Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

State Fair Sports, So4 (Editor's tiote: The following article was revised from a feature written in 1943 for the Columbia State by John Montgomery, former sports editor and now managing editor of The State.) Why all the furor over the Caro li:a-Clemson football game? That question doesn't have to be answered for anyone who has been in this state a couple of years. They've heard the game reviewed during all seasons of the year and discussed everywhere from the bottom of a granite quarry outside Columbia to the top of the Blue Ridge mountains at the westerti edge of the state. It was back in 1896-five years after South Ca:olina's first in tercollegiate football game be tween Furman and Wofford-that the Carolina Gamecocks and the Clemson Tigers had their first gridiron meeting. Rained For First Meet The game was played in Colum bia in a downpour of rain. It rain ed so hard it was enough to last for many years. Not one drop of rain fell on a Carolina-Clemson game from then until 1945, al though the rivals clashed 40 more times. Carolina won that opening con test, 12 to 6, but then its luck rode away with the clouds and the se ries totals to date show only 14 victories for the Roosters, while the visiting Jungaleers have won 28. There have been only two ties, scoreless affairs in 1915 and 19.15. After losing the premiere, Clem son came back and won four con tests is a row by strong margins. There was'no game in 1901, then came 1902, the year that estab lished the Gamecock-Tiger series as a classic, the paramount sports spectacle in South Carolina. There was a fight between the two student bodies. It all started, so the story goes, when the Caro lina boys burned the effigy of a Tiger. From the accounts, some dimmed and some exaggerated through the years, it was really not so much of a battle as con pared with free-for-alls that used to occur at Clemson-Furman games I of the early prohibition days or f even with an attack on the Caro lina team by spectators at Green ville in more recent years. But it < was better press-agented. What ties go with an A button-a A RR OW tie But in particular, Arrow's plaids, English type foula, striped oxfords in college cc See your favorite Arrow d choice of college men from DO CL.OTHES MAKE THE MANi What, When and Wear of Men'su who want to dress wisely and welt Peabody & Co., Inc., 10 East 40 ARROW SHIi UNDERWEAR 0 HANDKER In Columbia, Youl HOPE-D) 1250 MA Game Has.I ia1 Cynosu Rivalry Gets Hotter Also, it was enough to cause severance of relations between the p Birds and the Bengals from 1902 r until 1908. It was spark enough to ignite the rivalry into one of a the hottest competitions in the it good old game of rugby. . n A Carolina-Clemson game is t( more than just an athletic con- h test. It is the one event of the t< year that brings all South Caro- g hna together; every community in 'h the state is always represented. n It is a society as well as a sports event; a rallying point for many parties, balls and reunions-the n big outdoor dressup affair for mi- a lady. It is a game that is just as a interesting to the alumni of other si colleges of the state as it is to A the old grads of the state uni- t( versity and the state A. and M. 0 college. u n Yet, there is no middle ground at a Carolina-Clemson game. It is not a home game for Carolina, nor 0 is it for Clemson. Arrangements a are handled jointly and the field b is divided-one side Clemson and 0 one side Carolina. You can't buy a neutral seat. So important is the Carolina- 0 Clemson game that the success of ' the annual state fair almost I r( hinges upon it. Big Thursday is a always the big attendance day at o the fair. Before this year you 2ouldn't go to the game without b first buying a ticket to the fair. cc Started In Wooden Bowl F For many years the Carolina- U Clemson playing ground was actu- ti ally in the fair grounds. It was a it, >ig wooden bowl seating 10,000 w spectators and was used almost se xclusively for State Fair foot- CI all classics. In those days there was always mn over-capacity crowd of around bA,000 persons. Then, with the gov rnment financing, the steel and h oncrete stadium was built, seat- it ng 17,600. Now the crowds run round 25,000. cl to This does not seem like such a in arge crowd to persons of large til ities, but the only reason the wI arolina-Clenison game does not to iave an attendance of 100,000 is nc hat it doesn't