1975 Carolina-Clemson: A win for the ages. A conversation with former QB Jeff Grantz

Alan Piercy is the author of A Gamecock Odyssey: University of South Carolina Sports in the Independent Era (1971-1991). The following was originally published on Alan’s South By Southeast newsletter.

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A conversation with former quarterback Jeff Grantz about his near-perfect game and the Gamecocks’ big win from 50 years ago.

A few things stand out when watching a recently digitized film perspective of the 1975 Gamecock football season. The film begins with the team’s entrance for the season opener in head coach Jim Carlen’s first game at Carolina against Georgia Tech, Carlen’s alma mater, where he played for the great Bobby Dodd. 

It was eight years before the theme from “2001 – A Space Odyssey” was first employed during the Joe Morrison era, and decades before “Sandstorm,” and all those white towels. It was before the Carolina Band became known as “The Mighty Sound of the Southeast” upon joining the SEC, and before their pregame show ended by forming a human tunnel for the team entrance. 

The 1975 Gamecocks simply ran onto the field from that familiar southwest corner in a spirited, if unceremonious, scuttle to the west sideline. Aside from newly revamped uniforms, featuring the now-iconic “Block C” logo for the first time on instantly classic Carlen-era threads, the entrance was devoid of spectacle. 

You’re struck as well by the Spartan environs of Williams-Brice Stadium. The old Astroturf field stretched taut and rough-as-a-cob over a thin layer of foam padding covering 60,000 tons of gravel and asphalt – essentially 120 yards of roadbed inside the stadium. The end zones were plain Jane, unpainted and unadorned by the now-familiar red-tip shrubs. Only an industrial run of metal railing separated the stands from the playing field. 

An aerial shot of the stadium at the 19-minute mark of the film reveals an asymmetrical Williams-Brice Stadium before a matching east upper deck balanced the venue in 1982. The single upper-deck stadium, as it appeared between 1971 and 1981, brings to mind a bodybuilder who habitually skips leg day. 

Springs-Brooks Plaza, which softened the stadium’s exterior with over 300 trees, brick columns, and decorative ironwork reminiscent of the University’s verdant Horseshoe, lay 40 years into the future. Surrounding the stadium in those days was a stark asphalt apron and parking for hundreds of cars – a pedestrian’s nightmare. It was before an all-everything tailback with a winning smile from Duluth, Georgia, thrilled fans and captured the Heisman some years later, when George Rogers Boulevard was simply known as Stadium Road.

There was a long-abandoned spur of track where the Cockaboose Railroad would one day assemble. Across Bluff Road, there was no leafy, manicured Gamecock Park, but a heat-blasted farmers market of low-slung warehouses where overall-clad vegetable vendors hawked their wares over the drone of industrial fans. 

By distance, the area is two miles removed from the leafy heart of campus, but in those days, it was light-years apart by look and feel. It was a hardscrabble industrial corridor, dotted by working machine shops, dusty parking lots, and corrugated metal lean-tos. There was, in fact, nothing remotely organic in sight. 

The memories are cumulative reminders, particularly to anyone who experienced them, of just how far Williams-Brice Stadium has come in terms of tradition and aesthetics. 

Grantz takes center stage

Watching the film, you’re also reminded of just how good an offensive football team that 1975 squad was. This was a day when 300-pound players were a rarity. In fact, offensive linemen Al Tandy (259), Jack Brinker (258), and Steve Courson (250) were the only three Gamecocks who topped 250 pounds on that roster. But what this team lacked in size, it made up for in senior leadership and seasoned talent, particularly at the skill positions. 

Leading the offense was a senior signal caller from Bel Air, Maryland, Jeff Grantz. A two-sport star at Carolina, Grantz excelled as a shortstop for Bobby Richardson’s baseball Gamecocks and was part of the 1975 squad that went 51-6-1, with a championship game appearance at the College World Series. A dual-threat quarterback, Grantz was one of only three players in program history to amass over 5,000 total yards at the time of his induction into the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985.

Complementing Grantz was an elite tailback duo that provided not one, but two 1,000-yard rushers on the season in juniors Kevin Long and Clarence Williams, two Palmetto State products from Clinton and Oakley, respectively. Consider that prior to 1975, the Gamecocks had never produced a 1,000-yard rusher – the previous single-season record belonged to the great Steve Wadiak, who compiled 998 yards during the 1950 season. (2)

But the Gamecocks’ secret sauce in 1975 really revolved around player leadership. Grantz recalls how the team gelled following Paul Dietzel’s resignation and a 4-7 finish to the 1974 season:

“In ‘75, the seniors got together and said this is not gonna happen anymore. This is our last year. We’re gonna get this right, and we did. It all came down to leadership. Coach Carlen was the catalyst. He got us together and said, ‘Guys, this is your team.’” 

