Clemson football: Counting down the toughest games of 2022 – Part 2 of 3
By Casey Cregan
#8 – South Carolina Gamecocks – 11/26 – Clemson, SC
The Gamecocks' second game loomed large last football season. It will again in 2022 in Shane Beamer's second season, writes our @DCPandC @postandcourier https://t.co/yBwybuiapR
— Jeff Hartsell (@Jeff_fromthePC) July 6, 2022
We start this week’s list with our feathered friends in the midlands of South Carolina. There is no denying Shane Beamer is a great personality and (dare I say) reminds me of a young Dabo Swinney with the way he has brought the fanbase together. With the additions of former 5-Star Quarterback Spencer Rattler from Oklahoma, along with Billy Stogner (TE – Oklahoma) and Christian Beal-Smith (RB – Wake Forest) from the transfer portal, to go along with a bevy of quality wide receivers there looks to be a lot of progress being made down there.
I have a hard time finding this game higher on this list because the problem for the cluckers was not really at the skill position (save the quarterback, as a transfer from St. Francis and a Graduate Assistant took the majority of the snaps a season ago). There were notable holes on the offensive line and most of those guys returned, and a defense that struggled to stop a one-dimensional Clemson team a season ago.
Will this game be closer than 2021? Likely. Are the Gamecocks getting better? Sure looks and sounds like it from their fanbase and “pundits”. Will this game be all that difficult? I truly do not believe so.