CLEMSON CRUSHES CAROLINA TO RECLAIM BRAGGING RIGHTS
By FITSNEWS || True freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson and redshirt freshman tailback Wayne Gallman spearheaded a resurgent Clemson offense – while the nation’s No. 1 defense held Steve Spurrier‘s high-flying South Carolina offense to its lowest point total of the season.
The end result?
A 35-17 Clemson win that was never really in question – and an emphatic end to the Tigers’ five-year run of futility in the newly christened “Palmetto Bowl.”
“Things are back to how they should be,” Clemson football’s official Twitter page noted.
Clemson hadn’t tasted victory against their in-state arch-rivals since November 29, 2008 – the program’s longest losing streak in the 112-year history of the series. In fact this was Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney‘s first victory over the Gamecocks since he was named the head man in Tigertown (Swinney’s 2008 win came as the Tigers’ interim head coach).
Leading the way for the Tigers (9-3, 6-2 ACC) was Watson – who was in middle school the last time Clemson beat Carolina. The freshman phenom – still suffering the lingering effects of a left knee injury sustained two weeks ago against Georgia Tech – completed 14 of 19 passes for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He ran for two additional scores, including a put-away touchdown with 2:35 left in the fourth quarter – capping a nine-play, 75-yard drive that featured nothing but running plays.
Of course Watson’s biggest news came after the game – when Clemson’s coaches revealed he had played the entire game with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his injured left knee.
Wow …
Meanwhile Gallman – who watched last year’s game from the sidelines as a redshirt – rumbled for a career-high 191 yards on 27 carries against the porous Gamecock defense.
And yet another freshman – wide receiver Artavis Scott– raced past the Gamecock defense for 185 receiving yards, many of them coming on sweep plays that were more rushes than receptions. Whatever the plays were called, the Gamecocks (6-6, 3-5 SEC) couldn’t stop them … which has been the story of a season in which Spurrier’s squad was supposed to contend for a national championship.
(RELATED: THE PALMETTO BOWL IN PICS)
South Carolina surrendered 491 yards in what could (and probably should) be defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward‘s final game.
On the other side of the ball the Gamecock offense simply couldn’t establish any consistency against a Tiger defense that entered the game giving up fewer yards per game than any unit in the NCAA.
“I can’t say much more about these guys,” Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “They’re incredible and the best group of guys I’ve been around. They deserved this. These guys have been on edge and they were so hungry for this game today. They played with incredible passion.”
South Carolina ran for a season-low 63 yards – while fifth-year senior quarterback Dylan Thompson was pressured all afternoon by the Tigers’ defensive linemen (led by All-American Vic Beasley). Thompson was sacked four times and committed a costly fumble (one caused by Beasley) in the first half that set up the Tigers’ second score.
He finished the game completing 21 of 39 attempts for 249 yards with one touchdown – a fourth quarter strike to wide receiver Damiere Byrd.
Thompson did set South Carolina’s single season record for passing yardage in the game – breaking the mark of 3,206 yards set by Todd Ellis in 1987 – but it was little consolation for Gamecock fans.
After four years of unprecedented success, the refrain of “wait ’till next year” is once again being heard in Columbia, S.C.
South Carolina’s six losses in 2014 equal the number of games the program lost over the last three seasons – combined. In fact if the Gamecocks drop their bowl game, they will have lost seven games for the first time under Spurrier (and the first time since 2003).
That’s quite a precipitous decline for a team that started the 2014 season ranked No. 9 in the nation.
UPDATE: No, the headline is not a typo.
***
90 comments
Ahhhh……sweet victory at last!!!!
I expected my Tigers to win and set the earth back on its axis, but I didn’t expect an old fashioned beat-down.
Lorenzo, meet Artavis.
Hey SEC!!
Nice reputation you’ve got there as THE football conference. Be a shame if something happened to it…
ACC!
ACC!
ACC!
Do they still chant SEC when they get their ass handed to them?
Its as if somehow being in the SEC even matters.
ACC!
