When Clemson scored twice before South Carolina was even able to run an offensive play from scrimmage, Carolina fans suspected they were in for a long afternoon.
They were right. With its 41-23 triumph Clemson ended the regular season with a 10-1 mark, the Atlantic Coast championship and a date with Ohio State in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 29.
The biggest crowd ever to watch a football game in South Carolina, 63,479, saw junior Tailback Lester Brown score three touchdowns and Quarterback Steve Fuller run the nation's fourth-ranked offense with precision.
Said Jim Carlen, who coached the Gamecocks to a 5-5-1 record, "Fuller is the best quarterback in America. He picked us like a chicken."