Tajh Boyd is hands down the best quarterback in Clemson football history – the owner of 57 school records, numerous ACC marks as well as an amazing 31-8 record as a starter. Meanwhile Sammy Watkins is the most gifted wide receiver in Clemson history – and a likely top 10 NFL draft pick next year.
Vic Beasley? He’s the best defensive lineman the Tigers have seen in years – and another sure-fire 2014 NFL first round draft pick.
Bottom line? The 2013 Tigers were arguably the most talented team in school history … even better than the 1981 national championship squad (whose off-field exploits landed the Tigers on NCAA probation).
So what happened? How did the greatest Clemson team ever lose to South Carolina … again?
Seriously … the Tigers beat Georgia (a team that turned around and beat South Carolina by 11 points). And prior to its rivalry loss Clemson’s only other defeat was against Florida State: The No. 1 team in the nation.
South Carolina? They lost to friggin’ Tennessee (5-7, 2-6 SEC).
The obvious answer to the “what happened” question is the six turnovers Clemson committed – which led both Boyd and Watkins (who combined for four of those turnovers) to conclude that Carolina didn’t beat Clemson, Clemson did.
“We just never really play a complete and clean game against these guys,” Boyd said after the game, adding that the Tigers “just shot ourselves in the foot.”
“We beat ourselves,” Watkins concurred. “That isn’t Clemson football.”
Indeed Clemson out-gained South Carolina by a 352-318 margin on Saturday – although let’s not forget this is an offense that averaged more than 500 yards per contest (No. 12 in all of FBS).
So it wasn’t just the six turnovers …
Also, the last time we checked South Carolina had a hand in causing more than a few of those miscues.
For example, USC defensive back Brison Williams had to run halfway across the field to intercept Watkins’ throw on the Tigers’ opening drive of the game (saving a touchdown in the process). Then there was defensive lineman Chaz Sutton – who showed his strength by stripping the football away from Boyd on a critical drive midway through the fourth quarter.
Those weren’t “Clemson miscues.” They were exceptional plays by Gamecock defenders …
And while we’re on the subject of exceptional plays, let’s not forget the one turned in by South Carolina linebacker Kaiwan Lewis – who knocked the ball out of Clemson punt returner Adam Humphries’ hands at another critical moment in the fourth quarter.
Seriously … was that a Clemson “miscue?” Or another outstanding takeaway by South Carolina?
We’ve heard countless Clemson fans lament their team’s latest loss by saying “Carolina wouldn’t have won if we hadn’t turned the ball over six times” (i.e. exactly what Boyd and Watkins are saying).
Here’s the problem, though: Clemson did turn the ball over six times.
Miss that? We’ll repeat ourselves: Clemson did turn the ball over six times.
But more to the point, three of those turnovers were the direct result of stellar individual efforts from South Carolina defenders (namely Williams, Sutton and Lewis). In fact with the exception of a muffed punt return in the first quarter, Clemson’s only unforced errors – the two Tajh Boyd picks – occurred with less than four minutes on the clock and the Tigers trailing by two touchdowns.
So yeah … “tweet that,” Tiger fans.
Clemson didn’t lose this game, South Carolina won it – by forcing turnovers at critical moments and capitalizing on those takeaways.
Clemson’s players and fans need to acknowledge that … and stop making excuses. Otherwise they’ll never reclaim the ownership papers in this rivalry.
Pics: Travis Bell Photography
90 comments
The Breakfast of Gamecock Champions…Tiger Turnovers!
Whatever.
Neither Shaw nor Jeffery played last year, for the record.
I seem to recall one of the premises of this article being that “Ol’Dabo dabo doo doo” had the best QB that has ever touched a football on the grounds of
the Clempson campus as his QB for 4 of the 5 games…
Lattimore only played in 1 game.
Taneyhill was a better passer and beat Clempson at Clempson with an 0-5 cast of nobodies. I’m taking nothing away from Shaw here he is easily the best overall QB that has ever played at Carolina because he can do it all. The only thing less mobile than Ellis was the goal post and there wasn’t anything bigger than Taneyhill’s mouth.
