Carolina claims third straight win over in-state rival
Playing in front of a crowd of 83,422, the No. 14 Gamecocks cruised to a third straight victory over their in-state rivals behind an impressive performance by quarterback Connor Shaw, knocking off the No. 18 Tigers 34-13 to secure the second 10-win season in program history.
"We were hoping to play our best game of the year and we probably did," said coach Steve Spurrier. "Offensively we did enough things here and there to run for over 200 yards and pass for the exact [same] amount. That's sort of our formula for winning."
Shaw didn't wait long to get his strong showing off the ground. Holding a 3-0 lead and facing third-and-6 near midfield, the sophomore looked deep and fired a pass to the end zone, hitting receiver Bruce Ellington just across the goal line for a 49-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 10-0.
"That was just a heck of a play by [Ellington] and Connor," Spurrier said. "We had a little drag route with a tight end and another guy over the middle, and just in case they didn't have anybody deep, we had Bruce going deep. I was sort of looking [in the middle] and Connor stepped up, let it go and hit him on the dead run. That might've been one of our prettiest plays all year."
The offensive rhythm continued in the waning moments of the second quarter. With the score tied at 10 after a Clemson field goal and a Tajh Boyd touchdown pass to Dwayne Allen, Shaw — who completed 14 of 20 passes for 210 yards to go along with 107 yards on the ground — led the Gamecocks down the field on a nine-play, 60-yard drive, eventually capping off the possession with a 15-yard touchdown run to take a 17-10 lead at halftime.
"I knew coming into this game that Clemson had struggled stopping running quarterbacks," Shaw said. "When I saw routes weren't opening and that they were turning their backs to me, I'd take off. I think we used that to our advantage today."
Carolina went back to the air on its first possession of the third quarter. On the second play of the drive at the USC 40, Shaw tossed a short pass to tight end Rory Anderson, who proceeded to rumble all the way down the sideline to the Clemson 5. Three plays later, Shaw found the freshman again, this time for a 2-yard touchdown pass to make it 24-10.
"[Anderson] quietly makes big play after big play," Spurrier said. "We got him wide open on that little drag route, and then he shook the tackle and got it down there [near the goal line]. I don't know how many catches he's had this year, but I think three have been for touchdowns. He's got a chance to be a very good tight end for us."
The Gamecocks rounded out their final home game of the season with one last touchdown in the final moments of the fourth quarter to seal the victory for good. Following a DeVonte Holloman interception that set the offense up deep in Clemson territory, Shaw hit Alshon Jeffery in the back of the end zone for his third touchdown pass of the night, extending the lead to 34-13.
"Connor can take care of the ball, run with it and every now and then he pulls it down when it's not there," Spurrier said. "He played with no turnovers, no interceptions, and that was huge. He doesn't have very many stupid plays. He's gained confidence."
The win marked Shaw's first performance without an interception since USC's win over Kentucky in early October, during which he also managed to eclipse the three-touchdown mark.
With his first victory over Clemson (9-3) as a starter now in tow, Shaw said he hopes to continue learning from his experiences this season as the Gamecocks (10-2) begin preparing for a bowl game in the coming weeks.
"I feel like my confidence is boosting the more I play, game by game," Shaw said. "I think I have a better feel for the game, and I'm starting to see the bigger picture."