Meeting No. 6 · Thursday, October 30, 1902
1902 Clemson vs. South Carolina: South Carolina 12, Clemson 6
The Gamecocks' debut, an upset of Heisman's Tigers and a near riot
FinalColumbia, SC
Clemson 3-1
6
South Carolina 4-0
12
Quick answers
- Who won?
- South Carolina
- Final score
- South Carolina 12, Clemson 6
- When and where
- Thursday, October 30, 1902 · Columbia, SC
- Series after this game
- Clemson leads 4-2
Clemson 4-2Series after this game
South CarolinaWon the most recent meeting
6 of 122Meeting number
6 ptsMargin
18 ptsCombined points
Clemson 1, SC 11900s through this game
How the game went
It was South Carolina’s first season as the Gamecocks and its first win over Clemson since 1896.
Fights broke out during the week over a South Carolina poster showing a gamecock steering a tiger by the tail. After the game, hundreds of Clemson cadets marched on the campus to retrieve it; staff and police defused the standoff without a shot fired, and the two sides agreed to burn the poster, the origin of the Tiger Burn tradition.
Out of concern for further violence, the series was suspended until 1909.
Notable facts
- First meeting since 1900
- Ended Clemson's 4-game winning streak in the series
Game facts
| Date | Thursday, October 30, 1902 |
|---|---|
| Site | Columbia, SC |
| Meeting | No. 6 (Big Thursday era) |
| Head coaches | Clemson: John Heisman · South Carolina: Bob Williams |
| Records after game | Clemson: 3-1 · South Carolina: 4-0 |
| Attendance | 5,000 |
Next up · Meeting No. 123
The next Palmetto Bowl
Saturday, November 28, 2026