Brawl Mars Holtz's Regular Season Swan Song

Benches Clear Late In Clemson's Win Over South Carolina: Clemson 29, South Carolina 7

Clemson and South Carolina players fight during the fourth quarter. The brawl delayed the game 10 minutes. (Mic Smith - AP Photo/Charleston Post and Courier)

CLEMSON, S.C., Nov. 20 -- Lou Holtz's final regular season game for South Carolina was one he'll probably want to forget.

Reggie Merriweather had three touchdowns and a career-high 125 yards to lead Clemson to a 29-7 victory Saturday over the Gamecocks in a game marred by a fourth-quarter brawl between the teams.

The 67-year-old Holtz told his team Thursday that he will retire after this season, reportedly clearing the way for Steve Spurrier to take over in 2005.

"You'd have to not know that President Bush was reelected not to know what my plans are," Holtz said.

Several Gamecocks said the coach told them in the meeting that Spurrier is coming to Columbia, S.C.

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

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.

Clemson became bowl eligible for the sixth straight year. South Carolina could play in either the Peach or Independence bowls, depending on how the rest of the Southeastern Conference shakes out.