Clemson University

Look: Pro-Gamecocks sign flies above Clemson-Tennessee bowl game

A banner reading “ENJOY YOUR BOWL GAME - GAMECOCKS” flies above Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, ahead of the 2022 Orange Bowl. South Carolina essentially eliminated both participants, Tennessee and rival Clemson, from College Football Playoff contention in consecutive weeks.
A banner reading “ENJOY YOUR BOWL GAME - GAMECOCKS” flies above Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, ahead of the 2022 Orange Bowl. South Carolina essentially eliminated both participants, Tennessee and rival Clemson, from College Football Playoff contention in consecutive weeks. WNML Radio

South Carolina eliminated Tennessee and Clemson from College Football Playoff contention in back-to-back weeks, and Gamecocks fans are making sure they don’t forget it.

Ahead of Friday night’s Orange Bowl between No. 6 Tennessee and No. 7 Clemson, a plane flew a banner reading “Enjoy your bowl game - Gamecocks” over Hard Rock Stadium in greater Miami.

Tennessee was ranked No. 5 in the CFP Top 25 before losing in blowout fashion to South Carolina in Week 11, and Clemson was ranked No. 8 before the Gamecocks upset the Tigers 31-30 in Week 12.

USC dealt both teams their second loss, which essentially eliminates a program from the CFP. No two-loss team has ever made the playoff since its 2014 creation.

According to a post on the fundraising website spotfund, 55 people donated $2,061 to fund the flight and the banner. The original goal was $2,055.

“The University of South Carolina kept the University of Tennessee and Clemson out of the college football playoffs,” Charles Snyder of Greenville, who created the fund and deemed it “TheOrangistBowl,” wrote on the page. “Now, it’s time to show our appreciation.”

Clemson (11-2) and Tennessee (10-2) kick off at 8 p.m. Friday, while South Carolina (8-4) played Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl earlier Friday.

Here’s a sampling of Twitter reactions to the banner:

This story was originally published December 30, 2022 at 4:48 PM with the headline "Look: Pro-Gamecocks sign flies above Clemson-Tennessee bowl game."

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Chapel Fowler
The State
Chapel Fowler, the NSMA’s 2024 South Carolina Sportswriter of the Year, has covered Clemson football and other topics for The State since summer 2022. His work’s also been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the South Carolina Press Association and the North Carolina Press Association. He’s a Denver, N.C., native, a UNC-Chapel Hill alum and a pickup basketball enthusiast. Support my work with a digital subscription
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