Will Muschamp explains decisions to go for it on two fourth downs

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

Will Muschamp knew he and the Gamecocks couldn’t settle for field goals Saturday against the No. 2 team in the country, so when his offense got into the red zone it was an easy choice to make.

The Gamecocks faced two different fourth downs from inside the Clemson five-yard line, knowing field goals likely wouldn’t mean much in the long run.

Neither worked, but that doesn’t mean Muschamp didn’t like the calls from offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon.

“We needed to score touchdowns in the red zone. In both situations I told B-Mac we had four downs,” Muschamp said postgame. “We needed to go for scores knowing our situation defensively.”

Also see: What Will Muschamp said after the game

The first came up in the second quarter with the Gamecocks trailing 14-7 and facing a second and goal from the three-yard line. After a one-yard run Jake Bentley fired incomplete to Shi Smith before another incompletion on fourth down with the ball sailing too high.

The last came on the Gamecocks’ second drive of the second half with a 15-play, 73-yard drive ending in no points.

After Mon Denson got South Carolina into a first-and-goal situation from the Clemson four-yard line, the Gamecocks had back-to-back one-yard runs from Denson before he was dropped for a loss of two.

On fourth down, after a Clemson delay of game, Bentley’s pass intended for Deebo Samuel was deflected.

Also see: Josh Low's instant analysis

“I think they defended the ball on both of them. One of them I had a hard time seeing down in our end zone. Down in this end zone I thought they defended the ball.”

If South Carolina had opted to kick the field goals, the final score would have been 56-41 instead, and if the offense had pulled out both touchdowns the Gamecocks could have been trailing by one score late in the game.

Despite the offensive onslaught against a really good defense, the Gamecocks (6-5, 4-4 SEC) struggled in the red zone at times. They converted on two of their four chances with the two failures coming on those missed two –point conversions.

“We just didn’t do our assignment,” Kiel Pollard said.

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The Gamecocks scored 35 points, the most allowed by Clemson’s defense ranked second in the country.

Bentley had a school-record 510 yards passing and a career-high five touchdown passes, just the second time this season a quarterback had multiple touchdown passes.

The 545 yards of offense was the most allowed by Clemson all year.