Top 5 South Carolina moments in history of the Clemson rivalry
Nov. 22, 2016
The South Carolina-Clemson rivalry dates back all the way to 1896.
Though the Gamecocks are are 42-67-4 against the Tigers, there have been plenty of memorable moments.
Below are some of the best for South Carolina.
‘The Cadillac’ runs for 256
Before Marcus Lattimore and George Rogers, there was Steve Wadiak.
‘The Cadillac’ joined the Navy after graduating from high school in Chicago, but World War II ended shortly after he enlisted. Wadiak enrolled at South Carolina in 1948. When his career ended in 1951, he was the all-time leading rusher in school history with 2,878 yards. The record stood for nearly 30 years.
Wadiak also held the single-game rushing record, which stood for 23 years. His 256-yard total against Clemson in 1950 goes down as one of the most-memorable performances in the history of the rivalry.
The game ended in a 14-14 tie. Clemson, the No. 12-ranked team in the country, won every other game that season. South Carolina finished 3-4-2.
Last year, Spurs & Feathers documented Wadiak’s performance against the Tigers.
Grantz goes off, Gamecocks roll
Chapter 12 of Travis Haney and Larry Williams’ “Classic Clashes of the Carolina-Clemson Football Rivalry: A State of Disunion,” tells the story of quarterback Jeff Grantz and his called shot before the 1975 game.
En route to a 56-20 win over the Tigers, Grantz became the second quarterback in school history to throw 5 touchdown passes in a single game.
Grantz and Clarence Williams also became the sixth duo in South Carolina history to rush for more than 100 yards. Williams led the way with 160. Grantz had 122.
Taneyhill caps incredible freshman season
In a 2012 interview with The State newspaper, Steve Taneyhill recounted his first game against Clemson, which was 20 years earlier.
Taneyhill completed 19 of 29 passes for 296 yards and 2 touchdowns during the 24-13 win in 1992. After the game, he signed the Tiger Paw painted at midfield in Memorial Stadium.
“I was 19, a freshman, playing in an important game for a lot of guys on our team, and it was my first time at it,” Taneyhill said. “The energy in the stadium that day was unbelievable. Honestly, I was just having fun. The home run swings, we set all that up. We talked about having some fun with that. Standing at the Tiger paw and raising my hands, that was very spontaneous.”
Hambrick, Staley lead Gamecocks
South Carolina running backs Troy Hambrick and Duce Staley became the second duo in school history to each rush for 100 yards against Clemson. On the road in 1996, the Gamecocks beat the 22nd-ranked Tigers, 34-31.
Hambrick led the way with 135 yards and 2 touchdowns (1, 75). Staley had 133 yards and scored on two 1-yard runs.
Clowney sacks Tigers
For Brandon Thomas, it was a night to forget. Jadeveon Clowney routinely whipped the Tigers’ left tackle before sacking Tajh Boyd during the 27-17 win at Clemson in 2012.
Clowney finished the night with 4.5 sacks, the school’s single-game record.
At the time, South Carolina was the No. 13-ranked team in the country. Clemson was 12th. The win, the Gamecocks 10th of the season, was also the fourth straight against the Tigers.
Nov. 22, 2016
The South Carolina-Clemson rivalry dates back all the way to 1896.
Though the Gamecocks are are 42-67-4 against the Tigers, there have been plenty of memorable moments.
Below are some of the best for South Carolina.
‘The Cadillac’ runs for 256
Before Marcus Lattimore and George Rogers, there was Steve Wadiak.
‘The Cadillac’ joined the Navy after graduating from high school in Chicago, but World War II ended shortly after he enlisted. Wadiak enrolled at South Carolina in 1948. When his career ended in 1951, he was the all-time leading rusher in school history with 2,878 yards. The record stood for nearly 30 years.
Wadiak also held the single-game rushing record, which stood for 23 years. His 256-yard total against Clemson in 1950 goes down as one of the most-memorable performances in the history of the rivalry.
The game ended in a 14-14 tie. Clemson, the No. 12-ranked team in the country, won every other game that season. South Carolina finished 3-4-2.
Last year, Spurs & Feathers documented Wadiak’s performance against the Tigers.
Grantz goes off, Gamecocks roll
Chapter 12 of Travis Haney and Larry Williams’ “Classic Clashes of the Carolina-Clemson Football Rivalry: A State of Disunion,” tells the story of quarterback Jeff Grantz and his called shot before the 1975 game.
En route to a 56-20 win over the Tigers, Grantz became the second quarterback in school history to throw 5 touchdown passes in a single game.
Grantz and Clarence Williams also became the sixth duo in South Carolina history to rush for more than 100 yards. Williams led the way with 160. Grantz had 122.
Taneyhill caps incredible freshman season
In a 2012 interview with The State newspaper, Steve Taneyhill recounted his first game against Clemson, which was 20 years earlier.
Taneyhill completed 19 of 29 passes for 296 yards and 2 touchdowns during the 24-13 win in 1992. After the game, he signed the Tiger Paw painted at midfield in Memorial Stadium.
“I was 19, a freshman, playing in an important game for a lot of guys on our team, and it was my first time at it,” Taneyhill said. “The energy in the stadium that day was unbelievable. Honestly, I was just having fun. The home run swings, we set all that up. We talked about having some fun with that. Standing at the Tiger paw and raising my hands, that was very spontaneous.”
Hambrick, Staley lead Gamecocks
South Carolina running backs Troy Hambrick and Duce Staley became the second duo in school history to each rush for 100 yards against Clemson. On the road in 1996, the Gamecocks beat the 22nd-ranked Tigers, 34-31.
Hambrick led the way with 135 yards and 2 touchdowns (1, 75). Staley had 133 yards and scored on two 1-yard runs.
Clowney sacks Tigers
For Brandon Thomas, it was a night to forget. Jadeveon Clowney routinely whipped the Tigers’ left tackle before sacking Tajh Boyd during the 27-17 win at Clemson in 2012.
Clowney finished the night with 4.5 sacks, the school’s single-game record.
At the time, South Carolina was the No. 13-ranked team in the country. Clemson was 12th. The win, the Gamecocks 10th of the season, was also the fourth straight against the Tigers.
Last edited by a moderator:
