Ken Ruinard USA Today Network
It's Krispy Kreme Donuts and Zero Bars for Tigers After Shutting Out Rival Gamecocks
COLUMBIA, SC- Before Saturday night, Clemson had not held South Carolina scoreless since 1989.
The No. 23 Tigers 30-0 victory over the Gamecocks marks the 23rd time in series history that Clemson has pitched a shutout against their in-state rivals, with all 23 coming in Columbia.
The Tigers have now won seven straight over South Carolina, tying the record for most consecutive wins by either team in longstanding rivalry. All but one of those wins have come in dominating fashion, and while Clemson has won by wider margins in recent years, getting the shutout makes this particular win a little sweeter for head coach Dabo Swinney.
“We’re going to have some Krispy Kreme doughnuts on Monday.," Swinney said after the win. "I can’t wait. We go get them big zeroes, Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Zero bars. It doesn’t get any better than that. That means you’re coming off a good day at the office."
The Tigers took the opening kickoff and went on a 7-play, 73-yard touchdown drive, taking a 7-0 lead. Brent Venables' defense then forced a quick three and out, instantly setting the tone for what would prove to be a very long night for the Gamecocks' offense.
It wasn't until early in the second quarter that South Carolina managed to pick up a first down as Clemson took a commanding 17-0 lead into halftime. During the break, Swinney said his team made it a priority to finish the job.
"They were fighting for (the shutout)," the head coach said. "We talked about it at halftime. They’re like, ‘Hey, let’s don’t give it up. Let’s keep fighting for it.’ We were trying to be smart offensively, too. Just not put them in a bad spot, and we had terrible field position. We were playing good defense, but it seemed like; I don’t know how many times we were on the one or pinned inside the five and limited to just a little bit."
Venables' defense limited the Gamecocks to just 203 yards of total offense, and South Carolina never really made a serious threat at scoring until their final possession. Starting at their own 25, quarterback Zeb Noland marched the Gamecocks to the Clemson 15, with just five seconds remaining. On the game's final play Noland was stopped three yards short of the end zone on a quarterback keeper, capping off what Swinney described as a total team effort.
"We did a good job as a team," Swinney said. "Because to get a shutout, it’s really a team effort. Your defense obviously is going to lead the way, but you’ve got to do a good job in special teams. You’ve got to do a good job offensively. Our defense, they were fighting hard for it and especially with how these guys have scored in the second half and in the fourth quarter. All the way down to that last play, I don’t know where (Noland) got tackled, was it the two or three or one, or wherever it was. It was awesome to see so many guys get to play and then continue to keep them out of the end zone.”
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