Carlen, a self-styled straight shooter, told Grantz, “Jeff, the only thing I know about you is that you’re a really good shortstop, and you can turn a double play, but you and Ron Bass are gonna compete [for starting quarterback].”

Carlen had seen Bass run the offense during spring practice while Grantz played baseball, so it was a fair statement. Grantz, who considered Bass a good quarterback and friend, told Carlen that if he lost the starting job, he just wanted to play somewhere. “I didn’t care if it was receiver, or returning kicks, or whatever. I needed to be on that field. I didn’t care where I played – I wanted to contribute and be a winner in my last year there.”

Fate intervened as Bass ultimately suffered an injury during the first preseason scrimmage and took a redshirt year in ‘75, clearing the way for Grantz to take the reins. 

The Gamecocks bolted to a 5-1 record over the first six games, their only loss coming to old border-state nemesis Georgia of the SEC. Wins included a 24-13 defeat of No. 18-ranked Baylor at home, and a road win versus future SEC rival Ole Miss.

Carolina appeared at No. 20 in the AP poll ahead of a road matchup versus another SEC foe, LSU, in Week 7. The ranking was short-lived, as the Gamecocks lost 24-6 on the bayou. A seven-point loss in Raleigh to a Lou Holtz-coached N.C. State team followed, and the losing streak stretched to three following a surprising 39-34 shootout loss at home to a strong Appalachian State squad. 

A home win over Wake Forest put Carolina back in the win column, setting up the regular-season finale versus Clemson in Columbia. 

Flirting with perfection

The Tigers, under third-year head coach Red Parker, arrived in Columbia for the final game of what had been a difficult season. Clemson was a preseason favorite to compete for the ACC crown in ‘75 after a 7-4 campaign (4-2 ACC) in 1974, but entered the season finale at 2-8, and in obvious disarray. Press reports hinted at dissension in the locker room, which Parker denied. 

Saturday, Nov. 22, dawned cool, with overnight lows in the 30s. Early tailgaters in the dusty State Fair parking lots warmed themselves with thermoses of steaming coffee or sipped stronger options from Solo cups. The mercury steadily climbed into the 50s by midday as fans clad in cords and sweaters and garnet windbreakers began to file into the stadium. As the 1:30 kickoff approached, a beyond-capacity crowd of 57,197 assembled under cloudless skies. 

A brilliant fall sun glinted off the chromed sousaphones and trumpets of the Carolina Band as they performed their ritual pregame set – the Old Fight Song, Go Carolina, and Step to the Rear. Old Glory fluttered behind the north end zone from an occasional northerly breeze. The sweet aroma of tobacco smoke wafted about in an era when smoking was still in vogue, permitted inside the stadium, and even sold by the pack at concession stands. 

It was a picture-perfect day for football in Columbia. 

The Gamecocks entered their final regular-season game looking to secure a bid to the Tangerine Bowl, then one of only 11 postseason bowl games in the offering. A 10-win Miami of Ohio squad, champions of the Mid-America Conference, had already secured its bid. Carolina, along with eight-win Virginia Tech and nine-win San Jose State, was under consideration for the opposing slot.

The South Carolina program could only claim two previous bowl appearances across 80 years of football – the 1946 Gator Bowl and the 1969 Peach Bowl. By any measure, an invitation would be a significant achievement for first-year coach Carlen.

But more urgent business lay at hand that afternoon. Clemson and Carolina had played even football for the prior decade, each school winning five of 10 since 1965. Clemson still held a comfortable overall advantage in the series, 48-27-3, dating back to 1896.

The Gamecocks entered the contest second in the country in total offense, averaging over 400 yards per game. Grantz remembers offensive backfield coach Bob Gatling as “a magnificent, creative coach.” Working alongside offensive coordinator Jack Fligg, Gatling devised a deceptive attack, relying on sprint draws and the dual-threat mobility of Grantz, which kept defenses off balance. Ahead of the Clemson game, Gatling prepared something new for an already potent attack. 

“He put in a little wrinkle where he put one of our backs in motion, and that confused them defensively because we hadn’t done it all year. ‘You read this guy, you read the strong safety, then you look at the corner, and there’s gonna be somebody open each time,’” Gatling told Grantz. “And they [Clemson] never adjusted the entire game.”

The State’s Herman Helms, writing for Sunday’s edition, described the Gamecock offensive attack as “violent,” and indeed, violence was visited upon the beleaguered Clemson Tigers that afternoon. 

Carolina struck early on a 36-yard touchdown gallop by Clarence Williams, capping a 66-yard drive over seven plays in the first three-and-a-half minutes of the game. From there, the rout was on as the Gamecocks surged to an insurmountable 35-6 halftime lead.

When the clock struck zeroes, a weakening late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the field from the distinctive west-upper deck light stanchions. Gamecock players and coaches celebrated midfield, smiles all around, as Clemson players filed sullenly into the visiting locker room. 