have a stadium gi vith 80,000 seats. Or so it would is, eem. The crowd is always a little so arger than the accommodations ('a 1fforded, but temporary stands nc nd behind-the-end-zone space is - provided for the overflow. They lon't turn down a customer if it an be helped. best R ROW own oxford? of course! niversity selection of wool Iir ds, solid color knits and lors.p b ealer for Arrow ties--top - coast to coast. $1 and up. Send for your free copy of "The Ilothing-a handy guide for men WVrite to: C oIlege Dept. ( Ius t, ih Street. New York 26. N. Y. RTS and TIES CHIEFS * $PORTS SHIRTS Arrow bieaIer is wI-s CO. IN ST. Aong Been re Of SC Where Stars Are Born The "State Fair" game is a lace where stars are made.. We call a number of luminaries who tightened up" under the pressure rid gave miserable performances the annual battle. But we have ever known a star of the con rst who failed to win all-state Dnors. Many unknowns have risen > heights in the Carolina-Clemson ame and their gridiron exploits ave become legendary in Pal Letto football history. Football players, however, have at always claimed the center of tention there. One year it .was spectator who appointed him if volunteer leader of the band. nother year a rabbit went out have a look-see before the kick f and gave the players a warm p. (The rabbit got away and did t remain for the show). The State Fair game is also a nmesis for coaches. A Carolina a Clemson coach has to make good showing at this game, or fore long he has to look for her pastures. Favorites Beware! Although favorites are always tablished before game time, ad nce (lope is a very tricky ba meter as far as this particular fray is concerned. Few followers the game forget the 1928 game hen Coach Billy Laval, now New rry college mentor, was making s debut as Carolina coach after mpiling a phenomenal record at arman. His Gamecocks beat the niversity of Chicago that year at was before Chicago went into touch football era. The Birds are expected to win by a lopsided ore. The count of the game was: emson 32, Carolina 0! Laval came back to give the rds their longest winning streak er C4mson and, incidentally, he ld the longest tenure as Caro ia coach. For many years the teams ished at noon, so that the cus mers could get home before dark their buggies and hacks. The ine was moved back to 2 o'clock lien the halcyon days of the au motive speed came long. Yet, matter what time of day the me is played or what year it the two- words, "Carolina-Clem n," mean something to South irolina sports fans with which thing else can compare. Flank Watcher Although Clemson's aerial attacl< one of the most potent in the ation, their less-publicized grouni amne will be a constant threal hursday. Part of the job of slow ig it down will rest on the shoul. ers of Bobby O'Hlarra, who wil s holding down the right flani asition when the starting whisth lows at 2 p. mn.. today. Enjoy 'Wilson Owens' Delicious Ice Cream at your Canteen. Enjoy Wilson Owens' Delicious Punch At Your Parties CA LL 3170 - 3179 1005 M AN ST.o Flying High Stopping the passes of Bobb; Gage (above), Clemson's star tail back, will be one of the main prob lems facing Carolina this after noon when the Bengals and the Birds meet. Recently married Gage has led the nation in tota offense most of the 1947 season Cadets To Sell Clemson's senior platoon wil sell copies of Harper Gault's nev book, "Big Thursday", at the Carolina-Clemson game this after noon. The book is a short histor3 of the annual State Fair classic capturing much of the color an< tradition of South Carolina's prime sports attraction. The book opens with the ac count of last year's mix-up wher 10,000 persons rushed the gate and gained admittance, free of charge From there the book goes backa into the history of the classic relating several amusing incidents connected with the game, includ better' PHILIP MORRIS benefit found in n( MoRRIs is the ON! nized by leading r defnitely less irj Remember: ] smoking enjoyme Yes! If e.ver MoRssmokers PHILIP MORRI CALL| FORI Clemson Holds Wide Margin In USC Series The scores of past Clemson Col lege-University of South Carolina football games In which Clemson has won 28, lost 14, tied two and scored 743 points to South Caro lina's 857. 1896-Clemson 6 Carolina 12 1897-Clemson 18 Carolina 6 1898-Clemson 24 Carolina 0 1899-Clemson 34 Carolina 0 1900-Clemson 51 Carolina 0 1901--No game. 1902-Clemspn 6' Carolina 12 1903-1908-Relations Severed. 