South Carolina radio broadcaster Todd Ellis opened Rivalry Week last week on Will Muschamp’s radio show with some strong comments about how Clemson players and coaches lock arm to wrap up their pregame routine and walk off the field in lock step.

“The Tigers put us in a tough position as well,” Ellis said, according to Clemson Maven. “One of the things that they do, and God bless them what they want to do in pregame they do, is grasp those arms and they walk from midfield towards our student section. Maybe that is something they could modify if they felt like it was provoking them in some way.”

Clemson, meanwhile, has maintained that the Tigers have held this tradition for 20 years.

This conversation came up in the context of South Carolina fans throwing things on the field at Clemson players two years ago at Williams-Brice Stadium.

“Listen we got a responsibility not to throw things on the field. No questions about it,” Ellis said. “Can’t throw towels. Can’t throw water bottles. We all want to act with class. There is no doubt about it. It’s a tough situation. It’s an emotional thing. That’s not the first place you and I (Muschamp) have been to that’s happened by the way. It happens at a lot of venues.”

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Ellis’ comments were “ridiculous.”

“That’s what Clemson’s done for 17 years that I’ve been here,” he said, according to video from Mike Gillespie. “It’s not any type of taunting. It’s a unity thing for our team. It’s something we do every single game. If it was something we just did on the road, I could see that. … You can yell and scream and holler and all that’s part of it. But when you start throwing things, it’s all fun and games until somebody gets their eye knocked out.”