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Tables have ? LARRY WILLIAMS Out of Bounds 33-7! Its been almost two weeks, but for most of us. the thrill is still very much alive. The excitement of beating the hated Clemson Tigers on their home turf will surely last its full guaranteed 365 days until the next clash in Columbia. In a word, amazing. In another, unreal. In yet another, it was oh so sweet. I couldn't think of a better word for the feeling I had strolling the turf of Death Valley hours after the game. When was the last time that a Carolina team took it to the Tigers this bad in their own backyard? Never. When was the last time Clemson fans began packing for home in the third quarter? Never. And finally, when will a Clemson team with the game plan that they had beat a Brad Scott coached Carolina team? NEVER! All season long, Carolina's coaching staff stated that, if the Gamecocks could put together two halves of good football, they would be a "darn good football team." Well, as the Clemson Tigers will tell you, Carolina put together two halves of good football. Carolina not only beat the orange out of the Tigers, but they beat the zebra out of the officials, too. The refs, surprisingly an SEC crew, seemed to do all they could do to beat the Gamecocks, negating two long, outstanding runs by super senior Toby Cates. In my opinion, the biggest mistake anyone could have made was making Clemson 31/2 to 5 point favorites for the game. I simply failed to see the logic. It was the same logic that made Clemson 10-point favorites in the contest two years ago when the Gamecocks won by 11. The oddsmakers reasoning was probably Clemson's three game unbeaten streak. First off, Clemson's victory at North Carolina was quite impressive; however, their second and third triumphs against i * 3 r T. mm* \ A < A \ \ s C5 Visa U.S.A. Inc. 1994 turned in Cai jjl mm 'Jtk. w - .sJmkik,. Hfl^^^lHilll^Pflil^H^^iifel*i!!F' The Gamecock defense shown he most of the 1994 season. With Carolina earned a trip to the Carqu< Wake Forest and Georgia Tech were anything but. The final score of the Wake game was 24-8. The only surprise was the Tigers putting more than 13 points on the scoreboard. In the Georgia Tedi game, the Tigers had to overcome a 7-0 deficit to defeat the "powerhouse" Yellow Jackets. This is not to say Carolina's season looked overly impressive either. Aside from coming back in three games only to come up short, the Gamecocks hadn't defeated a team with a winning record all year; however, here is where the difference lies. The schedule. Throughout the season, while Clemson was playing the likes of Jnirman, Wake rorest and Georgia lech, Carolina was playing Mississippi State, Tennessee and Florida. If you think thafs just an insignificant factor, think again. While Clemson was having one of those rough battles with Tech, USC was in Gainesville, Fla., getting schooled by one of the best teachers in the business, the Florida Gators. Certainly it makes a difference who you play! In anything competitive, in order to get better, you have wo es or a | d, C date 2 fall The Gamecock rolina-Qemsc van hope The Gamecock re against Florida set the tone for a new commitment to teamwork est Bowl. to compete against better competition. On our way to Tigertown, one of my friends and I bafeicaUy dissected the game coming up the next day. I felt, and I'm sure that many USC fans will agree with me, Carolina could win easily if they played a good game. Not a great game, but a good game. We also agreed that if Clemson tried to ran the football up the middle at Carolina's front seven, it would be over by the half. So basically, it all boiled down to whether Clemson could throw the ball effectively and take advantage of USC's weak secondary. The answer was a resounding No! Clemson didn't throw effectively. It wasn't because of Carolina's secondary, it was a result of a poor, poor game plan by Tommy West. After the game, Carolina defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said, "They didn't run anything we hadn't seen." If I was a Clemson fan, that alone would make me think twice about jumping on the Tommy West bandwagon. ^ ^ ^ * ite: md tl Xt'g every you "want to Friday, December 2, 1994 ?