According to his critics, Clowney was fat and out of shape the last two years.
Face it, the better TEAM won Saturday. Who the better team is changes from day to day and week to week – ask Alabama.
I don’t really understand the point you are trying to make about Shaw and Jeffery. I remember a number of Clemson fans early in the streak saying USC would not have won without this or that player. Well of course we don’t win these games if we had not recruited good players. Its not like we won a coin toss before the game to have them play for us rather than Clemson. They were part of the team. If we don’t keep recruiting good players (or at least good enough to line up with Clemson), the streak will not continue.
TBG’s point was that while Clemson has had some of the best teams in it’s storied, illustrious history in the past five seasons; so has Sakerlina. It really is a great time to be a football fan in SC.
For an explanation, you do not have to look any further than the ACC. Florida State notwithstanding, a team cannot get better playing a joke schedule. Being in the ACC, Clemson needs to schedule strong out-of-conference teams. Georgia was a good opponent. South Carolina State and The Citadel did not help, and Clemson will only continue to delude itself every year until it plays with the grown ups.
How, then, did Florida State get better?
I can only speculate that they had better recruits across the board. Clemson has some superstars and flash, but they seem light on blue-collar players.
For an explanation, you do not have to look any further than the ACC. Florida State notwithstanding,…
Notwithstanding that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
My responses aren’t being posted. I would only speculate that Florida State has had better recruits across the board, as I am unconvinced that Fisher is any better than Swinney. Teams that learn how to control the line of scrimmage generally have an edge over teams like Clemson, which never seem to establish that part of the game.
My responses aren’t being posted.
We can both agree :
Disqus suqs.
Hey guys I went ahead and fixed that I believe! Sorry about that!
Thanks. U da MAN!
sorry about your butterflies TBG
Hey, while you are fixing stuff……
I posted “Notwithstanding that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?” (above) last night; when it didn’t appear…I reposted. Then both comments showed up. I attempted to delete the second one (below) and it went away for a while…..
Now it has returned, but is labeled “Guest” and I can’t delete it.
you do not have to look any further than the ACC. Florida State notwithstanding, …
Notwithstanding that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
Articles like these just remind me just how much of an idiot you are. You should stick to politics Will.
“Indeed Clemson out-gained South Carolina by a 352-318 margin on Saturday – although let’s not forget this is an offense that averaged more than 500 yards per contest (No. 12 in all of FBS)”
Would the SIX turnover not have a direct effect on the yards per game? You cant gain yards if you are on defense most of the game. Clemson still out gained Carolina.
We got our ass beat! Plain and simple. SIX turnovers certainly contributed.
Two of the turnovers occurred at the end of sustained Clemson drives … two others occurred (as the article notes) within the last four minutes of the game when the outcome was pretty much decided.
He’s on your side most of the time. And when all the media gets amnesia, in Aug. 2014, about 31-17, FITS will don his skimpy little orange cheerleader panties and tell us how NC caliber you are,,,even though you F*#* up (as WE know you will) year after year….
And he’ll tell us how devastating the loss of JD, Shaw, Hampton and Kelcy will be to the viability of our program….While the departing Chad Morris, Boyd, Watson and Beasley will just allow Dabo the chance to Re-load will all those 5-Star, Can’t-Miss All-Americans he has waiting to take the taters to that so elusive “Next-Level” we’ve been promised for decades…
So don’t sweat it
You sound like a true Democrat!
You are choosing to forget one critical (and most important) stat that Clemson did not outgain South Carolina – The Score Board
Bitter is better described as a self-aggrandizing blogger being bitch slapped by an Indian Princess.
She got her fifth straight serving of #FUDGEROUNDS from me.
Thank goodness I already had dinner. TMI, man, TMI…
I went the game and I never going back. I ain’t never seen more class least people in my life. People was actualy screwin in a bath room and I seen a guy pour water on an old Clemson fan. Trash all of them! Fuck South Carolina and that class least wind bag spurrier. We all known whose the better team!!!!
This post is great satire.
I would say that the best team won!!
Oh honey……please learn to spell before you post. Your grammar is atrocious! and BTW…..We’re really glad you aren’t coming back!
