Clemson Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks Had Class Rivalry Week Matchup

The Clemson Tigers and South Carolina Gamecocks had one of the best games of rivalry week.

Nov 30, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and South Carolina Head Coach Shane Beamer talk after the game at Memorial Stadium. / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers entered Week 14, rivalry week in college football, knowing they had their work cut out for them to advance to the College Football Playoff.

A victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks would have kept them in the driver’s seat for an at-large bid, as it would have been their best win of the season. Because their path to the ACC Championship, and a potential automatic bid to the College Football Playoff, relied on the help of others.

For the Tigers to advance to play against the SMU Mustangs, they needed the Syracuse Orange to upset the Miami Hurricanes. That is exactly what occurred, as a 42-38 win put Clemson into the title game.

It was a good thing that the Orange was up for the challenge, as things didn’t go the Tigers’ way earlier in the day against the Gamecocks.

What was expected to be a highly competitive game certainly lived up to expectations at Memorial Stadium in Death Valley. Alas, Clemson was on the wrong side of the score in a 17-14 finish.

A low-scoring affair with both defenses playing well, it was electrifying South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers who proved to be the difference. He outdueled Cade Klubnik, relying on his dynamic rushing ability, to help his team get the win.

A highly anticipated matchup living up to the hype? It should come as no surprise that Bill Connelly of ESPN ranked it as the No. 3 game of rivalry week.

“The Gamecocks have patented the art of all-or-nothing offense, but for a while Saturday they outdid themselves, having parlayed seven gains of 20-plus yards into just 7 points. But despite their fierce pass rush producing only one sack of Cade Klubnik, they held the Clemson offense in check and trailed only 14-7 heading into the fourth quarter. It was 14-10 after a 42-yard Alex Herrera field goal, and after a Clemson three-and-out, LaNorris Sellers drove the Gamecocks 75 yards in nine plays. The last 20 came on a glorious, meandering run that Sellers has almost copyrighted at this point.”

The Tigers marched down the field and were in a position to tie the game with a field goal. But, Klubnik made an ill-advised decision with the ball, throwing an inaccurate pass that resulted in a game-sealing interception.

Despite two turnovers of his own, as Sellers threw an interception and fumbled once, his rushing ability more than made up for the mistakes. He gained 166 yards on 16 carries as Clemson had no answer for his creativity and playmaking with his legs.

It will be interesting to see how the new rankings shake out. Dabo Swinney’s crew is going to drop and already has in Coaches Poll, but has a clear path to the playoff.

The Gamecocks' path is a crowded one, as they may not measure up to the other three-loss SEC teams despite the impressive victory over their rivals on the road.