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/ 1 \ 1 /■ LOU SAID IT / M 1/1 “You’d have to not know that ■ ■ I ■ / ■ President Bush was elected president Page 12 VI / 1 I I to not know what my plans are." Monday, November 22,2004 -A- ■ A ▼ —headfootSSSS! SOUTH fgAROLINA (6-5) 7 — CLEMS fcN (6-5) 29 = " - — ■■ - ■■ ■ ■ '■■■" ■■ —— ■- " ■ 1— ■ 1 '■ 1 ■■ ^ KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK Running back Demetris Summers, left, is wrapped up by Columbia area native Tremaine Billie in the Gamecocks' 29-7 loss Saturday. Tigers continue dominance By STEPHEN FASTENAU STAFF WRITER CLEMSON — Between bench clearing brawls, the Tigers and Gamecocks actually played football Saturday, and the result was all too familiar for Gamecock fans. Clemson running back Reggie Merriweather rushed for 125 yards and three touchdowns as the Tigers rolled to a 29-7 win. The victory granted Clemson bowl eligibility and completed a turnaround in which the Tigers went 5-1 in their final six games after starting the season 1-4. The loss dropped USC to 6-5 on the season in Lou Holtz’s final regular season game as the Gamecocks head coach. Momentum quickly swung the Tigers way as USC running back Cory Boyd fumbled the opening kickoff, giving Clemson possession at the USC 9-yard line. From there it took just two plays for Merriweather to run for his first touchdown to give Clemson a quick 7-0 lead. The Tigers took a 14-0 lead on another Merriweather touchdown with 5:17 remaining. The Gamecock offense struggled for much of the game. USC did not convert a first down until 30 seconds remained in the first quarter, and it took punter Josh Brown to get it. Facing fourth-and-one from the USC 13-yard line, Clemson defenders blocked Brown’s punt. In the scramble that followed Brown managed to scoop up the ball and run 4 yards for the first down. Newton threw for 113 yards, 54 of which came on a touchdown pass to Boyd that brought made it 14-7 midway through the second quarter. Those would be the last points the Gamecocks would manage as the Tigers defense stifled USC for the rest of the game. The game was still undecided as Clemson took a 14-7 lead into halftime. The Tigers received the ball to start the second half, however, and pushed their advantage to two touchdowns after Merriweather scored from 12 yards out. Clemson kicker Jad Dean tacked on two field goals to create the final margin. Holtz, a coaching legend with 249 career wins under his belt, will leave with a sour taste in his mouth after falling to rival Clemson by a combined 92-24 margin the past two seasons. “Disappointing? Absolutely,” Holtz said. As it stands, the Gamecocks will still have one more game to play as they reached bowl eligibility with their win against Arkansas. Holtz said he‘.would “Disappointing? Absolutely.” LOU HOLTZ USC HEAD FOOTBALL COACH stay on to coach the bowl game. The USC athletics department issued a statement Sunday regarding the brawl. Officials said USC Athletics Director Mike McGee met with Holtz and SEC commissioner Mike Slive regarding the incident. Holtz said he would likely suspend players after he reviews film of the game. Film has also been sent to SEC officials. Holtz added that his players do not deserve to play in a bowl game after their performance and actions Saturday. Comments on this story ? E-mail gamecocksports@gumt.sc. edu KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK Carolina and Clemson fans are divided among each other throughout the state, one reason for the intensity of the rivalry. Clemson-USC a new experience As I sat on my couch Thursday night watching the local news coverage of the simultaneous Tiger Burn in Columbia, and Gamecock Funeral in Clemson, I was struck by how brutal the imagery was. □ Searing flesh, death and destruction, soaring flames, dead animals everywhere; is the feeling of animosity 1 Tnnn between the two A DC CM schools really GREEN that great? GRADUATE Of course STUDENT IN SPORTS AND these two events SSf' are simply proud traditions aimed at fostering school spirit before the biggest game of the year. “Don’t read too much into it you dunce”, I told myself, and besides, I love a good funeral pyre. Still, sometimes passion can turn ugly. You should know that *1 am somewhat of an outsider, a South Carolina transplant. It was not long after I arrived in Charleston three years ago that I was told to take sides, Clemson or Carolina. It was tough for me then, I admit, and growing up