Holtz’s Swan Song Is Marred by Fight

Lou Holtz’s final regular-season game for South Carolina was one he’ll probably want to forget, a 29-7 loss to Clemson that was marred by a fourth-quarter brawl between the teams.

Emotions on both sides spun out of control late in the fourth quarter with a sidelines-clearing fight that delayed the game for about 10 minutes before coaches, police and security officers got things under control.

The 67-year-old Holtz, expected to be replaced next season by Steve Spurrier, dived into the pile of fighting players as peacemaker, trying to peel much bigger bodies from the situation. “Hey, he’s our daddy,” guard Jonathan Alston said. “If he was our father, we’d all get beatings” for the fight.

Clemson cornerback Justin Miller, who tussled with South Carolina receiver Matthew Thomas, said, “I got a little scraped up, a couple of scratches. Once I saw a couple of big guys come by me, I got out of there.”

Holtz and Clemson Coach Tommy Bowden said they would look at tapes of the fight and possibly take action. Clemson Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips said the Atlantic Coast Conference would also review the fight to see if penalties had to be handed out.

“You saw it at the basketball game last night,” Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst said, referring to the brawl between players and fans at the NBA game in Auburn Hills, Mich., between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. “You hate that it happens, but it does sometime.”

Reggie Merriweather had three touchdowns and a career-high 125 yards rushing to lead Clemson, which at 6-5 becomes bowl eligible. South Carolina is also 6-5.

Holtz told his team Thursday he’d retire after this season, reportedly clearing the way for Spurrier to take over in 2005. The official announcement about Holtz is expected Monday. Several Gamecocks said the coach told them in the meeting that Spurrier is coming to Columbia.

“That’s like going from J-Lo to Halle Berry,” South Carolina tackle Na’shan Goddard said. “We’re getting a real good dude.”

Spurrier, attending the Duke-North Carolina game, would not comment on what’s ahead.

Holtz had pointed to this game since last November when the Gamecocks were run out of Williams-Brice Stadium, 63-17. He said it was the most embarrassed he’d ever been and vowed it would not happen again.

Instead, he lost to the Gamecocks’ in-state rival for the fifth time in six seasons.

“That’s one of the biggest disappointments,” Holtz said. “At the same time, there’s no excuse for it.”

Holtz stands eighth in career victories with 249. He’s 33-37 at South Carolina. This one was bad from the start for the Gamecocks.