In the wake of their annual matchup, Clemson University and the University of South Carolina terrorize each other in a surprisingly similar fashion: burning the other team’s mascot. With their respective infernos, it’s no surprise that fans feel the heat of the Palmetto Bowl every November.
In preparation for this year’s in-state showdown, a Clemson student, who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons, sat down with The Tiger to discuss his hidden loyalty to the Gamecocks.
“21 years — born and raised,” the anonymous student said. “My parents took me to games ever since I was a kid. In fact, two days before I was born, I was at a Carolina game when they played Louisville.”
The matchup has recently belonged to Clemson in a rivalry that has existed for more than a century. The Tigers are 8-2 against South Carolina in the last 10 years. Yet, in 2022, South Carolina got its first win in Death Valley in 10 years as they simultaneously ended Clemson’s 40-game home winning streak. On a day Clemson fans are still trying to forget, the anonymous Gamecock fan recalled being a beam of happiness in a sea of sadness.
“It was a joy to see, after five or six long years, Carolina finally winning the Palmetto Bowl,” the double agent said. “But in the moment, I had to pretend like I was really sad.”
Last year, Clemson got its revenge as the team defeated the Gamecocks 16-7 at Williams-Brice Stadium. In a game where Clemson’s undercover Gamecock repped red and black, Tiger fans can rejoice behind his defeat. However, he had some things to say about the atmosphere in Columbia.
“Walking into Williams-Brice, the energy is electric, the environment ecstatic,” he said. “Last weekend, they literally registered on the Richter scale and created a small earthquake when Rocket Sanders scored his final touchdown. I haven’t felt the stadium of Death Valley shake, ever.”
Clemson fans, look away because it doesn’t stop there. Despite quarterback Cade Klubnik’s 2,761 pass yards, 29 pass touchdowns, 375 rush yards and five rushing touchdowns this season, Clemson’s unknown Gamecock fan has placed all of his hope and faith into South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers.
“LaNorris Sellers is the next coming of ‘Rec Spec Jesus,’” he said. “That man is about to be the best quarterback Carolina has ever seen, the best quarterback the NFL has ever seen.”
But beyond just Sellers and the other players on the field, the Palmetto spy credited the impact of the 12th man on game day.
“Win, lose, rain, shine, they’re always going to be there,” the student said. “Clemson fans give up the second there is an ounce of ‘I don’t know, we might lose.’ I mean, look at the third quarter of the Louisville game — Carolina fans would have been hoping for a comeback.”
It is up to you to determine that statement’s validity, but I suggest we Clemson fans prove him wrong when the Tigers run down that hill.
Despite essentially being next-door neighbors, Clemson and South Carolina are differentiated largely by the conferences they play in. With the introduction of the 12-team playoff this season, the ACC against the SEC debate has grown stronger as the top seed in each conference earns an automatic bid to the playoffs. In the Tigers’ only SEC clash this season, the Georgia Bulldogs beat the brakes off a Clemson team that struggled offensively. Clemson’s other loss, an ugly home defeat to Louisville, has the Tigers praying for a collapse from fellow ACC teams Miami and SMU to grant them a playoff spot.
With a 7-3 record in a tough conference, the Gamecocks need nothing shy of a miracle to squeak into the postseason, and even Clemson’s secret Gamecock fan admitted that. However, their losses are as follows: a controversial 3-point loss to LSU, a 2-point loss to the ever-dominant Alabama, and a home defeat to a No. 10 Ole Miss.
“I think they are the most dangerous three-loss team in the nation,” the anonymous student said.
Ultimately, it’s all speculation. The big game will inevitably decide who the bragging rights belong to this year. Despite being played at noon, the highly anticipated brawl will be a ranked matchup. Among the more than 80,000 who will pack Death Valley for the last game of the regular season, an imposter will lurk among the orange majority.
“I will be going to the game. I will be wearing orange,” the anonymous Gamecock fan said. “I can’t blow my cover.”
While his shirt may be orange, his heart will be red and black — some people you just can’t fix.
“I’m thinking somewhere along the lines of 28-17 Carolina,” the imposter added.
Yet beneath all of the bitterness and friendly hatred, Saturday’s spectacle represents the coming together of two great schools. Despite his deeply rooted devotion to the Gamecocks, the anonymous student found a fit at Clemson, crediting their strong academics as a primary motive.
“I put education and learning above rivalries,” he said.
