As regular-season finales go, few match the intensity of Clemson–South Carolina.
Clemson enters the 2025 Palmetto Bowl at 6–5, South Carolina sits at 4–7, and both teams badly want to rewrite how their seasons are remembered. Kickoff at Williams-Brice Stadium is set for noon ET on the SEC Network.
The rivalry has taken a strange turn: the road team has won the last five meetings, and Clemson has captured each of its last five trips to Columbia, giving the Tigers a chance at an unprecedented sixth-straight Williams-Brice win.
Here’s everything fans need to know — how to watch, how to listen, and the storylines that define this year’s matchup.
How to Watch
Kickoff: Saturday, Nov. 29
Time: Noon ET
TV: SEC Network
Broadcast team: Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst), Alyssa Lang (sideline)
Fans can stream the game via the ESPN app or ESPN.com using their TV provider login.
How to Listen
Radio: Clemson Athletic Network
Broadcast team: Don Munson (play-by-play), Tim Bourret (analyst), Reggie Merriweather (sideline)
SiriusXM: Channels 106 or 193
The broadcast is also available through the official Clemson Tigers mobile app across regional affiliates.
Key Storylines to Watch
1. Clemson’s Columbia Dominance on the Line
This rivalry has stretched in strange directions recently — nearly all of them orange.
Clemson leads the all-time series comfortably and has owned Williams-Brice Stadium for nearly a decade, winning its last five trips to Columbia. The road team has won every meeting since 2018, including Clemson victories in 2019, 2021 and 2023 and Gamecock wins in Clemson in 2022 and 2024.
A Tigers win would extend that bizarre trend and mark their longest road streak in series history.
2. A Season That Looked Lost Is Suddenly Salvageable
Clemson started 1–3 for the first time since 2004, sitting in a hole no previous Clemson team had escaped to finish with seven wins.
Now, the Tigers arrive in Columbia having peeled themselves off the mat and clawed to 6–5. A win gets them to an unprecedented seven victories after a 1–3 start — and would send them into bowl season with real momentum.
Dabo Swinney has hammered home how proud he is of this group for refusing to splinter. Saturday is their chance to prove the turnaround is more than temporary survival.
3. Swinney’s Shot at Revenge and History
South Carolina stunned Clemson in Death Valley last fall, stealing a low-scoring 17–14 win that stung the Tigers deeply.
Now comes the rematch — and Swinney historically shines in these situations. His teams have routinely flipped results in second chances, including recent bounce-back wins over NC State, Florida State, Notre Dame and Louisville.
A victory would give Swinney his 10th win over South Carolina, tying him with Frank Howard for the most by a Clemson coach. It would also push him closer to the elite tier of wins amassed within a coach’s first 20 seasons.
4. Cade Klubnik’s Record Watch
Cade Klubnik enters this rivalry game on the brink of major milestones:
- On the verge of passing Charlie Whitehurst for fourth all-time in Clemson passing yards
- Approaching the 10,000-yard career mark
- Riding one of the longest interception-free streaks of his career
- Tracking toward one of the best multi-year statistical runs by a Clemson QB
The 2025 season didn’t unfold the way Klubnik or Clemson envisioned in September. But the junior quarterback now has a real shot to cement a strong finish — and doing it in Columbia only amplifies the impact.
5. Clemson’s Defense Is Peaking at the Right Time
The Tigers have rediscovered their defensive identity late in the season, and now they’re closing in on several notable benchmarks:
- A chance to hold a fourth straight opponent under 20 points
- Another season with 30+ sacks, extending a streak unmatched in the CFP era
Several individual pursuits: T.J. Parker climbing the all-time sacks list, Sammy Brown emerging as a havoc machine, and Khalil Barnes/Avieon Terrell continuing to build their ball-production résumés
This unit has dominated its last two trips to Columbia, allowing just 7 and 0 points in 2023 and 2021. Replicating that form would give Clemson a huge edge Saturday.
6. In-State Supremacy at Stake — Again
Clemson’s dominance of South Carolina opponents spans generations. Winning in Columbia would:
- Extend the road streak in the rivalry
- Cap a comeback season with a statement
- Reinforce Clemson’s long-standing control of the Palmetto State
- Keep the Tigers unbeaten against teams with losing records over the last several seasons
- And perhaps most importantly to fans — it would restore order after last year’s rivalry loss in Clemson.
If Clemson finishes the job in Columbia, the Tigers will close a season of adversity, injuries, and early disappointment on an emphatic note — and head into December looking far more dangerous than their record suggests.