Clemson DC Tom Allen Says Tigers Need to Play "Our Best Football" in Palmetto Bowl

When Tom Allen arrived at the Clemson Tigers’ football facility, there were many recent moments that struck fans to bring him in as the team’s defensive coordinator, but perhaps there was one that stuck out the most.

In last season’s Palmetto Bowl, South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers ran for 166 yards, including a shocking 20-yard touchdown run in the final minutes of the game to score the go-ahead points for the Gamecocks to defeat Clemson on its own field.

When Allen arrived in January, he said that play was still a “fresh wound”, being a topic of interest for 51 weeks before finally being able to face him and South Carolina this weekend.

“From a time perspective, it hadn’t been that long, you know, since the game was played,” Allen said on Tuesday.

Allen says that Sellers is something the Tigers will have to have an answer for, if Clemson wants to leave Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday afternoon with a win, and its Palmetto Bowl trophy back in the Upstate.

“He’s a tremendously gifted athlete and, yeah, you better have a good plan for that,” he said. “So, anytime you have a player on the team you’re about to play that can take a game over single-handedly with whatever skillset he has, then you better do a good job of being able to address that.”

The 55-year-old has seen many stints at different places and seen many different rivalries. Being head coach at Indiana from 2017-23, he saw the Old Oaken Bucket rivalry with Purdue frequently. However, last season, he didn’t see a rivalry like that as the defensive coordinator at Penn State.

In his first season with the Tigers, Allen says that he is simply “blessed to be a part of it.”

“I think what I’ve learned is that it's highly passionate and a lot of strong emotions, a lot of strong feelings both directions, which is awesome,” he said. “I’ve been in some similar situations and not really surprised by that, but love having the opportunity.”

The Gamecocks pose a little bit of a difference than usual teams at this point in the season, firing offensive coordinator Mike Shula at the beginning of the month.

In the two games since, despite a collapse against the Texas A&M Aggies, where South Carolina put 30 points on the Aggies in the first half before collapsing in a historic loss, Allen sees a connection with what the team has been doing offensively since the firing.

“They’re trying to get their athletes the ball in space, and they’ve been successful doing that,” he said. “That first half of A&M was impressive, and then what they did last week was impressive as well, and so they got talented players, you know, and so obviously being able for them to get those guys the ball is obviously their goal.”

Also saying that the Gamecocks’ offensive line has been “improving up front”, it will be imperative for Clemson to play its best football of the season, regardless of the Gamecocks’ 4-7 record.

“Anytime you got that, you got a chance to be dangerous,” he said, “you know, there’s no question we got to play our best football, and I’m excited for the opportunity.”

After a season without an official rivalry weekend, Allen is ready to get back to playing with a little more passion than usual, looking for his first Palmetto Bowl to be a success away from home.

“I’ve been in some places that didn’t have a rival like this, and it definitely is a special thing, and it’s neat to be a part of,” he said. “When you don’t have it, you miss it, and when you do, you’re really blessed to be a part of it.

Clemson and South Carolina kick off at noon from Williams-Brice Stadium, and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.