5 Clemson Storylines Heading into Rivalry Week
No. 9 Clemson wrapped up its ACC campaign with a 40-10 win over Miami that put the Tigers a perfect 8-0 in conference play for the fourth time under head coach Dabo Swinney.
Now, all attention goes to the state championship. The South Carolina Gamecocks come to Memorial Stadium for a noon showdown fresh off a shocking and dominating 63-38 win over No. 5 Tennessee.
It's rivalry week. Here are five storylines:
1. Bad blood: There is no love lost in this rivalry. That includes the fans, the players and the coaches. It's always a big deal, no matter the stakes or the records. Both sides want this one really badly. And it'll be especially contentious at Memorial Stadium. The Gamecocks haven't played in Death Valley since 2018. The 2020 game wasn't played because of COVID-19, so the crowd has a lot of angst built up for the visitors. In terms of the series, Clemson is going for the eighth consecutive win over South Carolina. It would be the longest such run in the history of this rivalry.
2. O-line shakeup: Clemson got bad news Sunday when it was determined that starting left guard Marcus Tate will miss the rest of the season and require surgery for a knee injury he suffered against the Hurricanes. It's a big blow. Tate has had a strong sophomore campaign. Now the Tigers turn to junior Mitchell Mayes, who played most of the last two games. It's late in the year and a really big game to have to be without an 11-game starter. Will it mess up the continuity? Mayes has played well this month, but the pressure goes up for a pair of high-stakes games coming up. Plus, depth takes a hit.
3. Serious momentum: Both teams are feeling good coming into this rivalry game. That's not always the case, but the Gamecocks shook off a 38-6 loss at Florida with one of the biggest upsets of the season against Tennessee. That's added some fuel and momentum to this showdown. Clemson is playing much better after that loss to Notre Dame on Nov. 5. The Tigers' defense has been lights out the last two weeks and will be the focal point again this week. Clemson's offense is looking to cut down on turnovers and continue creating explosive plays. There's a little more juice with this one than it appeared a couple of weeks ago. The Tigers are still a strong favorite.
4. Quarterbacks battle: This might be the only time Clemson's DJ Uiagalelei meets South Carolina's Spencer Rattler on the field in this rivalry. These two QBs came to college football highly regarded in the recruiting world, but they haven't always lived up to the hype. Winning in this series as the starting quarterback comes with a certain prestige and you can go down in Tiger-Gamecock lore. One can right a lot of wrongs if you beat your rival. Uiagalelei helped lead a strong rushing attack to a 30-0 victory a year ago in Columbia, but cementing his legacy with the eighth straight win over South Carolina would be huge. Rattler wants to be the one who ends it and show that he's a giant killer who ends playoff dreams.
5. Giving thanks: Football players don't get to go home for the Thanksgiving holiday and they have to adjust their routine, but you'll still hear many of them talk about what they're thankful for as we all reflect during this time. There will also be rivalry hate served with the turkey and dressing at many homes across the Palmetto State. It's part of what makes this entire week so much fun. Leftovers and smack talk will fill tailgates on Saturday morning.
It's rivalry week. Enjoy it. And Happy Thanksgiving.
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