| The ACC crown was on the line in '65 when the Gamecocks and Clemson Tigers met. USC stood at 4-5 following a tough loss on the road at Alabama while Clemson was 5-4 having dropped back to back games to North Carolina and Maryland. The Tigers could still win their fourth straight ACC title with a win though. This game would have one of the most dramatic endings of the historic rivalry, with Carolina coming out on a top by a single point, 17-16. Clemson scored on their first possession, reaching the USC four before Bob Gunnels stuffed Tiger RB Hugh Mauldin for no gain on third and goal. The Tigers settled for a 22-yard field goal by Frank Pearce and a 3-0 lead. Clemson also reached USC territory on their next drive, but Gamecock end Doug Senter recovered a Mauldin fumble at the Carolina 28. Midway through the second quarter Clemson increased their lead to 10-0 as Phil Rogers ripped off a 25-yard run to the Gamecock end zone. USC answered on their next possession, with Mike Fair and J.R. Wilburn hooking up for a 50-yard pass completion to get into Clemson territory. The running game took over from there as runs by Phil Branson, Ben Garnto and Jule Smith gave USC a first and goal from the Tiger one and Smith took it over from there. Jimmy Poole's extra point cut the Clemson lead to 10-7. That would be all the scoring in the first half. The next points would come with five mintues left in the third. The Tigers punted from their own 11 and Benny Galloway had a nice return to the CU 41. A run by Fair with a face mask penalty tacked on set up a 31-yard field goal by Poole to tie the game. Carolina would take their first lead of the game on their next possession going 55 yards in nine plays. Fair completed a pair of key third down conversion passes, a 16-yarder to Wilburn and a 22-yarder to Jule Smith. The drive would end with Bob Harris going around left end for seven yards and a 17-10 lead. After an exchange of punts the Tigers drove to the USC 16 but Bobby Bryant picked off a pass at the eight to halt the drive. USC would punt and Clemson started their final drive at their own 43. A 13-yard pass from Thomas Ray to Edgar McGee converted a 3rd and 10 and got into USC territory. Two more Ray passes moved the ball to the Carolina 24 but it looked like the Gamecocks had stopped the drive when Senter and Steve Cox sacked Ray on third down, setting up fourth and 16 from the 27. Ray was able to convert, hooking up with halfback Phil Rogers for 19 yards. The Tigers would eventually score, a touchdown coming on a 1-yard pass on fourth down from Ray to Rogers. With the ACC title on the line Clemson coach Frank Howard called for a fake on the extra point, hoping to get a two point conversion for the win. Holder Jimmy Addison threw into the end zone but senior linebacker Bob Gunnels (whose brother Dan was a freshman linebacker at Clemson) stepped in front of fullback Bo Ruffner and broke up the pass for the Carolina win. Bobby Bryant recovered the onside kick for USC and the Gamecocks ran out the final thirty seconds. Not only did the win keep Clemson from the ACC title, a Maryland loss gave USC a tie for the conference crown with Duke (later taken back by the conference who ruled Carolina had given scholarship money (found to be $75-100 for textbooks and meals) to three academically ineligible players).; |