Gamecocks Drop 56-35 Decision to Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Trevor Lawrence threw for a career-high 393 yards, Adam Choice rushed for three touchdowns and No. 2 Clemson capped a perfect regular season with a 56-35 victory over South Carolina on Saturday night for its fifth consecutive rivalry win.

The Tigers reached 12-0 for the second time in four seasons and for the third time in program history, starting with its 1981 national title season.

Clemson (CFP No. 2) kept pace for another title run with their latest success over the Gamecocks (6-5), its longest since winning seven in a row from 1934-40.

Jake Bentley had career highs with 510 yards – the second most ever allowed by Clemson – and five TDs for South Carolina. The Tigers had not given up that many points in 28 games since a 42-35 win over Virginia Tech in the 2016 Atlantic Coast Conference title game.

The Tigers will try for their fourth straight ACC title when they take on No. 24 Pitt in the championship game at Charlotte, North Carolina.

Not that South Carolina didn’t throw a scare into the Tigers – or give defensive coordinator Brent Venables something to yell about leading into the ACC title game.

South Carolina, which had lost the last two rivalry games by a combined 90-17 score, was supposed to have little chance to hang with Clemson.

But it was the Gamecocks who struck first and kept on going. Bentley threw for 302 yards and three TDs in the opening half, including scoring throws of 67 yards to Kiel Pollard and 75 yards to Deebo Samuel to stick within 28-21 at the break.

Clemson’s offense was relentless early on with four touchdowns on its first four possessions, two rushing scores by Choice and another on a 1-yard leap into the end zone by 315-pound Christian Wilkins.

Wilkins came up flexing in celebration, then struck the Heisman pose – which drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and ire of coach Dabo Swinney who got in Wilkins face for a minute or two on the sidelines.

It was far from the only bit of bravado by the Tigers. After Lawrence’s 22-yard TD pass to Tee Higgins to put Clemson ahead for the first time 14-7, the freshman quarterback stared down the South Carolina sideline. But that’s common in a heated rivalry where some in the home crowd booed the Gamecocks’ band at halftime.

Choice had scoring runs of 1, 2 and 13 yards. His last one gave Clemson 41 rushing TDs this season to set the program single-year mark.

Travis Etienne ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns (the last with 39 seconds left) to give him 19 to set that single-season record.

Samuel had 10 catches for 210 yards and three touchdowns while Gamecocks receiver Shi Smith had nine grabs for 109 yards and a score.

The teams played offense like they were in the Big 12 combining for 1,344 yards – 744 by Clemson and 600 by South Carolina.

South Carolina scored three first-half touchdowns and trailed by just seven at half, but Clemson scored on its first three possessions of the second half in the win over the Gamecocks. The two teams combined for 1,344 yards of offense and 13 touchdowns with Jake Bentley throwing for 510 yards, the most in a single-game by a Gamecock.

744 — Clemson had 744 yards of total offense in the win over the Gamecocks. Trevor Lawrence was 27-for-36 for 393 yards and a touchdown while Travis Etienne had 150 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers’ win.

Carolina wraps up regular-season play next Saturday (Dec. 1) with a noon kickoff against Akron at Williams-Brice Stadium. The game will be televised on SEC Network Alternate.