A newly digitized film reel from the 1975 South Carolina football season offers a vivid window into a very different era—on the field, in the stands, and across the landscape of Williams-Brice Stadium. The footage opens with the Gamecocks taking the field for their season opener under new head coach Jim Carlen, facing Georgia Tech, Carlen’s alma mater. This was long before “2001 – A Space Odyssey,” “Sandstorm,” and towel-waving hype became staples, and even before the Carolina Band’s elaborate SEC-era pregame traditions.
The 1975 Gamecocks made a simple, unadorned entrance from the southwest corner—no theatrics, no tunnel, just a team charging onto the field in newly redesigned uniforms featuring the now-beloved Block C for the first time.
That minimalism extended to the stadium itself. Williams-Brice in 1975 was bare-bones: an abrasive Astroturf field stretched thinly over gravel and asphalt, unpainted end zones, metal railings instead of brickwork, and an asymmetrical bowl with only one upper deck. From the air, the stadium resembled a weightlifter who “skips leg day”—top-heavy and unbalanced.
Outside the venue, fans parked on wide sheets of asphalt. What later became George Rogers Boulevard was still just Stadium Road, and the area lacked all the modern touches of Gamecock Park or Springs-Brooks Plaza. Across Bluff Road sat a farmers market of metal-sided warehouses—not a tree or landscaped feature in sight.
All of these scenes underscore how dramatically the Gamecock football experience has evolved. But they also highlight something else: how good the 1975 team was.
Jeff Grantz Takes Command
At the heart of that squad was senior quarterback Jeff Grantz, a standout two-sport athlete who also starred as a shortstop on Bobby Richardson’s baseball team that reached the College World Series that same year. Grantz was one of only three Gamecock players at the time to surpass 5,000 career total yards by the time he entered the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985.
He was surrounded by a tough, experienced offensive group. The line wasn’t enormous by modern standards—only three players topped 250 pounds—but they were seasoned, smart, and efficient. And behind Grantz ran Kevin Long and Clarence Williams, who together became the first duo in school history to produce two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season.
Grantz recalls how leadership transformed the team after a disappointing 4–7 finish in 1974:
“In ‘75, the seniors got together and said this is not gonna happen anymore. This is our last year. We’re gonna get this right, and we did. It all came down to leadership.”
Carlen empowered that group immediately. Grantz remembers him saying:
“Guys, this is your team.”
And to Grantz personally:
“Jeff, the only thing I know about you is that you’re a really good shortstop, and you can turn a double play, but you and Ron Bass are gonna compete [for starting quarterback].”
Grantz told Carlen he just wanted to play somewhere if he lost the job:
“I didn’t care if it was receiver, or returning kicks… I needed to be on that field.”
When Ron Bass was injured in preseason, Grantz seized full control of the offense.
The Road to Clemson
South Carolina opened strong, starting 5–1 before hitting a mid-season skid with losses to LSU, NC State, and Appalachian State. A win over Wake Forest set up the rivalry showdown with Clemson, who limped into Columbia at 2–8 and in turmoil.
On Nov. 22, 1975, more than 57,000 fans filled Williams-Brice on a crisp fall afternoon. They were treated to one of the most dominant performances in school history.
Offensive backfield coach Bob Gatling introduced a new wrinkle that Clemson never solved:
“You read this guy, you read the strong safety, then you look at the corner, and there’s gonna be somebody open each time.”
According to Grantz, “they never adjusted the entire game.”
A Record-Breaking Rout
The carnage started early with a 36-yard touchdown by Clarence Williams, and by halftime the Gamecocks led 35–6. Carolina scored touchdowns on eight of nine possessions, never punted, and piled up 616 total yards—including 458 on the ground.
Grantz delivered the game of his life:
- 6-of-12 passing
- 158 passing yards
- 5 touchdown passes (tying Tommy Suggs’ record)
- 122 rushing yards
- 1 rushing touchdown
- 280 total yards, a school record at the time
The only blemish: a penalty wiped out what would have been his sixth touchdown pass, a record he jokingly still reminds tight end Brian Nemeth about.
Clarence Williams crossed 1,000 yards on the season with 160 in the game. Kevin Long added 77 more to push his total to 1,114.
Clemson coach Red Parker took issue with a late touchdown:
“I took it as an insult… Everybody has to live with what they do and what they think.”
For many, that moment became a spark that eventually pushed Clemson to retool its program—leading to a national title six years later.
But that day belonged to South Carolina.
Half a Century Later
Now, 50 years on, Grantz still speaks proudly of that team and the offensive line that protected him:
“They just didn’t ever make a mistake… those guys were all so intelligent.”
As the 1975 players gathered for their reunion, Grantz joked about how he urged teammates to attend:
“I told them, you better get back here, this is probably the last time we’re all gonna be together… I’m honest, like Coach Carlen told me to be.”
Grantz—still a leader after all these years—remains a beloved figure in Gamecock lore.
