FINAL SCORE: South Carolina Gamecocks Lose to Clemson, 28-14 and End Season at 4-8.

The South Carolina Gamecocks entered today’s Palmetto Bowl against their bitter foe in the Clemson Tigers on a frosty, sunshine filled afternoon with one goal in mind- WIN. Though they entered with only four wins on the season, winning this matchup would be the only way to salvage anything from one of the most disappointing Gamecock seasons in recent memory.

However, that was not the result. The field goal favored Gamecocks ultimately fell short to the Tigers, with a final score of 28-14. With the loss, the Tigers win their seventh game of the season, as well as their eight victory of the Gamecocks in the past ten matchups.

LaNorris Sellers finished 22/41 passing with 368 yards, two touuchdowns, and two interceptions.. Sellers put on arguably his best performance of the season for three quarrters, providing some elite throws at all levels of the field. However, he collapsed in the fourth quarter and threw a pick that resulted in a touchdown, putting the game out of reach.

Vendravius Jacobs and Nyck Harbor, both the two leading receivers for the Gamecocks, had big days. Both receivers totaled over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown. Both touchdowns came on explosive games that answered scores from the Tigers. Their ability to spread the field and execute on big plays was the biggest source of success for the Gamecock offense.

Aside from a few chunk gains, the ground game for the Gamecocks was essentially non-existent. Rahsul Faison led the way with 37 yards on five rushes. While that is a good pace considering the average yards per carry, the low volume of rushing attempts prevented the Gamecocks from establishing themselves on the ground. The running back room attempted a combined seven rushes and only accounted for 39 yards. This performance puts the nails in the coffin for the Gamecocks being the worst rushing team in the SEC.

The Gamecocks had an average performance defensively. While they only surrendered two touchdowns, they allowed the Tigers to move up and down the field with ease and extend drives, which led to three extra field goals and prevented their offense from having the ball. Cade Klubnik played well, executing on big third downs and using his legs to get in the endzone. While he may have not accounted for any passing touchdowns, his timely playmaking led the Tigers to victory. The Gamecocks only had one sack and struggled to get pressure on Klubnik, which is what allowed him to make his impact. Jalon Kilgore accounted for the lone forced turnover from the Gamecocks with an acrobatic interception in the endzone.

Third down and turnovers were two of the biggest factors in the final outcome. The Tigers went 7/16 on third down. The Gamecocks performance was the complete opposite, as they did not convert a single third down until the final two minutes. Their inability to convert prevented them from driving the ball down the field. Essentially, if the Gamecocks didn’t score on an explosive play, they weren’t going to score- and they didn’t. This also led to the Gamecocks losing the time of possession battle by more than 20 minutes.

While the Gamecock offense failed to produce to put up yardage, they might have been more handicapped by their turnovers. The Tigers forced turnovers, including two in the fourth quarter (one pick six) that iced the game. Combined with the six penalties for nearly 60 yards, the Gamecocks inability to remain disciplined cost them their final game of the season.

With the loss, the Gamecocks fall to an inconceivable 4-8 and are done for the season. With the transfer portal set to open soon, early signing day next week, and an open offensive coordinator position, the Gamecocks are heading towards roster and staff changes that will have an immense impact on next season. While those results will be speculated until next season, one thing is for sure- this was by all accounts a bad season.

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