A closer look: The last 5 times USC played Clemson only for bragging rights
Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks aren’t where they thought they would be heading into rivalry week.
South Carolina, coming off a 9-4 season in 2024, was expecting to be a legitimate national contender and fighting for spot in the College Football Playoff, much like the team was when it entered the Clemson game ranked No. 16 last season.
But that’s now how things have panned out in 2025. The Gamecocks are 4-7 overall and won’t be eligible to play in a bowl game.
Still, bragging rights are very much on the line against Clemson (6-5) on Saturday (noon, SEC Network). The Gamecocks have won two of the last three matchups against the Tigers, but haven’t beaten their rival at home since 2013. In fact, the home team hasn’t won the matchup since 2018.
It’s just the third time that USC has entered the Clemson game with no shot of making a bowl since 2000.
Here’s a look the last five times South Carolina entered the Palmetto Bowl with only bragging rights on the line. The Tigers are 5-0 in those five games, but the Gamecocks have usually been competitive.
2019
- Records entering the game: South Carolina (4-7), Clemson (11-0)
- Head coaches: Will Muschamp (USC) and Dabo Swinney (Clemson)
- Result of game: No. 3 Clemson wins 38-3
South Carolina struggled in 2019. That season was, in a way, the beginning of the end of Will Muschamp’s tenure in Columbia.
The Gamecocks were hit with adversity right away after they lost veteran starting quarterback Jake Bentley for the year with a foot injury. South Carolina turned to true freshman QB Ryan Hilinski who, with help from Dakereon Joyner, was able to upset No. 3 Georgia for the team’s third win of the year.
South Carolina only won one more game following that victory in Athens, and things really bottomed out when the Gamecocks lost 20-15 to App State at home near the end of the year.
Clemson steamrolled South Carolina in Williams-Brice in 2019. The Tigers won 38-3 and played for a national championship later that year. Trevor Lawrence threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns that day for Clemson.
2015
- Records entering the game: South Carolina (3-8), Clemson (11-0)
- Head coaches: Shawn Elliott (USC), Dabo Swinney (Clemson)
- Result of game: No. 1 Clemson wins 37-32
The 2015 season was a forgettable one for the Gamecocks.
Steve Spurrier resigned after posting a 2-4 record in the first six games, ending what was the golden age of South Carolina football. Shawn Elliott took over as the program’s interim head coach and couldn’t exactly right the ship. The Gamecocks went 1-5 to end the year, including a shocking 23-22 loss to The Citadel in the penultimate game of the season.
Despite that, South Carolina still gave a Clemson team that went on to play for a national title a run for its money.
The Gamecocks were down 21-3 shortly after halftime but climbed back to within three points after a touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter from tailback Shon Carson made the score 28-25. Clemson responded with a touchdown and a field goal in the final 10 minutes to go up 12. QB Perry Orth threw a touchdown pass to Carson with one second left on the clock to make the final score 37-32.
Orth finished with 219 yards and three touchdowns that day. Clemson’s Deshaun Watson had 279 yards in the air and 114 on the ground with four total touchdowns.
1999
- Records entering the game: South Carolina (0-10), Clemson (5-5)
- Head coaches: Lou Holtz (USC), Tommy Bowden (Clemson)
- Result of game: Clemson wins 31-21
The Lou Holtz era in Columbia got off to a rough start.
South Carolina failed to win a single game in 1999, extending its losing streak to 21 games across two years. The Gamecocks were shut out twice that season and only scored more than 14 points once that entire year.
That one game? Against Clemson.
South Carolina’s offense put up its best performance of the year with bragging rights on the line. The Gamecocks trailed by just three at one point in the third quarter, but a touchdown from Clemson put the game away for good.
Neither team scored in the fourth quarter and the Tigers won 31-21, clinching their sixth win of the year and a trip to the Peach Bowl. Rod Gardner tallied 138 receiving yards and two touchdowns for Clemson in the game. QB Phil Petty threw for 167 yards for South Carolina.
1998
- Records entering the game: South Carolina (1-9), Clemson (2-8)
- Head coaches: Brad Scott (USC), Tommy West (Clemson)
- Result of game: Clemson wins 28-19
Brad Scott’s tenure started off on the right foot when he helped bring home the first bowl win in South Carolina history in 1994. However, his time at USC ended in shambles when the Gamecocks only won one game in 1998.
South Carolina beat Ball State in the season opener, then lost 10 straight games to end the year. Of those losses, four were by less than six points. Scott was fired after the season.
The Gamecocks ended the year 1-10 after losing to a Clemson team that had struggled nearly as much as USC that season by a score of 28-19. QB Brandon Streeter threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns for Clemson, while Jermale Kelly brought in 114 receiving yards for South Carolina.
1995
- Records entering the game: South Carolina (4-5-1), Clemson (7-3)
- Head coaches: Brad Scott (USC), Tommy West (Clemson)
- Result of game: No. 24 Clemson wins 38-17
South Carolina was unable to make the postseason in 1995, just one year removed from the program’s first bowl win.
The Gamecocks were 4-3-1 entering the final three weeks of the season (overtime wasn’t fully adopted until 1996) and needed to win two games to be bowl-eligible. The problem? South Carolina had to face two Top 5 teams and its arch-rival in its final three games.
No. 5 Tennessee, led by Peyton Manning, beat South Carolina 56-21. The Gamecocks lost to No. 2 Florida the following week 63-7 in a game that saw Danny Wuerffel throw five touchdowns.
With bowl eligibility out the window, South Carolina had just one game left on the schedule against No. 24 Clemson.
The Gamecocks had things all tied up at 17 heading into the fourth quarter, but 21 unanswered points from Clemson in the fourth gave the Tigers a 38-17 victory. Emory Smith ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns that day for Clemson.