President Barker, is that you?
SC East…..still winning those vicarious SEC Championships.
ACC Champs 1969. “One and done” with a twist.
frankie is dead..has been for quite some time.
but you keep living in the past… the present and the future don’t look that good.
If that’s what you gots, you clings to it!
Winning the acc championship is like crowned the tallest midget
Is that what that banner says at Willie Brice? You know, the one Spurrier insisted be put up.
come up with something new to say man. Oh I see same team you loss to same crap you speak. 5
Is there a banner at Willy Brice extolling the 1969 ACC championship or not? If it is not there then I will retract my statement.
Do you have anything else for us this year other than another load of the same of your Bullshit comments with yet another loss for your team? didn’t think so.
CNSYD – you really are scraping the bottom with your comments on this article. Just like dat boy said…this ain’t no rivalry anymore. Carolina expects to win. your school expects to lose… and that’s what has happened for 5 straight years.
Is there said banner at Willy Brice, yes or no? The comment by Red Beaulieu concerned the worth of winning an ACC championship nothing else.
I wonder how it feels to win the SEC Championship.
Man I had the turbo diarrheas last night. Stayed on the throne. Who be the best team?
I have to go with Clemson giving this one away- ‘not agian’ pretty much became the refrain of the night. And other than not putting in Watkins for punt returns this really wasn’t on the coaching. The team showed they could win- they just did not take care of the ball. At all.
& I’m not sure I’d tab any of them best in Clemson history. Except maybe Catanzaro but Welsh was a pretty damned great kicker as well.
So congrats on the thumb but lets not pretend this was a dominant USC performance.
Get real – Clempson didn’t “give it away”. They had the game taken from them as in stripped balls and picked passes.
“Ol’Fear in his eyes Boyd” couldn’t handle the pressure.
Dabo’s game plan was inadequate (fine for an ACC matchup though!).
“Ol’Hands of Stone Watkins” couldn’t hold on to the ball because he had Carolina player swarming his dope smoking ass.
“Ol’Chad “National Assistant Coach of the Year” Morris’” vaunted “high powered offense” managed to rack up a respectable 350 yards but couldn’t handle the combination of Clowney and Quarles when it really mattered.
You got beat, 5 years in a row – deal with it
.
I guess we could argue about the precise definition of “dominated,” and I generally agree that it wasn’t the beat-down Florida put on Clemson. I will ask, though- in how many minutes of the game did Clemson hold a lead? I know I watched lots of orange shirts wandering down the ramps not too far into the fourth quarter…
Much ado about nothing. Football games are like most other athletic contests- they represent a snapshot in time, and by definition must have a beginning and an end. The “best” team (based upon the rules of the game) is the one who wins on that day. Should USC have beaten UT? Sure, most people think so; but they didn’t. Great teams are also consistent teams. Should Clemson have won last night? Maybe so, but they didn’t. If they were a vastly superior, more consistent team they would have. If college football played a baseball-type season where USC-CU play ten times or so, does one team win 10 times? Not usually. USC obviously has CU’s number these days, but that worm will likely turn one day.
I do not really believe FSU is that good. Clemson had a really bad day, just like USC against Tennessee. As for last night, USC was better, as they hurried Tajh, and made the plays good off Clemson’s 3 forced mistakes. Let’s see FSU play Alabama, and see if it is like ND last year!!!
I thought I read on here a few month sago this isn’t a “homer” site.
Yeah..bullshit. Just like everything else that “your founding editor” puts here.
Classic FITS…he sucks the D!*k of Boyd and the Tigers all year…playing it as if the ACC was not Mid-Major football (except for FSU)…
Then when SC embarrasses the taters, like WE all knew they would…FITS jumps up on the Bandwagon…and acts like he’s driving the team…
FITS: You transparent feces bag….you are just as disgusting as most Columbia media….you bash Spurrier, until he wins. Yall cannot admit or stand the fact he is SO MUCH bigger than your @$$-backwards, wanna-be @$$#$……and you try to make fun, or downplay SC…until they disprove you, and all the Ignorant F*#Ks like you…over and over…
STFU…you are the same lame cliché in sports that you are in politics. You take a side after the winner has been determined, all the while lying about how blind and stupid you were beforehand….
