Clemson-South Carolina Rivalry 'hits in both ways'
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For the fans, the Clemson-South Carolina game means one word: hate. That hatred comes from a variety of different places. But for a player, who is now a coordinator for the Tigers, who has experienced this rivalry first-hand, the game has an even deeper meaning.
"Man, it's an amazing experience. I mean, it's amazing in many ways," Clemson offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said. "You talk about it all year long, you get to have bragging rights for a whole year and it's just always a competitive game. It's always emotional, personal, all of the above. You try to contain your emotions as much as you can, but it's going to be emotional just because of how electric the game is and just how it's built up. Two really good programs that get to go to battle every year. It's a really, really fun rivalry. I know there's so much history behind it. One of the longest ones in the country and I know it got disrupted I guess in 2020 during the COVID time, but it's fun. It's just a ton of fun and you get to rally around your teammates and it's kind of what ... These rival games, that's what you play college football for and that's why you coach at the college level. I mean, it's an amazing experience."
For someone who has first-hand experience of the heated nature of the rivalry, it doesn't get any easier being on the coaching side of the rivalry.
"I think it hits in both ways," Streeter said. "As a player, again, you're thinking about it all year long and you're talking about it all year long and then in the end, you're the guy on the field that's got to go do it. There's definitely tons of emotions and a lot of pressure to go perform in those games.
"Then just on the other side of the whistle as a coach, you just don't have that physical part of the game but now, it's just a mental challenge and it's a chess match and it's controlling your emotions. How can you get your players prepared and ready to go and contain those emotions as much as possible so you can go execute and then you can't go out there and do it for them. Just getting them prepared I think is the biggest challenge and getting them ready for these type of games."
If you had to describe it to somebody on the outside, is there an instance, a happening that kind of best describes what it's all about for you?
"Yeah, yeah. I mean, I just think when you're talking about a rival game, first off I'm from Pennsylvania, so I didn't know much about Clemson or South Carolina growing up until I started getting recruited by the schools. You just quickly learn when you get down here, I mean immediately, how important it is. You hear about stories across the state of people that literally not just talk about the game, but will save every penny that they have so that they can try to make it to one of these games. When you hear all these stories about these people doing this and finding ways to come to these games and really saving up and giving up so many things to come to a game, it makes it personal and it makes it that much more exciting because we know that this is not a game just for the coaches and the players.
"This is a game for the fans. This is a game for bragging rights for the whole year. When you think about that and you think about all the different stories that happen throughout the year and of people wanting to get to this game, it makes it that much more special. Just being able to be a part of something like this, it makes it fun, it makes it memorable. You never forget this stuff, you know? You never forget these games and that makes it special."
What did you think when Coach Swinney put the countdown clock in the facility?
"Yeah, I mean, again, it shows the priority and that's one of the goals of our program is to win the state championship game, and that's this week. When you talk about that as one of your goals for your program, man, we're going to put that clock up there, so you know exactly how much time you have until you get to play them again. We obviously are on a one-game season in and week out, but there's always that little asterisk beside the South Carolina game just because of the rival."
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