Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Gamecock Sports Schedule ■ Men’s basketball vs. Tennessee Tech, ■ Volleyball vs. Georgia at SEC Friday, 7:30 p.m. Tournament in Gainesville, Fla., Friday ■ Swimming at Northwestern ■ Football at Clemson, Saturday, Invitational, Friday 3:30 p.m. (ABC) Palmetto War ^ South Carolina, Clemson resume rivalry in Death Valley looking to recover from back-to-back defeats by Michael Haney The Gamecock The excitement is in the air. The leaves have turned to shades of dark red and orange, symbolizing the mixture of Clemson and USC fans in the state of South Carolina. “You’ve got Clemson fans, you’ve got Carolina fans, but you don’t know who is who,” USC head coach Lou Holtz said Monday. “I see someone give me a dirty look, so I figure they’re a Clemson fan. I’ve got a Clemson neighbor. It’s something you learn to deal with.” The No. 25 Gamecocks (7-3, 5 3 SEC) will try to deal with a two game losing streak when they take to the road Saturday to face the No. 16 Tigers (8-2,6-2 ACC) in their fi nal regular season game of the year. The Gamecocks have lost back to-back games to Florida and Ten nessee and are looking to finish the season on a high note. Their bitter rivals from the Up state are looking for the same thing. Clemson’s hopes for an ACC title were shattered by Florida State, and nothing would salvage their season more than a win over the Gamecocks. This is the first time since 1987 that both teams have been ranked go ing into their annual meeting. Car olina won that game 20-7 at Williams Brice Stadium. The Tigers hold a 12-7-1 advan tage in Clemson and a 58-35-4 lead overall in the series, which dates back to 1896. The Tigers have already accept ed a bid to play in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville and will likely play ei ther Virginia Tech or Notre Dame. The Gamecocks, on the other hand, are still playing for a spot in one of three bowls. If Carolina losers Saturday, the ■ Peach Bowl is their likely destina tion. If they win, the Outback Bowl is more probable, with a Citrus Bowl birth an outside possibility. Even without bowl implications, the Clemson/Carolina games are usu ally an intense, all-out war that has the entire state choosing sides. Saturday should be no exception. The Gamecocks and Tigers bring two of the best defenses in the coun try into Saturday’s meeting. Until their loss two weeks ago to Florida State, Clemson was one of the top fifteen defensive teams in the nation. Carolina, coming off of their worst defensive performance of the year against Florida, is currently 16th in total defense. Both units feature great players. Clemson’s Keith Adams is a Butkus Award finalist and has gathered 121 tackles. Adams is complemented by linebacker Chad Carson, who has 128 total tackles. The Tigers also bring Football seepages Sean Rayford The Gamecock Clemson linebacker Braxton Williams has Carolina quarterback Phil Petty on the run during last season’s meeting at Williams-Brice Stadium. The Tigers won that game, 31-21, and will try to make it four straight wins over the Gamecocks this Saturday in Death Valley. Men’s soccer prepares for battle against Duke Sean Rayford The Gamecock USC midfielder Joey Worthen is challenged by a pair of Clemson defenders. by Kyle Almond The Gamecock Gamecock senior defender Chris Lockwood was surprised when he heard USC had received the seventh seed in the NCAA Tournament. But he wasn’t shocked. “I wasn’t expecting it,” he said. “But we played a tough schedule, so I guess they reward ed us.” The Gamecocks, ranked No. 21 in the NSCAA poll, leapfrogged several teams, in cluding their first round opponent, Duke, to earn a tournament seed. The reward: a first round home game and a chance for a sec ond. “I’m really excited,” USC sophomore forward Jordan Quinn said. “I’m looking forward to it.” USC s strength of schedule helped get them a seed in the tour nament, but it also had other ben efits. By playing competitive, top ranked teams like Virginia, Penn State, Maryland, Clemson and North Carolina during the season, the Gamecocks (12-3-3) know what it’s like to play in a big game. “There will probably be some nerves going into the game,” Lock wood said. “But with our tough schedule, we know what to ex pect.” Quinn expects a hard fought, scrappy game. “The key will be outworking your opponent,” said Quinn, the Gamecocks’ leading scorer on the season with 13 goals. “It won’t be the type of game where it’s a touch here and a touch there. It’s go ing to be no holds barred, with a lot of fifty-fifty balls. Whoever works the hardest will win.” Duke (14-5) comes into Sun day’s contest trying to prove they were the team worthy of the seed, not the Gamecocks. The Blue Devils are current ly ranked No. 16 in the NSCAA polls, five spots ahead of the Gamecocks. Senior forward Ah Curtis will be the player that Carolina must Soccer see page 9 Tale Of The Tape f . . 