Clemson Looks to Take Down Rivals on the Road

Clemson’s season has been filled with disappointment, but a win this weekend could make it much better. The Tigers will make the trip to Columbia to take on their biggest rival, South Carolina. Much like Clemson, the Gamecocks’ season did not go as expected.

Before the season began, most people believed that this matchup would serve as a playoff eliminator or a game that would prepare both teams for a postseason run. Instead, it’s a meeting of two teams that have underperformed and want to take out their frustrations on their rival.

Every year, the Palmetto Bowl is a heated matchup. With the emotions both teams will bring to this year’s game, there should be plenty of excitement.

Like Clemson, South Carolina had huge expectations when the season began. The Gamecocks were ranked 13th in the country to start the season. LaNorris Sellers had some Heisman buzz, coming off some stellar performances in 2024. Their defense, led by edge player Dylan Stewart, looked to be stout as well.

South Carolina started out much better than the Tigers. The Gamecocks beat the only other ACC team they played this season, Virginia Tech, in week one. Things turned sour once they got into conference play.

South Carolina only has one SEC win, which came against Kentucky. Overall, the Gamecocks are 4-7 and have beaten just two power conference opponents all season. They dominated Coastal Carolina in their last outing, winning 51-7 at home. This came a week after giving up a four-score lead in the second half against Texas A&M.

Similar to Clemson, South Carolina has a playoff-caliber roster. Neither team was able to put it all together, though. The Gamecocks still do have one of the most explosive players in all of college football, who the Tigers’ defense knows all about.

The Clemson defense has one task it must achieve to give itself the best chance to win the game. The Tigers must slow down Sellers. As that unit already knows, though, that is much easier said than done.

Sellers torched the Clemson defense in last year’s game. The elusive quarterback put on a show in Memorial Stadium. He looked unstoppable in his first start in this rivalry. His passing numbers weren’t great, as he completed just 13 of his 21 passes for 164 yards and an interception. The Tigers’ defense did a great job of defeating pass blocks and putting pressure on Sellers when he dropped back.

The issue was Clemson’s poor tackling. That allowed Sellers to kill the Tigers on the ground with 16 carries for 166 yards and two touchdowns. This year, the Tigers have to figure out how to get Sellers on the ground.

His frame makes him a tough player to tackle at 6’3, and 240 pounds. But, it’s the only way to neutralize the Gamecocks’ offense. Much of what they do revolves around Sellers’ ability to take over a game. Coming into this mathcup, the redshirt sophomore is completing 61.8% of his passes for 2,056 yards, 11 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He’s also got the most carries on the team with 137, and is the second leading rusher with 268 net yards and five touchdowns. With fewer sacks taken, he’d likely be the leading rusher for South Carolina.

Tom Allen spent the offseason trying to get the Tigers’ defense to become better tacklers. All of that work needs to show up in Williams-Brice this weekend, to keep Sellers from taking over the game for the second year in a row.

In order for the offense to have success, the offensive line needs to show up big time. This position group has been the most inconsistent for Clemson all season. That is disappointing, given the number of veterans with extensive experience in the group.

Injuries definitely are one of the biggest factors in the up-and-down play of the offensive front. Still, there are too many times where guys look confused on pass protection, or don’t get enough push to make it to the second level on runs. These things can’t happen against this South Carolina defensive front.

The Gamecocks’ defensive line can be disruptive if the Tigers’ offensive line doesn’t get off the ball quickly on the snap and play physical. Stewart sat out last week against Coastal Carolina, but Shane Beamer said he expects him to be full-go Saturday. The star edge rusher enters the game with 31 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles on the season.

He is not the only one on the South Carolina front that can give Clemson a hard time, though. On the opposite edge, Bryan Thomas Jr. has been getting after the quarterback. He is the team’s sack leader with eight total and 13 quarterback hurries. He’s also accumulated 38 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. On the inside, defensive tackle Nick Barrett has also been giving opposing offenses problems. He’s got 38 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble coming into the game.

The Clemson offensive line will have its hands full. They need to keep the Gamecocks’ defensive front from wrecking the game. It’ll allow Cade Klubnik and crew to exploit some of the weaknesses on the back end of that defense in order to push the ball downfield.

Location: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina

Date and Time: Saturday, November 29, at 12 pm

Television: SEC Network

Main Photo: Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co Inc SC / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images