117 times entering this year.

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>This will be the 100th consecutive year that Clemson and South Carolina have met on the gridiron, every year since 1909. It has moved into third place all time for longest uninterrupted series in college football history. 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).

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>Longest Uninterrupted Series in College Football History

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> (Entering 2008 season)

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> Gmes Matchup Series Span

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> 102 Kansas vs. Nebraska 1906-Pres.

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> 101 Minnesota vs. Wisconsin 1907-Pres.

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> 99 Clemson vs. South Carolina 1909-Pres.

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> 97 Kansas vs. Kansas State 1911-Pres.’

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> 96 Kansas vs. Oklahoma 1903-97

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> 96 North Carolina vs. Virginia 1910-Pres.

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> 95 Wake Forst vs. NC State 1910-Pres.

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> 93 Texas vs. Texas A&M 1915-Pres

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> 92 Mississippi vs. Mississippi State 1915-Pres

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> Most Played Rivalries in College Football

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> Gms Match-up 1st Game

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> 117 Minnesota-Wisconsin 1890

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> 116 Kansas-Missouri 1891

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> 114 Nebraska-Kansas 1892

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> 114 Texas-Texas A&M 1894

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> 112 Miami (OH)—Cincinnati 1888

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> 112 North Carolina-Virginia 1892

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> 111 Auburn-Georgia 1892

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> 111 Oregon-Oregon State 1894

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> 110 Purdue-Indiana 1891

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> 110 Stanford-California 1892

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> 108 Army-Navy 1890

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> 107 Utah-Utah State 1892

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> 105 Clemson-South Carolina 1896

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> 105 Baylor-TCU 1899

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> 105 Kansas-Kansas State 1902

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> 104 Michigan-Ohio State 1897

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> 104 Mississippi-Mississippi State 1901

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>Clemson vs. South Carolina Series Notes

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

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> 10. One of the three coaches to win a bowl game for South Carolina 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. Scott had a 2-1 record in Clemson Memorial Stadium as South Carolina head coach between 1994-98.

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> 9. Each of the last three games in the series have been decided by four points or less and they results have been in descending order, a four pointer in 2005, a three pointers in 2006 and a two pointer in 2007.

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> 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.

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> 7.Paul Williams is the last player to letter for both schools. He lettered for Clemson in 1978 and for South Carolina in 1980.

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> 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. Cox died earlier this year.

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> 5. Clemson had three touchdown plays of at least 76 yards against South Carolina in 2006, yet lost the game. Jacoby Ford scored on 76-yard touchdown pass, C.J. Spiller on a 80-yard run and Jock McKissic on a 82-yard interception return. It is the only game in Clemson history in which Clemson has had three scoring plays of at least 75 yards.

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> 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.

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> 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.

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> 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.

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>1. In the 30 games that Frank Howard coached at Clemson against South Carolina, Clemson scored 411 points and South Carolina scored 411 points.

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>Last Year vs. South Carolina

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>Clemson 23, South Carolina 21

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> Mark Buchholz kicked a 35-yard field goal as time expired to lift #21 Clemson to a 23-21 victory over South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium on November 27. It was the Tigers’ first “buzzer-beater victory” since the 1986 season.

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> The win also gave Clemson its ninth win over the Gamecocks in the last 11 years and ninth win in its last 10 trips to Columbia.

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> Clemson forced three turnovers and blocked two punts, but it could not capitalize on three of the Gamecocks’ miscues. It took a late 61-yard drive and clutch kick for the Tigers to come away with their first victory by three points or less (or in overtime) in their last eight opportunities.

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> The Tigers outgained South Carolina 443-364 thanks to 33 more offensive plays (85-52). Clemson had 214 rushing yards and 229 through the air. The Tigers also had 26 first downs and held the ball for 38:37, over 17 minutes longer than South Carolina.

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> James Davis and C.J. Spiller combined for 210 rushing yards on 37 carries, including 122 yards by Davis and 88 yards by Spiller. Cory Boyd led the Gamecocks with 74 rushing yards on 19 carries.

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> Cullen Harper was 28-38 for 229 yards and one touchdown pass. His favorite target was Aaron Kelly, who had nine receptions for 134 yards, including four catches for 70 yards on the game-winning drive. Nelson Faerber added four catches for 20 yards and a score, as the former walk-on was subbing for an injured Tyler Grisham.

