The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 17, 1995, Page 5, Image 5
Friday, November 17,1995
Redemptio
for Gameci
? game pi
LARRY WILLIAMS
Sports Editor Little.:
through
ous timi
You might not realize it, but to- ready fc
morrow's annual Clemson-Carolina day in C
clash is the carbon copy of last year's
in Death Valley. It just so happens Histoi
that the roles are reversed. Whe
Last year, the 5-5 Gamecocks this, rec
marched into Death Valley and kicked siderab
the Tigers butts - there's no two ways football
about it. Using a powerful offense and that the
a bruising defense, the Gamecocks won in this s
33-7, rolling up 412 total yards, and son woe
holding Clemson to 177. interest
This year's game has the potential won at I
to be the same, just the other way they be?
around. Here's why. It se
tions, th
Clemson's running game: always
Clemson's rushing combination of Usually,
Raymond Priester and Emory Smith ented a
is the best since the days of Terry Allen game. L
and Tracy Johnson. Running up 253.2 havebl<
yards per game, this backfield has USC did. Thi
defensive coordinator Wally Burnham still has
shaking in his boots. ly lacker
Last year, Clemson boasted a good that em
running attack as well The difference? this gar
Carolina's defensive line. With Stacy this on?
Evans, Chris Rumph, David Tumipseed the gam
and Eric Sullivan anchoring the defensive
line in '94, Carolina had the Keys
heart and soul of their defense. The Clei
Gamecocks shut down the Tigers' run- tablish
ning game, and, not suprisingly, shut Greene
down their whole offense. This year early to
could be quite different. With Evans, est. On
Rumph, and Tumipseed gone, the de- the Tigt
fensive line has been sub-par at best hill earl
this season. in his la
Looking over film of USC's past get out c
games this season, Clemson's Priester be chall<
and Smith have to be licking their fensive
1 A i n !_ TTfl/U_ J./1 1 a
cnops. Againsi ueorgia, uot s aeiense neea 10 c
gave up 147 yards and five touchdowns ley, whc
to converted tailback Robert Edwards. Sou
Against Arkansas, they gave up a this gaxr
record seven touchdowns to Madre If they c
Hill. Against Kentucky, they gave up fense, tl
299 to Moe Williams. Against Ten- done. If
nessee, a primarily passing team, the play the
Gamecocks surrendered over 100 yards playing,
to Jay Graham. time. Si
Last year, Carolina shut down the men in t
running attack of Arkansas, Kentucky beat yoi
and Clemson because of their solid de- this is tl
fensive line. This year, they have es- sources ]
corted opposing runners into the end- happen,
zone because of their lack of one. On c
toregair
Clemson's defense: where b
A disturbing trend has begun to just has
emerge in past weeks. Carolina's of- olina ca
fense may not be the great high pow- shotgun
ered scoring machine it was billed in resort tc
midseason, when the Gamecocks were offense '<
rolling up an ungodly amount of points and Flor
against weaker foes. Will
It seems that, when confronted rockin't
with a solid defense, the offense fal- 74,000 (
ters. This is not a slight to Tanevhill. tVipr<
but it appears that when opponents hearts o
put someone in his face all day, he those of
doesn't perform well (now, how could time, yo
that be!). Let's look back to the Geor- seats et
gia game. The Bulldogs suprised the every n
Gamecocks by sending their safeties most ur
on corner blitzes. This disrupted USCs - The C;
JB
jMkii&ii ?
i
In their last game of the season, Gam?
for their pride tomorrow against the
Tigers are ranked No. 24 nationally* Ki<
r
SF
n song 0nedayoftl
. 0 split. Two th
DCKS. cool, crisp
an. Against Tennesse, Taney
the Gamecocks were thrown
litzing defensive end Leonard
Florida's Ben Hanks burst | 1
i the line undetected numer- % #
as last week. If Carolina isn't ^^
>r the blitz, it could be a long
lamecock Country.
tn'you analyze a rivalry like
ent history has to play a con- Y?t
le role in the outcome of the M,,
game. It's interesting to note HI Sfc%jjj fim
i last time a home team won [ 3* JBKk
series was 1990, when Cleml
24-15 in the Valley. Equally IDg?
,ing is the last time Carolina ?E J
some, which was in 1987, when
ems that, with a few excepe
USC-Clemson matchup has J \ J|
, it turns out that the most tal- *^
nd confident team wins the
ast year, the Gamecocks should UK> L~
awn out the Tigers, and they
s year, it seems that Carolina L |B?|
; more talent, but has recent- jgl5M
1 confidence. Everyone knows
otion has so much to do with m
to the Game: HUil
mson: The Tigers must esthe
run earlv. Also. Nealon
might want to try to go deep
keep the USC secondary honthe
defensive side of the ball,
;rs will need to get to Taney[y.
If the senior gets on a roll
st collegiate game, things could ...
if hand. The defensive line will
enged against the veteran of- '
line of Carolina. The Tigers
?ntain runningback Duce Sta- I
i is extremely dangerous.
th Carolina* The outcome of
ie rests in the defense's hands.
an stop the Tigers rushing ofhey'U
win. Easier said than A I
' the Gamecocks continue to
soft 3-4 zone that they've been
this game will be over by halfiggestion?
