Everything you need to know before South Carolina faces Clemson

It all comes down to this. One game. Win or go home. The fate of South Carolina’s season is on the line on Saturday night.

The Gamecocks, winners of three straight, need to win one more game to become bowl eligible. The only team that stands in their way is Clemson, who’s also playing much better as of late.

Before kickoff (7:30 p.m., SECN), here’s what you need to know about the Tigers.

How they got here

For Clemson standards, it’s been a down year. The Tigers opened the season with a road loss to Duke. They’d rebound and win their next two before falling in overtime to Florida State.

It’d be the same story again: win two straight and lose to Miami in double overtime. But they’d go on the road a week later and fall to NC State, giving them four losses heading into November.

However, just when everyone counted Clemson out, it came roaring back to life. The Tigers beat Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and North Carolina to head into Columbia on a three-game winning streak. Plus, they’ll be in a much better spot for a good bowl game if they can close out the month in strong fashion.

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Where they sit in the rankings

Clemson doesn’t find itself within the AP Top 25 this week. However, the College Football Playoff committee thought otherwise by slotting the Tigers in at No. 24.

In the College Football Power Index (FPI), Clemson is ranked No. 18 with a 13.7 FPI. For comparison, South Carolina comes in at No. 37 with a 6.5 FPI.

In the SP+ rankings, the Tigers come in at No. 24, just like in the CFP rankings.

Clemson finds itself at No. 24 in the Massey Ratings. It ranks 24th in offense and 14th in defense with the 52nd-best strength of schedule.

Players to know

Would it be fair to say Clemson might have beaten South Carolina last year if it kept running the football? Because the Gamecocks had a tough time stopping the run game, as the Tigers finished with 237 yards on 37 carries. But alas, Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei threw the ball 29 times and only completed eight passes. He threw an interception in the fourth quarter that would prove costly in a 31-30 loss.

Heading into Saturday, you can be sure Dabo Swinney will run the ball a lot more. Junior running back Will Shipley should be in line for a handful of carries, especially since he’s been a Gamecock killer the last two years. In two games against South Carolina, he’s ran for 260 yards and two touchdowns. He’s averaged nearly 7.5 yards per carry.

But it’s not just him that South Carolina will have to worry about. Junior running back Phil Mafah is having an even better season than Shipley. He’s rushed for 805 yards and nine touchdowns.

That’s not to say Clemson won’t try to throw the ball some, though. Sophomore quarterback Cade Klubnik has struggled some this year, but he hasn’t been all bad. He’s thrown for 2,480 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

The thing is, though, Klubnik hasn’t played in front of a crowd like the one that will be at Williams-Brice Stadium. The largest crowd he’s played in front of this year was against NC State with 56,919 fans. Williams-Brice Stadium holds more than 77,559 people. So that could present a challenge for the young quarterback.

Klubnik won’t have his leading receiver out there this weekend, though. Beaux Collins has been ruled out with a foot injury. He’s led Clemson receivers with 38 catches for 510 yards and three touchdowns.

Clemson’s defense will no doubt present issues for Spencer Rattler and the Gamecock offense. The Tigers rank top-10 nationally in total defense. They’ve allowed only 121.9 yards per game on the ground with 3.84 yards per carry. This might mean the Gamecocks will have to throw the ball a little more.

Junior linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. leads the defense with 82 tackles this year. He also leads the team with 5.5 sacks and has two interceptions and two forced fumbles. Fellow linebacker Barrett Carter is also having a great year with 54 tackles and two sacks.

Off the edge, TJ Parker could present a problem for South Carolina’s offensive tackles depending on which side he lines up on. He’s recorded 27 tackles but has five sacks.

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Path to victory

This is definitely going to be a four quarter battle for South Carolina and Clemson. Neither team has been super impressive this year but both have gotten hot at the right time.

The Gamecocks will have an immediate advantage of playing in front of their home fans. They’re 5-1 at Williams-Brice Stadium this year.

But this is Clemson. This is a team that has dominated South Carolina on the road for the last decade. So it might be a huge factor at the end of the day.

What this game will come down to is if the Gamecock defense can slow down the run game. They’ve had a lot of issues stopping Shipley over the last few years. Factor in how well Mafah has been playing and it could be too tall of a task.

However, if they can do so, Klubnik will have to win the game with his arm. And in this case, South Carolina might have the upper hand. Rattler is far and away a better quarterback than his counterpart. His connection with Xavier Legette is incredible. The two should be due for another great game.

South Carolina might have trouble finding any semblance of a run game versus this Tigers defensive front. Mario Anderson hasn’t been super productive lately and it’s unclear if Dakereon Joyner will be able to suit up. But if the offense can find a pulse in the run game, it will allow for Rattler to be more comfortable throwing the ball.

Let’s not forget how big turnovers will be in this game. Clemson played relatively sloppy football and had three turnovers versus the Gamecocks last year. Two of which came on special teams. It’s easy to say Swinney will have that cleaned up this time around. But South Carolina has to win the turnover battle to probably win this game.

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