Rivalry questionsClemson vs. South Carolina history and facts

Clemson leads 74–44–4 over 122 games, through the 2025 game. Clemson won four of the first five meetings (1897 to 1900) after South Carolina won the first in 1896. See every score.

Sources: Clemson game notes, Nov. 29, 2025; Wikipedia: Clemson–South Carolina football rivalry

November 12, 1896, in Columbia, at the fairgrounds. South Carolina won 12–6.

Sources: Wikipedia: Clemson–South Carolina football rivalry; Clemson program feature on Big Thursday

South Carolina is the Palmetto State. Fans used the name informally for decades, and the two schools made it official on November 26, 2014. The winner used to get the Hardee's Trophy; since 2015 it has been the Palmetto Trophy, a silver palmetto tree on a base listing every result.

Sources: Clemson Athletics: game officially named the Palmetto Bowl; WIS: new Palmetto Bowl trophy unveiled; FBSchedules: a brief history of the Palmetto Bowl

Saturday, November 28, 2026, at Memorial Stadium in Clemson. Kickoff time and TV had not been announced as of mid-October. The model's current pick is South Carolina by 5.3.

Source: Clemson 2026 schedule announcement

From 1896 through 1959 the game was played every year in Columbia on the Thursday of State Fair week, which was a state holiday. Clemson went 33–21–3 in that era. The last Big Thursday was October 22, 1959, a 27–0 Clemson win.

Clemson pushed for a home-and-home series and expanded Memorial Stadium to host it. The first game in Clemson was November 12, 1960, a 12–2 Clemson win. The schools have alternated sites since.

Sources: Clemson program feature on Big Thursday; SC History: the last Big Thursday; Wikipedia: Clemson–South Carolina football rivalry

After South Carolina's 12–6 win in 1902, a fan poster showing a gamecock riding a tiger set off fights and an armed standoff between the student bodies. Staff and police calmed it, the sign was burned, and the schools did not meet again until 1909. Accounts differ on the details.

Sources: Clemson program feature on Big Thursday; FBSchedules: a brief history of the Palmetto Bowl; Wikipedia: Clemson–South Carolina football rivalry

During the COVID-19 season the SEC played a conference-only schedule, so South Carolina could not play Clemson. It was the first year without the game since the 1903 to 1908 break.

Sources: WOI: 2020 game canceled; Wikipedia: Clemson–South Carolina football rivalry

In 1946, counterfeit tickets left a crowd outside; they forced their way in and lined the field. In 2004, a fourth-quarter fight during Clemson's 29–7 win led both schools to turn down bowl bids, and the ACC and SEC each suspended six players. That was Lou Holtz's last game as South Carolina's coach.

Sources: Clemson program feature on Big Thursday; WIS: both teams opt out of bowl games; Gamecocks: SEC suspends six players

Frank Howard has the most wins in the series for Clemson with 13. Dabo Swinney is next at 10–7 through 2025. We could not confirm a published figure for South Carolina's leader.

Source: Clemson game notes, Nov. 29, 2025

Clemson has won 7 straight twice: 1934 to 1940 and 2014 to 2021 (no game in 2020). South Carolina's longest is 5 straight, 2009 to 2013. Clemson has won the last one.

Computed from CollegeFootballData.com game results; also WIS: Clemson's seventh straight win

The largest margin in the series is Clemson's 51–0 win in 1900, from before this data begins. Since 1902, Clemson's biggest wins are 56–7 in 2016, 63–17 in 2003, 45–0 in 1989. South Carolina's are 56–20 in 1975, 33–0 in 1925, 33–6 in 1943.

Computed from CollegeFootballData.com game results; 1900 from Wikipedia: Clemson–South Carolina football rivalry

2018: Clemson 56, South Carolina 35, 91 points. Next are 2003 (63–17) and 1975 (56–20 South Carolina). Clemson has 18 shutouts in the data; South Carolina has 10.

Computed from CollegeFootballData.com game results

The average margin since 1902 is 14.4 points, and 38% of games were decided by 8 or fewer. Since 2007 the average margin is 17.3, which is wider than the typical FBS game.

Computed from CollegeFootballData.com game results

Computed from CollegeFootballData.com game results. The 1900s row starts in 1902.

Seven times in the AP era: 1979, 1987, 2000, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2024. South Carolina won six of them; Clemson's only win was 2000. The highest-ranked meeting was 2013, No. 10 South Carolina over No. 6 Clemson, 31–17.

Source: Wikipedia: Clemson–South Carolina football rivalry; 2011 to 2024 confirmed against AP poll data

2022. Unranked South Carolina was a 14-point underdog at No. 7 Clemson and won 31–30. It effectively ended Clemson's playoff hopes and snapped a 40-game home winning streak.

Source: CBS Sports: South Carolina ends Clemson's home streak; line from CollegeFootballData.com

Less than you would think. Since the series went home-and-home in 1960, hosts are 30–34. Since 2017 they are 1–7. Across all FBS games the host wins 59% of the time; in the 50 rivalries we track it is 53%.

Computed from CollegeFootballData.com game results. The model builds this in.

The road team. It has covered 8 years in a row, every season with a line since 2017, and 8 of 12 since lines start in 2013. The underdog won outright 3 times (2022, 2024, 2025). It is a small sample, so treat it as a tendency, not a sure thing.

Computed from CollegeFootballData.com game results; lines are averaged across the sportsbooks on record

Mostly under: 8 of 12 games with a posted total since 2013.

Computed from CollegeFootballData.com game results

Usually, not always. Since 2007, the team with the better record going in won 11 of 17 games where the records differed. That is close to the rate across all rivalry games.

Computed from CollegeFootballData.com game results