Fans show support for Dabo

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) _ Longtime Clemson fan Ray Cash had seen all he needed to — and told Clemson administrators that earlier this week.

Cash said he e-mailed athletic director Terry Don Phillips earlier this week that the Tigers should hire interim coach Dabo Swinney full time.

"He doesn't have a lot of experience," Cash said Saturday. "But me, I'm ready to give him a try."

Cash said elevating Swinney would be a low-risk move that would not disrupt the program as much as bringing in someone new would. Plus, Cash says Swinney's excelled at the task he was given: healing a team fractured by the midseason departure of coach Tommy Bowden.

"I like what he's done," Cash said.

So do other Clemson fans, who again formed two lines for what could be the last Tiger Walk with Swinney as coach.

People dressed in orange cheered and shouted Dabo's name. They urged junior tailback C.J. Spiller to stay one more year and left senior runner James Davis near tears with their support.

Defensive lineman Rashaad Jackson kept spirits high, shouting out "1, 2, 3, 4," to start one of the school's traditional cheers where fans spell out Clemson.

Cash says Swinney has shown the ability to make the right moves in bringing a staff together, starting with firing then-offensive coordinator Rob Spence.

Cash's son, Brett, was as supportive of Swinney as his father.

"After Florida State, I was scratching my head a little bit," said Brett, referring to Clemson's 41-27 loss to the Seminoles earlier this month.

"But Dabo corrected the mistakes," Brett said. "I think he can do some good things."

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LESS THAN SPECIAL:@ South Carolina special teams coordinator Ray Rychleski came to the Gamecocks with a proven background of achievement, including not having had a punt blocked in his seven seasons at Maryland.

That ended Saturday when Clemson reserve Jamie Harper blocked Spencer Lanning's punt in the opening quarter.

The block led to Mark Buchholz's 22-yard field goal that put Clemson ahead 10-0.

Clemson blocked two punts, including one that was brought back for a touchdown, in a 23-21 victory over the Gamecocks in 2007. Those breakdowns led South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier to bring Rychleski in last winter.

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SOUTH CAROLINA BOWLS:@ Representatives from the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta and the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla., attended Saturday's game.

The Gamecocks, who missed a bowl despite six victories last season, appear headed for the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., or the Chick-fil-A.

South Carolina has a history at the Outback with consecutive appearances after the 2000 and 2001 season, both times defeating Ohio State.

The Gamecocks benefit from several normally bowl eligible Southeastern Conference teams who aren't in the mix for the league's biggest bowls this year like Tennessee, Arkansas and Auburn.

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CLEMSON'S SENIORS:@ Clemson's senior class will leave Death Valley as one of the school's most stellar groups.

Featuring quarterback Cullen Harper, tailback James Davis and receiver Aaron Kelly, the senior class brought a 31-18 mark into its final regular-season game against South Carolina.

Harper, voted the preseason Atlantic Coast Player of the year, set 22 school records his junior season.

Davis is 203 yards shy of Clemson's all time rushing mark held by Raymond Priester.

Two games ago, Kelly became the Atlantic Coast Conference career receptions leader.

Davis was first of Clemson's 28 seniors introduced as they entered Memorial Stadium and strolled down the facilities famous hill to the crowd's cheers.