Don’t hold back now. Tell us Obama’s Muslim buddy Dabo sucks the best c@#k around…oops, now your mom’s going to feel second best. Shhh!
No, that’s how you’d critique it if you ever thought for yourself.
Your lame attempts at mimicking an original thought are evidence as to why you let others think for you…And it also makes us glad when you STFU…You offer nothing of value, other than the diagram of a simple mind.
If you want to finish that coloring book before MamaT’s meatloaf, you best stop playing troll-A-Mite!
Georgia a great team this is the most laughable part of this article
http://m.thepostgame.com/commentary/201208/better-without-em-northern-manifesto-southern-secession-chuck-thompson-sec-bcs
“We beat ourselves,” Watkins concurred. “That isn’t Clemson football.”
Two part response: (1) You are soft and we kicked your asses; and (2) yes it is. It isn’t Clemson football in the 1980s, but that decade ended almost 24 years ago.
You didn’t kick anybodys ass unless you are on the football team.
spoken like a loser acting like his team didn’t get beat
When football wins are viewed in the future, it won’t be how they won but simply that they did.
The INT on the first drive changed the entire game. High lofted pass, even my fat ass could’ve gotten under it. If Sammy hits him in the numbers at the 10, he scores. As for the fumbles, that’s on coaching. The very last words before Humphries heard as he stepped onto the field before the 4th qtr punt should’ve been “keep both F&@^%$g hands on the football so the offense can get on the field.” That’s pisspoor coaching….period.
Ahhh…shades of “fumble island”
If we played them 10 times…
we’d have 60 turnovers we could blame for our ten losses …because we’re still a national championship team
we have so much to be proud of … we battled all year and were able to beat..
nc stete, wake forest, virginia.. and some of the other powers of our conference …in front of hostile crowds averaging 37,000…(we finished second in our division of the fifth rated football conference – and we all know that FSU game was a fluke)
i can promise you we’ll be back NEXT year! And I will talk and talk and talk and talk…and then, on November 29, 2014, explain why we didn’t really just lose our sixth straight to THE University of South Carolina.
ESPN Stats & Information Conference Power Rankings (before last Sat, games)
1
SEC
2
Pac-12
3
Big 12
4
Big Ten
5
The Big Eacc
lol…angreh kitteh. Clemson lost. Period. For the fifth straight year. Maybe its not Taj Boyd or that Wadkins boy. Maybe its Dabo. Maybe its Steve. Its DEFINITLY not this guy’s writing skills. Buckup, Buttercup.
Where is that pussy, CNSYD? Prediction: he’ll soon return and pretend to not care about the game, didn’t lose sleep over it, etc., and point out Clemson’s glorious (ancient) history.
CNSYD: Gamecock Nation says hi!
And there’s orange in the parking lot!
Good luck to the Tigers of Pickens Technical College in their bowl game.
Hey boys! Ever since TV took control of college football and forced the last game to Thanksgiving weekend, I miss reading all your drivel until I return from seeing my grandchildren. Looks like I didn’t miss much though. USCe won. Clemson lost. The whys and wherefores don’t really matter. If it makes you feel manly to say your players are better than ours then have at it. It won’t help you in the SEC championship game nor a BCS bowl.
You still cant beat us, and you go right to a BCS bowl comment, when its only because a rules states one conference can not have more than 2 teams that we wont go. Even though that same conference has 5 teams ranked higher than you? Including USC. Lets forget that for the 3rd straight year USC is top 10 (Clemson is not I might add). How many BCS spots go out? 10. hmmmm, If it really went to the 10 best teams as it should, then once again the best school in this state would be in there, but somehow the ACC said it deserved an automatic spot and some idiots agreed. You understand its not an earned spot by any accomplishments for and ACC team to get to go don’t you, But keep thinking you might go. What ever makes you sleep at night. I guess its not helping with that prostate the size of a cantaloupe huh? I love the typical Tater BS talk. I heard it on the radio all day in my office too. I guess you give each others “chant sheets” because you all spew the same crap out of your mouths. You wont be going to a BCS bowl or winning any meaningful titles either there bub, and with losing to the only 2 schools worth a damn that you played, your entire season was a failure. You will lose all your ‘star” players and your OC is going to leave too. This was your only shot for a while. I hate to break it, but no way the Orange bowl invites a team that has proven again this year it doesn’t belong there. Odd too how all the bowls know this because to make an attempt at an even match up, the Chick Fil A bowl takes the 5th or 6th best SEC school but the 2nd ACC one. Watch out because it might just be a pissed off LSU team you play and I doubt you could get lucky again (assuming it in fact does goes to you). I’ll just leave you here schooled and called out. 5.
