USC football signee fires back at Clemson

One South Carolina football signee is taking exception with the notion that South Carolina won’t defeat Clemson in the coming years.

Defensive tackle Ulric Jones, from Butler Community College in Kansas, has sounded off on social media and the local airwaves in reaction to Clemson quarterback Deshuan Watson predicting Tigers dominance as long as Watson is under center.

“What I say is not meant to disrespect anybody. It’s not meant in a negative way. It’s not meant to down anybody,” Jones said Tuesday evening on the “Reynolds and Gunter” show. “For one I know what it’s like to be on that downside and have to overcome something. On the flip side, when you’re telling the world you don’t plan on losing to basically me and my defense, that’s like a smack in the face.”

Watson, in an interview with USA Today that was published this week, said, “As long as I’m the starting quarterback here, I’m not going to lose to South Carolina.”

USC defensive end Jadeveon Clowney made a similar prediction toward the Tigers in 2012 after the Gamecocks beat Clemson 27-17 at Memorial Stadium, victory No. 4 in a five-game win streak. Clowney and USC fulfilled that vow.

Clemson, with an injured Watson at quarterback for much of the game, snapped the streak last season after Clowney headed to the NFL.

Jones set off a small social media firestorm with some choice words written in a Facebook post in reaction to Watson’s comments. Jones has since taken heat from Clemson fans, and a Tigers player or two, on Twitter.

The 6-foot-6, 298-pound Jones is headed home to Alabama this week and plans to enroll at USC later this month.

He had 19 tackles and no sacks in his freshman season at Butler, and Clemson fans have made sure to point out those sack-less stats in their remarks toward Jones, he said.

“If I continue to have zero sacks, the first sack I will have will be against Clemson,” Jones said on the “Reynolds and Gunter” show. “That can be quoted and put to anybody out there.”

The next Gamecocks-Tigers matchup is Nov. 28 at Williams-Brice Stadium.

This story was originally published May 13, 2015 at 2:48 PM with the headline "USC football signee fires back at Clemson."