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Some called it the biggest matchup in the history of the rivalry. #15 South Carolina, on a five-game win streak, on the road at #12 Clemson, both with outside hopes of sneaking into the playoffs, but assured of the winner earning in-state bragging rights for a year, and rivalry game glory forever. By the time the final whistle blew, QB LaNorris Sellers had etched his name in that history forever, and several other Gamecocks took their turns making sure they overcame several setbacks, self-inflicted wounds, and exceptional moments from their Upstate opponents. In the end, the Gamecocks pulled out a 17-14 come-from-behind win that keeps the tiniest window open on their playoff chances, but regardless of how that all shakes out, South Carolina finished off an unforgettable regular season with the exclamation point they were seeking.

South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers had already proven through 11 games that he is one of the best young QBs in the SEC, if not the country, but today he proved that even when nothing else is working, he can single-handedly take over a football game, even against a top 12 rival in their home stadium. His stat line says a lot by itself: 13-21 for 164 yards and one interception isn't going to break any records, but his 166 yards on the ground and two TDs, including the game-winner from 20 yards out was the only consistent offense Carolina could rely on today. By accruing 150+ yards in both categories, he also became the first P4 player this season to throw and rush for 150+ yards each.

No one will remember those stats though. What they'll remember is the 9-play 75-yard drive he put together in just over 4 minutes of game time to push the Gamecocks over the hill to a 17-14 win. What they'll remember are the innumerable times that Clemson had him seemingly dead to rights, but he refused to go down, escaping time and time again with draw-dropping consistency. What they'll remember is that when nothing was going right, and it felt like this one might end just like the 2023 version, a hard-fought but disappointing loss, Sellers refused to be denied, refused to fold, refused to lose.

After the game, Shane Beamer called him "the best player in college football" and dared the Heisman to consider him. After back-to-back P4 games that South Carolina won solely because they had #16 on their side, he may have an argument.

Lost in the understandable hubbub around Sellers might be just how sloppy South Carolina played this game. Three separate times they turned it over in Clemson territory. Several times South Carolina killed their momentum with penalties (7 for 66 yards vs. 3 for 15 yards for Clemson). They even failed to convert an onside kick that could have been disastrous with just over 6 minutes left in the game. The reason most of these get lost in the shuffle of a win is just how impressively South Carolina's defense responded at every turn. Despite the 3 turnovers, Clemson scored zero points on the possession following them. Despite the good field position after the onside kick failed, Clemson went three and out and punted it back to Sellers.

Without fail, South Carolina's defense refused to let the game get out of reach, no matter how many mistakes the offense or special teams made. It was fitting then when the Tigers rallied their final drive down the field, and had moved into game-tying FG range, the defense found one more play to seal to game when Cade Klubnik had a pass tipped the line, then intercepted by LB Demetrius Knight who had an incredible game across the board.

After the game, Beamer mentioned telling the seniors on defense before the final drive "this is the reason you came back to South Carolina," and they got to finish out their regular seasons here with a storybook ending.

6.4 - South Carolina's yards per rush average, as the Gamecocks racked up 267 yards on the ground on 42 carries.

46.6 - Average yards per punt for South Carolina on 5 punts, nearly 9 yards better than Clemson's 37.7 average. Kai Kroeger was impactful in the win here in 2022, and made sure to make life difficult for the Tigers all afternoon once again.

6-1 - The record for South Carolina now in the rivalry when both teams are ranked.

0 - Passing touchdowns in the game, with all four TDs coming on the ground (2 each). And all 4 coming from QB rushes.

I'll break this down further after Saturday's games end, but there's still a narrow window for South Carolina to make it into the playoff field. Right now, Auburn is competing with Alabama, which wouldn't hurt when it came to head-to-head looks between the two teams. You're going to have to depend on the committee viewing a comeback road victory at #12 Clemson as a big-time win, and the recent momentum of 6 straight wins as more impressive than some of the other names in the rankings nearby.

You also kind of needed an ACC front-runner to lose today, either SMU or Miami, but both hold three scores lead as I'm writing at the moment. Ohio State did take a loss, Notre Dame is in a battle, as is Penn State, but there's a question if any of those teams losing drops them enough.

Texas taking care of Texas A&M tonight would be nice to avoid any potential drama there. Right now it seems like a bit of a long shot unless the committee just really likes this South Carolina team, but the final rankings won't be until after Championship week next week, and we'll still have a couple of things to look at then depending on how the rankings shake out on Tuesday.

For now, my advice is to just enjoy the rest of your Saturday with the quiet confidence that comes with a win over your hated rival, the type that have been very hard to come by around here the last decade. Worry about the rest later.