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PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK USC’s Cory Boyd had 81 total yards against Clemson, including three receptions for 51 yards. Boyd, a freshman, will return next season and could play In the secondary. Tigers destroy USC bowl berth 5th-largest crowd watches Carolina give up most points in rivalry series THE GAMECOCK The USC football team (5-7,2-6 SEC) lost its fourth straight game this season to the Clemson Tigers 63-17 in front of 83,987 fans, the fifth-largest crowd ever at a USC home game. It was the 101st meet ing of the third longest rivalry in college football, with so many sto rylines coming into the game. Would USC win its sixth game to become bowl eligible after los ing four straight games last year to come up short of a bowl? Would Clemson coach Tommy Bowden be coaching his last game as the Tigers’ head coach Saturday night in Columbia? Those two questions might have been answered on Clemson’s first three possessions of the game, as quarterback Charlie Whitehurst completed his first 10 passes in a row for 176 yards and three touchdowns. The Gamecocks gave up the most points to the Tigers since 1900. In the first quarter, the Tigers came out on fire as Whitehurst hooked up with Derrick Hamilton on their first possession for a 36 yard touchdown to put the Tigers on the board 7-0. After a USC punt, Whitehurst found wide out Airese Currie for a 28-yard touch down, putting the Tigers up 14-0. Clemson ended the quarter with Whitehurst’s third touchdown of the game to his tight end Ben Hall. USC got the momentum after picking up a 26-yard field goal by Daniel Weaver, making the score 21-3 at the start of the second quar ter. Next, Carolina’s defense came alive to force two Clemson punts, and USC’s Dondrial Pinkins found tight end Brian Brownlee for a 2 yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 11. That was the last time USC would get so close. Clemson’s running back Chad Jasmin scored two of his four rushing touch downs to put the Tigers up 35-10 at halftime. USC started out the second half forcing Clemson to punt, but USC’s drive came to an abrupt end when Pinkins was intercepted deep in USC territory by Clemson linebacker Leroy Hill. Jasmin would take it in on a 1 yard touchdown, putting the Tigers up 42-10. USC put in back up quarterback Bennett Swygert to give the Gamecocks a spark, but he was picked off by Jaamal Fudge. Swygert then came back in to throw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Brownlee that made the score 42 17. The fourth quarter was domi nated by Clemson’s high-powered offense, as Whitehurst ended the game, completing 18 of 26 passes for 302 yards and four touch downs. Jasmin carried the ball 14 times for 61 yards and four touch downs. Brownlee caught three passes for 41 yards and two touchdowns. “I am embarrassed,” USC head coach Lou Holtz said. “We got out hit, and that should never happen to a South Carolina football team.” Senior defensive back Dunta Robinson, who played in his final game at Carolina, couldn’t help but show his disappointment af ter the game. “63-17, what a way to go down,” Robinson said. “There is too much talent on this team. I don’t ever want to see a South Carolina team go out like this.” The Hardee’s Award for the f most outstanding lineman for the Gamecocks was defensive end Moe Thompson. For the second year in a row, USC dropped its fourth-straight game to end the season. Freshmen running back Demetris Summers said, “We work so hard to get to a bowl game, and we just didn’t do it. We need to get faster and stronger and prepare for next year.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com Several changes need to be made to prevent Gamecock woes BRAD SENKIW GAMECOCKSPORTS@HOTMAIL.COM The loss proved to be an eye opener for program. Did Saturday night really hap pen? Did our bitter rival actually demolish the Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium? The answer is yes to both ques tions, and for Lou Holtz to say that they were outplayed and out coached is the biggest understate ment I’ve ever heard. Sorry, that is not an excuse when you play the biggest game of the year with a chance to go to a bowl game. The players ihust show up. Granted, even at their best, the Gamecocks might not have won, but being competitive was crucial. Instead, I was forced to watch Charlie Whitehurst pick apart the lousiest secondary I’ve seen at Carolina since Holtz got here. I watched Chad Jasmin pounce into the end zone four times. And worst of all, I saw Tommy Bowden unmercifully attack the Gamecocks to put up an astonish ing 63 points. What I really want to know is how did Holtz, master motivator and legend, get completely out coached by a guy that’s been picked on by the fans and media relentlessly for never getting his team on the same page? I thought the experience and determination of Holtz would propel this team into a bowl game and establish the postseason era that looked so promising a couple of years back. But I had to tip my hat to Bowden instead. This is a guy whom I’ve criticized for not preparing his team for games, and every button he pushed on Saturday brought re sults. A little over a year ago I had a friend that said he hoped Clemson would fire Bowden when all the hot-seat talk began. His reasoning was if Bowden stayed, he would prove to be a good coach and would probably wreak havoc on use. Now, with four losses in five years, Holtz looks like the guy who could be justified for having a fir ing Web site. It was just two years ago that we were coming off our second straight win over Ohio State, and now, disarray is the only way to describe the Gamecocks. With all that being said, it looks like it’s time for change. Forget the past and prepare for changes. At least that’s what Holtz will want you to believe. Holtz said after the game that he was going to evalu ate the program from himself to his coaches down to the players. If he has any sense, some assis tants should be fired and certain players benched. I think it’s time we put these fine recruiting classes to the test and scrap the experienced guys who really aren’t that good. Holtz needs to play Blake Mitchell or Syvelle Newton at quarterback, open up the offense and let these guys take their knocks. The run ning game is all too predictable, and after stacking enough men in the box, it is ineffective. The of fense needs an overhaul in play calling, and the defense must be w come more physical. Moe Thompson and George Gause can do only so much. When it’s all said and done, I’m writing another column about what we should be doing instead of what we did. I guess, once again, that’s the life of a Gamecock fan. Having your brains bashed in by the team you hate the most is only fitting in what was my last game as a student at USC. Looks like that’s what I had coming when I signed up to be a fan of this pro gram. And for those who are just beginning their days as Gamecock followers, get used to it. Senkiw is a fourth-year print journalism student. 0 BY THE NUMBERS PHOTOS BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK .—II——i I— ———I ■! ■ ^^1 III II ■-mi || M——i 22 63 4 Daniel Weaver connected on his eighth field The Gamecock defense gave up 63 points - Charlie Whitehurst dominated Carolina’s goal of the season in the second quarter, the most ever in a Clemson-Carolina game. secondary by throwing four touchdowns, with which gives him 22 in his career. He had The previous high was 51 by Clemson in a 51- three coming in the first half. It was the made seven field goals in a row after 0 game in 1900. The Gamecocks lost to Navy second time he had thrown four touchdowns « struggling early in the season. 63-0 in 1920. t, in one game. \ i cjf !(. •*