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> Gamecock quarterback Blake Mitchell was 18-31 for 284 yards and three touchdowns. Kenny McKinley totaled eight catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns, while Dion Lecorn added five receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown.

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> Chris Chancellor started the Tigers off on the right foot when he intercepted Mitchell on the first play of the game. Then, Davis’ 29-yard carry moved the ball into Gamecock territory. But the Tigers had to settle for Buchholz’s 48-yard field goal.

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> On South Carolina’s ensuing drive, Faerber blocked Ryan Succop’s punt deep in Gamecock territory. La’Donte Harris scooped up the ball and raced 10 yards for a touchdown, giving the Tigers a 10-0 lead. It was Clemson’s first touchdown on a blocked punt against South Carolina since 1981.

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> The Gamecocks responded with a 74-yard scoring drive to narrow Clemson’s lead to 10-7. On second-and-19, Boyd caught a pass out of the backfield and sprinted 39 yards to the Tiger 21. Three plays later on third-and-eight, Mitchell lofted a perfectly-thrown pass to McKinley for a 19-yard touchdown.

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> After the two teams traded punts, Clemson went on a 10-play, 88-yard drive to up its lead to 17-7. Davis and Spiller each had rushes of 19 yards, while Davis went over the 3,000-yard career rushing mark on the drive. Harper capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown pass to

Faerber.

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> Early in the third quarter, the Tigers squandered another scoring chance. Harris rushed up the middle untouched and blocked another Succop punt, as Paul Macko recovered the ball at the Gamecock 22. Then on second-and-goal from the two, Emanuel Cook intercepted Harper in the endzone and returned the ball to the Gamecock 34.

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> Four plays and 66 yards later, Mitchell hit McKinley over the middle for a 40-yard touchdown pass, narrowing Clemson’s lead to 17-14.

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> The Tigers answered with a 13-play, 69-yard drive to up their lead to 20-14. Kelly’s 20-yard reception moved the ball near midfield. A six-yard pass-interference penalty on third-and-14 extended the drive that ended in Buchholz’s 28-yard field goal.

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> Neither Phillip Merling’s caused fumble or Dorell Scott’s interception on the Gamecock’s next two drives resulted in Tiger points, as the latter saw Buchholz miss on a 45-yard field-goal attempt.

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> South Carolina then drove 72 yards in the fourth quarter to take a 21-20 lead. McKinley’s 35-yard catch and run gave the Gamecocks first-and-goal. Two plays later, Mitchell found a wide-open Lecorn in the endzone for a four-yard score.

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> The Tigers were forced to punt on their next drive, as Maners’ 55-yard boot and McKinley’s seven-yard return set up South Carolina at its own 12. After Boyd rushed 16 yards on the first play of the ensuing drive, Boyd’s number was called again on the next three plays. But the Tiger defense was up to the test, as it stopped the senior running back on third-and-four, forcing a punt with 2:09 left.

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> Clemson took over at its own 22 and promptly moved near midfield when Kelly caught a 26-yard pass over the middle. The reception was Kelly’s 81st of the season to establish a new school record.

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> After a seven-yard sack and one-yard loss on the next two plays, the Tigers faced third-and-18. But Harper calmly completed a 14-yard pass to Kelly on third down and 12-yard pass to Kelly on fourth down. Then, Kelly’s 18-yard catch moved Clemson into field-goal range. After Harper’s spike and kneel-down in the middle of the field, Buchholz kicked the game-winning 35-yard field goal as time expired.

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>Last Meeting vs. South Carolina in Clemson

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>South Carolina 31, Clemson 28

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> South Carolina overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to defeat

#24 Clemson 31-28 at Memorial Stadium on November 25. The win snapped the Tigers’ four-game winning streak in the series and was just the Gamecocks’ second victory in the last 10 meetings.

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> The Tigers led 28-14 after C.J. Spiller’s 31-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, but South Carolina scored the final 17 points, including the game-winning 35-yard field goal by Ryan Succop. Jad Dean missed a 39-yard field goal with 13 seconds left that would have sent the game into overtime.

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> The Gamecocks racked up 492 yards of total offense against a Tiger defense that entered the game leading the nation in fewest yards per play allowed. South Carolina totaled 284 yards passing and 211 rushing along with 28 first downs.