1909-Clemson 6 Carolina 0 1910-Clemson 24 Carolina 0 1911- Clemson 27 Carolina 0 1912-Clemson 7 Carolina 22 1913-Clemson 32 Carolina 0 1914-Clemson 29 Carolina 6 1915-Clemson 0 Carolina 0 1916-Clemeon 27 Carolina 0 1917-Clemson 21 Carolina 13 1918-Clemson 39 Carolina 0 1919-Clemson 19 Carolina 6 1920-Clemson 0 Carolina 3 1921-Clemson 0 Carolina 21 1922-Clems9n 3 Carolina 0 1923-Clemson 7 Carolina 6 1924--Clemson 0 Carolina 3 1925-Cler4son 0 Carolina 33 1926-Clemson 0 Carolina 24 1927-Clemson 20 Carolina 0 1928-Clemson 32 Carolina 0 1929-Clemson 21 Carolina 14 1930-Clemson 20 Carolina 7 1931-Clemson 0 Carolina 21 1932-Clemson 0 Carolina.14 1933-Clemson 0 Carolina 7 1934-Clemson 19 Carolina 0 1935-Clemson 44 Carolina 0 "Big Thursday" ing a description of the big "fight" of 1902. "The occasion of the Carolina Clemson game is the state's fall fashion show, unofficial Demo cratic caucus, annual reunion .. .," Gault says. "It's the biggest social event of the year and it exudes color which overflows the stadium, 1 rolls past the fair ground portals, and splashes into the Congaree river. "When the Gamecocks and Tigers 1 meet, the whole state takes sides, and there's not an inch of neutral 1 ground from Hog Back mountain 1 to the Atlantic ocean." MORRIS > much 10 smoke! offers the smoker an gg_ other cigarette. For PHILIP , the ONLY cigarette recog Lose and throat specialists as ting. ge irritation means 291 it for yo_u smoker knew what PHILIP know, they'd ALL change to S. TRIAPC 'ier Coach Fr Climbed Laddei Seventeen years ago Frank loward stepped from a first string guard position on Alabama's 1980 Rose Bowl team into the line coach position with Clemson's Tigers, mnd nine years later (1940) he moved up to the top coaching 6pot it Tigertown. Howard inherited Clemson's rootball reins when Coach Jess 4eely moved to Rice Institute lfter nine years as the Tiger boss. 4eely's last Clemson team defeat id Boston College, 6 to 3, in the L940 Cotton Bowl game. Born at Barlow Bend, Alabama, >n March 25, 1909, Howard spent uis boyhood days dreaming of the lay when he would be.come one of he University of Alabama's Red Clephants. Howard worked his way up the ootball ladder the hard way. Joach Wallace Wade once said C t ue was too small for Alabama's rand of football, but in 1930, 930-Clemson 19 Carolina 0 937-Clemson 34 Carolina 12 938-Clemson 34 Carolina 12 39-Clemhson 27 CarolIna 0 940-Clemson 21 Carolina 13 911--Clemson 14 Carolina 18 ( 042-Clemson 18 Carolina H43--Clemson 0 Carolina 33 o44-Clemson 20 Carolina 13 45-Clemson 0 -- Carolina 0 C 946-Clemson 14 Carolina 26 .TODAY ank Howard The Hard Way veighing 185 pounds, Howard be ame the "little giant" of the Red elephants that tromped Wash ngton State 24 to 0 in the 1981 lose Bowl game. The Clemson coach probably has he distinction of being the na ion's only head coach who sec )nded his own nomination for the ost. Following Neely's resigna ion, The Clemson Athletic Coun il called Howard in to answer a ew policy questions. That done, i council member spoke up: "I nove that Frank' Howard be ap >ointed head coach." "I second the motion," Howard aid, without batting an eye. whereupon he was awarded a ive-year contract. And there, characteristically, rou have the fun-packed Howard: he Howard who yells at practice oafers: "All right, if you want to till time, let's work it to death" Lnd who varies it with "Start noving, Smith, before you take oot there" and the Howard who ent Frank, Jr., a plug of Pop's avorite tobacco before the young ter was three years old. Howard's best story on himself: )ne day he drove 300 miles to louth Georgia to see a 210 pound ackle recommended by an enthusi stic Clemson alumnus. "When I finally found his iouse," Howard says, "and knock d on the door, a frail, scrawny :id of about 145 pounds came to he door. I asked him if John )oe was home and he said 'Yes, 'm John Doe.'" "I recovered as quickly as pos ible," Howard says, "and said, Son, I'm selling magazine sub criptions to help my boy through ollege. Would you be interested n a combination subscription to ny three best sellers?" He said o and I got back in the car and irove 300 miles back to Clemson." During his nine years as as istant coach, Howard also tu ored the Clemson track team, but ince his appointment to the post f athletic director and head foot all coach, he has limited actual oaching to football, with the ex eption of one war year as base all mentor. ? i '' 7 "" .