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GAMECOCKS BEAT TIGERS TO HALT SERIES DOMINANCE
It was the game that football fans across South Carolina had been waiting for all season: the Palmetto Bowl. And for the University of South Carolina faithful, it didn’t disappoint, as the Gamecocks routed No. 18 Clemson, 34-17 in Columbia Saturday.
Early on, however, it looked as if it might be Clemson’s day. Tiger running back C.J. Spiller ran the game’s opening kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown.
But the Gamecocks recovered and scored two touchdowns in the first quarter to make it 14-7. A USC field goal in the second quarter gave the Gamecocks a 10 point lead at the half.
Gamecock wide receiver Tori Gurley caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Stephen Garcia midway through the third quarter and the rout was on. The two teams traded field goals, then touchdowns in the fourth quarter as USC secured it’s first win over the Tigers in three years.
“That was a big win,” said Gamecock senior wide receiver and team captian Moe Brown, who doused head coach Steve Spurrier with a water bucket to celebrate the win. “We needed it.”
And boy did they.
The Gamecocks improved to 7-5 on the season and, in doing so, improved their bowl game status. USC could now be looking at playing in the Music City Bowl or possibly even the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
But, perhaps more importantly, the Gamecocks picked up a much-needed win in the long history of battling against Clemson.
The Tigers had won 10 of the last 12 games going into the weekend. And Clemson leads the series, which dates back to 1896, by a count of 65-38 with four ties.
But on Saturday, it was all USC.
Gamecock freshman running back Kenny Miles piled 114 yards rushing on the Tigers while Garcia threw for three touchdowns.
And Spiller, who was considered a long-shot Heisman Trophy hopeful, was held to a mere 18 yards on the ground. As a team, Clemson had just 260 yards of total offense.
The Tigers will hope to rebound next week.
“Our next goal is to try and win the ACC,” head coach Dabo Swinney said. “We will turn the page.”
Clemson, now 8-4, will face Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Dec. 5 for the ACC title.
USC, meanwhile, will wait to see which bowl game they will play in next month.
Photo: Getty Images
Just think, Clemson might win the ACC championship, but isn’t that a little like being the tallest midget???
just an idiot inbred hick, count the number of conference titles sakerlina has, I hope you can count that high. Then while in Death Valley next year, getting yet another in a long line of ckicken kickins, have someone count the number of conference titles Clemson has, because I know you can’t count that high. Then son you will realize sakerlina is just a pimple on the ass of college football. Enjoy lovely Birmingham, nothing like the being in the hood for the holidays.
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