Third-ranked Clemson sputtered into its last bye week earlier in the season at North Carolina where it salvaged a 21-20 road victory.
Since that point the Tigers have rolled their last six opponents by an average margin of 42.8 points per game. The team surged back to where it left off in 2018 and now it has yet another week off.
The last time Clemson benefited from a bye week ahead of the South Carolina game was 2006, a game the Tigers lost 31-28 after kicker Jad Dean missed on a 39-yard field goal as time expired.
Offensive lineman Sean Pollard feels like another bye week will only help the Tigers (11-0, 8-0 ACC) get rest and that they learned a pivotal lesson after its performance in Chapel Hill.
“The last bye week told us that anybody can beat us at any time and that we need to trust the process,” Pollard said. “It helps us slow down and realize to respect every opponent every week and finish out the season strong.”
Clemson is in a much different position entering its second bye week than the first. At the beginning of the year the Tigers looked unsteady at times offensively, but now they are clicking on all cylinders.
After a successful run like the Tigers have had the last several weeks its possible a week off might slow down their momentum. But Pollard knows this team learned its lesson.
“No because we learned from our last bye week and we were a young team then,” Pollard said. “The stove is hot, and I don’t really want to touch it again we learned our lesson.”
In fact, Pollard looks forward to a week of rest to prepare for South Carolina, who has shown streaks of success, namely its 20-17 overtime win at Sanford Stadium over No. 4 Georgia. But, the Gamecocks also have underwhelming losses at Tennessee and at Missouri.
“It’s nice to have another bye week and we still have work to do against a team that is really good even though South Carolina’s record doesn’t reflect that,” Pollard said.
Clemson travels to Williams-Brice Stadium on Nov. 30, the game is scheduled for a noon kick.
We are pleased to announce a new partnership with Fanatics. This is great news for Tiger fans as they have the officially licensed Clemson gear.
The Clemson Insider will get a portion of all sales so get ready for another championship season by ordering your Clemson gear today and help support TCI.
