One of my favorite stories of Gamecock Football (in my lifetime) came in a Matchup with Michigan in 1980 (Jim Carlen Era). We played them in Ann Arbor and there was a "tradition" that the Wolverines had to intimidate opponents there. Both team locker rooms shared a hallway that led onto the field, and it was their routine to allow the visting team to come out of the locker room first and start out onto the field. As soon as the team was almost to the entrance of the field (rest of the team still filling the hallway), The Wolverine team would come out of their locker room yelling and run down the hallway through the visiting team (basically parting them) and
run onto the field first.
Jim Carlen told this story after the game, that he knew this tradition all too well, and he told his football team before the game "I don't care if we have to riot in the hallway, and have the state militia called in to stop it.... WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE PUSHED ASSIDE IN THE HALL, AND WE WILL STAND OUR GROUND THERE" ! I remember hearing Bob Fulton describe on the radio "an incident" had taken place in the locker room between the two teams prior to the game. ... USC defeated Michigan that day 17-14 (think it was). It was one of the best road victories in the school's history. Calen told Carolina fans after the game that yes, there was a fight in the locker room hallway that had to be broken up by Coaches, Refs, and stadium officials, but as you all witnessed "We were the first team out of the locker room, and onto the field" !
run onto the field first.
Jim Carlen told this story after the game, that he knew this tradition all too well, and he told his football team before the game "I don't care if we have to riot in the hallway, and have the state militia called in to stop it.... WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE PUSHED ASSIDE IN THE HALL, AND WE WILL STAND OUR GROUND THERE" ! I remember hearing Bob Fulton describe on the radio "an incident" had taken place in the locker room between the two teams prior to the game. ... USC defeated Michigan that day 17-14 (think it was). It was one of the best road victories in the school's history. Calen told Carolina fans after the game that yes, there was a fight in the locker room hallway that had to be broken up by Coaches, Refs, and stadium officials, but as you all witnessed "We were the first team out of the locker room, and onto the field" !
