Loss to Tigers will linger for Gamecocks

CLEMSON—It started with a pregame skirmish and ended with the second-largest margin of victory in series history.

Even with the electricity coursing through the air almost two hours before kickoff, Clemson walloped South Carolina 56-7 Saturday night, putting a damper on the Gamecocks’ (6-6) regular season and sending them to their bowl game with their worst loss since 2008.

The Gamecocks lost to Florida that year 56-6.

“Honestly I’ve never been beaten like that before in my entire life,” A.J. Turner, who rushed for 15 yards on eight carries, said. “Just seeing the scoreboard man I never want that to happen again.”

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Clemson (11-1) and South Carolina started the hostility pregame with a shoving match during warm ups with Bryson Allen-Williams saying after the game Tiger players were directing racial slurs at Gamecock linemen.

Dante Sawyer and Terry Googer both tweeted the same story after the game. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney also called two timeouts on the final Tiger drive, stopping the clock and giving Clemson another chance to score.

Seniors were also honored during the timeout, and Clemson would score on the drive to mark their final touchdown. Gamecock head coach Will Muschamp was short when asked about the end of the game, saying, “it is what it is.”

D.J. Smith said that moment will stick with him for a while.

“I feel like they disrespected us with all of that showboating at the end,” he said. “We’re going to be ready for them next year.”

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Turner, who said he wasn’t used to this rivalry coming into Saturday, said this game woke him up to hit and seeing the seniors’ faces after the game was hard. He also said this game takes a more personal feel than the other ones this season.

“I seen a bunch of different stuff, so I really think it was a personal game,” he said. “We can’t do this again. We have to step up.”

Mason Zandi and Shameik Blackshear both talked before the game, but it was washed away as Clemson put up 28 first quarter points and didn’t take its foot off the gas until the final whistle.

“We’ll have a bad taste in our mouths getting ready for them next year,” Smith said.

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Smith said the mantra in the locker room is “365 days,” which is how long until the next Palmetto Bowl. South Carolina, who returns a core group of talent, will have a chance to snap Clemson’s three-game winning streak at home.

No matter what, Turner said extending the losing streak to four games can’t happen.

“This can’t happen again, that’s all I can really say about it,” he said. “It’s kind of embarrassing. We just have to work hard and do what we have to do.”