The Clemson football team defeated South Carolina 56-35 Saturday night. The close in scoring margin has Gamecock fans looking forward to next year.
Clemson football improved to five-straight wins over in-state rival South Carolina.
The Tigers improved to 12-0 on the season in a 56-35 victory over the Gamecocks. While it wasn’t the performance Tiger fans hoped for, it was still a decent win. Clemson was clearly the better team and the Tigers came away with a 21 point win in a game where they certainly didn’t play their best.
Because the Gamecocks had success against Clemson’s defense and the margin of victory dropped three points from last year, many South Carolina fans believe next year is “their year.”
https://twitter.com/brandonrpowell/status/1066538666628194304
@GamecocksOnline I want to hear Coach Muschamps come out and tell us that he won’t forget they purposely ran the score up at the end and he will not hesitate to do the same. Well Coach?
— Buckadero 💛💙 🏆💙💛 (@Buckadero) November 25, 2018
That last @ClemsonFB touch down was unclas and I hope we don't forget.
— Live to Hike (@sierra_hiker) November 25, 2018
Thoughts:
I love the Gamecock fans complaining about Dabo Swinney not kneeling the ball. They act as if he elected to throw a Hail Mary or fade into the end zone. It was a simple running back dive up the middle.
There’s always the option of- I don’t know- tackling the runner?
People are quick to point out that garbage time touchdown, but they forget that the officials completely gypped Clemson out of a touchdown earlier in the game when they called a fake offensive pass interference on Amari Rodgers on what would’ve been a touchdown.
They also kept the Gamecocks’ drive alive on another pass interference call on Nolan Turner that wasn’t a pass interference.
So, let’s stop with this whole narrative that the game was really only a 14 point margin. It was easily 21 points, if not more, even with Clemson’s secondary playing its worst game of the season.
As far as next year goes, Gamecock fans should be reminded that Clemson returns Trevor Lawrence, Tee Higgins, Justyn Ross, Amari Rodgers, Travis Etienne, Tavien Feaster, Lyn-J Dixon, the majority of that offensive line, and they have plenty of play-makers on the defensive line and secondary as well.
The two programs just aren’t comparable and they aren’t going to be next year, either. I tip my cap to Jake Bentley and the South Carolina players for playing one of their best games of the season. They continued to fight and never gave up.
But, let’s calm down just a little bit, Gamecock nation.