The No. 15 South Carolina football team defeated its in-state rival No. 12 Clemson 17-14 on Saturday to earn its ninth win of the season and its sixth straight victory with a late fourth-quarter comeback.
Saturday marked the first time both schools have played each other while ranked since their matchup on Nov. 30, 2013, which saw the Gamecocks win 31-17.
"We knew it was going to be a war, two great teams going at it," head coach Shane Beamer said following the game. "We just needed to get this thing to the fourth quarter and find a way to win it"
Neither school put up any points in the first quarter. But Clemson would strike early in the second quarter, after failing to convert on a fourth-and-one play during its previous drive, with a 13 yard rushing touchdown by junior quarterback Cade Klubnik.
It wouldn’t take long for South Carolina to respond, as redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers would break off on a 25-yard rushing touchdown on the Gamecocks' next possession, breaking tackles from several Clemson defenders in the process.
The teams would remain deadlocked at 7 points apiece until Klubnik scored on an 18-yard rushing touchdown — his second of the day — to put the Tigers ahead in the third quarter.
South Carolina would not answer until seven minutes into the fourth quarter, when sixth-year kicker Alex Herrera made a 42-yard field goal.
Clemson punted the ball back to the Gamecocks with just over five minutes left in the game after its next drive. South Carolina then drove 75 yards, capping it all off with a 20-yard rushing touchdown by Sellers on a third-and-16 play.
"I saw my first read, my second read, then I saw green grass." Sellers said about his game-winning touchdown run. "I just stepped up, I usually just find a receiver, but I saw green grass. I was like, 'Why not take?' I've been doing it the whole game."
The Tigers had one final chance to tie or win the game, but with 16 seconds remaining, sixth-year linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. intercepted a pass from Klubnik to seal the victory.
"Win the game. The message was, 'Get off the field.' That's what we were doing all day, making them put the ball down." Knight said. "That's the motto — even when we score right there, put the ball down, finish the game."
Showing resilience
Entering the fourth quarter, South Carolina trailed the Tigers by just 7 points. This was not the Gamecocks' first time playing from behind in the fourth quarter, as just two weeks prior, the team found itself down 30-27 against Missouri with one minute and 10 seconds left in the game. South Carolina would go on to win that game 34-30.
The Gamecocks' first attempt to tie the game up ended with Sellers throwing an interception to sophomore safety Khalil Barnes, which put the Tigers on their own nine-yard line. It was South Carolina's third turnover of the afternoon, all of which came inside of Clemson territory. Sellers and senior running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders both lost fumbles in the first and third quarters, respectively.
South Carolina's defense made the Tigers go on a quick three-and-out before the Gamecocks' offense regained possession of the ball at its own 44-yard line. Even after giving up three turnovers, the Gamecock defense did not allow Clemson to score on any one of those drives, something Beamer said showcased the leadership of his team.
“We lost the turnover margin which is unbelievable that we won the game and lost the turnover margin." Beamer said. “We had some disappointing penalties as well but just the testament to the young men and the leadership we have.”
Gamecocks' ground game
Despite Clemson’s success in the passing game, South Carolina's rushing attack was able to keep both teams nearly even on total yards.
Of South Carolina’s 431 total yards, 267 came from running the football. Clemson put up 419 yards, with 280 coming through the air.
The Gamecocks' two biggest contributors to the ground game were Sellers and Sanders. Sellers tallied the most with 166 yards, while Sanders gained 60 yards.
Before the game, South Carolina was ranked as the 39th-best rushing offense in the country, averaging 181.8 yards per game. This season, the Gamecocks have rushed for over 250 yards in four different games, including today's contest — something the team failed to do all of last season.
A chance at the playoffs
Even though South Carolina has already clinched a bowl game by winning at least six games, it possesses a resume that could potentially get it into the new 12-team College Football Playoff. Beamer said he believes his team deserves one of those spots.
“I do believe we deserve a spot in the 12 team playoff,” Beamer said. "I get it. We got three losses — I understand that. But it's hard for me to sit there and say that we're not one of the 12 best teams in the country."
South Carolina now has wins over four ranked teams — Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Clemson — in its past five games. With the win over the No. 12 team in the country, the Gamecocks could move up in the rankings when they are released on Tuesday.
What's next?
South Carolina will learn its postseason fate during the College Football Playoff selection show, which will air on ESPN from noon to 4 p.m. on Dec. 8.