Photo courtesy of TheState.com Beat Clemson. Before Saturday the last time South Carolina had beaten Clemson was 2013, which at the time was a resounding fifth consecutive victory over the Tigers in a streak that felt like it might never end. As I’ve written before, we were in their heads. We had a spell on them. They were snakebitten. However you want to phrase it, when the fellas in the orange helmets saw the block C and the Fighting Gamecock logo they were spellbound. During our five game streak we never really blew them out, but the better team won every year. Even in 2014 when a fairly pe ..read more

Photo credit: gamecocksonline.com Oh ye of little faith. I am not a gambler. Oh sure, when in Las Vegas I’ll occasionally visit the blackjack tables and lose a little money. You know, when in Rome and so forth. But when I saw the line for last Saturday’s Tennessee at South Carolina game I was tempted. The Vols were installed as a 22-point favorite, and had just destroyed Missouri 66-24 while the Gamecocks were lifeless in a 38-6 loss to Florida in which they didn’t score an offensive touchdown. The two offenses were polar opposites of each other, which is why I genuinely expected a blowout los ..read more

Photo Credit: postandcourier.com Texorcism. In 2014 Texas A&M came into Williams-Brice Stadium for one of the most anticipated season openers in South Carolina history. The Gamecocks were coming off four straight outstanding seasons and had finished 2013 ranked 6th in the country, our highest finish ever. On top of that, the Aggies and Gamecocks were tapped to be the first game ever on the new SEC Network. If you’re a Gamecock fan at all, you know what happened on that fateful night. TAMU rolled USC 52-28, signalling the end of the salad days fo Gamecock football. Since then our permanent ..read more

Photo Credit: Ryan Bethea Our old Kentucky home. South Carolina won 13 of 14 games against Kentucky from 2000 to 2013. Until last night, Kentucky had repaid that streak by winning 7 of 8 from 2014 to 2021. As middle of the pack SEC teams and similar programs, both streaks were stunning anomolies that didn’t make a lot of sense. Both teams have had ups and downs over the last two decades, but niether’s greatest successes nor deepest slumps would suggest those kinds of win/loss streaks. Of course, we’ve been on the losing end of the latest streak, and the Wildcats have arguably been the biggest ..read more

Photo courtesy of Getty Images 1-2 Punch. About halfway through Georgia’s 48-7 dismantling of South Carolina yesterday, the justifications for why we were being administered such a thorough beating starting pouring in: what do you expect they’re number one in the nation, we’re missing five defensive starters, and my personal favorite – it’s going to take time! The justifications were a response to angry and frustrated fans as a virtual “CALM DOWN” to those raging about a pathetic and frustrating performance against the defending national champions. As someone with an unquenchable thirst to win ..read more

Hogtied. On Saturday Arkansas showed us a glimpse of who we hope to be in the not-too-distant future. The Razorbacks were in their own version of purgatory before Sam Pittman was hired in 2020. Pittman was seen as a very ho-hum hire at the time – a guy who is not particulary young, not well known, and was not on a lot of coaching hot lists. But what he has been is the perfect guy to follow Chad Morris (who was 4-18 and 0-14 in the SEC in his stint at Arkansas). Pittman has endeared himself with his no-nonsense approach, his aw-shucks personality, and his ability to recruit exactly the kinds o ..read more

Stephon Gilmore saves the day against NC State in 2007. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) When our old pal Ben Breiner asks a question of the old guard, we feel compelled to respond. Thinking about the anxiety created with some SC fans after a 35-14 opening win, I'd be interested for a longtimer to rank some of the most and least anxiety-inducing first games. In my time, NC State in 2017 and maybe 2016 Vandy were the least. (Cont.) — Ben Breiner (@ben_breiner) September 6, 2022 For most, you'd likely divide into wins and losses. UNC in 2019 was the top for losses. This one probably ..read more

Jeets. (Photo courtesy of The State) Hope springs eternal. South Carolina had an offseason of hope unlike any other in the last few years. It was an offseason fueled by seven wins following a two-win season, a third-tier bowl victory, surprising recruting successes, and – something that is still a little surreal – a five-star QB at the helm. But as Georgia State’s Darren Grainger sprinted into the end zone early in the second half of our season opener for a 14-12 lead, an old familiar feeling started to creep in. Don’t lie, you felt it. The memory of so many sluggish games at Williams-Brice ag ..read more

Photo courtesy of The State Farewell to thee! but not farewell To all my fondest thoughts of thee: Within my heart they still shall dwell; And they shall cheer and comfort me. “Farewell”, Anne Bronte As you get older death tends to accelerate around you. That sounds morbid, but it’s the natural order of things. We get older, and people who have had some sort of impact in our lives, big or small, seemingly die at a more frequent pace. Some elicit a mild response, like “aw man bummer”. Some tug at you a little harder. Some take your breath away. I was on a tarmac Thursday getting ready to fly h ..read more

Photo courtesy of greenvilleonline.com Our Clemson Problem. From 2009 to 2013 Steve Spurrier and South Carolina owned Clemson like no other time in the rivalry’s history. Clemson had consistently good (not great) teams, finishing in the top 25 three times and the top 10 twice, which made the winning streak that much sweeter. As the streak grew I even commented multiple times about how the Gamecocks were “in the heads” of Clemson. The Tigers came to fear the block C when they saw it, and despite their best efforts they couldn’t find a way to beat USC. The game in 2014 at Clemson started swimmin ..read more