Clemson vs. South Carolina Odds
| Clemson Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11.5 -110 | 42 -110o / -110u | -475 |
| South Carolina Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11.5 -110 | 42 -110o / -110u | +350 |
Clemson and South Carolina face off for the Palmetto Bowl Trophy on Saturday night in Columbia.
The game had been played uninterrupted since 1908, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the bitter rivals did not play last season. The Tigers hold a 70-43-4 advantage overall and have won six straight against the Gamecocks.
Heading into the 2021 season, Clemson had made the College Football Playoff in six consecutive seasons and won the ACC Championship six times.
The Tigers have struggled offensively for much of the season and have been decimated by injuries, and yet they still have an outside shot at winning the ACC Atlantic Division. Clemson has won four straight and destroyed Wake Forest last week in its most complete game of the season.
South Carolina, much like Clemson, had a rough start to the season, but the Gamecocks are playing solid football and became bowl eligible last week for the first time since the 2018 season.
First-year head coach Shane Beamer is receiving SEC Coach of the Year consideration after massive wins over Florida and Auburn.
Clemson Tigers
Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei was next in line after Trevor Lawrence left for the NFL, and unfortunately for Clemson, it hasn't been a smooth transition. He has nine touchdowns and eight interceptions, and he's only completed 55% of his passes.
The Tigers rank 117th in Pass Success Rate, 95th in total offense and 92nd in third-down efficiency.
Uiagalelei has fought through injuries and shouldered much of the criticism, but there have been issues across the board. Injuries have hampered the receivers and the offensive line, and the running game has been inefficient for the majority of the season.
Since the loss to Pitt, which dropped Clemson to 4-3 overall, the offense has started to take some strides. Over the past four games, the Tigers have averaged 38 points per game, and in the win over Wake Forest had 543 yards of total offense and more than 300 yards on the ground.
Clemson has been an elite defense all season, and it shouldn't be a surprise with defensive coordinator Brent Venables leading the way. Clemson is third in Defensive Rush Success, 10th in Line Yards, 20th in Pass Success Rate and 18th in Defensive Havoc Rate.
Wake Forest is fourth in the country in scoring offense and Clemson held the Demon Deacons to 13 points through three quarters before Wake Forest broke through with some late scores when the game was out of reach.
South Carolina has played better offensively over the past month, but it will be an uphill battle against the Clemson defense.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Quarterback Jason Brown has provided a much-needed spark to the offense with his ability to escape the pocket.
South Carolina has suffered from inconsistent offensive line play, and Brown has helped minimize negative plays since his first start against Florida.
South Carolina hasn't been able to consistently move the ball on the ground and it's only 112th in Rush Success Rate and averages 3.60 yards per carry.
Running back ZaQuandre White played great in the win over Auburn, and he will need to be at his best against the stout Clemson rush defense.
The Gamecocks' passing attack will need to produce explosive plays to keep Clemson off-balance. The Tigers are second in the country in defensive red zone efficiency and have the advantage in the trenches. Brown will need to create plays off-script to give his receivers time to create separation down the field.
South Carolina's defense has had problems against the run all season. It's 102nd in Defensive Rush Success Rate and 110th in Line Yards. The defense has been torched the last two weeks for a total of 449 yards and well over five yards a carry.
The Tigers ran the ball well last week against Wake Forest, but this is far from an elite rushing attack the Gamecocks will face this week.
The Gamecocks' passing defense has been a strength, and they have a distinct advantage against the Clemson passing attack. The Tigers are missing multiple starters at receiver, and Uiagalelei is nursing a knee injury and a hand injury.
Beamer's team is 51st in the country in Pass Success Rate and eighth in the country in turnovers forced. If it can contain the Clemson rushing attack, it will put Uiagalelei in the third-and-long situations he has struggled in all season.
Clemson vs. South Carolina Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Clemson and South Carolina match up statistically:
Clemson Offense vs. South Carolina Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 69 | 102 | |
| Line Yards | 44 | 110 | |
| Pass Success | 117 | 51 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 55 | 10 | |
| Big Play | 90 | 34 | |
| Havoc | 54 | 56 |  |
| Finishing Drives | 71 | 29 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
South Carolina Offense vs. Clemson Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 112 | 3 | |
| Line Yards | 90 | 10 | |
| Pass Success | 79 | 20 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 124 | 48 | |
| Big Play | 82 | 32 | |
| Havoc | 120 | 18 | |
| Finishing Drives | 112 | 4 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 39 | 107 |
| Coverage | 23 | 21 |
| Middle 8 | 110 | 70 |
| SP+ Special Teams | 9 | 8 |
| Plays per Minute | 36 | 107 |
| Rush Rate | 52.9% (82) | 56.7% (52) |
Data via College Football Data, FootballOutsiders, SP+, PFF and SportSource Analytics.
Clemson vs. South Carolina Betting Pick
It will be a challenge for the offenses to find consistent success moving the ball in this matchup. Both teams play great red-zone defense, and the Tigers have one of the top defenses in the country.
It will be a wild atmosphere in Columbia, and I expect an intense and low-scoring battle.