Needed one more for the ‘Noles.
If ‘Bama loses to Auburn or Mizzou, the mighty SEC might [adopts “Hans & Franz” contemptuous voice] not even have one team in the inaugural College Football Playoff.
Good thing is…that will all but guarantee an 8 or 16 team playoff next year.
That one legged qb kicked ass today. I wonder what it would have been like if he was healthy.
UPDATE: No, the headline is not a typo.
Some may still be unclear…
[The Gamecocks were] Tiger Pwned.
ie : Sakerlina was PWNED by the TIGERS, BEETCHEZ!!!!
“TIGER PWNED” was the original headline.
You’re welcome.
Did Spurrier realize that he was down by 11 and had 3 time outs available? I don’t think I’ve heard announcers talk so much about poor clock management as I did today. Absolutely no fire on the sidelines, Ward should have been up his players ass after the first quarter. If Spurrier decides to stick around, don’t expect any coaching changes.
Spurrier no longer has the competitive fight. They had the ball on the Clemson 2-yard line for several downs and could not punch it in. His response was basically “sheet happens.” SC should have run the wildcat 20 times in the second half, as their QB had no reason for being in the game.
I’m a huge Tiger fan…..but you’re right. I was more worried when Pharoh Cooper was at the helm than Dylan Thompson. It looks like the cheese may be slipping off the old ball coach’s cracker!!
No, Thompson made no contribution at all, oh, wait, 249 yards passing (Watson had twenty more yards). He clearly wasn’t at his best but …
249 yards, I thought the overthrown yardage would have totaled more than that.
He does tend to loft the ball.
He threw more balls behind the sidelines than he did downstream.
Shoulda been a few intentional groundings there..but teh refs had their hand full doing other stuff…
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Clemson played a good game, SC has had a bad year.
And now for the “tater” claims: Spurrier is too old, Ward sucks but the Head Ball Coach won’t fire him cause he’s senile. Spurrier is a one trick pony. Five years was a fluke…
Heard it all before – congratulations Clempson, you won’t have to say “wait till next year” (for the first time in six years)
Is this the present or will we have to revert to the history of the past 5 years?
Does 66-42-4 ring true or is it 1-5?
USC fans’ history only goes back 5 years. I imagine somehow, this year will be forgotten and will only include the previous 5 years..again.
I’m starting the “1-peat” chant. You pick the finger to hold up.
Will Spurrier get upset of Clemson fans 1 bomb him? Will he know if they’re fucking with him or telling him he’s #1? Will he care as long as the photo doesn’t interfere with his golf game?
About that second paragraph, I see you’ve been reading the Gamecock forums today too. Everything you said is what is being said by gamecock fans on those forums.
Not a big enough football fan to be on the forums. Watched the first half with the ‘rents and the second half with mixed friends.
Seriously..have you ever heard anyone say “5 years was a fluke”? This must be the worst strawman you can come up with.
Hard that phrase exactly from a fat friend in an orange jersey – but to your point he says stupid stuff all the time and he is a grown man wearing a game jersey…
“he is a grown man wearing a game jersey…”
So you have a problem with 99% of black people?
I’m an equal opportunity hater. Anyone over the age of fourteen deserves derision if they’re wearing a jersey of any kind unless they’re actually on the team – extra derision reserved for those with a name not their own on the jersey.
If you go to Granby Park,you’ll see guys w/jersey’s,but no names,just single digit numbers,but I did meet a guy with an ’11’,and the jersey didn’t lie.Get er done.
Yet another factoid I didn’t need to know 9″…
you are questioning people having a problem with “black people”? I have seen your posts on the Ferguson situation. You sir are the biggest racist here!
If you like your strawman, you can keep your strawman…
sure you did
Butt hurt.
was 0-21 a fluke?
now that’s a legacy!
66-42-4
Nah, USC beat themselves. In fact, we’re 6-6 against USC this year
Yep, I knew we’d eventually see this BS excuse.
CVS carries all manner of butt-hurt medications. Try Preparation H first, but take that tigerpaw out of your ass first.
