South-Carolina

No. 15 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson: 5 Things to Watch For

Published

1 year ago

November 28, 2024

No. 15 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson: 5 Things to Watch For

Clemson and South Carolina will renew their annual rivalry on Saturday when the No. 12 Tigers host the No. 15 Gamecocks at high noon in Death Valley.

This will be the 121st all-time meeting between the two schools but with College Football Playoff implications on the line for both teams, this year’s matchup is arguably the biggest to date in the long, storied history of the series.

The Gamecocks (8-3) come in riding high, having won five straight, while the Tigers (9-2) are in the midst of a three-game winning streak.

5 Things to Watch

1. Strength vs. Strength: Football is generally a game of matchups and one of the biggest in this game is Clemson’s much-improved offense against that stout South Carolina defense. Make no mistake, this as good of a defense as the Tigers have seen this season. It’s comparable with Georgia’s and nobody has forgotten how this offense looked that day.

The Gamecocks will bring an elite-level defensive line to town and there are guys on the backend of that defense that will be playing on Sundays. If Clemson has any shot at winning this game, the offense is going to have to be efficient and balanced. Scoring touchdowns is a must. Last year the offense failed to score a touchdown in this game. A bunch of field goals will not cut it on Saturday.

2. Create Turnovers: Whoever wins the turnover battle probably wins this game. The Tigers are +13 in the margin and South Carolina has been prone to turning it over at times. It’s something they’ve gotten a little cleaned up in recent weeks, but they still have lost 11 fumbles this season. They are only +3 in the margin. Clemson being able to create some takeaways, while continuing to protect the football, should prove to be beneficial.

3. Pressure the Quarterback: There are two things the Tigers absolutely can not do. Number one, they can not afford to allow LaNorris Sellers to get comfortable in the pocket. For most of the season, Clemson’s pass rush has not been what most believed it would be, but in the wins over Virginia Tech and Pitt, it’s started to come around. Getting after Sellers is a must. South Carolina has allowed 36 sacks this season, but just four in the past three games, with three of those coming in the win over Wofford.

Second, the Tigers must keep Sellers contained in the pocket. If running lanes are left open, Sellers will find them and next thing you know he has darted for 20 yards or more. He is as good of a running quarterback as Clemson has seen and athletic quarterbacks have been an issue for this defense at times. He is very quick to make something out of nothing. And then when they get hands on him they must bring him down. Sellers is really good at running through contact.

4. Klubnik Time: There is no getting around the fact that Cade Klubnik is drastically improved over what he was at this point last season. There is a night and day difference. Having said that, if Clemson is going to win this game, Klubnik is going to have to bring it. This South Carolina defense is going to bring the heat and it is under those conditions that the junior quarterback has, at times, faltered.

Klubnik is the unquestioned leader on the offensive side of the ball, and it is him that will need to lead the Tigers to victory. Making good decisions and keeping his poise will be key. However, it’s his legs that could prove to be the difference.

5A. Slow Down Running Game: How frustrating has it been watching the Tigers’ run defense this season? Clemson is allowing right at 150 yards per game on the ground. They don’t even rank inside of the Top 50 in rush defense.

Rocket Sanders is averaging right at five yards per carry and is a hard-nosed runner. However, as noted above, it’s Sellers that might be more dangerous. The redshirt freshman has right at 700 rushing yards, so the Gamecocks rely heavily on him making plays with his legs.

If Clemson is going to come away victorious, they need an effort similar to what we saw in the win over Virginia Tech, when the Tigers totally shut down that high-powered ground game of the Hokies. Getting Wade Woodaz back would help tremendously, and it sounds like he’s trending towards playing. Either way. slowing down that ground game and making that offense beat you through the air is crucial.

5B. No Special Teams Miscues: If there was ever a game in which you needed to be sharp on special teams, this is it. No fumbles on kickoffs and none on punt returns. Not to mention, you can’t let the Gamecocks block any field goals. Nolan Hauser has had six field goals blocked this season, all due to the protection breaking down in front of him. Those are huge momentum shifting plays, and Clemson can ill-afford to have any of those this week.

A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!

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South-Carolina

Missouri beats South Carolina in game two

Published

11 hours ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Missouri beats South Carolina in game two

Columbia, Mo. — The South Carolina softball team (25-21, 4-13) dropped the second game of its series at Missouri (24-23, 7-10) 5-0 Saturday night (Apr. 18).

