Here are some true or false questions relating to the annual Clemson vs. South Carolina football game:
- Before the Palmetto Rivalry was established, USC and Clemson battled for the “Hardee’s Trophy,” named after the fast food chain.
- The largest margin of victory in the rivalry’s entire 127-year history occurred in 1900 when the Tigers won 49-0.
- In 1946, a Clemson fan strangled a chicken to death at midfield during halftime.
- Also, in 1946, New York mobsters printed fake tickets to scam people, resulting in riots, which were only broken up by the U.S. Secretary of State.
- A South Carolina fraternity snuck onto the field in 1961 pretending to be the Clemson team, fooling the crowd so even the band started playing Tiger Rag as they did warmups.
- Trevor Lawrence and Deshaun Watson are the only Clemson starting quarterbacks to have beaten South Carolina in three consecutive years.
- There have only been three top-10 matchups in rivalry history.
- Legendary head coach Frank Howard was the first Clemson head coach to post a winning record against the Gamecocks.
ANSWERS
- TRUE — South Carolina felt the trophy’s name lacked pizzazz after the inception of the Mayor’s Cup Trophy against Missouri and the Bonham Trophy against Texas A&M. The Palmetto Bowl Trophy replaced the Hardee’s Trophy in 2014.
- FALSE — Clemson, led by coach Walter Riggs, won 51-0 in 1900. This record stands more than a century later.
- TRUE — Clemson grit?
- TRUE — Counterfeit tickets were even a problem over 75 years ago.
- TRUE — South Carolina’s Sigma Nu fraternity also brought a cow they planned to make Homecoming Queen, but it never made it to the field.
- FALSE — In recent memory, Charlie Whitehurst won every rivalry in his tenure from 2002 to 2005.
- FALSE — In 2013, No. 10 South Carolina upset No. 6 Clemson, 31-17, which remains the highest-ranked game between the teams. There has not been a top-10-ranked matchup since.
- FALSE— Howard actually had a 13-15-2 losing record to the Gamecocks in his 30 years at the helm. The first coach to post a winning record against South Carolina was Edward Donahue, who served from 1917-1920 with a 21-12-3 overall record and 3-1 record over South Carolina.
Mitchell • Nov 23, 2023 at 10:55 am
1917-2020. ?????