Didn’t you see Ward’s press statement, the defense played so poorly because they weren’t able to practice outside this week. What was so bad about this past week that they couldn’t practice? Do teams without indoor facilities just call off practice because it’s sprinkling outside?
Oh c’mon…that’s a classic Dabo excuse!!
Dabo sure used it when he lost to FSU three years ago. Or was it when he lost to FSU last year?
Well..at least Clemson didn’t lose to Kentucky.
“beat themselves”
Tango has it all covered at whatever that blog is called…Lol…
After predictions that I would be MIA after the game, I am back. Anything happen while I was gone?
I give my game ball to the referees. They tried hard all day to put the game away, but in the end, just couldn’t do it.
This is the first time I’ve ever seen someone who was still moving forward, on his feet, fumble a ball and it get called “down”. It was amazing.
On to #67.
If this is the trend, you should get 67 in 2019.
haha…did you even watch your team today? It was your “most prolific offense ever”, and your Qb broke some record today.
hahahahahahaha
It appears to me that history will start repeating itself.
Always does but not necessarily in the way you expect…
If this is the trend, you should get 67 in 2019.
Let TBG guess.
Your *math* is based on the previous 6 meetings. Not the previous2, 10, 20, 100 or any other time period?
Nice.
There’s a proviso. “f this is the trend.” Based on the last times the series switched. If the last six had been win one, lose one, etc., you’ll get it in 2016. Pay a little closer attention.
The College Football Playoff Rankings has USC at #25. At 6-6, USC still made it to the Top 25.
Look, if USC played Clemmons 10 times…well, you know the rest
Yep, my Tigers would win 8 of ’em.
If they played like they did today, they would take all of them.
Dude..take away the USC turnovers and its a whole different outcome. (See how ridiculous these Dabo excuses sound?)
Yet now YOU’RE using them.
Nope. The saying goes…all with me…If we played 10 times, we’d win 5 of them. (Dabo logic)
I was told that someone spotted Tonya Harding wearing a Gamecock jersey following Deshaun Watson around before the game . . . .
Were that it had been true…
I try to stay out of these conversations but …
That’s what i call an ass whoopin …
If you didnt see it that way have another one.
And if you think its not a look into the near future well … have one more.
The only good thing to come out of this game is Deshaun Watson probably played his last game. Apparently he fucked up his knee again. Got love DatBoy and how he drives his slaves, errr players.
Didn’t you drop dead screwing a cheerleader, get hauled back to your office in the trunk of an asst. coach’s car and get tossed naked into your shower at work?
Watchoo mean
The speed of Clemson’s skill position players and South Carolina’s season long struggles on defense made this result more or less inevitable.
*looks around*
Maybe someone should go check on Tango?
Heh..he’s trying to figure out how not to say “Damn How wrong was I”
You guys know the routine.
IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!
Both teams suck.Football is a ridiculous game.BASEBALL!!!
Haha we whip that ass! went to the game wit my two boys and never seen so many hicks in one place becuz of all the coot fans. I knower we’d win but I didn’t know the coots were that awful and soft. coots yall suck bad! dabo owns that ass!!!!
So eloquent. Well said. Stay classy!
Now you can shut up with your stupid whatever bombs. If you win something next year are you gonna 1-bomb ? Lamer.
Bottom line: South Carolina made to look like chumps playing against a team who’s quarterback has a torn ACL. Clemson dominated from start to finish.
How did those fifth place rings work out to motivate your team this year?
Spurrier didn’t seem to have a smartass response after that butt whipping. About time he stfu. And now, willie, it’s time for you to stfu and quit promoting your stupid little whatever-bomb campaigns.
Nurse! I need more MORPHINE!
Congratulations to Clemson on their indisputable victory over us! They win this year. Nevertheless, eventually, even stones are weathered to nothing, given enough time and water.
SCPSD is calling the 3 RARE wins by the ACC over the SEC, Blue Moon Saturday. Very Creative…
FITS is just punch drunk rehashing of the obvious, and what everybody else said…BORING!!!…Read MoRon and you read FITS, and vice-versa… (: …
3 rare wins are not that rare.