1 . i South Carolina (7-3,5-3 SEC) Sept. 2 New Mexico State 31 -0 W Sept. 9 Geoigia 21-10 W Sept. 16 Eastern Michigan 41-6W Sept. 23 Mississippi State 23-19 W Sept. 30 at Alabama 17-27 L Oct. 7 at Kentucky 20-17 W Oct. 14 Arkansas 27-7 W Oct. 21 at Vanderbilt 30-14 W Oct. 28 Tennessee 14-17 L Nov. 11 at Florida 2141 L Nov. 18 atClemson Clemson (8-2,6-2 ACC) Sept. 2 The Citadel 38-0 W Sept. 9 Missouri 62-9 W Sept. 16 Wake Forest 55-7 W Sept. 23 at Virginia 31-10 W Sept. 30 at Duke 52-22 W Oct 7 N.C. State 34-27 W Oct. 14 Maryland 35-14 W Oct. 21 at North Carolina 38-24 W Oct. 28 GeoigiaTech 28-31 L Nov. 4 at Florida State 7-54 L Nov. 18 South Carolina TEAM LEADERS Phil Petty (R-Jr.) 148-270,1910 yds., 7TD, 6INT TEAM LEADERS Woody Dantzler (R-Jr.) 108-144, 1506 pass yds., 867 rush yds., 23 TD, 6INT Derek V&tson (So.) 162 carries, 916 yds. (5.7 per carry), 11 TD Rod Gardner (R-Sr.) fa 47 receptions, 849 l yds., 6 TD Rashad Faison (R-So.) 87 tackles (13 for loss), 5 sacks, INT, TD Keith Adams (Jr.) i21 tackles (21 for loss), 6 sacks. INT BY THE NUMBERS USC Opponents 24.5 points per game 15.8 368.5 offense yards per game 303.0 156.5 rush yards per game 109.2 212.0 pass yards per game 193.8 29:38 time of poss. per game 30:22 +6 turnover maigin -6 43.0% third down conversion 34.3% BY THE NUMBERS CU Opponents 38.0 points per game 19.8 455.2 offense yards per game 338.3 242.6 rush yards per game 95.8 212.6 pass yards per game 242.5 30:04 time of poss. per game 29:56 +3 turnover margin -3 42.6% third down conversion 31.2% Clemson/USC over the last half century Series Record: Clemson leads, 58-354 At Columbia: Clemson leads, 46-28-3 At Clemson: Clemson leads, 12-7-1 First Meeting: South Carolina 12, Clemson 6 (Nov. 12,1896 at Columbia) Last Meeting: Clemson 31, South Carolina 21 (Nov. 20,1999 at Columbia) 1950: Carolina 14, Clemson 14 atColumbia 4951: Carolina 20, Clemson 0 atColumbia 1952: Carolina 6, Clemson 0 atColumbia 1953: Carolina 14, Clemson 7 atColumbia 1954: Carolina 13, Clemson 8 atColumbia 1955: Clemson 28, Carolina 14 atColumbia 1956: Clemson 7, Carolina 0 atColumbia 1957: Clemson 13, Carolina 0 atColumbia 1958: Carolina 26, Clemson 6 atColumbia 1959: Clemson 27, Carolina 0 atColumbia 1960: Clemson 12, Carolina 2 at Clemson 1961: Carolina 21, Clemson 14 atColumbia 1962: Clemson 20, Carolina 17 at Clemson 1963: Clemson 24, Carolina 20 atColumbia 1964: Carolina 7, Clemson 3 at Clemson 1965: Carolina 17, Clemson 16 atColumbia 1966: Clemson 35, Carolina 10 at Clemson 1967: Clemson 23, Carolina 12 atColumbia 1968: Carolina 7, Clemson 3 at Clemson 1969: Carolina 27, Clemson 13 atColumbia 1970: Carolina 38, Clemson 32 at Clemson 1971: Clemson 17, Carolina 7 atColumbia 1972: Clemson 7, Carolina 6 at Clemson 1973: Carolina 32, Clemson 20 atColumbia 1974: Clemson 39, Carolina 21 at Clemson 1975: Carolina 56, Clemson 20 atColumbia 1976: Clemson 28. Carolina 9 at Clemson 1977: Clemson 31, Carolina 27 at Columbia 1978: Clemson 41, Carolina 23 at Clemson 1979: Carolina 13, Clemson9 at Columbia 1980: Clemson 27, Carolina 6 at Clemson 1981: Clemson29, Carolina 13 at Columbia 1982: Clemson 24, Carolina 6 at Clemson 1983: Clemson 22, Carolina 13 at Columbia 1984: Carolina 22, Clemson 21 at Clemson 1985: Clemson 24, Carolina 17 at Columbia 1986: Carolina 21, Clemson 21 at Clemson 1987: Carolina20, Clemson 7 at Columbia 1988: Clemson 29, Carolina 10 at Clemson 1989: Clemson 45, Carolina 0 at Columbia 1990: Clemson 24, Carolina 15 at Clemson 1991: Clemson41, Carolina24 at Columbia 1992: Carolina 24, Clemson 13 at Clemson 1993: Clemson 16, Carolina 13 at Columbia 1994: Carolina 33, Clemson 7 at Clemson 1995: Clemson 38, Carolina 17 at Columbia 1996: Carolina 34, Clemson 31 at Clemson 1997: Clemson48, Carolina21 at Columbia 1998: Clemson 28, Carolina 19 at Clemson 1999: Clemson 31, Carolina21 at Columbia i