Clemson had its hopes of receiving an at-large bid into the college football playoffs crushed by rival South Carolina. It was a back-and-forth contest in the Palmetto Bowl where the quarterbacks were the difference makers. Clemson had the lead going into the fourth quarter. The Tigers could not create enough offense to burn time off the clock though. As Lanorris Sellers kept getting more opportunities to make something happen, it felt as if it was inevitable. Sellers was unstoppable with his legs and ran the Gamecocks to a 17-14 victory in Death Valley.
All hope is not lost for the Tigers, though. With some help from Syracuse, they are going to Charlotte next week. They will have one more chance to earn a playoff spot in the ACC Championship game.
Rollercoaster Offense
The Tigers’ offense against the Gamecocks was a rollercoaster to watch. There were some great ups but also terrible downs. As we talked about in our preview of this year’s Palmetto Bowl matchup, Cade Klubnik was the key for Clemson.
For most of the game, Klubnik played very well. He looked comfortable in the pocket, got the ball out fast, and made plays with his legs when he needed to. Two of those scrambles he made went for both of the Tigers’ scores in the game. Klubnik’s knowing when to use his running ability, as well as the offensive line stepping up, helped keep the South Carolina pass rush neutralized. The Gamecocks only had one sack as a team against Clemson.
The few times South Carolina was able to get good pressure though, Klubnik panicked and that is when the mistakes were made. He made some wild off-target throws that if he completed, could have extended drives and kept Sellers off the field longer. The worst play from the junior quarterback was his last one which resulted in an interception. Klubnik had been doing well in the one-minute offense after the Tigers fell behind. He got pressured on second down though and as he escaped the pocket, he tried to throw the ball back across his body.
The pass was placed behind Phil Mafah going across the field himself. He was not able to reach for it and it was picked off by Demetrius Knight. That play sealed the game and almost the season for Clemson. Klubnik finished the day completing 24 of 36 pass attempts for 280 yards and an interception. He also had 10 carries for 62 yards to go with his two touchdown runs. Klubnik has shown he has come a long way in two years, but he still has more to go.
Defense Introduced to the Sellers Show
On the other sideline, Sellers had himself a game. He was not able to get much going in the pass game with the Clemson pass rush getting constant pressure. Sellers completed just 13 of 21 pass attempts for 164 yards and an interception. His legs made a big-time difference though.
Sellers ran the ball 16 times for 166 yards and two touchdowns. The second touchdown run put the Gamecocks in the lead late in the fourth quarter. The freshman quarterback was the leading rusher for South Carolina as it put up 267 total rushing yards against the Tigers. Clemson’s bad run fits and poor tackling angles cost the Tigers once again at home. It is something that has hurt the Tigers on defense at various points and Sellers made them pay once again.
The confidence the Gamecock’s staff had in Sellers to let him make so many plays with his legs helped too. Shane Beamer and his staff did lots of designed runs and quick-read plays to allow Sellers to use his most valuable asset. It is something Dabo Swinney and his staff need to do with Klubnik more as well.
One More Shot
Although the chances for an at-large bid into the CFP for Clemson are no more, the Tigers did receive an early Christmas present from Syracuse. The Orange pulled off the upset over Miami. This gave the Hurricanes their second ACC loss. This means Clemson will be going to Charlotte for the ACC Championship game.
In the championship game, the Tigers will meet ninth-ranked SMU. The Mustangs are going to be coming off of a 38-6 beatdown they gave Cal to finish the regular season. SMU has been the most consistent team in the conference all season. It is not going to be an easy challenge for Clemson in the slightest. The Mustangs have more talent than they are given credit for. They also play with a chip on their shoulder every week. It will be up to the Tigers to clean up the mistakes to win back their conference.
