November 20, 2004, 2106Z

      Ever since I can remember, and that's 1950, there has been a Carolina-Clemson game. This was the 102nd meeting in 116 years. Most Historians don't know or choose not to include the early "club" games between the two schools. In all that time, neither my ancestors nor I have been so embarrassed as today.

      South Carolina has one the most awesome defenses in college football today. But Tommy Bowden knows why his team has a "W." Today's win for Clemson was a win. Remember that. But it was also a loss for South Carolina. Brad Scott knows why.

      You can't blame the officials. Yes, it's a well-known fact that SEC officials hate the Gamecocks. (As one official from Alabama once put it to me - unattributable, darn-it,"That there F#@&%*! Car'liner team screwed up the (SEC) conf'rence - Ah'll never fergive that. They'r s'pposed to be like Vandy, dammit!") That's not what caused The Gamecocks to pooch it 29 - 7.

      You can't even blame Clemson. They tried hard to lose that game. Any good team would have beaten them 35 to 29.

      But South Carolina isn't a good team. Don't get me wrong, almost every player on the South Carolina team is outstanding in some way or another. Lou Holtz had them primed as far as emotion. But there is a point past which emotion cannot carry you. That's where the Coach's decisions come in.

      Many of us believed, earlier in the year that Veteran coach Lou Holtz was making a mistake by not settling on one quarterback. The "quick mix QB" idea didn't work back in the 20's, it didn't work for Bryant - and he X'd it, and it didn't work this year for Lou. In turn, this forced Lou to be far more conservative than he normally would have been. The combination was disasterous at Death Valley today.

      Coulda - Woulda - Shoulda. Did Lou have it in him to have two QB/HB's with QB feeds? Coulda - Woulda - Shoulda. We got an email about ten minutes after the game ended and about halfway through this article being written. The writer, almost in tears, said he didn't know which sounded more disheartening - the actual loss of the Gamecocks or listening to the former Gamecocks who do the play-by-play. "You could hear in their voices the restraint and respect and yet the knowing that there could be no other resolution to the day's events." Coulda - Woulda - Shoulda.

      And what was all this about abusing Clemson's sacred running down the hill thing? And the Clemson player taking a swipe at Carolina's QB? This used to be a gentleman's game. It could be. It should be again. There is NO excuse for this kind of thing.

      Lou Holtz, single-handedly, has made South Carolina a team with which to be contended. He gave USC back it's national pride. But Clemson scraps to where they are by playing better than the other team - even when they give the game away, like today. Carolina has the name. But the still need the plays. That's the coach's job.

      We'd like to end this piece by saying that Lou will be gone next year and that things will be better. Lou may have made up his mind, but who knows? This "11 o'clock news conference monday morning" stuff is rubbish. But that's Lou's strength AND weakness: You never know where Lou is.

      Unfortunately, this time, neither did his players. Sun Tsu would say it's great to have your opposition not know where you are. But it's a shame when your troops don't know either.

Other Views: The State: cheap shots throughout the game.