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> Blake Mitchell was 23-36 for 268 yards. His favorite target was Sidney Rice, who had eight catches for 103 yards. Cory Boyd rushed for 106 yards and a score, while Mike Davis added 69 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

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> All four Tiger scores came on long plays, including an 76-yard catch by Jacoby Ford, runs of 80 and 31 yards by Spiller, and an 82-yard interception return by Jock

McKissic.

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> Spiller rushed for 155 yards and two scores on 10 carries. Will Proctor was 13-19 for 191 yards and a score.

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> After quickly moving the ball into Tiger territory on the opening drive, Mitchell was picked off by C.J. Gaddis at the 13. Three plays later, Proctor found Ford along the sideline for a 76-yard catch score.

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> South Carolina responded with a 64-yard drive to tie the score. Boyd’s 18-yard run moved the ball to the Tiger one. Mitchell then scored on a quarterback sneak.

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> The speed of another Tiger put Clemson back on top on the next play. Spiller rushed 80 yards up the middle and outran the Gamecocks for a score to put Clemson up 14-7.

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> Early in the second quarter, the Gamecocks tied the score again with another long possession. This time it was a 13-play, 96-yard drive. Boyd capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.

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> The Gamecocks drove from their own 13 to have first-and-goal at the eight after a 15-yard scramble by Mitchell. But on the next play, Gaines Adams deflected Mitchell’s pass right into the arms of Jock McKissic. He raced 82 yards for a touchdown with eight seconds left in the second quarter.

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> On the Gamecocks’ first possession of the third quarter, they were stopped on fourth down on their own 39 when Ricky Sapp deflected a pass. Three plays later, Spiller bounced outside and sprinted 31 yards for a touchdown that put Clemson up 28-14.

>

> But South Carolina responded with touchdowns on its next two drives. The first was highlighted by back-to-back 18-yard completions and capped by Davis’ one-yard run.After a fumble gave the Gamecocks the ball on the Tiger 34, Davis ran nine yards up the middle for a touchdown to tie the score 28-28.

>

> The Tigers’ Davis saved Clemson from losing its lead. Proctor was intercepted by Nathan Pepper, who appeared to be on his way to a 33-yard touchdown return. But Davis caught Pepper and was able to strip the ball near the goal line. The ball went out of the endzone for a touchback.

>

> The Gamecocks made their only possession of the fourth quarter count. They drove 52 yards to the Tiger 18 and took a 31-28 lead on Succop’s 35-yard field goal.

>

> Clemson drove 58 yards on 16 plays on its last drive, but came away with no points. Spiller’s 23-yard run moved the ball into Gamecock territory. The Tigers then had first down at the 13, but back-to-back runs netted only one yard. Then, Proctor was sacked for a 10-yard loss, setting up a 39-yard field goal on the left hashmark. Dean’s kick hooked just wide-left with 13 seconds left in the game. Dean had made his last eight field-goal attempts.

>

>Spurrier Returns to Death Valley

>

> South Carolina Head Coach Steve Spurrier will make his second appearance in Death Valley as the head coach of the Gamecocks on Saturday, but his fourth appearance overall. Spurrier was 1-2 against Clemson as the Duke head coach with both losses coming in Clemson Memorial Stadium. Spurrier is one of nine coaches to bring two different schools to face Clemson in Death Valley.

>

> Clemson won the 1987 game 17-10 in Spurrier’s first year as Duke head coach. That was a close call for a Clemson team that was ranked seventh in the nation with a 5-0 record entering the game. That Clemson team ended the season with a 10-2 record and ranked 10th in the final UPI poll. The following year (1988), Clemson won 49-17 over Duke in another game at Clemson. That was actually a battle of top 25 teams at Clemson. The Tigers were 11th and Duke was 22nd entering that game. Clemson ended the year 10-2 and Duke was 7-3-1.

>

> The following year at Duke, Spurrier defeated Clemson by a 21-17 score. Clemson entered the game ranked seventh in the nation. Duke was just 1-3, but would run the table to the end of the regular season and tied Virginia for the ACC Championship. Clemson would end the year 10-2 and actually was the highest ranked ACC team in the final poll with a #12 AP ranking. That was Danny Ford’s final year as Clemson head coach.

>

> Spurrier defeated the Tigers at Death Valley in 2006 by a 31-28 score for his first win over Clemson in Death Valley. He is now 1-2 in Death Valley as a head coach and 2-4 overall against the Tigers. He was 1-2 as head coach at Duke and is 1-2 so far as the head coach at South

Caorlina.

