Clemson stock keeps rising with dominant defensive effort in Gamecocks takedown

Xavier Thomas and the Clemson defense kept constant pressure on South Carolina's Spencer Rattler.

by Ryan Kantor - Contributor - Mon Nov 27 07:00:05 GMT-04:00 2023

Clemson’s defense dominated the Gamecocks while the offense simply avoided catastrophe. Against a mediocre Gamecocks team that won’t be going to a bowl game, that was enough for a 16-7 win that never felt as close as the score indicated.

Clemson’s defensive front obliterated the Gamecocks’ offensive line. As expected, South Carolina couldn’t run the ball with any consistency. Spencer Rattler was elusive and had one great 16-yard run, but aside from that and a 19-yard rush by RB Mario Anderson, they were stonewalled all night. They totaled just 57 rushing yards, and excluding those two plays, had only 22 rushing yards.

Things were only marginally better for their passing game. Although he was only sacked twice, South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler was constantly rushed and never had time to set his feet and find open receivers. After torching Clemson for 360 yards last season, Rattler was held to just 112 passing yards – a testament to the massive improvement in Clemson’s secondary.

Xavier Legette, South Carolina’s star wide receiver, was mostly quiet. He finished with six receptions for 68 yards. Nate Wiggins was excellent, but it wasn’t always him on Legette. In fact, safety Khalil Barnes often found himself matched up with the 1,000-yard receiver. Despite being a freshman going up against a fifth-year COVID-waiver senior, Barnes held up very well and even came up with an interception in coverage against him on the Gamecocks’ second drive.

In addition to the interception, Barnes also had a scoop-and-score touchdown on a dropped backward pass. It was a banner night for the freshman, making himself known to Clemson fans for his nose for the football. Other defensive players who stood out include defensive ends TJ Parker and Xavier Thomas, who brought pressure all night, and freshman cornerback Avieon Terrell, who looks ready to be a 2024 All-ACC player.

The lone offensive touchdown of the game came on a double-reverse to Luke Doty, where Barrett Carter tripped, and then Tyler Davis tripped over him. That allowed Doty to get the one yard they needed to find the end zone. As has been the case for the defense this season, they were great on every drive except one, and that was the one. Despite registering a sack, Carter had a rough game with just a 47.4 PFF grade on the evening. He could have been playing at less than 100% after missing a previous contest this month (Georgia Tech). Carter now has a 65.4 PFF grade on the season, down from 81.4 last year. It’ll be interesting to see how NFL scouts evaluate him. He may be viewed similarly to Trenton Simpson, who had a slightly down year as a junior but still went in the third round due to his elite athleticism.

While Clemson’s defense was playoff-caliber, the offense struggled mightily. I have been critical of Beaux Collins’ at times this season for his lack of big-play ability, but the wide receiver corps badly missed him as he sat with a foot injury. Clemson’s wide receivers registered only 45 yards in the game, with 39 of them coming on one big play to Tyler Brown. Brown and Stellato also had drops, with Stellato’s drop directly leading to a punt. TE Olsen Patt-Henry also dropped a very catchable ball, and TE Jake Briningstool tallied only three yards.

Cade Klubnik made his share of mistakes too. He didn’t see open receivers at times and threw to covered receivers instead. He threw an interception on a ball that was thrown on the inside of the WR where the defender was instead of to the boundary where only his man could make a play. Fortunately for the Tigers, Klubnik avoided the catastrophic mistakes that were a trademark of early-season Clemson. He also used his legs to move the chains and keep drives alive, racking up 52 yards on the ground.

The biggest stunner of the night was kicker Jonathan Weitz having a superb performance. He entered the game just 8-14, including another miss last week against North Carolina. It was surprising that Clemson coach Dabo Swinney let him try a 50-yarder, but Weitz rewarded his trust and split the uprights. Swinney tested fate again by letting him attempt a 49-yarder, and he nailed that one, too. Just to make the night one to remember, he knocked in a third field goal from 42 yards out. His field goals comprised all of Clemson’s scoring after the Barnes scoop-and-score defensive TD on South Carolina’s first drive. And to the Tigers’ favor, it was all they needed to reclaim the Palmetto Bowl.

It was Clemson’s eighth win in the last nine Palmetto Bowls and improved their overall record in the series to 73-43-4. It also pushes them to 8-4 on the season, which is at least two losses more than even the most pessimistic fans envisioned but perhaps better than many expected when they were 4-4. It’s clear that Clemson has some issues to resolve this offseason. This win doesn’t change that, but it keeps that Clemson stock rising and sets up a potentially juicy bowl game with DJ Uiagalelei’s 8-4 Oregon State Beavers in the Holiday Bowl or a rematch with the 8-4 Tennessee Volunteers in the Gator Bowl.