Clemson Defense Takes Over, Forces Four Turnovers in Palmetto Bowl Win

The Clemson Tigers defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks in their regular season finale, winning 28-14 at Williams-Brice Stadium

Clemson (7-5) never trailed the entire game, playing the game to its tempo and making key stops on defense to take back the Palmetto Bowl. Saturday’s win is the Tigers’ six-straight win against its in-state rival at Williams-Brice Stadium.

The Tigers’ defense sealed the deal in the win, forcing four turnovers in the win. The most important one came in the fourth quarter, when cornerback Ricardo Jones intercepted a tipped pass from quarterback LaNorris Sellers to return a 12-yard pick-six, putting Clemson up double-digits.

Jones finished with two interceptions, while the Tigers added two fumble recoveries in the winThree of the turnovers occurred in the second half, aiding the Clemson victory, while not allowing the Gamecocks to score in the final 30 minutes.

The Warner Robins, Georgia, native, now has six interceptions on the season, the most on the team.

Clemson scored 17 points in the second quarter, scoring on three straight drives that were finished off by rushing touchdowns by Adam Randall and quarterback Cade Klubnik. While the Tigers used steady drives to get down the field, South Carolina used long chunk plays to score its points, exposing the Clemson secondary.

The Tigers dominated the time of possession, going into halftime with 28 more plays than South Carolina in a first half in complete control. Head coach Dabo Swinney’s team had 38:44 minutes of possession in the win, controlling the game script.

Defensive coordinator Tom Allen limited the legs of Sellers, who was the difference-maker in last season’s loss. Sellers only finished with two rushing yards while being sacked five times in Clemson’s win. Defensive end T.J. Parker had three of those sacks, his most of the season.

The Gamecocks only amassed 49 rushing yards in the loss, compared to the Tigers’ 147.

Klubnik finished with 268 passing yards and an interception while rushing in a score from a potential scary play. After evading a defender on the goal line, the senior lost the football, picked it up and ran to the other side of the field to hit the pylon for six.

Randall finished with 102 yards on 24 carries, a season-high this season in his first season at tailback. Receivers T.J. Moore and Antonio Williams both had at least six receptions in the win as well. Williams finished with seven catches for 66 yards while Moore added 101 yards through six receptions.

Next up, Clemson will await its bowl game destination, which will be revealed next Sunday after the conference championship games.