>

>Each School Has a Father-Son Coaching Combination

>

> Each school in Saturday’s Clemson vs. South Carolina game has a father-son coaching combination on its sideline. The Tigers are represented by the Scott Family and the Gamecocks are represented by the Spurrier family.

>

> Brad Scott is Clemson’s Associate Head Coach and offensive line coach. He is in his 10th year as an assistant with the Tigers program. His son, Jeff Scott, played for the Tigers from 2000-02 and started this year as a graduate assistant. When Tommy Bowden resigned as head coach, there was a staff re-alignment and Jeff was promoted to a full-time position as wide receivers coach. So, this will be the sixth game that the Scotts have worked together on the Clemson staff in a full-time capacity.

>

> Steve Spurrier is the head coach of the Gamecocks and is now in his fourth year leading the program. His son is Steve Spurrier, Jr, the wide receivers coach for South Carolina. They have worked together for many years. This is their fourth year together at South Carolina and they also were on the same staff at Florida and with the Washington Redskins.

>

> This is actually the second consecutive Clemson game there has been a father and son coaching combination on opposing sidelines. Last week, Virginia had the Groh Family, head coach Al Groh and offensive coordinator Mike Groh, Al’s son.

>

>Final Game for 2008 Seniors

>

> This will be the final home game for Clemson’s 28 seniors. Clemson has won 65.9 percent of its senior day games over the years (69-35-3), but has lost each of its last two. Clemson lost to South Carolina on Senior Day in 2006 and lost to Boston College last year on Senior Day (20-17). Clemson had won eight straight Senior Day games prior to that.

>

> Clemson is 19-7-1 on Senior Day against South Carolina. The first time the two schools met on Clemson’s Senior Day was in 1962 and the Tigers won that contest 20-17.

>

>Accomplishments of Clemson Seniors

>

> Has a 31-18 record entering this contest. A win today would make

it the winningest senior class since the seniors of 2003, who also had 32 wins.

>

> •Gone to three bowl games and hopes to make it four in a row with a win over South Carolina.

>

> •Has six wins over top 20 teams, including a road win at #9 South Carolina in 2006, tied for the second highest ranked road win in school history.

>

> •Won five straight games against top 25 teams at one point to tie a school record.

>

> •Been ranked in the top 25 in the final poll twice and has been ranked in the top 25 in 34 of the weekly rankings over the last four years.

>

> •Defeated the ACC Champion in 2005 (Florida State) and 2006 (Wake Forest)

>

> •Has been at .500 or better all four years in ACC play and overall.

>

> •Clemson defense has ranked in the top 25 in scoring defense all four years.

>

> •Class has Clemson’s all-time leading receiver (Aaron Kelly ), number-two ranked rusher (James Davis), #2 player in school history in forcing turnovers (Michael Hamlin), and number-two ranked player in passing efficiency (Cullen Harper).

>

> •Had a 3-1 record against ACC power Florida State, the first ACC class to beat the Seminoles three years in a row, and a 2-1 record over state rival South Carolina entering Saturday’s Game.

>

> •Defeated Boston College in Boston this year, the first Clemson win over the Eagles in 50 years.

>

> Clemson 2008 Seniors

>

> No Player Pos Hometown

>

> 51 ˚ Eddie Adams OG/LS Greenwood, SC

>

> 14 Mark Buchholz PK Alpharetta, GA

>

> 22 * Chris Clemons S Arcadia, FL

>

> 1 James Davis RB Atlanta, GA

>

> 16 Kyle Davisson WR Alpharetta, GA

>

> 92 John Early PK Darlington, SC

>

> 83 * Nelson Faerber WR Duluth, GA

>

> 13 Tyler Grisham WR Birmingham, AL

>

> 25 * Michael Hamlin S Lamar, SC

>

> 10 * Cullen Harper QB Alpharetta, GA

>

> 89 Brian Hill WR Clemson, SC

>

> 55 * Bobby Hutchinson OL Greenville, FL

>

> 91 * Rashaad Jackson DT Union, SC

>

> 80 * Aaron Kelly WR Marietta, GA

>

> 59 Matthew Knowles DL Greenville, SC

>

> 29 Haydrian Lewis S Charleston, SC

>

> 35 * Paul Macko RB Wadsworth, OH

>

> 49 Jimmy Maners P Rock Hill, SC

>

> 50 Jock McKissic DT Opelika, AL

>

> 47 Josh Miller LB Manning, SC

>

> 46 Brandon Oliver LB Summerton, SC

>

> 59 Cameron O’Sullivan LB Spartanburg, SC

>

> 84 * Akeem Robinson TE Miami, FL

>

> 52 Charles Roediger LS Advance, NC

>

> 97 * Dorell Scott DT Columbia, SC

>

> 12 Brandon Speweik QB Oregon, OH

>

> 53 Preston Stone OL Arlington, TX

>

> 46 Britton Whetsell LB Bowman, SC

>

>* - fifth-year senior; ˚ - junior who is scheduled to graduate in May and will not return for the 2009 season

