Third-ranked Clemson rolled to a 34-10 victory over its rival No. 24 South Carolina Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia as the Tigers clinched their fourth straight win over the Gamecocks.
Following Clemson’s 10th straight win over a top 25 team, an ACC record by the way, the media spoke to head coach Dabo Swinney, wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, Cornerback Ryan Carter, and defensive coordinator Brent Venables.
Here is what we heard:
Swinney knew the importance of Saturday’s rivalry matchup, and he was proud to see his team take down the Gamecocks while having fun doing it.
“Well, that was fun,” Swinney said. “I’m really happy for our team. I’m really happy for our staff and certainly our fans. We all know how important this game is and it’s great to be state champs, that’s for sure. We knew it was going to be a hard fought game but I’m really proud of our guys for showing up and being ready. Every week for us is a playoff mentality.”
Offensively, Clemson (11-1) was clicking from the get-go. Kelly Bryant was able to connect on deep balls he had missed earlier in the season, completing 23-of-34 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. As a unit, the offense totaled 469 yards.
One of his favorite targets was wide receiver Hunter Renfrow who totaled four catches for 75 yards and two scores. The junior couldn’t help but express how proud he was of the Tigers’ effort given on the field.
“It means a lot to me,” Renfrow said. “I’m so proud of the way we played, the way we came into this environment. The defense helped us out early, got a big score, and I’m just so proud of them.”
Clemson’s defense showed its toughness as it held South Carolina (8-4) to 207 total yards.
What started the defense’s hot night was cornerback Ryan Carter, who snagged an interception on the Gamecocks’ 12-yard line in the first quarter and returned it for a touchdown. Carter was nonetheless proud of the unit for never wavering.
“Great performance defensively,” the senior said. “I took a lot of pride in that, especially several guys who I thought played really well collectively. Hats off to the D-line and linebackers. I think we just had a great week of preparation. We knew what it was going to take to beat a team like this.”
Venables, too, was impressed with the grit he saw on the field.
“I’m really proud of them,” the defensive coordinator said. “It takes a lot of courage and toughness to continue to invest in game twelve and come on the road in a hostile environment and play really well. I’m really proud of our players and their commitment to prepare and the toughness they showed.”
Clemson now heads to its third straight ACC Championship appearance next Saturday to face a one-loss Miami team in Charlotte, N.C. at Bank of America Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 pm.