As Clemson was rolling along and destroying just about everyone in its way, on the way to six straight College Football Playoff appearances and two national championships the last six seasons, some wondered if the Tigers even consider South Carolina its rival.
During its current six-game winning streak in the series, Clemson has defeated the Gamecocks by an average margin of 25.3 points, including a 38-3 victory in Columbia in 2019, the last time the two met on the gridiron.
But the Tigers, who will visit USC (6-5) on Saturday to renew one of the oldest rivalries in the South, put those thoughts to rest when they explained what winning the State Championship means to the Clemson program.
Earlier this week, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was very open to a caller on his call-in show when asked if he still remembers the five-bombs Gamecock fans displayed in photos during Carolina’s five-game win streak. They did it when he took the time to take pictures with them. Swinney made it clear he will never forget those images and it still motivates him and his Tigers today.
Though he is from California and has not played in the Palmetto State’s biggest game, it has been made clear to quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei the importance of the South Carolina game and what it means to the Clemson Football Program.
Linebacker James Skalski, who will experience his sixth Clemson-Carolina game, even went as far to say that beating the Gamecocks is a different goal all together at Clemson.
“I don’t even group this game with a national championship. It is in its own category,” he said. “This game, this week, it is like its own thing. It is like, there is a season and then there is South Carolina. So that is kind of how we look at it here.”
That explains why the Tigers (8-3) have won the last six meetings over South Carolina, and why a win at Williams-Brice on Saturday will tie their own mark of seven straight in the series. Currently, the 1934-’40 Clemson teams hold the series record by either school with seven straight victories.
The Tigers hold an all-time lead in the series 71-42-4. The 71 wins mark the most victories over any opponent Clemson has faced throughout its history.
Swinney learned right away, when he came to Clemson in 2003 as its wide receivers coach, what the South Carolina rivalry means to Clemson.
“I learned really quick, this a great rivalry. It is an historic rivalry,” he said. “It means a lot, you know. It means a lot to the people in this state. It is one of those games where you might have a husband and wife—Clemson and South Carolina—and it is no big deal when they are playing Tennessee or Georgia or Missouri or whatever. But in this state, when Clemson-South Carolina play, it impacts everyone.
“They are going to talk about it at church. They are going to talk about it at dinner. They will talk about it at their Thanksgiving get-togethers. It is just a part of the DNA of South Carolina and I think it is just really fun to be a part of those things. It is better when you win, but it is fun to be a part of rivalry games and all that comes with it for sure.”
It is perhaps even more special considering last year’s game was cancelled by the SEC due to the pandemic. It ended a streak of 111 consecutive meetings between the two rivals, the second longest uninterrupted series in college football at the time.
“It was disappointing because it means a lot to the people in this state,” Swinney said. “But it is what is. It did not really affect us, but it was a disappointment for both sides. I am sure (South Carolina was) disappointed, too. It was an opportunity to (continue) a tradition that you look forward to every year, and then all of a sudden you can’t do it.”
But they will get to play it on Saturday when the 118th edition of the Clemson-Carolina game kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
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