{"id":69280,"date":"2024-11-29T15:00:11","date_gmt":"2024-11-29T20:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=69280"},"modified":"2024-11-29T12:08:16","modified_gmt":"2024-11-29T17:08:16","slug":"south-carolina-vs-clemson-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2024\/11\/29\/south-carolina-vs-clemson-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"South Carolina vs Clemson Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

The South Carolina Gamecocks will head to Death Valley this Saturday for a top-15 matchup against their arch-rivals the Clemson Tigers. The hate this rivalry brings out is well documented, but it\u2019s likely to reach even new heights thanks to some added pressure. Both teams currently sit on the playoff bubble in most projections, meaning a win could be either <\/span>one<\/span> in the tournament.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Gamecocks will enter the contest <\/span>in the midst of<\/span> a five-game win streak, while Clemson has won nine of their last 10. It\u2019s been a while since this storied rivalry has carried such large implications, but here we are. Can Shane Beamer<\/a> collect his second win against Carolina\u2019s most hated rival? Let\u2019s find out as we dive into this week\u2019s South Carolina game preview.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clemson at First Glance<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Gamecocks\u2019 arch-rivals will enter Saturday with a 9-2 record and are currently ranked 12th in the nation. With Carolina currently ranked 15th, this will mark the first time since 2017 that both sides enter the contest in the top 25. <\/span><\/p>\n

Clemson stumbled out <\/span>of<\/span> the gates to start the season, dropping their opener to the then-top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Following this early setback though, the Tigers regrouped and rattled off six straight wins. This momentum was brought to a screeching halt with a loss to unranked Louisville on the road, but they\u2019ve gotten back on track winning their last three matchups.<\/span><\/p>\n

While these may not be the Clemson Tigers of years past, they are still an insanely talented team. They have NFL talent at every level, making them a serious threat. Beamer touched on the challenge his guys will be up against this weekend, referencing the Tigers\u2019 resilience.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGot a big challenge on our hands,” Beamer said. “Dabo has done an awesome job with his team this year. Disappointing game one against Georgia. <\/span>Have<\/span> a lot of respect for the way they didn’t listen to all the noise about him and their program and their team after that game. <\/span>Just<\/span> stayed focused on getting better and winning the next one and they <\/span>absolutely<\/span> have. They have been on a roll since that game.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Tigers are <\/span>indeed<\/span> playing their best football of the season, and much of that falls to the man under center on offense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tigers\u2019 New QB Sensation<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Cade Klubnik<\/a> may not be Trevor Lawrence or Deshaun Watson, but he has become exactly what the Tigers have needed at quarterback. The junior gunslinger has improved massively this season, reinvigorating Clemson\u2019s previously stagnant offense. <\/span><\/p>\n

Klubnik has <\/span>currently<\/span> racked up 2,761 yards and 29 touchdowns while completing just under 64 percent of his passes. He also poses a threat on the ground rushing for 375 yards and a further five scores. Beamer touched on Klubnik\u2019s recent jump in production, and the challenge his defense is facing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCade Klubnik is playing great right now,\u201d Beamer said. \u201cThe best ball of his career. Shows his athleticism and ability to make all the throws, run.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Combined with a stout run game and seasoned offensive line, Carolina will be facing one of their hardest challenges all year. The Gamecocks\u2019 front seven <\/span>will have to<\/span> establish some early pressure to set the tone. If they can\u2019t get to Klubnik, things <\/span>are likely to<\/span> get ugly for Carolina.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clemson’s Defense is still Formidable<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

While the Tigers\u2019 defense has <\/span>also<\/span> declined from their championship pedigree, the unit is still extremely talented. Headlined by one of the nation\u2019s best linebackers Barrett Carter<\/a>, they remain a formidable foe for any offense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clemson currently ranks sixth in the nation in total defense, third in turnover margin, and the top 15 in <\/span>a number of<\/span> other key stats. They\u2019re big, physical, and have NFL talent at all three levels. Beamer echoed many of the same sentiments when asked about the Tiger\u2019s defense, giving his opponent some massive praise in the process.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDefensively, every year, they have an amazing defense, and this year is no different,\u201d Beamer said. \u201cThey are big and physical. Strong on the line of scrimmage. They have depth there. Tackles that can play end. Ends that can play tackles. The linebackers are <\/span>really, really<\/span> good. Carter, I will be glad when he is out of there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Clemson remains a force on defense, and they will also have one of the best home crowd advantages in the country on their side. Carolina has to establish their run game early and <\/span>they<\/span> cannot afford to give away processions. Once momentum is on Clemson\u2019s side in Death Valley, it becomes <\/span>very difficult<\/span> to pry it back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Massive Post-Season Implications<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

As we touched on before, this year\u2019s Palmetto Bowl will have more riding on it than any other in recent memory. Both teams currently sit on the edge of Playoff eligibility, and a win could also carry a playoff bid. While there\u2019s no guarantee that either side will <\/span>actually<\/span> make the tournament, the winner is sure to find themselves in the mix for one of the final slots.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both teams are hungry, evenly matched, and playing for far more than bragging rights. For Clemson, a win represents a return to the upper echelon of the sport. For Carolina, it crowns the best season of Beamer\u2019s tenure so far and sets a new precedent for the program.<\/span><\/p>\n

All of this added pressure has elevated one of the most hate-filled rivalries in the country to an almost fever pitch. <\/span>The<\/span> Gamecocks have the ability to secure their biggest win in recent memory <\/span>on Saturday, and<\/span> in doing so dash the Tigers\u2019 postseason dreams.<\/span> Conversely, Clemson also holds the same axe over Carolina. <\/span><\/p>\n

Games like this <\/span>are what<\/span> make college football so special, and for the Gamecocks it could be their gateway to program history. Going on the road and getting a win in Death Valley is never an easy task, but Carolina can get it done. <\/span>If they play to the standard they\u2019ve set the past several weeks, <\/span>then they may <\/span>just<\/span> find themselves in the vaunted College Football Playoff.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"South
Photo courtesy:\u00a0 Jeff Blake-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The South Carolina Gamecocks will head to Death Valley this Saturday for a top-15 matchup against their arch-rivals the Clemson Tigers. The hate this rivalry brings out is well documented, but it\u2019s likely to reach even new heights thanks to some added pressure. Both teams currently sit on the playoff bubble in most projections, meaning […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5264,"featured_media":69288,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[10119,9714,36,680,2591,80],"class_list":["post-69280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-sec","tag-barrett-carter","tag-cade-klubnik","tag-clemson-tigers","tag-dabo-swinney","tag-palmetto-bowl","tag-south-carolina-gamecocks"],"modified_by":"Tony Siracusa, CFB Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5264"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69280"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69280\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}