Put seven or eight
he box and force the Tigers to
1 with the pass. It seems that ROBBIE MEEK Asst. Sports Ed
ie most logical thing to do, but ^
here say that it probably won't ^Ti
iffense, the Gamecocks need ? H do
1 tne sparK tnat uiey lost some- h ^
etween here and Knoxville. It Hi
n't been there. Solution? Car- H se
n't abandon their no-huddle H
t offense in the first half and H a
?their predictable I-formation ^
*thqrdji against Tennessee withtheirllffiSofthesea
ida. The Tigers will eat it alive. The Tigers hold a 54444 serii
iams-Brice Stadium will be split the last four seasons at 2
;omorrow at 12.30 p.m. About lost seven out of the last 10 g<
,arolina and Qemson fens will the records and the record Ixx
2 in full force to scream their comes down to win or lose. T1
ut for their beloved teams. For rlaim this season's bragging r
you who are going for the first This is the game that just
>u're in for a treat. Get in your the state grows up wanting to
irly, for you'll need to absorb to wear the orange and run dc
linute of one of the best and to don the garnet and come oui
tderrated rivalries in America He either wants to be a Tiger, oi
arolina-Clemson game. cock.
The rivalry has a rich his
many All-Americans, many Pre
H THE I
* "4 III! Sponsoredb
?R GRILLE
8F*a 1
\ Sports Co-Edit
J Record: 38-27
U Larry Wi/lia
m Sports Co-Edit
WL Record: 46-19
M Robbie Mei
Assistant Spoil
Record: 49-16
^atrlbipoti
AMIE CLARK The Gamecock Chris Carro
P^siden'oftb
ckoff is 12:37 p.m. United States
ORTS
he year. Battle lines art
ings: the claw or the ps
November day each yc
R 0W>
K i
WIL
? "...(ever
itrs right, its time for the
gers to leave the farm W7'
) in Clemson and come J ' . * * *
(wn to the city for the an- ^
lal War Within the State. WCdl LaIC
he Tigers will enter this .. ..
ason's grudge match and run d
orting a 7-3 record and
guaranteed trip to a bowL "ill Of fl P
le Gamecocks will enter 11111 U1 HC
son with a 4-5-1 record. i . i
2S lead. The teams have ClOtt. lllC
!-2. The home team has
unes. But for this week CJflfl r O fTl (
)ks mean nothing. It all aAAU ^WA1A
le question is, who will i.L ? ?g
ights? 111(3 Mill
about every little boy in i^tr\r\
play in. He either wants ^(J(J
iwn the hill or he wants
t of the smoke to "2001." man Trophy winner to play i
r he wants to be a Game- olina's George Rogers, Stei
_ , , Brooks, and Clemson's Micl
itary. There have been ^ ^
) Stars, and even a Heis- . ,
series stars.
1AMEC0CK SPOR]
-iifi | USCI I Jl
MS- # vsf-^ ks;?:s w
;rog Clemson Penn State
? /yep Penn ?
or *?c Sfafe "
,msi namJ^ Penn i A
or Clemson m
k ncr Penn A
ts USC State we
}er*y /fcr Penn h
111 I St3te ;M m
n k
e Clemson Michigan
Mr ?
^ ?
a drawn. Families and friends are
aw. It's one or the other. For one
?ar, we South Carolinians have
J LITTLE
WAR
114-4-I p series' stars,
y 11LL1C The game used to be called Big Thursday becau
it was played every year in Columbia on the Thui
\ ITtS tO day of State Fair week. The first game at Clems<
wasn't played until 1960. The two schools have alt*
OfTtlPP nated playing sites every since.
O There have been some wild ones including a gar
rw\ T1~\ f-V-j ^ in the earlier years where a riot broke out because
iCJvVTl LI lC ajoke played by a South Carolina fraternity. The fi
ternity borrowed some uniforms that resembled t
ailtS tO Tigers'. Before the game the fraternity took the fit
as the Clemson football team. After having a little fo
q-O pj" ball follies session the Clemson fans caught on to t
O prank and stormed the field.
^ i? The rivalry is fueled by the ragging and braggi
^ (JUL (J1 between co-workers, classmates, and even family mei
i T> nil i l l T
I Ders. i m one 01 tne iucxy ones wno can say i grew
3ke to in a half orange, half garnet family (My mother weM
to Clemson and my father to Carolina). I wouldn't w?
1 it any other way. And for all of the out of state fres
^ men at USC who have never experienced the rival
in the rivalry. South Car- 1 <*51 56 ^ 3J? soon love to hate the Tip:
l- ou j r> u _x Sure, there will be bigger games around the nata
ing arpe an o e on Saturday. There will be games that mean a lot m<
leal Dean Perry, Donnell ^ national picture, but to the people in the sti
just to name a few of the 0f South Carolina, nothing will be bigger than the
Within the State.
TS CHALLENGE I
forth Va. Tech Alabama Colorado
''Stern vs 'Sill, vs IB' IBv
vs .. um m A?hnrn Kansas
irdue ? < Mate!!
irdue UVA Auburn
ste/n UVA Auburn Colorado
1orth Va. ? Kansas
' stern Tech Auburn state
lorth Va. Kansas
istern Tech Alabama Sfgte
lorth Kansas
,stem UVA Auburn $fate