SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

When the clock hits zero Saturday, there won’t be another game the Gamecocks can hang their hat on moving forward.

At 4-7 right now, they won’t have a bowl game to prepare for, meaning Saturday’s game will be the final game of South Carolina’s season.

But, even with nothing outside of pride and a chance to end a streak to their hated rival, the Gamecocks have a chance to once again play College Football Playoff spoiler.

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“It’d be I guess nice to dash their national championship hopes,” Rico Dowdle said. “We just want to go out there and win. The rest will take care of itself.”

Also see: Breaking down the keys to a win Saturday

The Tigers currently sit at No. 3 in the CFP rankings entering this week and with a loss Saturday could see that position slip out of the playoff.

South Carolina understands that, and they haven’t discussed playing spoiler this week and haven’t tossed around the theory that this is the Gamecocks’ bowl game either.

“I mean, personally I don’t look into all that stuff. I just play ball. I don’t,” J.T. Ibe said. “Ruin their season? Cool. I want the win.”

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The Gamecocks already pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the season with playoff implications, upsetting then-No. 3 Georgia on the road 20-17 in overtime.

This week, they’ve been talking about replicating the energy and events of that week heading into Williams-Brice Saturday.

“We all know we can stand with just about anybody, regardless of the team or the ranking,” Brunson said. “We just have to go out and play our best game.”

ESPN’s FPI is giving South Carolina a less than 10 percent chance to upset the Tigers, who haven’t lost in almost two years, a stretch of 26 games.

“Ruining it would be great but their spot don’t affect me. I’m trying to knock them out of that spot, though. That’s the goal. That’s what we’re coming in to do.”

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The Gamecocks are also trying to stop a five-game losing streak to the Tigers as well with their last win in the series coming in 2013, which was also at Williams-Brice.

No one from that 2013 team is currently on this year’s squad, but there is one player who has been here for all five losses.

That’d be Donell Stanley, who couldn’t care less about a national perspective. The sixth year senior just wants to leave with one win over Clemson in his career.

“I just want to beat them,” he said. “That’s for me. After this, I’m done.”

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