>

>Battle of Top Five Pass Defenses

>

> Saturday’s game will be a battle of teams with outstanding defenses, especially when it comes to pass defense. Both Clemson and South Carolina rank in the top five in the nation in pass defense. South Carolina is second, allowing just 156.7 yards per game, while Clemson is fifth, allowing, 163.2. Southern California has the top pass defense in the nation, allowing just 132.3 yards per game.

>

> Clemson and South Carolina are similar in other stats as well. Clemson is also in the top 15 in the nation in pass efficiency defense (15th), total defense (15th) and scoring defense (13th). South Carolina is 18th in pass efficiency defense, 11th in total defense and 23rd in scoring defense.

>

> The Gamecocks defense is led by defensive back Emanuel Cook, who has 81 tackles, 23 more than any other Gamecock. Eric Norwood is second in tackles with 58, but has nine sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss to go with two fumble recoveries. Marvin Sapp is another outstanding defender with 57 tackles. Jasper Brinkley is also a top flight linebacker with 45 tackles in 11 games.

>

> Clemson has held its last two opponents to seven points or less and under 200 yards of total offense. This is the fist time Clemson has held consecutive ACC opponents to under 10 points since 1999 when Clemson defeated Wake Forest (12-3) and Duke (58-7) in consecutive games. It is the first time since 1979 that Clemson has held consecutive ACC opponents to under 200 yards total offense. Additionally, Clemson has a streak of nine straight games of holding the opposition to under 200 yards passing.

>

>Clemson and South Carolina Defensive Comparison

>

> School Rush Pass Total Score

>

> Clemson 130.8 (46th 163.2 (5th) 294.0 (15th) 16.82 (13th)

>

> S. Carolina 123.6 (35th) 156.7 (2nd) 280.4 (11th) 19.3 (23rd)

>

>Clemson 3-1 in Second Half of ACC Season

>

> Clemson posted a 3-1 record over the second half of the Acc

schedule and only NC State has posted a better winning percentage over the last half of the league slate. NC State finishes its season Saturday against Miami (FL). If Miami (FL) wins that game, no ACC team will have a better record over the second half of the league season than Clemson.

>

> NC State is 3-0 in the second half heading into that game. Boston College, Virginia Tech and Miami (FL) are all 2-1 in the second half and could tie Clemson for the best record over the second half of the season. Two of Clemson’s three wins in the second half were on the road, victories at Boston College and Virginia. The win at Boston College was Clemson’s first win over the Eagles since 1958. Boston College has not lost since.

>

>ACC Standings for Second Half of Season

>

> Atlantic Division

>

> School W-L ACC Game Left

>

> NC State 3-0 Miami (FL)

>

> Clemson 3-1 None

>

> Boston College 2-1 Maryland

>

> Florida State 2-2 None

>

> Wake Forest 2-2 None

>

> Maryland 1-2 at Boston College

>

> Coastal Division

>

> School W-L ACC Game Left

>

> Virginia Tech 2-1 Virginia

>

> Miami (FL) 2-1 at NC State

>

> Georgia Tech 2-2 None

>

> North Carolina 1-2 at Duke

>

> Virginia 0-3 at Virginia Tech

>

> Duke 0-3 North Carolina


Records, Milestones in Range

>

> *Michael Hamlin has 13 career interceptions and 17 career takeaways. He ranks tied for third in school history in interceptions and is second in takeaways. He needs just two takeaways to tie Terry Kinard’s Clemson record of 19. Kinard was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001, so that is pretty good company. Hamlin also needs just 57 interception return yards to become Clemson’s career leader.

>

> James Davis has 3,764 career rushing yards and needs 203 to break Raymond Priester’s career rushing record. Priester had 3,966 between 1994-97. Davis needs four touchdowns to tie Travis Zachery’s career touchdown record of 50. He needs one 100-yard rushing game to tie Priester’s career record of 15.

