South-Carolina

No. 15 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson: Preview and Prediction

Published

1 year ago

November 30, 2024

No. 15 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson: Preview and Prediction

CLEMSON — The 121^st edition of the Clemson-South Carolina game is already like no other.

This year’s game will have more at stake than bragging rights, as the winner of the game will be in position to earn an at-large bid to the College Football Playoff.

“It’s fun to be a part of it,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said.

The Tigers come into their regular season-finale ranked No. 12 in the latest CFP rankings, while the Gamecocks are ranked No. 15.

Carolina is riding a five-game winning streak coming in, while Clemson has won its last three games.

“I love it. I love being in the fight,” Swinney said. “I love the fact y’all are going to write horrible things about us on Sunday if we stink this up. That’s okay, it comes with it. This is what we signed up for.

“I love the fact, that even if we do not play well, and we find a way to win, we are going to be great. It just comes with it. It is what you sign up for. It’s a rivalry game.”

And it could be the best one yet.

No. 15 South Carolina (8-3) at No. 12 Clemson (9-2)

Kickoff: Saturday, noon

Location: Memorial Stadium, Clemson

TV: ESPN

Spread: Clemson -2.5

Over/Under: 49

Series: Clemson leads series 73-43-4

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Normally, it’s just bragging rights. However, there is more on the line than bragging rights this season. The winner of the game puts itself in position to make the College Football Playoff. Clemson, which sits at No. 12, needs a win over the Gamecocks, plus someone to lose above them to get in. A win over No. 15 Carolina could also give the Tigers the win they need to jump over No. 10 Indiana in the rankings. The Gamecocks need to beat Clemson and then a loss from Ole Miss, Alabama and someone else in the top 10 to be able to move into the CFP picture.

KEY MATCHUP

This game is going to be won or lost when South Carolina has the football. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers is an up-and-coming star in the SEC, as he has improved throughout the season. Running back Rocket Sanders (821 yds, 11 TDs) teams up with Sellers (489, 5 TDs) to give the Gamecocks a strong running game. Clemson has struggled at times to stop the run this season, but the Tigers have held five of their last six FBS opponents to 88 or less yards on the ground. Clemson also ranks 18^th nationally in tackles for loss (77), while Carolina ranks 128^th in TFLs allowed (85).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

South Carolina tight end Joshua Simon leads the Gamecocks in receptions (31), reception yards (433) and touchdown receptions (6). Clemson will likely deploy a 4-3 scheme to try and slow down Carolina’s strong running game. Though Sammy Brown is a wrecking ball in the run game, and at the line of scrimmage, he can be a liability in pass coverage, so look for the Gamecocks to try and exploit this weakness with Simon in the middle of the field.

Clemson left tackle Tristan Leigh. It’s rare to highlight an offensive tackle in any game, much less a game of this magnitude, especially considering Leigh is questionable for the game. But the Tigers need Leigh to play, so it can sure up some of the holes it has on the O-line due to so many injuries this year. It will allow new offensive line coach Matt Luke to move Harris Sewell back to left guard where he started the Virginia Tech and Pitt games. It will also move Blake Miller back to his natural position at right tackle and Walker Parks back to his usual spot at right guard. In other words, the Tigers will have continuity on the offensive line for the first time since the Louisville game when all the injuries started to pile up. Going against Carolina’s dynamic defensive front, especially defensive ends Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart is going to be a difficult task regardless, but having Leigh back would be huge for the Tigers.

THIS AND THAT

Clemson is entering the South Carolina game having won eight of the last nine games in the series. The Tigers have outscored the Gamecocks by an average of 21.1 points per game in that span.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Clemson’s offense is ranked sixth in the country in total yards (469.9 ypg). South Carolina’s defense is ranked 13 nationally (303.6 yds allowed/game) in total defense. Something has to give, right? Or does it? I like the matchup for Clemson when the Gamecocks have the football. Carolina’s offensive line has a hard time holding blocks and gives up a lot of TFLs and sacks. Sellers also tends to put the ball on the ground at times, as does the offense as a whole. The Gamecocks have fumbled 21 times this year, which ranks 125^th in the country. They have lost 11 of those fumbles, which ranks 126 nationally. The Tigers on the other hand have taken care of the football for the most part, ranking third nationally in turnover margin (+13) and have forced 20 turnovers, which ranks 14^th nationally. I think this will be the difference in the game and help the Tigers earn a second straight win over the Gamecocks.

PREDICTION

Clemson 27, South Carolina 23

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South-Carolina

NFL Draft Injury Analysis: Jalon Kilgore, S – South Carolina

Published

24 minutes ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

NFL Draft Injury Analysis: Jalon Kilgore, S – South Carolina

The Lions may be looking for a safety within the first two rounds due to injuries to Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch. That’s where Jalon Kilgore may come in. He has some minor injuries, but appears to be a relatively low-risk prospect for a team that needs to add health to that room.

Here is the excerpt of my medical report on Jalon Kilgore:

Jalon Kilgore, S (21) – South Carolina

Projected round 2-3.

Concern level 2/10

While his availability has been excellent, Kilgore has a history of hamstring strains in 2025 and 2023. If his 2024 injury is found to be also a hamstring, then happenstance becomes a disturbing trend.

