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CLEMSON — There were multiple attempts to plant school flags on opponents fields in Week 14 of college football, including one in Clemson’s rivalry game against South Carolina on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
South Carolina players tried to spike its flag on Clemson’s logo after beating the Tigers 17-14. The Gamecocks’ actions caused a scuffle between both teams when Clemson players tried to prevent the celebration. The scrum happened as fans “gathered at the Paw,” a Tigers tradition where fans rush the field after every game and converge at the giant Orange paw at midfield regardless of opponent or victory margin.
No fights broke out like elsewhere in the country, but Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, who was in the middle of the scuffle, condemned the actions of both teams Sunday.
“It was scary. It was dangerous,” Swinney said. “We got to make sure that doesn’t happen anymore. We can’t be hypocrites either.”
Both teams have traded planting flags over the past three years. South Carolina did in 2022 when it beat Clemson 31-30 at Memorial Stadium to snap its seven-game losing streak in the series. Clemson returned the favor in 2023 in Columbia at Williams-Brice Stadium when former linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. planted the team’s flag after a 16-7 win.
Swinney said he didn’t know Trotter did it last season, and he still doesn’t want to see flag plants anymore. His comments came after multiple fights broke out in college football, including in Ohio State vs. Michigan and Florida vs. Florida State, stemming from the celebration.
Tensions flared when an Arizona State player spiked the team’s pitchfork on Arizona’s logo after the Sun Devils’ win, and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian pulled his players from Texas A&M’s logo after its 17-7 win.
MORE: How Clemson football’s Cade Klubnik failed to deliver late-game heroics vs South…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-dabo-swinney-doesnt-want-022749066.html
Author : Greenville News
Publish date : 2024-12-02 02:27:00
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