The Gamecocks had added another three touchdowns in the second half for an emphatic 56-20 final score. It was, at the time, the largest margin of victory and the most points scored by either team in the long, storied history of the rivalry. Carolina fans lingered in the stadium, savoring the moment long after the final whistle. 

Over four quarters on that brilliant November afternoon, Grantz carved his name forever in the record books and hearts of Carolina faithful. He completed 6-of-12 passes for 158 yards and five passing touchdowns – tying a program record set by Tommy Suggs in 1968. He added 122 rushing yards and ran for another touchdown, setting what was then a program standard for total yards in a game with 280. 

Carolina punters needed not even dress out that afternoon, as the Gamecocks scored touchdowns on 8-of-9 possessions, with place kicker Bobby Marino adding eight PATs. An offensive interference penalty on tight end Brian Nemeth negated what would have been Grantz’s sixth touchdown pass late in the game. Had that play stood, it would have secured a new program record that would have remained unsurpassed all these years later, something Grantz has kidded Nemeth about good-naturedly over the years.

Perhaps more significantly to Grantz and the team, tailback Clarence Williams powered his way to 160 rushing yards on a workmanlike 23 carries, becoming the second Gamecock back on the season (and in program history) to top the 1,000-yard mark. Kevin Long added 77 yards on 17 carries to extend his season total to 1,114. The Gamecocks cumulatively rushed for 458 yards and racked up 616 yards of total offense, while dominating time of possession. 

Given how the afternoon unfolded, Clemson’s Parker took none-too-kindly to a late touchdown pass from Grantz to Stevie Stevens with under a minute left to play and the Gamecocks already up by 29. “I took it as an insult,” Parker huffed to reporters after the game. “Jim [Carlen] runs his team, and I run mine. If that’s what he wanted to do, that’s his prerogative,” adding, “Everybody has to live with what they do and what they think.” 

Observers have often pointed to the 1975 game as a turning point for Clemson football, with administrators vowing that such an embarrassment would never be allowed to happen again. Within six years, the Tigers would capture their first national championship under a young head coach named Danny Ford. That title carries an asterisk in the minds of many due to recruiting improprieties by the Tigers, which led to a three-year postseason ban. Still, Clemson would go on to defeat the Gamecocks in eight of the next 10 matchups. 

But Nov. 22, 1975, belonged to the Gamecocks, its pugnacious first-year head coach, and its senior quarterback, who attained legend status that sunny afternoon in Williams-Brice Stadium. 

Fifty years gone by

As the 1975 team prepared to assemble for a 50th anniversary reunion this past weekend, Grantz talked about what that Clemson game means to him. Like most successful quarterbacks, he’s quick to credit his offensive line.

“Oh, it’s just everything. You know, this weekend is gonna be so special, with all these guys coming back. My offensive line, they were so good. Mike McCabe, my center, was a Jacob’s Blocking Trophy winner, Steve Courson, our right guard, played for the [Pittsburgh] Steelers, and Jerome Province was our right tackle. Superior. There was Brad Klein on my weak side, and E.Z. Smith… And they just didn’t ever make a mistake, knew who to block – those guys were all so intelligent.”

It was an emphatic end to one of the truly great careers in the history of Gamecock football. Remember, too, that Grantz was Bobby Richardson’s starting shortstop on the first Gamecock baseball team to go to the College World Series, just five months earlier, when Carolina finished second in the nation behind Texas. It was quite a run for the two-sport star from Bel Air, Maryland. For his exploits, Grantz was inducted into the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985.  He continues to follow the program closely to this day. 

Of the upcoming reunion, Grantz anticipated a good time with 50-60 former teammates expected, along with a smattering of coaches, managers, and trainers. 

“I guilt them [his former teammates] into coming. I told them, you better get back here, this is probably the last time we’re all gonna be together, so you better not miss it,” he says, laughing. “They say, ‘Man, who do you have to put it like that?’” After a moment’s reflection, he answers, “I’m honest, like Coach Carlen told me to be.” 

All these years later, Jeff Grantz continues to lead his team.

Note 1: Grantz’s 5,017 total yards were third behind Tommy Suggs (5,025) and George Rogers (5,204) at the time of his induction into the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985. Todd Ellis is the current total yardage leader, with 9,351.

Note 2: South Carolina football has recorded 11 1,000-yard rushers in program history, only eight of which are not named George Rogers. Rogers holds the top two single-season spots with 1,894 during his Heisman Trophy-winning season of 1980, and 1,681 during his junior season of 1979. He also holds 11th place for his sophomore campaign in 1978, when he rushed for 1,006 yards (as a fullback!). Kevin Long and Clarence Williams’ 1975 season totals currently rank sixth and eighth, with 1,133 and 1,073 yards, respectively.

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