USC, Clemson facing off in annual blood drive before game

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The annual football matchup between Clemson University and the University of South Carolina is more than a week away, but the two schools are dueling this week for a good cause.

All week long, the Gamecocks and the Tigers are competing for donations in the Blood Bowl. The blood drive happens at this time of year because blood supplies dwindle in advance of the holiday season.

The winner of the coveted trophy is typically announced at the Nov. 28 football game, which is in Columbia this year.

Over the past three decades, the universities have collected about 100,000 pints of blood. In 2014, South Carolina won the drive for the seventh year in a row.