*? in programs Clemson threw the ball 20 times (most in the final quarter when the blowout wasn't in doubt). Clemson completed the five passes. Folks, this just isn't a team that so many said had nothing to lose. On the first drive of the day, the Tigers were faced with a 3rd and 10. What do they do? Run up the middle. Does this guy remind us of a man by the last name of Woods? When West came to Clemson, fans expected another Danny Ford. Danny Ford's football teams were known for their intimidating defense and shove it down your throat offense. When Ford's teams were overmatched or in a whole, however, you could always count on some sort of trick play from Danny. I recall the 1988 Clemson-FSU game in Death Valley. With Clemson down 137 and momentum clearly swinging to the Seminoles, Clemson needed a spark. A minute later, Clemson's Ricardo Hooper was on the receiving end of a 65-yard flea flicker touchdown pass hum a reseive wide receiver. It took the infamous Puntiuoskie play of Lee Roy Butler to beat the Tigers that day. On Nov. 19,1994, not one trick play, reverse or anything of the like was called by Clemson. Why not? All week, West spoke of those plays being in the playbook by game time. Instead, it was USC head coach Brad Scott who had a trick or two up his sleeve. The kickoff throw-and-run from Brandon Bennett to Reggie Richardson was the single most amazing play in Gamecock-Tiger history. Period. The element of sui-prise is one of the most important aspects in college football. Scott and Bow den proved that over the years at FSU, where their bowl record over the past 11 veais was 10-0-1. With Carolina's 0-8 recotd in bowls, we can't help but get excited. Speaking of getting excited, try to envision the state of our football program in five years. Beating Clemson should come with regularity, and who knows what will happen when we take that next step into the SEC elite. When this happens, the forever-sought-after thing called a winning tradition will finally make its way to so many long-suffering Gamecock fans. * 1 F al j e< | <2 f3 b JL, 9 lis. j 1 i T& | be. ji | 9 USC's Flowers named to CFA 'Good Works Team' Staff Reports For the third consecutive year, "I !' ? being around kids the College Football Association has and Showing them What it announced the "Good WorksTeam," means to ?e a p^ye recognizing the superior efforts of college football players off the field. rde model. The team consists of 11 players who usc.s James F,owers on communrty ! have devoted themselves to exemplary community service. service Each week this season, the CFA announced a selection of one mem- Ga., is involved in Team Gameber of thaJ994 "Good Works Team." cocks, Athletes Who Care," a joint Nominations were submitted by effort between the athletics departCFA member institutions. Nomi- nient and Richland Memorial Hosnees are actively involved and com- pital s Center for Cancer Treatment mitted to working with a charitable ^ Research. He leads stories, plays organization, service group games and shares his exor community project. il|SBBKP^,r periences with children This week, the CFA an- - and adult cancer patients, nouncedNebraskacrutside * p Inaddition, , linebacker Donta Jones | nHMl| Flowers frequently visits and South Carolina de- " elementaiy schools deliv fensive end James Flow- | muuvduutmi ?hw*jiers as members of the 1994 es on importance of "Good Waits Team." These an education and staying selections complete the drug-free. This past July,. 1994 squad. The rest of the WUh WKtk he, delivered the keynote team includes Florida FLOWERS address to a local high strong safety Lawrence school at their General Wright, Texas outside linebacker Equivalency Diploma graduation Robert Reed, Florida State corner- ceremony, back Corey Fuller, West Virginia Flowers says of his community defensive back David Mayfield, Penn involvement, "I have spent most of State offensive tackle Wayne Holmes, my time around the kids at the RichDuke safety Zaid Abdul-Aleem, Col- land Memorial Cancer Treatment ; orado State defensive back Ray Jack- Center, and that truly was an eye son, SMU quarterback Ramon Flani- opening experience. I like being gan and Kentucky wide receiver around kids and showing them what Leon Smith. it meansto be a positive role modFlowers, a junior from Macon, e^" I Gamecock Sports You asked for it. |%pgh5 - 9!Tu5tf ~ Jfrorlrj ~ 'Slrt I bcohftorr u?ttl) ^ r0 x Itrnw tobtrttrb &"< . 3 bg rnrtl), iitinb, VL? t0PUll.0t 1 flrr, muranb<u ,^> , spirit. ^00R5;\ (?aII about luorhsljojtf. 2 2 T03 -55 iRosfiBoob 9r. ' S* umqa " Si THE NUTTIEST PLACE IN 5-POINTS A P RIVER CITY CAFE f f|2 SUNDAY is "BLOODY SUNDAY" ?| wR $3.00 GIANT Bloody Marys /T^Mw, pT MONDAY NIGHT - $3.00 Pitchers / ^-^T \ \ \W ^ & 15* Wings $rj) /-J M WEDNESDAY is REGGAE NIGHT" \)pw^ ffl| & $2.25 Myers Rum "V d ( -a * Friday - $1.00 Natural Lights V & $9.00 Pitchers of Long Island Ice Tea /-cCZ\fK SMS & Electric Lemonade ?j\ IMPORTS - S 1 .75 m house uiqljor pk3 XA/ell, if it is or isn't, FIRST TIME CONTRACEPTIVE VISITS ARE FREE 15 AT ! | PLANNED 1 PARENTHOOD !! 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