The battle for the state is underway, and it’s worth the year-long wait. At halftime, the No. 12 Tigers and No. 15 Gamecocks are deadlocked at 7-7; below are some thoughts from The Tiger Sports staff.

Offense:
– Quarterback Cade Klubnik looks strong so far in the opening half; his statline is running 10 of 16 completed passes, 148 yards and one rushing touchdown.
– Clemson appears to be in favor of the air attack, and it’s working. Klubnik has three completions over 25 yards so far – 28 yards to Bryant Wesco Jr., 36 to T.J. Moore and the catch of the half was a 40-yarder to Antonio Williams.
– This is not to say the Tiger’s rushing game is substandard – midway through the second quarter, Clemson surged ahead in total yards after staying relatively tied through the half. Clemson ended with 228 total yards (148 passing, 80 rushing) compared to Carolina’s 178 total yards (71 passing, 107 rushing).
– The Tiger’s are losing a few crucial offensive pieces after this season, but the running back and wide receiver rooms look to be in great hands with the likes of Jay Haynes, Williams, Moore and Wesco. Wesco has been making noteworthy plays all season, but his body control and spatial awareness have been on full display against South Carolina.

Defense:
– As South Carolina attempted to make their way to the endzone, defensive end TJ Parker forced a strip sack at the Clemson 24-yard line resulting in a fumble and Clemson recovery on the opening drive.
– Linebackers Wade Woodaz and Sammy Brown swarm South Carolina running back Raheim Sanders for a loss of seven yards which later resulted in a three and out for the Gamecocks. The two lead the Tigers in tackles for loss with 1.5 each.
– Woodaz handed South Carolina their second sack of the day; Clemson defense is looking strong against the Gamecocks with two sacks and a forced fumble in the first half.
– Despite 35 total tackles in the opening half, Clemson’s defense has missed some crucial ones by mere inches – one such miss allowed Gamecock quarterback LaNorris Sellers to run 25 yards to the endzone and tie the game up minutes after the Tigers scored.