COLUMBIA — It’s not rock bottom. But it’s close.
Last season’s South Carolina–Clemson showdown carried real College Football Playoff stakes. Over the decades, the rivalry has frequently come with something tangible on the line — bowl eligibility, bragging rights, momentum.
This year? Not so much.
Clemson secured bowl eligibility last week with a win over Furman, but only after slogging through 10 up-and-down performances. South Carolina, meanwhile, has endured its worst campaign (4–7) since the 2–8 season that led to Will Muschamp’s firing and Shane Beamer’s arrival. The Gamecocks would need a telescope to spot the postseason.
With both programs struggling, this year’s matchup brings flashbacks of past years when both teams were stuck in the mud. Clemson fans may grin thinking about 1998 and 1999 — both Tiger wins.
South Carolina fans remember those seasons differently. They lost both.
“This year isn’t quite the same,” Ryan Brewer joked. “We had a 20-game losing streak going in.”
1998: The End of the Brad Scott Era
South Carolina opened the year with a win over Ball State, but back-to-back losses — one to Georgia by two touchdowns and another to Marshall by three points — set a bleak tone for the season. After early success in his USC tenure but a disappointing 5–6 record in 1997, Brad Scott was coaching for his job.
Despite the slump, the Gamecocks felt close to breaking through. Players even made T-shirts reading “There’s a Storm Coming.” They took the field in all-black uniforms with garnet helmets for Game 4.
It didn’t help. Mississippi State returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and rolled to a 38–0 win.
Carolina entered the Clemson game at 1–9, unaware that Scott had already been fired the day before by athletic director Mike McGee and school president John Palms.
“There were rumors and you hear the swirls, but at the end of the day, it’s Carolina-Clemson,” said long snapper Adam Holmes. “If you’re from this state, there’s nothing better than beating Clemson. We thought, ‘If we end the season on a positive note, maybe it will save coach Scott’s job.’”
On Clemson’s side, Tommy West had already been fired earlier that week, but he was allowed to coach the rivalry game. The Tigers were 2–8.
“It was the biggest game for us that season,” recalled kicker Chet Tucker. “If we win, we get the rivalry game and go into the offseason with some momentum.”
Instead, the Gamecocks fell 28–19. Anthony Wright threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
After the game, emotions boiled over.
“A Clemson fan ran right up to me and spit in my face,” Holmes recalled. “I went to go after him, but a coach grabbed me. I was like, ‘Wow. That’s when you know it’s a rivalry.’”
Scott was dismissed the next day.
And worse times were coming.
“Little did we know … ended up losing the next 11 after that,” Tucker said.
1999: Lou Holtz Arrives, But Wins Don’t
Lou Holtz arrived with a national title and over 200 career wins. Clemson hired Tommy Bowden, fresh off an undefeated season at Tulane. Both programs felt reinvigorated.
Clemson was 5–5 heading into the rivalry game, needing a win to reach a bowl.
South Carolina had a ferocious defense led by future NFL first-round pick John Abraham — but an offense full of youth and inconsistency. They’d used eight different offensive-line combinations, three starting quarterbacks, and had scored more than 14 points only once.
“We only had six offensive touchdowns all year going into that Clemson game,” Brewer said. “We couldn’t move the ball.”
Still, Holtz wanted his players to understand the magnitude of the rivalry.
“We had to learn the history of the rivalry,” Brewer said. “He was really trying to show us how much this meant to the fans.”
Despite being winless, Carolina played inspired football, taking a 6–0 lead and trailing just 17–12 at halftime. They stayed close until Rod Gardner’s touchdown sealed Clemson’s win.
USC finished 0–11.
Brewer remembers the physical toll as vividly as the score.
“Keith Adams… broke my shoulder pads and separated my shoulder,” he said. “We popped it back in place.”
Clemson fans delivered their own message, too.
“All the Clemson fans were throwing Zero candy bars on the field,” Holmes recalled. “Those things really inspired us to make the turnaround the year after.”
2025: Not as Ugly — But Still Not Pretty
This year’s version isn’t as bleak as those years. At least not statistically.
Clemson entered the season with national title ambitions, but the campaign never materialized. They’re bowl-bound but far from satisfied.
The Gamecocks, assured that Shane Beamer will return, desperately want the rivalry win to give the program something positive to carry into the offseason. Back-to-back wins over Clemson would soothe fans after a rough 5–7 year.
“In football, for one time per week, lay it all on the line,” Holmes said. “You’re guaranteed one more Saturday. Finish it off and put a little bit of positive spin and build into recruiting and stuff like that.”
And then he echoed a familiar message.
“As coach Holtz said, ‘We’re going to fix it, we’re gonna get it next year.’”
It feels familiar for a reason.