Kai Byars led the Gamecocks with a pair of doubles on the night. It was her second multi-hit game of the season and her first game with multiple extra base hits.

The Tigers scored a run in the third inning without the aid of a hit. They would extend the lead and add four more in the fourth.

Carolina’s best opportunity for a run came in third. Byars doubled to lead off the inning and Shae Anderson followed with a bunt single. A double play on a potential sacrifice fly ended the rally.

Emma Friedel (8-4) took the loss, allowing one run on no hits in 3 1-3 innings. She struck out six and walked three.

The rubber game of the series will be tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET.

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South-Carolina

Former Texas guard Jordan Lee transfers to SEC rival South Carolina

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2026

Press Room

Former Texas guard Jordan Lee transfers to SEC rival South Carolina

Jordan Lee entered the transfer portal after a breakout season at Texas and the junior guard isn’t going too far. She’s staying in the Southeastern Conference.

Lee announced on Instagram Friday that she’s transferring to South Carolina to play for Dawn Staley after spending the first two years of her collegiate career at Texas under Vic Schaefer. Lee captioned her Instagram post, which featured a video montage of her visit to Columbia, South Carolina, “Feeling cocky.”

Lee was one of four players from Texas to enter the transfer portal after the Longhorns’ second consecutive trip to the Final Four ended in a devastating loss to UCLA. She was named to the All-Region team in the Fort Worth 3 bracket in this year’s NCAA Tournament following her Sweet 16 and Elite Eight performance, where she recorded 22 points, six assists, three rebounds and four steals while also providing strong defense.

After being limited to five starts her freshman year, Lee slid into the starting lineup last season and started a career-high 38 games. She also averaged career highs in points (13.2), assists (2.5), rebounds (2.5), steals (1.5), field-goal percentage (42%) and free-throw percentage (75%), while shooting 34% from 3-point range.

Texas’ Aaliyah Crump, Justice Carlton and Aaliyah Moore also entered the transfer portal. On Friday, Crump announced she’s transferring to Duke, citing her connection with head coach Kara Lawson.

“For me, choosing Duke University goes far beyond one sentence. The moment I connected with Kara Lawson and her coaching staff, I knew I was exactly where I belonged,” said Crump, who averaged 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game her freshman season at Texas.

Crump continued: “Their dedication and vision for the program is truly special, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be a part of it. The connection Coach Lawson and I have built is one of a kind, and I fully trust in her plan for the success of this program. I can’t wait to be coached by genuine people who support my growth not only as a basketball player, but as a person as well.”

Three-time All-American Madison Booker and junior starting forward Breya Cunningham are expected to return to Texas.

Contributing: Mitchell Northam

Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.

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South Carolina DB Jalon Kilgore has private workout with Saints

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina DB Jalon Kilgore has private workout with Saints

Each offseason, the NFL shakes up the landscape with free agency, as some of the top names at each position move around the league to new teams. The New Orleans Saints have fallen victim to this in 2026 so far, with Demario Davis and Alontae Taylor both moving on, and Cameron Jordan not having re-signed as of yet. Cornerback was a position that could already use a talent influx alongside Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley; now, it is even more of an issue.

Adding a new defensive back to fill the STAR role for the defense is certainly going to be a focus this spring, and that has been clear from the Saints’ pre-draft meetings. Recently, they added another name to the growing list; this time, it was South Carolina prospect Jalon Kilgore.

There is a lot to like about Kilgore, especially in that nickel or STAR role long term. He is enormously athletic and absolutely rapid both in straight-line testing and on the field. He got a decent chunk of his collegiate snaps at slot corner, 1,382 to be exact, but also had 541 in the box, 238 at free safety, 53 along the defensive line, and 24 as an outside corner.

His coverage metrics in 2025 were very solid, as on 65 targets, he allowed 34 receptions (52.3%) for 390 yards and 2 touchdowns. He picked up 2 interceptions, 10 pass deflections, 54 total tackles, and 2 fumble recoveries in 694 total snaps this season. Throughout the combine, he ended up performing well in pretty much every drill, which bodes well for his ability to translate to the NFL. If the Saints are looking to add someone with slot experience already, Kilgore may be one of the best options available.

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