Staring down its cross-state rival in the final game of the 1994 season, the Clemson football team did what it could least afford to do--it blinked.
Trailing only 14-7 at halftime, the Tigers gave up a 94-yard return on the opening kick-off of the second-half, resulting in an easy touchdown one play later for visiting South Carolina. That play deflated the hopes of an up-and-down Clemson team as the Gamecocks rolled to an easy 33-7 win in Death Valley.
After four straight solid outings--a narrow 17-0 loss to powerhouse Florida State and three consecutive wins--the Tigers fell flat on their face against the Gamecocks to end the season with a lowly 5-6 record, garnering only their second losing season in the past 19 years.
"After that last game, we called team meetings just with the players and we talked about what's going on and what should happen," senior strong safety Brian Dawkins said. "We let each other know that we were putting last season behind us and that a new season was coming. We're going to try our best to never go 5-6 ever again."
In order to go over .500 this season, the Tigers will need more than just a few team meetings to correct all of their deficiencies. An inexperienced offense and a defense depleted of its top players could be the keys to Clemson's third losing season in the past four years.
"The only way I can look at it is that you have to make progress," head coach Tommy West said. "I can say that because we've got a better offensive line now than a year ago, which everyone knows is a big key."
But maturity is a matter of degree. Last season, Clemson started an inexperienced offensive line and a freshman tailback.
West had to start as many as seven freshmen on offense in a game. That inexperience, he hopes, will fade as the line gets used to playing together.
"Because we were so young, we tried to throw the ball early in the year, but it didn't work out so we made some changes," West said. "Toward the end we won some, but overall we weren't a very good football team offensively."
Last year, Clemson failed to score over 14 points in six of its first seven games. That was before freshman quarterback Nealon Greene took over. Greene won the starting job after West moved Patrick Sapp to linebacker midway through the year.
"I have confidence right now in Nealon Greene that we can throw the ball and that you don't have to hold your breath every time," West said. "We have confidence that he can get it done."
Clemson also faces a glaring hole in its defense due to the loss of four senior linebackers. The group of Darnell Stephens, Tim Jones, Wardell Rouse and Mike Barber combined to lead the Tigers in tackles in 10 of 11 games last season, also helping the team lead the NCAA in turnover margin. With the loss, West will have to rely on a squad even more inexperienced than the offensive unit.
"Well, linebackers is the big question," West said. "We lost four good players and great leaders. Somebody's got to come through there."
Who will fill those shoes is still up in the air. West, in his second full season as head coach, has made an effort to attract the talent that can help Clemson get back to its stature of the mid-80s.
"We always try to improve the speed of the football team," West said. "That's why I thought we had a good recruiting class. We recruited players that were faster than players that we had."
That quickness may help the Tigers a few years down the line, but for now, they need a quick fix--a remedy they will probably not be able to muster.
But if a team could score points for a change in attitude, Clemson might be okay. After the humiliation of losing to South Carolina, the Tigers have made an effort to make some fundamental changes.
"The chemistry and cooperation is there," Dawkins said. "The selfishness is gone from the Clemson team of last year. I think that in a way we had a lot of selfishness on the team and a lot of people who weren't giving it there all on every play. This year is going to be a 360 degree turn from the season last year."
How far a 360 degree turn can take a team remains to be seen. Perhaps to right back to where it started?
The key to this year's team could be found in a three-game stretch starting on September 23. The Tigers play Virginia at home, travel to N.C. State, and return home for a game against Georgia. Those are all teams in the middle of their respective conferences. Losses to them could assure Clemson of yet another losing season.
"I think we're starting to understand the effort that goes into being a good college football team," West said. "It's hard to say how much we've improved, but I know we are better than we were a year ago."
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