The mighty Vols say hi! BTW, you have had your head up my ass to inspect my prostate?
just remember that team that you claim the Vols say hi to, (as you always say something like that because its all you got old man) beat you. so what does that say about you. The Gamecocks say HI. LOL
Also the UGA dogs say Hi. Remember them?
The Gamecocks say Hi again!!!!! (that was 5 !’s by the way) the 3 top 16 teams we beat all say Hi. So I guess your tigers do too then huh? Which top 20 programs did you beat? anyone? anyone? That’s what I thought. As far as this little diatribe, or debate goes. To you, I say HI. LOL.
Polls are a moving target. Which one at which time? If you want to use the current one, then your answer is none. However, Clemson did not lose to anyone not in the top 20. How did USCe fare in that category?
No the scale is not a “moving target”. There is the one at the end of the season, and other ones that don’t mean shit.(yes there is just one more to come, but none of teams will move much.) Preseason polls don’t mean shit. ask USCw last year or just ask yourselves before you played FSU how thoses rankings turned out for ya? At the end of the regular season, after the whole year has been played out, we have wins against 3 top 16 schools. You only even “played” 2 teams ranked like that, and lost them both. You can not hang with them (or usc) and that is what that it proved. Go find that video from “the vine” website called “but anyway” It pretty much sums up Clemson and Dabo in a nutshell. Since you wont I’ll tell you about it. Its a clip of your head cheerleader saying you were a “national championship team” followed by a perfectly timed Spurrier laughing his head off and saying “but anyway” USC owns this state now and all the Tigers know it. Hell I saw a Clemson friend of mine tried to post on FB before I had even gotten home from the game “we have 7”. Just like I told him, Um that was 30+ years before he was even born. I hated to break it to him and the rest of Tiger Nation (at the least the ones that will admit it), but with Spurrier making Dabo his bitch boy EVERY YEAR, USC will have at least 7 if not 8+ before this streak is over. What’s worse, is its obvious to even you guys, and that’s why you keep dwelling on the past and spewing the same gargled BS every other Tigers chants on the radio. You have to avoid the plain truth. The truth is USC own Clemson no and will for as long as Spurrier gets to coach against Dabo. 5,6,7,8,………. oh wait here comes another off the point reply or someone says HI. Just end it already because the Gamecocks not only told the tigers HI, they left them behind and said BYE
including frank Martin?
Do you really want to bring up other sports? The ONLYs sport you beat us in lately is men’s basketball and soccer, and women’s Tennis and Volleyball. I’ll give you those, Good job!. But every other one is owned by the gamecocks. Tell Leggett we all said Hello, Dawn Staley says Hello, Swimming and Diving both mens and womans say hello, Womans Soccer says hello. If we ran track against you Frye would say hello. I mean again you went rogue off subject and still got BEAT. LOL I say hello and we all say later. You have been left behind old man.
No, you go “rogue” every time you use sweeping generalizations. The Martin reference was an attempt to steer you back to the topic. BTW Clemson discontinued its swimming program a few years ago. Also “if” statements don’t pay the freight either.
Gamecocks say HI. then Again and again and again and again
Clemson is a cocky, arrogant group of players. Ii will never forget their leader’s, Dabo’s Weeny, causing that cop in Pickens to lose his job because the Fuhrer was speeding through.
I’ve never seen any of their players act any way that would be considered cocky.