>

> Aaron Kelly has 222 career pass receptions, already an ACC mark. He needs 99 receiving yards to become Clemson’s all-time leader in that area. He has 2,583 entering the South Carolina game and the record is 2,681 by Terry Smith.

>

> *C.J. Spiller needs 20 receiving yards to establish the Clemson record for reception yards by a running back in a season. He has 395 and the record is 414 by Travis Zachery in 2001.

>

> Cullen Harper is now second in Clemson history in career completions with 489 and needs just 11 completions to become just the second player in Clemson history with 500 completions. Charlie Whitehurst is the only Tiger with that figure so far. He had 817 between 2002-05. Harper also has 5,357 career passing yards, fourth best in school history.

>

>Davis and Spiller Have Both Had Big Days vs. South Carolina

>

> Clemson running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller have both had 100-yard rushing games against South Carolina in their respective careers. Spiller had 10-155 rushing last year, including an 80-yard run in the first half, Clemson’s longest run against South Carolina in history. In 2005, James Davis had 27-145 in a 13-9 Clemson win. Spiller’s 155 yards rushing last year rank as the third best rushing performance by the Tigers against the Gamecocks, while Davis’s 145 rushing yards in 2005 rank sixth best in Clemson history against the Gamecocks.

>

> Clemson has actually had a 100-yard rusher against South Carolina each of the last three years and in five of the eight years Tommy Bowden has been Clemson’s head coach. In 2004, Reggie Merriweather had 125 rushing yards in 28 carries in Clemson’s 29-7 win. As you can see by the chart below, four of the top 13 individual rushing performances in Clemson history against South Carolina have come over the last four years.

>

> Woody Dantzler had a 100-yard rushing game as quarterback in 2001 and Travis Zachery had a 100-yard rushing game in 1999 in Columbia. Overall, Clemson has had 33 100-yard rushing games over the years against South Carolina, including three in one game in 1978.

>

> James Davis and C.J. Spiller have combined for 529 rushing yards on 87 carries in their respective careers, an average of 6.1 yards per rush. Davis has 61-286 and a touchdown, while Spiller has 26 carries for 243 yards and two scores. That is a 9.35 yards per carry average for Spiller.

>

>Clemson’s Top Rushing Games vs. South Carolina

>

> Year Player Site Att-Yds

>

> 1974 Ken Callicutt H 27-197

>

> 1967 Buddy Gore A 31-189

>

> 2006 C.J. Spiller H 10-155

>

> 1981 Chuck McSwain A 25-151

>

> 1944 Sid Tinsley A 22-146

>

> 2005 James Davis A 27-145

>

> 1975 Harold Goggins A 17-137

>

> 1996 Raymond Priester H 18-137

>

> 1985 Kenny Flowers A 26-136

>

> 1966 Buddy Gore H 25-130

>

> 1976 Warren Ratchford H 10-127

>

> 2004 Reggie Merriweather H 28-125

>

> 2007 James Davis A 22-123

>

>Johnson Coached at Clemson

>

> South Carolina defensive coordinator and assistant coach Ellis Johnson will coach against Clemson on Saturday. Johnson was at Clemson for three years from 1994-96, including two years as defensive coordinator (1995-1996). Clemson had records of 8-4 and 7-5 in his two years as defensive coordinator. Clemson was 10th in the nation in scoring defense in 1995 with a 16.2 average and ranked 16th in pass efficiency defense.

>

> Johnson is the 10th 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).

>

> Knowing Both Sides of the Rivalry

>

> Coach at South Carolina At Clemson

>

> Mile Aldridge 1991-93 (3) 1985-89, 93-95 (8)

>

> David Bibee 1989-93 (5) 1998-98 (2)

>

> Rich Bisaccia 1992-93 (2) 1994-98 (5)

>

> Clyde Christensen 1991 (1) 1994-95 (2)

>

> Elis Johnson 2008 (1) 1994-96 (3)

>

> Woody McCorvey 1998 (1) 1983-89 (7)

>

> Chuck Reedy 1998 (1) 1978-89 (12)

>

> Brad Scott 1994-98 (5) 1999-Present (10th)

>

> Rick Stockstill 2004 (2nd) 1989-02 (14)

>

> Tommy West 1991-92 (2) 1982-89, 94-98 (13)

>

> Note: Scott was head coach at South Carolina, West head coach at Clemson, 94-98.

>

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