in Tennessee made me susceptible to liking the color orange. All doubts about the school I would support quickly faded away after I chose to continue my education at USC. Watching the Tiger Burn on Thursday night made Saturday’s game seem like it couldn’t come soon enough. The simple act of going to class was about as appealing as going to get my wisdom teeth removed. I could not wait to experience my first Carolina/Clemson game. It was right about the time that Interstate 26 turns in to 385 that my ( thoughts again returned to the intensity of the rivalry. In every direction I looked the cars either had a Clemson or Gamecock flag flying above the windows, and it was only 10:00 p.m. on a Friday night. The game had taken on added significance after it was announced that it would be Lou Holtz’s last regular season game. What better way for him to finish off a legendary coaching career than to avenge last year’s embarrassing loss against the arch rival Clemson Tigers? A win over Clemson would also keep the Tigers at home during the post-season, a fate the Gamecocks had suffered the previous two years. I met two of my friends in Greenville Friday night and we got a hotel room. We decided to spend the night before the game by eating at the < ♦ Please see GREEN, page 10 STAT BOX GAME 11 119 Total yards gained by Clemson in third quarter -8 Total yards gained by USC in third quarter 12:17 Clemson time of possession in its 12-point third quarter 2:43 USC time of possession in its scoreless third quarter Merri weather not so sunny for USC By STEPHEN DEMEDIS STAFF WRITER CLEMSON — Saturday’s game will be remembered for the big fourth quarter brawl and the big disappointment Lou Holtz experienced in supposedly his last regular season game. But perhaps it should instead be remembered for the play of one rather small man. Sophomore running back Reggie Merriweather, who is listed at 5-foot-8 inches tall, tore his way through the Gamecock defense to lead his team to victory in Death Valley. The North Augusta native ran for a career-high 125 yards and three touchdowns. These totals were surprising as Merriweather came into the game averaging 58 yards per game and eight touchdowns on the year. They are even more surprising considering what a punishing runner Clemson’s shortest player is. “I don’t know how tall Reggie says he is. He is probably 5-foot-7,” Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden said. “He is nothing but neck and ankle. There is nothing to hit. He is an extremely tough and hard nosed runner who finishes runs.” Merriweather scored all of Clemson’s touchdowns on runs of 3, 7 and 12 yards. On each scoring play, the stocky back gained yards despite being hit at or behind the line of scrimmage by a Gamecock defender. At the half, Merriweather, who was recruited by USC, had run nine times for 41 yards, but truly came to life on the first drive of the second half. Carrying the ball on seven of the 14 plays, Merriweather tore through the South Cajolina defense for 48 yards, including his longest run of 13 yards. By always keeping his legs in motion and falling forward when tackled, Merriweather averaged 4.5 yards per carry. “Their running back played a tough game,” said USC defensive lineman Preston Thorne, a sophomore. “He has a low center of gravity and that made him hard to bring down.” Stopping the rushing attack is not something USC has had a problem with this season. The defense ranks sixth in the SEC in run defense, having allowed just one 100-yard rusher prior to the Clemson game. That lone rusher was Tennessee’s Cedric Houston who totaled 193 against the Gamecocks. In the Florida game a week before, Rick Minter’s unit shut down the SEC’s leading rusher, Ciatrick Fason. The junior was held to 20 yards on nine carries. Against Clemson, the Gamecock defense hoped to shut down the pass, something they failed to do against Florida and last year against the Tigers. “We didn’t expect them to come out and run the ball,” Thorne said. “We came in more focused on stopping their passing game.” On the year, Clemson has thrown the ball an average of 32 times a game. ♦ Please see CLEMSON, page 10 Lt__- ••• __ _:_ DAVID STAGG/THE GAMECOCK Clemson running back Reggie Merriweather dives into the endzone for the Tigers’ second touchdown of the game. Merriweather had three rushing touchdowns and ran for a career-high 125 yards. ® f Of □ POO OOOCf s# _Make WlVWXCipitCllpTiebowLcOITl your home page and vote everyday!!