The South Carolina Gamecocks picked up the biggest win of the Shane Beamer era on Saturday, defeating archrival Clemson on the road in Death Valley. The Gamecocks went into one of the most hostile road environments in all of college football and left with a program-defining 17-14 victory.
This marks the second time Carolina has beaten Clemson on the road in the past three seasons, dashing their playoff hopes in the process. However, the Gamecocks may have gained more than bragging rights this time. There’s a really good shot they played themselves into the playoff themselves. With so much to unpack from South Carolina’s massive rivalry week win, let’s take a look at the key takeaways.
Sellers’ Finest Moment Yet
With so much on the line for the Gamecocks, it’s only fitting their budding superstar at quarterback shined the brightest. LaNorris Sellers put the entire offense on his back against Clemson, and if anything, that’s an understatement.
Sellers recorded 330 of Carolina’s 431 yards and both of their touchdowns. Both scores were on long runs where he shredded the Tiger’s defense en route to the end zone. The second came with just over a minute left in regulation and was the deciding score.
What we’ve seen from Sellers over the past several weeks has been nothing short of extraordinary. The wide-eyed freshman we saw in week one who struggled against Old Dominion has blossomed into one of the most electric players in the country. While few would disagree with this assessment of the Gamecocks’ young quarterback, Beamer took things a step further.
“LaNorris Sellers is the best player in the country,” Beamer said. “All you media people that vote on the Heisman if you’re not voting for that guy, for in the mix for the Heisman Trophy, you’re out of your minds. Like, name a player in the country that’s done more than that kid has this year, particularly today, in the environments that he’s done it in, in the moments that he’s done it in. I mean, he put our team on his back today.”
While Beamer’s assessment may have been a tad bit hyperbolic, there’s no denying the underlying sentiment. Sellers’ play over the past few weeks has elevated him into the upper echelon of the sport. The Heisman may not be a realistic goal this season, but it could become one in the very near future.
Carolina’s Defense Comes Through
The Gamecocks normally stout defense struggled at times against the Tigers but came up big when it mattered most. Coming into the day, Clemson’s high-flying offense was averaging 37.6 points and 470 yards per game. Both were ranked top 10 in the nation, and many wondered if Carolina would be able to slow them down.
While Clemson had no trouble moving the ball, picking up 419 total yards, they were largely kept out of the endzone. This “bend but don’t break” philosophy combined with two timely turnovers ultimately carried the Gamecocks over the finish line. Beamer touched on the resiliency his team possesses, and why it’s been so crucial to their success.
“Yeah, that’s one thing that we talked about, was our guys are battle-tested,” Beamer said. “We knew that just get it to the fourth quarter, that we are battle tested because of some of the games and environments that we’ve been in, and we’re built for this, and that’s what we talked about, and you saw it out there as well.”
Battled tested is the perfect way to describe the Gamecocks, and these past six games are the proof. Those early heartbreaking losses to LSU and Alabama have clearly hardened this team, particularly on defense. We may not know what the postseason holds for Carolina yet, but there’s no question that they’ll be ready for whatever comes.
Playoff Hopes Remain Alive
Improbable as it may have seemed at midseason, South Carolina has a real argument for a spot in the College Football Playoffs. There’s arguably no hotter team in the country, they have several quality wins, and outside of Ole Miss, their other two losses were by one possession to ranked opponents.
Beamer’s team is far from a shoo-in for one of the at-large bids though. There are several other teams with similar resumes who will be vying to get in as well. All that this means is that the Gamecocks have laid out an extremely compelling case to the committee. Beamer laid out that case in his post-game presser following the win.
“I do believe we deserve a spot in the 12-team playoff,” Beamer said. “I get it. The committee has a tough job. They have to choose the 12 best teams. 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. If the committee’s job is to pick the 12 best teams, I don’t know of any team that would be excited about having to play this team the way that we’re playing right now.”
The three losses on Carolina’s resume are certain to give some committee members pause. That being said, it’s hard to argue with the rest of the case Beamer laid out. Only time will tell if the Gamecocks make the final 12, but regardless of the outcome they’ve come farther than just about anybody could have imagined.
