For the 1st time since the 2013 season, South Carolina has beaten their biggest rival by winning the Palmetto Bowl. South Carolina pulled off a come from behind 31-30 win in Death Valley. The loss snapped the Tigers' 40-game home winning streak, which dated back to 2016. They also crushed the playoff hopes for the Tigers.
With the regular season now complete, Atlantic Division champion Clemson will face Coastal Division champion North Carolina in the 2022 ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, N.C. on Saturday, Dec. 3. That game is slated for an 8 p.m. kickoff on ABC.
Clemson ran for 237 yards but committed three turnovers, including one with 2:09 to play, in the loss. With 132 rushing yards on 15 carries on Saturday, running back Will Shipley reached 1,000 rushing yards on the season to record the 23rd 1,000-yard rushing season in school history.
Defensively, Clemson had 11 tackles for loss and three sacks and only 54 yards rushing on 31 carries, but allowed 360 yards through the air. K.J. Henry finished with 11 total tackles to lead the Tigers, while Jeremiah Trotter Jr. finished with eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and an interception return for a touchdown.
Clemson's defense got the Tigers on the board first on the first play of the Gamecocks' second possession. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. read Spencer Rattler's eyes as he dropped back into coverage, intercepted his pass and returned it 35 yards for a pick six. It was Clemson's first interception for a touchdown since Mario Goodrich took one back against Iowa State in the Cheez-It Bowl in the 2021 season.
Shipley then got the momentum going on offense with a 47-yard gain to the South Carolina 13-yard line. DJ Uiagalelei would finish the job with a nine-yard rushing touchdown, putting Clemson up 14-0 with 5:52 left in the first quarter. The Tigers went 90 yards on the drive, with 83 of those on the ground.
At the beginning of the second quarter, a four-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal got South Carolina on the board and made the score 14-7. After the ensuing drive stalled, Aidan Swanson pinned the Gamecocks on the two-yard line with a 52-yard punt, and Ruke Orhorhoro forced Rattler into intentional grounding, resulting in a safety and a 16-7 Clemson lead.
A fumble on Clemson's kick return gave South Carolina the ball on Clemson's 37-yard line, which then led to another touchdown for the Gamecocks, tightening Clemson's lead to 16-14 with 8:24 left in the first half.
The Tigers responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive, highlighted by a 59-yard catch-and-run to Beaux Collins and capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Williams. Clemson's defense then came up with a big red zone stop as R.J. Mickens intercepted Rattler's pass in the endzone, allowing Clemson to keep their 23-14 lead going into halftime.
South Carolina opened the scoring in the second half with a touchdown on their first possession. Clemson would soon follow and make the score 30-21 after a running back dominating drive where Phil Mafah ran for 18 yards, Kobe Pace ran for eight yards, and Shipley had a ten-yard reception and an 11-yard rushing touchdown.
The Gamecocks responded quickly as Rattler threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to Antwane Wells Jr. After a scoreless Clemson drive, South Carolina took the lead for the first time with a 35-yard field goal, making the score 31-30 with 10:54 left in the game.
Clemson's defense stepped up big, coming up with two strong back-to-back three-and-out stops. However, a fumble on Clemson's punt return gave South Carolina the ball back with 2:05 left to play and a first down conversion on 3rd-and-4 and sealed the 31-30 victory for the Gamecocks.
Clemson's offense managed just 7 2nd half points and scored just two touchdowns on the game. D.J. Uiagalelei had one of the worst performances in his time at Clemson in the loss. He was 8 of 29 for just 99 yards with a TD and a pick. He did run for 51 yards and a score on 12 carries. He was outplayed especially in the 2nd half by Gamecock QB Spencer Rattler. He went 25 of 39 for 360 yards with 2 TD passes and 2 picks.
South Carolina turned it over twice, but they were plus one in turnover margin. Turnovers hurt Clemson, especially the late fumble by Antonio Williams on a punt return. That squelched any chances Clemson had of trying to put together a late FG drive to win it.
The question is now where do the two programs go from here? South Carolina looked really lackluster just two weeks ago, when they lost at Florida by more than 30. Since then, they have found themselves and are playing their best to finish the regular season. Many pundits, think the Gamecocks will go to the Gator Bowl. However, what I mean is will this have a major impact on changing the landscape? Clemson still has a chance to win the ACC, but with their playoff hopes now officially done, will they get up for the game?
South Carolina has commitments from 3 of the state's top 5 ranked HS players already. Could this win, help them flip some recruits late in the process? All that remains to be seen, what we do know is that now the rivalry has some life again, the longest home win streak in the nation and longest ever for an ACC team is over.