Dabo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Dabo (disambiguation).This article may need to be rewritten entirely to comply with Wikipedia’s quality standards. You can help. The discussion page may contain suggestions. (May 2009)
Dabo (?? Dabo) is a Japanese rapper. He first appeared on the Japanese hip-hop scene in the 1990s, collaborating in aShakkazombie song, “Tomo ni ikkou”. Since 2002, he has released three albums: Hitman (2002), Diamond (2003), and The Force(2006). Dabo’s lyrics are more hard-edged than most J-pop, or Japanese pop, and represent a tough Japanese street culture.[1]
Wow. For once, a story you didn’t make up, and it still sucks. Two things: 1. This team isn’t as good as the 1981 team, and anyone who knows football could tell that. 2. The 1981’s exploits did not put Clemson on probation. Clemson was placed on probation for actions committed with PROSPECTIVE athletes (read the document fully), meaning those athletes did not sign with Clemson. Had the violations cited by the NCAA involved players on the 1981 team, Clemson would have been forced to vacate the title and its wins (see real USC, 2004).
Like Auburn lost the one involving Scam Newton?
I think if Clemson had only scored 32 pts, they coulda won this thing! What was Dabo thinking???? Didn’t he realize that 17 isn’t more than 31?? Where the hell did he go to school? Clemson??
exceptional plays? who are you kidding. The strip of the ball from Tajh Boyd was exceptional. Running halfway across the field to intercept a poorly thrown loopy pass by a wide receiver is NOT exceptional. knocking a ball loose on a punt return when the player isn’t holding the ball in the outside hand (as taught by HS coaches all over the country) is a Clemson miscue, NOT an exceptional play. A drop on a muffed punt is NOT an exceptional play. Take away the two punting MISCUES and Clemson wins this game by two TDs.
but the didn’t win did they? so you have nothing to support that. LOSER!!!!!
Lol. You know how else Clemson would have won the game? Take away 15 of Carolina’s points.
Big time players make big time plays. Big time players do not turn the ball over. I would argue that if Tajh Boyd played in the SEC, he’d be mediocre at best. He might have started at Tennessee (the only SEC team that offered him I believe), but would done nothing there.
Talk about Bitter little kitties, I have a friend on FB that commented onto something posted from Tigernet. I clicked on it to see what all was said. Everyone one there is calling for Morris to be fired. Remember after the loss to the Gamecocks last year when Morris was about to go to Texas Tech before they decided on someone better? All of the baby tigers were sad, so Dabo had a press conference to say “It wasn’t a Chad Morris offense, it was a Clemson offense” trying to say it was his. I wonder why they aren’t calling for Dabo’s head. He assured you all it was his offense. You know the kool-aid he is serving is a toxic as that crap from Jonestown, yet the morons keep drinking it. As a Gamecock all I can say is for Christmas, I want 5 more years of Dabo. 10 in a row sounds damn good!
#feartheotherthumb, #HighFive #Clemsonsucks.
Oh good lord..I saw the “its time for Spurrier to retire” stuff on Gamecock central after he blew the last minute plays and clock handling at the Tn game.
Please don’t think Clemson is alone with idiot fans–SC has the market cornered.
SCAR has won again for the 5th year and you all should enjoy. Congrats! We all know that the tides will turn. In my opinion it is coming up this next year. But, seriously congrats!
What a disgusting display of sportsmanship and irresponsibility by the uSC students at the half and end of the game Saturday throwing bottles and other debris at the Tiger football team as it exited the field and harassing a staffer (see also today’s Post and Courier with picture and comments). uSC staffer Steve Fink tried his best to flip the story around but failed. Apparently, this has happened several times before and nothing has been done by the uSC administration. Someone could have gotten seriously hurt.
At Clemson the vast vast majority of students have always sat on the opposite corner diagonally from where the visiting team enters and exits the field thus preventing this kind of problem.
If you’re going to enjoy success uSC then show some
class and responsibility that comes with the territory.
all you know is what you read. I saw many Clemson fans throwing stuff in the stands too, and all got escorted out and one in cuffs after that idiot pushed a cop. Great class there you horses ass. damn troll