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COLUMBIA, South Carolina (Ticker) -- For the first time, a Southeastern Conference team finished 0-11. Lou Holtz could not turn around the South Carolina program enough to muster even a single win, but at least the disappointment is over after a 31-21 defeat to state rival Clemson. Holtz lost a total of 11 games in his final three seasons at Notre Dame. The frustrating season extended South Carolina's losing streak to a school-record and national-long 21 games. The Gamecocks' last win was against Ball State in the 1998 season opener and they are 0-3 against Clemson since 1996. The Tigers lead the all-time series, 58-35-4. On the other side, Clemson (6-5) is eligible for a bowl in the debut season of coach Tommy Bowden. Although South Carolina had it highest scoring output of the season, the Gamecocks were outgained, 425-252. Travis Zachery led Clemson with 105 yards on 17 carries and Woody Dantzler completed 14-of-26 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Rod Gardner added 138 yards on six catches. Phil Petty was 15-of-32 for 167 yards and was not intercepted for the Gamecocks. Andrew Pinnock had 76 yards on 18 carries and Antione Nesmith added 53 on five catches. Steve Florio kicked the first of his four field goals, a 20-yarder, 4:53 into the game to give South Carolina the lead and added a 24-yarder 19 seconds into the second quarter to make it 6-0. Zachery capped a nine-play, 79-yard drive with a two-yard scoring run with 11:25 left in the second quarter to give the Tigers the lead for good, 7-6. Dantzler threw a 24-yard scoring pass to Gardner midway through the second to make it 14-6. Pinnock found the end zone from four yards with 81 seconds left in the half and Petty's pass attempt on the two-point conversion failed, leaving South Carolina down 14-12. Tony Lazzara booted a 24-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to give Clemson a 17-12 edge. Zachery scored the only points of the third quarter on a four-yard run but Pinnock countered with a 14-yard TD burst with 11:29 left in the game to close the Gamecocks within 24-18. Florio made it a three-point game with a 29-yard field goal with 8:44 left, but Dantzler and Gardner hooked up on a 29-yard scoring pass just over two minutes later to get the Tigers out of trouble.
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