The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 17, 1977, Page Page 10, Image 10
sports
Fuller to I
By VINCE MOOHE
Asst. Sports Editor
Carolina and Clemson fans have
never been extremely fond of one
another, insults forever being
traded between the two schools.
Such slogans as "If You Can't Go
To School, Go To Clemson" or
"Clemson Is The University of
bouin earonna appear on Dumper
stickers across the state. It seems
you either like one or the other ?
no middle ground.
This intense rivalry is usually
settled, at least temporarily, in
terms of athletic superiority.
Iinf rtrn tl-iao f/vnt V\r% 11 pnnoA?^
uv-iui v- iwio iiAiiimii ocaouii uvt'll
began, both sides were talking
about what would happen when the
two teams met in November.
Carolina fans were predicting their
best season in years while Tiger
partisans were doing the same.
Well, November is here, and the
75th Carolina-Clemson football
game is Saturday. And this game
will have all the attention a heated
rivalry like this one deserves. ABC
will roll its earners into sold-out
Williams-Brice Stadium while
several bowl scouts will be
roaming the press box.
But now there is one significant
difference all the pre season talk
failed to account for. Clemson has
a good football team. They come
into the game as the favorite,
ranked 15th in the nation by both
AP and UPI polls, with a 7-2-1
record. And, more importantly, the
IkjwI scouts at the game will only
have eyes for the Tigers.
Since the knowledgeable football ?
prognosticators said Clemson
should be thrilled with a .500
season. the.Tiaer's success should
Carolina a1
needs sep<
???
iflK Matt
Colui
With all that's happened concei
McGuire controversy, one must
Carolina needs an athletic directo
volved in either football or baskett
Since the promotion of Coach Jim <
director in 1976, the football pr
mediocre success at best. When C
1975, he was not the athletic directo
uuiui-cocKs 10 a i-t recora ana an
Tangerine Bowl.
After a successful first year, the L
expanded Carlen's role to athletic
was in control of all athletics, exce]
where McGuire still has complete
SINCE THAT TIME the footbal
average records of 6-5 and, at th
season 7-5. Can those average reco
to Carlen's two positions as foo
athletic director? I think it can l>
Being football coach demands a
Deing lootoaii coacn and athletic di
much for Jim Carlen or any other i
the board wanted to give Carlen a \
for his successful first year. But gi
jobs in such a short period of time
too much to handle.
Of the 144 schools which comprise
ead Clem
r
ISATORU
H-Sgai
^ _
come as a surprise to almost
everyone. But it is no surprise to
Clemson quarterback Steve Fuller.
"I thought we had good players,"
Fuller said, "but since we had two
bad years before, I wasn't sure
how we would do. But we've had
good consistent play, and that's
been the difference. So, no, I'm not
surprised."
The Tigers' good fortune hasn't
come as a surprise to Carolina
coach Jim Carlen either. As early
as the first week in the season, he
was saying Clemson was a lot
better than anyone was giving
them credit for. Carlen said this
week, "Clemson has a lot of talent.
i euiiipiimuiii vcudtin ^iianie reu
and his staff for putting it all
rhletic proc
turn mm A a JL Lh B
J!uic uiiiie
A 14 have a footb
director. Besid
St Colgate, Gr
w w a g ?a oi Aianama, n
| Texas St., Nor
tfinict Rice, Texas A
VIIII Alabama, Colg
liave above av
^ thwestern and
football progra
ning the Frank
wonder whether OF THE abc
r who is not in- has a good bas
>all. under head eoa
Carlen to athletic in the past five;
ogram has had records in coll
larlen arrived in Since 1958 wher
r and guided the director at Alal
invitation to the mimiilntivp r?
ticipant in the
toard of Trustees It's apparent
director. Carlen think it is impc
pt for basketball, separate from I
authority. When the footbi
athletic progra
11 team has had notpntial f?ni
e very best this exception to th
rds be attributed By choosing
tball coach and Board created
e. andCarlen. It<
lot of time, but directorship. C
rector can be too over the other,
nan. It's obvious problems in U
'ote of confidence
iving him two big CAROLINA I
can be a little bit u/ith Mpr.nim
USC. letting
NCAA Division I,
ison again
IND | (I
M J JS
iC
together."
If anyone still has doubts about
Clemson's capabilities they were
erased last week against Notre
Dame. The Tigers were leading the
Irish 17-7 after three quarters,
shutting down the same offense
that scored 69 points against
Georgia Tech a week earlier. But
Clemson fumbled away two
scoring opportunities, and Notre
Dame came back to win, 21-17.
"I thought we could have and
should have beaten them," Fuller
said. "But we turned the ball over
too many times to win against a
team like Notre Dame."
Although such a strong showing
against the Irish interested the
bowl scouts even more. Fuller and
gram
tic director
an coacn wno also serves as athletic
les USC, the other schools are Alcorn
ambling, Louisiana Tech, University
flcNeese St., Mississippi St., North
theast Louisiana St., Northwestern,
k&M and Western Carolina. Only
ate, Mississippi St. and Texas A&M
erage football programs while NorRice
have not experienced a winning
m in quite some time.
