CLEMSON – It is game day in the real Death Valley where Clemson hosts South Carolina with a likely bid to the College Football Playoff on the line for the Tigers.
The Tigers look for another ten win season with a victory over the Gamecocks.
Location: Memorial Stadium (Death Valley)
Kickoff: Noon
Television: ESPN
Announcers: Roy Philpott, Sam Acho, Taylor Davis
2024 Record: Clemson 9-2, South Carolina 8-3
ACC Record: Clemson 7-1
Series History: Clemson leads series 73-43-4
Last Meeting: Clemson won 16-7 on November 25, 2023
TIGERS, GAMECOCKS TO SQUARE OFF IN RANKED RIVALRY SHOWDOWN
The No. 12/12 Clemson Tigers and the No. 16/14 South Carolina Gamecocks will renew their annual in state rivalry on Saturday, Nov. 30. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium in Clemson is scheduled for noon ET.
Saturday’s contest will mark the 121st meeting of the Palmetto State rivals, but with both teams harboring at-large hopes for the expanded College
Football Playoff, the game will arguably be one of the series’ largest. With Clemson at 9-2 and South Carolina at 8-3, the teams’ 17 combined wins are tied for the fifth-most entering the rivalry game in series history. It will mark only the fourth time the teams will meet with both squads ranked among the top 16 of the AP Poll (1987, 2012 and 2013).
WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK
– Clemson attempting to produce its 20th 10-win season in program history. It would be Clemson’s 13th 10-win season under Head Coach Dabo Swinney.
– Clemson attempting to win a 10th game this season to become the 13th program among current power conference programs to record at least 20 seasons all time with 10 or more wins. Prior to the season, that list included Alabama (44), Oklahoma (42), Michigan (32), Ohio State (31), Georgia (28), USC (28), Nebraska (28), Florida State (26), Penn State (26), Texas (25),
Notre Dame (23) and Tennessee (20).
– Clemson’s senior class (39-12 since 2021) needing a win to become the 12th Clemson senior class to average at least 10 wins a year over a four-year span, joining the 1990, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 senior groups.
– Clemson (9-2) and South Carolina (8-3) entering this year’s rivalry game with 17 combined victories, tied for the fifth-most wins entering the game in series history.- Clemson (No. 12) and South Carolina (No. 16) enter ing the game with the fourth-highest combined ranking in series history, trailing 2013 (No. 6 Clemson vs. No. 10 South Carolina), 1987 (No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 12 South Carolina) and 2012 (No. 12 Clemson vs. No. 13 South
Carolina).
– Clemson attempting to improve to 74-43-4 all-time against South Carolina. Clemson’s 73 all-time wins against South Carolina are the program’s most against any opponent.- By kickoff time against South Carolina, Clemson
entering the game having led the all-time series with the Gamecocks for 46,034 consecutive days (126 years, 13 days). South Carolina won the series opener in 1896 before Clemson evened the series in 1897. Clemson won the third game in the series on Nov. 17, 1898 to take a 2-1 series lead, a lead Clemson hasn’t relinquished.
– Clemson entering the game having won eight of the last nine games in the series. Clemson has outscored South Carolina by an average of 21.1 points per game in that span.
CLEMSON’S RÉSUMÉ
– Clemson has six wins of double digits against power conference opponents, tied for the most in the nation. The teams tied with Clemson for the most wins of 10+ points against power conference competition are all currently in the AP Top 10: No. 1 Oregon, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 6 Georgia, No. 9 SMU, and No. 10 Indiana.
– Clemson has seven wins of any margin against power conference opponents, tied for fourth in the nation and trailing only Oregon (eight), Penn State (eight) and SMU (eight).
– Clemson (7-1 in ACC play) is one of only six power conference teams with seven or more conference wins this season.
STATE SUPREMACY
Clemson has a winning record against all 12 opponents it has faced from the state of South Carolina. The Tigers are 219-65-13 (.759) all-time against Palmetto State foes, including one game against Marines from Port Royal in 1909 and one against the temporary Camp Sevier cantonment in 1918.
SERIES TIDBITS
– Four Clemson quarterbacks have started and defeated South Carolina at least three times, Steve Fuller (1976 78), Homer Jordan (1980-82), Charlie Whitehurst (2002-05) and Deshaun Watson (2014-16). Whitehurst is the only quarterback in the series to start four straight victories.
– The visiting team won seven years in a row between 1991-97.
– Clemson has a record of 54-32-3 in Columbia, including wins in its last five visits.
– Clemson entered the 2015 game ranked No. 1 in the nation. It marked the first time either team was ranked No. 1 entering the contest. Clemson won, 37-32, in Columbia. It marked the first of a five-game span in the series in which Clemson ranked in the Top 5.
– Clemson has a 16-9 record against South Carolina when the game is played the Saturday after Thanksgiving or on Thanksgiving Day. The only game played on Thanksgiving was the 1963 contest that was moved from the Saturday before Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving due to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
TCI Predictions
Robert – Clemson 35, South Carolina 21
Will – Clemson 27, South Carolina 23
JP – Clemson 24, South Carolina 21