CLEMSON — If you do not think the outcome of the South Carolina game defines a Clemson quarterback’s legacy, then you are wrong.

Clemson fans love Tajh Boyd. They do. However, there is always one caveat when they talk about him. His record against South Carolina.

During his three-year career as Clemson’s starting quarterback Boyd set tons of Clemson and ACC records. He also tied Rodney Williams’ then record for career wins (32) by a Clemson quarterback.

He beat teams like Georgia, Florida State, LSU and Ohio State, while also leading the Tigers to their first ACC Championship and 10-win season in 20 years.

But of all the stats and numbers fans remember and love about Boyd, there is one they cannot forget – he was 0-3 against the Gamecocks.

The same can be said for Charlie Whitehurst. He set all kinds of records during his four-year career, and though he did not win any championships at Clemson, he is revered by Tiger fans.

Why?

Because Whitehurst was 4-0 against the Gamecocks.

Is it fair that their legacies are determined by what happens against South Carolina?

No. It is not.

But as Dabo Swinney said, “Life isn’t always fair.”

This is the dilemma Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik faces Saturday when the Tigers head to Columbia (noon, SECN) to take on the rival Gamecocks.

Like those before him, Klubnik has done a lot of good things for Clemson. He has won two ACC championships and taken the Tigers to the College Football Playoff.

He is one of Clemson’s most prolific passers and he is one of the program’s all-time winning-est quarterbacks as a starter.

However, he is 1-1 against the Gamecocks, and Saturday’s result against Carolina will go a long way in determining his legacy and how the Tigers’ faithful view his career at Clemson.

Is it fair?

“That is a good question,” Klubnik said. “I do not think so, but I want to go win.”

Rodney Williams thought the same thing in 1988. At the time, Williams was the first quarterback in Clemson history to lead the Tigers to three ACC Championships. He was the winning-est quarterback in Clemson history.

However, no one cared about any of that stuff. He went into the Clemson-Carolina game that year with a 1-1-1 record.

The year before, he was embarrassed in Columbia, as South Carolina fans taunted him following Brad Edwards’ pick-six that sealed the Gamecocks’ 20-7 victory.

Williams got his revenge a year later in Clemson, as he led the Tigers to a dominating 29-10 victory at Memorial Stadium. He threw for 192 yards and ran for 38 more, including a rushing touchdown on his last snap at Memorial Stadium.

Williams walked off the field to chants “ROD-ney! ROD-ney! ROD-ney!”

His legacy was set in stone.

“I definitely like to know that they know my name,” Williams said after the game. “But it means even more when they’re yelling your name because they appreciate you.”

If Klubnik leads the Tigers to a victory on Saturday in Columbia, no one will chant his name, maybe except for those few fans who make the trip down 1-26 to Columbia, but Clemson fans will forever appreciate him.