HALFTIME UPDATE: South Carolina Gamecocks Trail the Clemson Tigers, 17-14.

The first half of the Palmetto Bowl has officially concluded. The South Carolina Gamecocks trail the Clemson Tigers in an action packed rivalry game with the score at 17-14.

First Quarter:

The Tigers won the toss and elected to receive the kick, sending the Gamecock defense on the field to start the day. Despite opening up the drive with a 25 yard explosive play on a pass from Cade Klubnik to WR TJ Moore, the Gamecocks forced the Tigers to punt and took over on their own 15 yard line. The Gamecocks offense saw similar results on their first drive, as they punted right back to Clemson after going three-and-out.

The Gamecocks continued their defensive tenacity as the Tigers into a three-and-out after DL Troy Pikes stopped Klubnik as he tried to rush for a first down. After DB and returner Jalon Kilgore muffed the following punt, the Gamecocks were pinned back on their own three yard line. The Gamecocks picked up two first downs through the air, but the second was hindered after a 32 yard strike from LaNorris Sellers to WR Jared Brown turned into a fumble that was recovered by the Tigers in Gamecock territory.

The Tigers immediately began moving the ball after picking up a first down on a 12 yard strike through the air to WR Antonio Williams. However, two snaps later, Klubnik made his first big mistake of the day as he threw a pick in the endzone on an acrobatic effort from Kilgore, who certainly made up for his return blunder. The Gamecocks got the ball rolling quickly on a ten yard completion to Nyck Harbor, but three snaps later surrendered a third down sack that quickly ruined the momentum they previously gained. The Tigers capitalized on the regained possession, as they opened the drive with a 31 yard completion to TJ Moore once again.

Second Quarter:

The Tigers continued their explosiveness as Klubnik threw a pinpoint 26 yard pass to Antonio Williams. The big play set up an eight yard rushing touchdown from RB Adam Randall, giving the Tigers a 7-0 lead. The Gamecocks quickly answered back on a familiar site for Gamecock fans, a 53 yard bomb from Sellers right in the bucket of Nyck Harbor’s possession, tying the game at 7-7.

The Tigers continued their success in moving the chains, pickup 31 yards between the first three plays of the drive. The Tigers found themselves in goal after being aided by a facemask penalty thrown against DL Monkell Goodwine. The chunk plays and penalty were too much to overcome for the Gamecocks, as Klubnik scampered in the endzone despite fumbling the ball after evading a sack, giving the Tigers a 14-7 lead. The Gamecocks quickly answered the Tigers with a huge 74 yard touchdown pass from Sellers to WR Vandrevius Jacobs, who won a jump ball before sprinting to the endzone, trying the game at 14-14.

The Tigers moved the ball down the field with ease due to more chunk plays and multiple pass interference calls. The drive ended with a field goal, giving the Tigers a 17-14 lead. The Gamecocks got the ball back, but quickly went three-and-out.

The Tigers have thrived in moving the ball down the field, as they’ve picked up 18 first downs, which is triple the amount the Gamecocks have. They’ve also excelled at picking up their chunk plays on the ground and through the air, which is the balance required to conquer a talented defense like the Gamecocks have.

Another area of success for the Tigers is winning on third down. They’re 5/8 on third down conversions, while the Gamecocks are currently 0/4. One of our keys to victory for the Gamecocks to win was getting the Tigers off the field, and they have not come close to doing so. The Gamecocks will need to pressure Klubnik and get him off his rhythm to shorten their drives and give the ball back to their offense.

The Gamecocks, one of the most penalized teams in the country, have also struggled with playing mistake free football, as three penalties have extended Clemson drives and accounted for over 30 yards.

Despite these shortcomings, the Gamecocks have done well with answering each punch thrown by the Tigers with a score of their own. If they continue to do so, they’ll have a chance to end their season on a high note with a victory. Follow the game with our live updates.

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