Thanksgiving was a little bit nicer this year for Tony Elliott and his side of the family. For the last five years, Clemson’s co-offensive coordinator had to deal with all the bragging from the South Carolina fans and graduates that were sitting on the other side of the table.
Elliott’s sister and his aunt both graduated from Carolina so it made for some interesting conversations at the dinner table.
This year, however, it was Elliott who got to brag a little more or hold his head higher than normal. The Tigers snapped their five-game losing streak to Carolina last year at Death Valley. This year Elliott is calling plays for the No. 1-ranked team in the country, whose undefeated and thinking national championship.
The Tigers (11-0) travel to Columbia on Saturday for a high-noon showdown with the Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium.
“Last year was a good year for us so I’m going to do everything I can to make sure we put together a sound plan to give our guys an opportunity,” Elliott said.
Elliott is one of the few people in the Clemson-Carolina Rivalry to understand all aspects of it. As a player at Clemson from 1999-2003, he experienced it in a way few can understand as the Tigers went 4-1 in his five years inside the program.
After he graduated from Clemson, he saw the rivalry the way most do – from the fans’ perspective. Elliott was out of football for two years after he graduated from Clemson, and while working as an engineer at Michelin he worked with fans on both sides of the rivalry. It was at that time he really got to see what it was like through their eyes.
“As a player, and being from the state, you know how important it is. You dislike them on that day,” he said. “You are not going to say you love those guys down there, but you have friends and you respect them. You don’t necessarily have that distaste as a fan does throughout the entire year. But on game day you know the importance, and on game week you understand what your job is as a player.
“When I became a fan, it was like, ‘Wow!’ I did not realize how serious this really was because as a player you are just focused on playing. It is just another game with a little bit more atmosphere because it is South Carolina.”
Elliott eventually got into coaching, and was hired as Dabo Swinney’s running backs coach in 2011. Last year’s 35-17 win in Clemson was his first taste of victory in the rivalry as a coach, and gave him a different appreciation.
“As a coach, you understand the off-the-field implications to the program each year when you play this game. You understand how important it is to win this game for your fans,” he said. “You have to have your guys, your players, understand the importance, but not push them to the point where they are paralyzed because they are scared not to have success in this game.
“You have to have them understand this game is important to a lot of people. You are playing and representing a lot of people, more than just yourself so you have to take a tremendous amount of pride.”
Elliott says players don’t realize fans plan their weddings, family reunions, their entire budget for the household around football season.
“For fans, they love every game, but they really, really mark this one on the calendar because it is an opportunity for bragging rights,” the Clemson coach said. “Then you have some families that are split so they really want to have the upper hand on some of their love ones.
“As a player you knew it was a big one. There was always a lot of energy and you always had things to remind you about the game … the ball run, the beating of the drum. But not until I got out in the real world, and was around some folks that really take pride in it. That is when I realized it.”
The main thing Elliott learned in his short time out of football is that Clemson fans are extremely passionate about football.
“You have a genuine appreciation. One for the school you are representing. The Clemson people are very passionate about this, and especially this game,” he said. “It has been neat to see all different aspects.”