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YOUR BALANCE
OTD 20 Years Ago: 2000 Clemson- 16 (25)South Carolina- 14
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OTD 20 Years Ago: 2000 Clemson- 16 (25)South Carolina- 14


Nov 18, 2020, 8:36 AM

11/18/2000
Death Valley, SC

Known affectionately to Clemson fans simply as "The Catch II", Rod Gardner & Aaron Hunt live in Tiger infamy





Except for the 10,000 or so South Carolina fans that had made the trip up from Columbia, there was an eerie silence in Clemson Memorial Stadium when tight end Tommy Hill fell on a Derek Watson fumble in the end zone to give the Gamecocks a 14-13 lead with 59 seconds to play.




For most of the 84,500 that were in attendance on that cold and damp evening, all had felt lost. But Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler was not among them. As South Carolina set up to kick the football off, Dantlzer gathered the offense up and sent them a message.

“I told them that this is not about to happen,” he said to reporters afterwards. “We’re not going to let this happen to our seniors.”



It took a controversial catch from one of those seniors, All-American Rod Gardner, to make the 98th battle of the Palmetto State’s two biggest schools one of the best and most talked about games in this long-standing rivalry.

With only 19 seconds left, Dantzler led the Tigers back on the field following a timeout, while staring at a third down-and-12 situation from their own 42. When he took the shotgun snap, Dantzler rolled to his left, drawing the safety away from Gardner. He then stopped and threw a high, deep lop to the right.

Gardner, who got the decisive 29-yard touchdown the year before against the Gamecocks on a fourth-down play, ran a go-route down the far sideline. The Gamecocks had cornerback Andre Goodman underneath in coverage and safety Deandre Eiland deep as the ball went sailing through the air.

“It was in slow motion,” Gardner said. “I wasn’t even thinking about the defender. I just knew I had to make a play, and when it dropped into my hands, oh man.”


Everyone in the stadium held their collective breaths as Gardner leaped high to haul in the 50-yard pass, while falling backwards. When he settled to the ground, Clemson had the football at the South Carolina eight with 10 seconds left, and needed just a 25-yard Aaron Hunt field goal to win the game.

“I’m still trying to figure out what happened,” Dantzler said.

Hunt was true on his kick and Clemson celebrated into the night with a dramatic 16-14 victory.

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Best Is The Standard


I will never forget that game.***


Nov 18, 2020, 8:41 AM



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There's something in these hills.


It was cold man!***


Nov 18, 2020, 9:03 AM



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Best Is The Standard


It started sleeting as we were walking back to the car.***


Nov 18, 2020, 9:41 AM



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Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.


Re: I will never forget that game.***


Nov 18, 2020, 9:39 AM [ in reply to I will never forget that game.*** ]

And neither will usuc fans!

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Love how Rod put on the tiny burst of speed at the end to


Nov 18, 2020, 8:52 AM

gain separation and get open! :) :) :)

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That first still shot in your post shows clearly...


Nov 18, 2020, 9:10 AM

there was no push off.

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"I've played multiple sports and would bet any amount that I'm still more athletic than you at this present time...."


Exactly***


Nov 18, 2020, 9:31 AM



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Best Is The Standard


Re: That first still shot in your post shows clearly...


Nov 18, 2020, 9:32 AM [ in reply to That first still shot in your post shows clearly... ]

The last Clemson-Carolina game I attended in person.


My first was in 1956.

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uof6c fans have no one to blame for that loss...


Nov 18, 2020, 9:40 AM

but their own poor coaching.

You tell your DB's not to let any receiver behind them even if that means dragging them to the ground and taking a PI penalty.

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Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.


Re: OTD 20 Years Ago: 2000 Clemson- 16 (25)South Carolina- 14


Nov 18, 2020, 9:44 AM

Great game, great catch. I was in the north stands lower deck surrounded by gamecock fans. It got really quite quickly after Rod Gardner’s catch. A few tears from them when we scored to win the game. Great group of Gamecock fans even though they lost.

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Re: OTD 20 Years Ago: 2000 Clemson- 16 (25)South Carolina- 14


Nov 18, 2020, 9:59 AM

I was about 6 years old at the time and I remember my Grandma taking me out of the stands and into the concourse because she couldn't watch the end. She always would get nervous and never watch how things played out and take me with her. I remember hearing the crowd go crazy from the concourse as Rod Gardner caught the ball. I wish I could have seen it live but I will always remember that moment even as a kid.

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hard to believe that long ago. That game still ticks the


Nov 18, 2020, 11:21 AM

coots off. so much fun.

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Re: OTD 20 Years Ago: 2000 Clemson- 16 (25)South Carolina- 14


Nov 18, 2020, 12:11 PM

Funny the coldest and hottest I've ever been in my life was at Death Valley. 2000(USuCk) -- 2003(UGA)

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Clemson doesn't care about basketball....as evidenced by Brown-L getting 14 years.


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