Sports

Steve Spurrier Returns Dabo Swinney's Barb, Cites South Carolina's Head-to-Head Wins Against Clemson

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The media parade leading up to the college football season continued Tuesday with Steve Spurrier returning Dabo Swinney's barb from Monday.

Visiting ESPN's Bristol, Conn. campus, Spurrier added to the storied South Carolina college football rivalry. Monday, Swinney said he was from Mars and Spurrier was from Pluto.

"Dabo probably thinks there's only, what, nine planets out there. I think I read where Pluto may not be considered one now," Spurrier told ESPN.

Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks play in Columbia, S.C. in the Southeastern Conference and the Clemson Tigers play about 128 miles northwest, for the ACC. The Gamecocks have won the last five meetings against the Tigers.

"The only thing I remind Dabo of is his comments three years ago of the real Carolina being in Chapel Hill and the real USC being in California," Spurrier said. "Sometimes he forgets he throws some stuff out there also. He wants to make people believe that I'm the only one that throws a little stuff out there."

The Gamecocks' coach has a reputation for openly speaking his mind with the media, but his comments Tuesday were meant as a reminded that the trash talking in his rivalry with Swinney is not one-sided. It is also not limited to the head coaches.

Before last season, former Tigers quarterback Tajh Boyd said he was not afraid of the Gamecocks' former defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Both were in the pre-season conversation for the Heisman, but Clowney was arguably the most feared pass rusher in the game at the time.

"We've never even been to [a BCS bowl]," Spurrier said. "I'll admit to that, although we beat them about every year. They get there and we don't. That's just the way it is. The SEC can only send two teams and the ACC sends two. We've got too many good teams going."

Spurrier has also built up a reputation for not relying on anyone but himself for his public commenting. He showed up to the ESPN campus all by himself, whereas most coaches tend to come with at least a public relations official.

"We get along fine," Spurrier said of his relationship with Swinney. "We really do. Our wives are wonderful friends and are involved in a charity together. It's just a bunch of talking. That's all it is."

Clemson hosts South Carolina Sat, Nov. 29, the last game of the season.

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