Clemson players want to get it once more in the regular season before chasing the ACC and national titles.
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Clemson and SC both had success moving the ball in the first quarter but neither team managed to break through and score.
Thirty-four years have passed since those Tigers brought a title home, but for Clemson fans, the wait for another might be about to end.
The Tigers’ defense, though, didn’t let the Gamecocks capitalize on the mistakes. The series, which began in 1896, is one of the longest in college football.
“I have not had a chance to really look at them yet”, Fedora said during a conference call with reporters. We definitely don’t get enough credit nationally. But that’s really not our focus. “With the type of consistency we’ve had, not just this year, but several years in a row, if you can be that type of program then you’re going to have some special years along the way and that’s what we’re having this year”. Nevertheless, South Carolina enters what some players consider their bowl game feeling as though they’re playing with house money. Now the college football betting odds for the game have Clemson listed as a big favorite, the Tigers will look to avoid a problem in this one. “Our guys understand. They get it. Just lose it, and you’ll realize how special it is”.
In upstate South Carolina, Clemson’s 1981 football team is revered, and with good reason.
Before Coach Swinney receives the $500,000 in bonuses, Clemson must beat North Carolina in the ACC championship. They have more talent at all positions and have performed infinitely better than SC this year.
Gamecocks interim coach Shawn Elliott said his players have shown more intensity at practice. “The mentality seemed to be right on point”.
The Gamecocks improved to 6-0 for the first time since 2003-04 when they started 8-0, the last time SC made the NCAA Tournament.
“It just kind of makes you chuckle when we found out about the Citadel”, Clemson tight end Jordan Leggett said.
Clemson extended its nation’s best win streak to 15 straight games. He’s projected as a third-round pick in next year’s draft.
Watson had a 5-yard scoring run and threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Deon Cain to put the Tigers up 14-0 lead. He was named the ACC’s offensive back of the week for a fourth time this season after throwing for 343 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-13 victory over Wake Forest last week. Orth firing a flawless strike to All-American Pharoh Cooper, resulting in a 57-yard touchdown for SC.
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The rumors and reports about who would fill the head coaching position at SC ran rampant all week long. Swinney came into the rivalry game 3-2 in his mid-season stint in 2008 and recalled how feeling he could win the game – and he was carried off the field after a 31-14 with the Death Valley crowd chanting “Dabo” – it would’ve been hard to deny him the fulltime job.