>ve mentioned schools, only Alabama
ketball program. The Crimson Tide,
ch C.M. Newton, has a 132-36 record
/ears which ranks as one of the lop six
egiate basketball during that time,
i Paul "Bear" Bryant became athletic
bama, the basketball team has had a
:ord of 278-212 and has been a parNCAA
play-offs twice since 1971.
a majority of NCAA Division I schools
irtant enough to have a person who is
1 I
me uMiiutfu uuu uumvuiuuii programs,
all coach controls athletics, the overall
m may suffer or not operate at full
y the University of Alabama is the
te 14 schools.
Carlen as the athletic director, the
a power struggle between McGuire
iidn't matter who received the athletic
living it to either man would favor one
Why alienate either coach and cause
SC's athletic program?
MKKDS another athletic director who.
and Carlen, can develop athletics at
; McGuire have total and
See COLUMN, Page 12
st Gamec
\
)
his teammates were disappointed.
"We didn't go in that game with
the idea of just staying close,"
Fuller said. "We wanted to win.
But that game has given us a lot of
confidence. I think everybody now
realizes that we're in the same
class with teams like Notre
Dame."
Everybody realizes, too, that
Fuller has been the driving force
behind Clemson's rise to football
fame. The junior from Spartanburg
has 1,691 yards total offense
to lead the Atlantic Coast
Conference (ACC), and has been
responsioie lor la loucnaowns. His
favorite target lias been speedy
receiver Jerry Butler, who has 40
receptions for 694 yards.
Iisil :
wnaf coacr
say about c
McGuire says ?
"I never intended to retiro untii
just want to do this job. Coaching
director of Coastal Carolina. It's a
"This (job controversy) has hur
and father see they don't want m<
come here? I don't want to see oui
hurt me, I don't care. But I don
Trustees) tear down the progran
| "I could be gone in two years if tl
way for two years. I don't crack ea
10 nave done what's been done to m
! my blood. They never asked my ag
trustee was investigating how ok
"Strom Thurmond is 15 years ol
babies."
(when asked about bumper st
Frank McGuire",) "Get me one
McGuire comments were made
students at the Towers' lounge.
Players say ?
| "I have complete trust in Coa
program. When 1 was recruiter
McGuire would be here until at lea
"It insults Coach McGuire's i
knowledgeable coaches of the ga
None of us is letting it affect us, it
i brought basketball to the South
KAR1/TON HILTON.
"It's added incentive to the tear,
! here, he's gotten more and i
^ G1LLOON.
UblVd
"Clemson is the best team we'll
have played this year," Carlen
caiH "Vnn'ro irnino In eoti 'Imtn
uw tva. * v ^V/?I Ij-J W UWJ ) HVYV
can you say that after playing
North CarolinaO' I think Fuller and **;
Butler a. j the difference. They ran
hurt you with a number of
receivers, but Butler is the one who
drowns you."
With the bowl scouts observing
Saturday's game. Ciemson has a
lot more to lose than Carolina. A
victory over the Gamecocks would
virtually ensure a Gator Bowl
berth for the Tigers against the
winner of the Oklahoma-Nebraska
game next week. Even if the Tigers
lose, they'll Drobablv net a Peach
Bowl invitation. But the Ciator
Bowl, however, would do more for ^
the Clemson football program.
Putting the Tigers' bowl
aspirations aside, they're is still
plenty of incentive for Clemson to
win.
"This game is special and important
for both teams," Fuller
said. "You can throw the records
out because this is like a one-game
season. Carolina can have a lot of
good things happen for them by
Beating us."
If Clemson is to avoid an upset by
the Gamecocks, Fuller will need to
find Butler open in the passing ^
lanes. And Fuller couldn't have ?
asked for a better target.
"If there's anybody better in the
country, I would like to see him,"
Fllllorvnirl "ll?'e rnil fnrl !.??
. ?...v. WM.M. ??V Ol VUI 1UOI UIIU lldd
so much natural ability. If
anything, he makes me look good."
And if anything, Fuller and
Butler, together, make Clemson
IlKJIV IUU1
i, players ] #
ontroversy
I we have another great team. I
it oil 1 bnm., T 1 ,1 ? ' ? I
o U1I i IWIUW. 1 CUUiUll I IKXOIIII"
case of trying to get rid of me."
t our recruiting. When a mother
why should they want a son to ?
- program get hurt. Even if they
i't want to see them (Board of
1 here at Carolina."
ley have their way. It's been this
silv. YOU hav? to haup touch ?liin
le... .listen to trustees who want
e until last year's 14-12 season. A
i I was." S
dor than 1 am and is still having j
icker saying, "Thank God for
. I'll put it on mv forehead."
Tuesday night to a group of ^
ch McGuire and his basketball
i here, I was promised coach
si iwu, JIM (iltAZlANO.
ntegrity. He's one of the most
me of basketball in the country,
's not something we dwell on. He
i, and he means a lot to us,"
a. He's not too old. Since I've l>een
nore into coaching " -lAnciiv S
i -