With fast-twitch athletes, hamstrings are going to be very common, and generally don’t present any long-term issues. The difficult trick will be to determine if a certain player is more prone to hamstrings.

What helps Kilgore a lot is his young age.

For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Jimmy on X, @JimmyLiaoMD

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South-Carolina

Motorcyclist critically injured in Longs area crash

Published

12 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Motorcyclist critically injured in Longs area crash

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — One person was critically injured in a motorcycle crash in the Longs area on Thursday afternoon, according to Horry County Fire Rescue (HCFR).

Just before 2:00 p.m., crews responded to the area of Old Highway 31 near Hidden River Road.

MORE: 1 critically injured in vehicle rollover near International Dr.

One person was transported to the hospital as a result of the motorcycle crash, HCFR said.

Officials ask that drivers avoid the area as lanes of traffic are currently blocked.

The incident is under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol with assistance from the Horry County Police Department.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina’s Raven Johnson carries her grandfather’s legacy into Sweet 16

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina’s Raven Johnson carries her grandfather’s legacy into Sweet 16

Alyssia Hamilton
| Special to USA TODAY

COLUMBIA, SC ― With the clock winding down and pressures of the Women’s NCAA Tournament rising, South Carolina senior guard Raven Johnson isn’t playing just to win. She plays in honor of a voice she can no longer hear – but that she still carries with her every time she steps onto the court.

That motivation was on full display Monday night, as the No. 1-seeded Gamecocks took down No. 9 USC to advance to the Sweet 16. Johnson earned her 1,000th career point ― what would prove to be her last point at Colonial Life Arena ― on a steal and fast-break layup that brought a roar from the crowd. The Gamecocks will face No. 4 Oklahoma Saturday in Sacramento, with another Elite Eight appearance on the line.

For Johnson, the moment symbolized something deeper – a career shaped by the memory of her late grandfather. Johnson’s family watched as she achieved the milestone, her mother, grandmother and twin brother. It was a full circle moment for a player whose journey took root in her grandparents’ home.

Her grandparents helped raise her and her twin brother, Richard Johnson. The family lived together and she often calls her grandmother “mother” and her grandfather “papa,” reflecting the impact they had on her upbringing.

“My grandparents did a really good job,” Johnson said. “We wouldn’t be playing sports if it wasn’t for them.”

The Boones introduced the twins to basketball through their church and spent countless hours training them, often pushing them past their limits. A sergeant first class in the Army Reserves, he supervised soldiers in his unit and brought that same discipline to his grandchildren on the court, being demanding, structured and determined.

“I remember being outside and he was training us and I thought it was so hard. I wanted to give up,” Johnson said. “I used to cry, and he would be like ‘You’re not going to cry in my face, and you’re not going to give up.’ It was little things like that that made me tough.”

The standard of grit, accountability and composure, is something Johnson carries today.

“She’s just a winner and she’s a great point guard,” said South Carolina senior guard Ta’Niya Latson, who also played with Johnson at Westlake High School in Atlanta. “When she’s confident, we’re confident. When she’s poised, we’re poised. It’s hard to have that type of personality and leadership on the court, but she carries it well.”

Rodrick Boone was diagnosed with stomach cancer in December 2012 and died in April 2013 while Johnson was at a tournament in New Orleans. She was 10 years old.

“I remember I shut down,” Johnson said. “My mind went blank. I was like ‘What?’ I thought he was untouchable.”

Months after her grandfather’s death, something shifted in her mindset.

“I think that’s my why,” Johnson said. “I keep going today because he is my why.”

As a child, Johnson didn’t even like basketball. She preferred T-ball and cheerleading and thought basketball wasn’t for girls, until she saw Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins and began to see herself differently.

“She was so pretty to me and I remember asking ‘Can I be girly and hoop?’” Johnson said.

She was the only girl on her recreational team, earning the nickname “Killer” for her defensive intensity alongside her brother, nicknamed “Thriller” for his offensive ability. The boys tested Johnson by playing physical and trying to push her out of the sport.

“I used to be cooking them out there a little bit, and I think they didn’t like that,” Johnson said.

She said the boys trying to make it hard on her actually made her tougher both physically and mentally.

Her grandmother, Connie Boone, said her grandfather would be proud of what Johnson has become.

“He might be crying but he would be happy about it,” her grandmother said. “You start them young, but you never know what the outcome is going to be.”

Johnson imagines the conversations she’d be having with her papa if he was still here.

“He would still be on my butt riding me, he’ll tell me maybe I need to fix something,” Johnson said. “He’ll be happy and I think he’ll be like ‘All right let’s get back to the drawing board. Let’s get ready for the next opponent.’”

She knows her papa is always watching, and she talks to him a lot at night.

“I just want to tell him that I’m going to keep pushing through even when it gets tough,” Johnson said. “He’s always telling me to push through because nobody cares. Nobody cares if you’re at your lowest, nobody cares.”

On Monday, fans chanted “Raven, Raven, Raven” as she walked off the court for the final time at Colonial Life Arena, Johnson’s moment was bigger than the scoreboard.

It was about diligence, progress and a promise kept.

With another game ahead and the possibility of a deeper tournament run, she isn’t finished. She continues to push and play for the voice that gave her a reason to begin.

Alyssia Hamilton is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

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