Clemson Ties Series Mark, Shuts Out Gamecocks for First Time Since 1989 in Rivalry Win
The vulnerable side of Clemson that had been evident away from Memorial Stadium three times in 2021 didn't show its face Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.
The Tigers rushed for 365 yards and shut out rival South Carolina for the first time in the series since 1989 in a 30-0 victory in front of a sold-out Columbia crowd. The Gamecocks totaled just 206 total yards against a stingy defense that forced two turnovers.
Following a break in the series last year because of COVID-19, Clemson handled South Carolina for the seventh consecutive time, dating back to 2014. It matches the longest win streak for either team in the rivalry, tying Clemson's mark from 1934-1940. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney became the only coach in the series to win seven straight games.
Saturday night, the Tigers never gave the Gamecocks a chance to end the streak. Clemson scored on the opening drive on a 29-yard touchdown run by Will Shipley. A B.T. Potter field goal made it 10-0 in the first quarter when South Carolina had just 12 total yards.
Clemson took a 17-0 lead into halftime after a 34-yard scoring run by Kobe Pace in the second quarter, and Potter would tack on a couple of field goals in the second half. Phil Mafah capped the scoring with a 6-yard TD run.
Senior linebackers James Skalski and Baylon Spector, who never lost to South Carolina in their careers, recorded six tackles each for the Tigers.
Player of the game: Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. had no interceptions coming into the game, and nearly had his first on a pass-breakup in the first quarter. Booth made up for it when he picked off a Jason Brown pass in the first quarter at the Gamecock 13-yard line. Booth wasn't done as he recorded another interception on a deep pass at the Clemson 1 in the second quarter.
Key play: Coming off his 191-yard, 2-TD performance last week, Pace added another 58 yards on the ground, and his most impressive run came on his touchdown play where he took a handoff to the right side, hit the hole and blew past several Gamecock defenders. It all but put the game out of reach.
Freshman Impact: Shipley took advantage of some solid blocking by his offensive line, but he also fought for some hard gains to rush for 128 yards on 19 carries, his second consecutive game of at least 100 yards rushing.
Stat of the game: Clemson's defense held South Carolina to 6-for-21 on third and fourth downs combined.
Next Up: Clemson won't be heading to Charlotte for the ACC title game for the first time since 2014 as Wake Forest captured the Atlantic Division with a win at Boston College on Saturday. So the Tigers will have to wait until Dec.5 to find out where they'll be headed for bowl season.
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