Kentucky leads, 14-13 against Louisville
Florida leads, 34–23–2 against Florida State
Georgia leads, 64-40-5 against Georgia Tech
BUT THERE WAS A FOURTH THAT IS TYPICAL.
Clemson leads, 66-42-4 against South Carolina
Typical ignorance from a Dumb@$$ FITS follower.
The last time SC, Florida and Georgia all lost to their in-state rival on the same day was 2000..that is rare, you F*#king brain-dead cliche…
Time for a tall glass of STFU, Biggs!
“Typical ignorance from a Dumb@$$ FITS follower.”
YOUR TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF.
SINCE FSU AND USC JOINED THEIR CONFERENCES IN ’92
Georgia Tech didn’t play on the same day as FSU and Clemson in 2000. All three also beat their rivals in ’98 and ’99, but not on the same date.
The SEC teams beat their rivals on different dates in 2001. They beat their rivals on the same date in 2006, 2009 and 2012.
For the same year the ACC and SEC are tied with 4 sweeps each.
For the same day it’s SEC 3, ACC 1.
Did SC, Ga. and Fla. lose to the ACC in 2000, or not idiot?…
And don’t play your little effeminate games for Dumb@$$#$… to try to hide how F*#king stupid you are…it may work on the rest of you stupid Obam-ites…but I’m not an imbecile like your gaggle of FITS circle jerkers…
“The last time SC, Florida and Georgia all lost to their in-state rival on the same day was 2000”
I copied it before you edited.
Do you not no the difference between the words “Day” and “Season?” Look them up. A “Blue Moon” doesn’t occur over week but on a day.
Go look up ‘immaterial reference’…than go read where it tells you that when you are reduced to arguing those irrelevant points, to keep from looking like a Dumb@$$, it’s too late. LMAO….
Blue moon event, not since 2000. Yet, it also happen both of the two years prior. All of a sudden it doesn’t seem so rare. You also fail to mention Louisville – Kentucky game.
The last time it happened was 14 years ago. That qualifies for Blue Moon status, you ignorant F*#king FITS-Breed Dumb@$$.
You’re either 13-years old w/ a learning disability, or you’re just a stupid F*#k…who can’t accept the fact you’ve let your emotions make you look like a F*#king idiot…Par for the course on this site…
Go look look at FITS post begging for people to believe he is a Carolina fan…That’s about how stupid you look…LMAO….
Nope! Next year will be the 24th year of the three rivalries in the ACC and SEC. If the games were decided randomly, then a sweep would occur, on average, once every eight years for each conference. 1/2 × 1/2 × 1/2 = 1/8. In the last 23 years, a sweep has occurred 4 times for each conference. Statistically you would only expect 3 each. Not so rare!
14 years ago was the last time it happened… Dumb@$$…
No matter how you stumble over yourself trying to recover and atone, it’s not going to change it…just admit it…
Instead you make yourself look like a bigger F*#king idiot, burying yourself deeper, trying to wipe the $#!t off of your face….LMAO….
What’s SCPSD and does anyone care what they have to say?
A faint hint of human progress, and in the south of all places.
http://www.wistv.com/story/27510426/uab-to-fire-athletic-director-shut-football-program
Should SC go after Ellis Johnson, now that Auburn has fired him???…
Check it out on SCPSD…this fool FITS is just posting stupid cliche Bull-$#!* because he takes you all for Dumb@$$#$, like him…(:
“How to be a Faithful Husband” by Tiger Woods
“How to Make Money” by Bernie Madoff
“How to Hold Onto the Ball” by Dylan Thomson
I was pulling for the Tigers because I want that idiot Lorenzo Ward GONE!!
Its takin me a long time to come to this conclusion but …
Im starting to thank grand tango is synonymous for “bitter asshole”
Love this clip. Kind of sums up the effort by the chickens Saturday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFx7f_pvOPI