South Carolina and Clemson have been bitter rivals since 1896, and a heated rivalry continues to this day for a variety of reasons, including the historic tensions regarding their respective charters and the passions surrounding their athletic programs.

[21] It closed during the Civil War when its students aided the Southern cause, but the closure gave politicians an opportunity to reorganize it to their liking.

[citation needed] The Democrats returned to power in 1877 following their electoral victory over the Radical Republicans and promptly proceeded to close the university.

[47] Tillman proved excellent on the stump, by far superior to his Conservative opponents, and as the Democratic convention neared there was a clear groundswell of support for the acceptance of Clemson's estate.

[48] Tillman explained his justification for an independently controlled agriculture college by pointing to the mismanagement and political interference of the University of South Carolina as had occurred during Reconstruction.

With declining cotton prices, Tillman played upon the farmer's desperation by stating that the salaries of the college professors were exorbitant and it must be a sign of corruption.

[49] Consequently, the legislature was compelled to pass the bill to accept Clemson's bequest in December 1888, albeit with the tie-breaking vote in the state Senate from Lieutenant Governor William L.

[52][53] While campaigning for governor in 1890, Tillman leveled his harshest criticism towards the University of South Carolina and threatened to close it along with The Citadel, which he called a "dude factory.

[57] Clemson, having obtained university status in 1964, established a branch campus in Sumter and formed a two-year transfer partnership with Greenville Technical College.

"[59] Accordingly, the University of South Carolina began a new wave of expansion across the state and was aided by the fact that the Clemson Sumter extension suffered from low enrollment.

"Naturally, the Clemson guys didn't take too kindly to that, and on Wednesday and again on Thursday, there were sporadic fistfights involving brass knuckles and other objects and so forth, some of which resulted, according to the newspapers, in blood being spilled and persons having to seek medical assistance.

After the game on Thursday, the Clemson guys frankly told the Carolina students that if you bring this poster, which is insulting to us, to the big parade on Friday, you're going to be in trouble.

In response, forty Carolina students, including future USC president J. Rion McKissick, armed themselves with knives and pistols to defend the campus and sign.

Upon request of both schools' presidents, the South Carolina General Assembly passed a resolution on February 27, 1952, ordering the game to be played.

[94] 1963: Postponed due to national tragedy On November 22, 1963, just over an hour after the Tigers’ buses departed for Columbia, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

In the 1971 rivalry game, Carlton Haywood and Jackie Brown were both starters for South Carolina, while Reeves (now an eligible player) came off the bench as a sophomore and recorded two interceptions.

Additionally, South Carolina left the ACC after the 1970 season, making the 1971 matchup the first in the series since 1921 to be a non-conference game, which it remains today.

With about three minutes remaining in the game, Gamecock QB Mike Hold led an eight-play 86-yard touchdown drive and, thanks to a Clemson penalty that allowed a re-kick of a missed extra point, defeated the Tigers 22–21 to finish the first 10-win season in program history.

[111] 1989: Orange on the road and Ford's last hurrah After suffering two disappointing upsets to Duke and Georgia Tech, the 8–2 Tigers traveled to Columbia for the annual game.

Led by halfback Terry Allen's 97-yard, two-touchdown first half, the Tigers rolled the Gamecocks on the ground for 355 yards en route to a 45–0 victory.

With Clemson needing a win at home to become bowl-eligible, Taneyhill led his team to a 24–13 victory and famously signed his name with his finger on the Tiger Paw at midfield following a key second-half touchdown.

Gamecock RB Brandon Bennett received the kick to start the third quarter, took a few steps, then turned and threw a backward pass to the other side of the field which was caught by DB Reggie Richardson who returned the ball 85 yards to the Tigers' 6-yard line.

Bennett ran it in for a touchdown on the next play, putting Carolina ahead 21–7 and the Gamecocks never looked back, going on to win the game 33–7 and clinching a bid to the Carquest Bowl.

Trailing late in the game 14–13, Clemson quarterback Woody Dantzler connected with wide-receiver Rod Gardner for a 50-yard reception to Carolina's 8-yard line with ten seconds remaining.

[117] 2001: A bicentennial win In the 200th year of the University of South Carolina, the Gamecocks hosted the Tigers at the end of a successful regular season that saw them ranked in the Top 25 every week and 7–3 heading into the rivalry game.

Carolina jumped out to an early 20–9 lead behind a strong ground attack, and held on to win 20–15 and secure a bid to their second straight Outback Bowl.

The game continued on as normal until the fourth quarter when several South Carolina offensive linemen shoved a Clemson defensive end, beginning a brawl between both teams that lasted several minutes.

[124] 2005: A quarterback wins 4 In 2005, the two teams showed an unusual gesture of sportsmanship by meeting at midfield before the game to shake hands, putting the melee of 2004 behind them.

Clemson led 14–7 into the fourth quarter, but South Carolina scored the final 10 points, with freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers rushing for the game-winning touchdown on a 3rd down and 16 with just over a minute left.

Both schools are perennially considered to be among the top programs in the country, giving the rivalry a prominent spot in college baseball beyond the state of South Carolina.