In a last-minute heartbreaker, the No. 12 Clemson Tigers fell to No. 15 South Carolina, 17-14. The Tigers led for the majority of the game, but a Gamecock touchdown with one minute left on the clock sealed the deal.
After South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers ran in his second score of the day, Clemson took over on its own 25. Cade Klubnik marched his team down the field, completing three consecutive first downs to bring them to the Gamecocks’ 22-yard line.
Head coach Dabo Swinney called a timeout at 0:27, Klubnik looked for receivers in the end zone, threw an incompletion with 16 seconds on the clock, and at 12 seconds, a touchdown seemed imminent — and then the ball was intercepted.
According to ESPN, Clemson’s win probability was 80.8% at the 1:18 mark. 17 seconds later, it was 20%.
As is typical, the battle for the state was hard-fought, gritty and full of tension. The two teams, who have a combined average of 33.65 points per game, managed an uncharacteristic two touchdowns a piece.
The Tigers’ offensive line was battered and bruised in the last few weeks, with multiple starters out against Pitt and The Citadel. This week, the entire roster was down just one player after guard Trent Howard tore his ACL at practice on Tuesday. Offensive line coach Matt Luke’s unit looked healthy against a powerful Carolina front seven, giving Klubnik ample time in the pocket to find his receivers and allowing just one sack.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to execution on our part,” lineman Blake Miller said after the game. “You got nine guys, 10 guys doing the right thing, but we need 11.”
The junior signal caller looked confident, posting one of his best completion percentages of the season at 66.7% after going 24 of 36 for 280 yards and scoring both of the Tigers’ rushing touchdowns. The receiving and running corps were in top shape as well, led by the usual suspects Antonio Williams and Phil Mafah; Williams brought in eight receptions for 99 yards, and Mafah had 20 carries for 66 yards.
Clemson’s defense, however, struggled to contain the Gamecocks on the ground. Missed tackles may have cost the Tigers the game, most crucially when linebacker Barrett Carter allowed Sellers a wide enough gap to light out the Tigers’ death-knell touchdown.
“He made some phenomenal plays today. I just have to tip my cap to him,” Carter said of Sellers. “He’s a great player who made some great plays today.”
The defense found ways to make up for its losses as they negated most of South Carolina’s forward momentum. After two consecutive plays resulted in a gain of 33 yards for South Carolina midway through the third quarter, cornerback Aveion Terrell forced running back Raheim Sanders to fumble the ball, which resulted in a recovery by Barrett Carter. At almost the same time stamp in the fourth quarter, safety Khalil Barnes intercepted Sellers at the 9-yard line to end their march upfield.
Although the loss stings like no other to their in-state rival as Clemson relinquishes the Palmetto Trophy, all hope is not lost. With Miami’s 42-35 loss to Syracuse, the Tigers are headed to Bank of America Stadium next weekend to meet the SMU Mustangs in the ACC Championship. The stakes are higher than ever, as the winner receives an automatic bid to the College Football Playoffs.
Kickoff is set for Saturday, Dec. 7, at 8 p.m. between one of the oldest and newest powerhouses in the conference.
