Player Grades: Clemson at South Carolina

Offense

Deshaun Watson, QB, Sophomore, A+: Deshaun once again puts on a special show to lead the Tigers to victory. Watson tossed a touchdown on 279 yards with no picks. But his game changing performance was on the ground as he led the with 119 rushing yards, finding the end zone on the ground 3 times. Watson actually had more rushing attempts (21) than passing attempts (20) on the day. Always a good day when you get to see #4 dabbing in front of South Carolina fans.

Deon Cain, WR, Freshman, A+: Deon tore it up again with 5 receptions for 96 yards. He had a nice 55 yard touchdown to help get things going for Clemson in the second quarter. It led to a Derrick Hamilton-esque moment were he ran through the back of the end zone to be greeted by a barrage of middle fingers and objects being thrown by Gamecock fans. That moment there may alone allow him to live in Clemson lore, but he's done a lot more than just that.

Defense

BJ Goodson, LB, RS Senior, A+: BJ Goodson was a live bear Saturday. He would literally rip your face off. Seriously though, Goodson was all over the field for the Tiger defense, racking up 12 total tackles, 3 for loss, and 1.5 sacks. Great performance by Goodson as he is going into the tail end of his Tiger career.

Kevin Dodd, DE, RS Junior, A: Dodd was also a big factor in the Tigers win. Dodd 5 tackles (all solo), including 2 for a loss and a sack. Dodd has stepped up a lot this year, and should continue to be a big factor for the Tigers in the postseason.

Special Teams

Ammon Lakip, K, RS Senior, A: Good day for Lakip and a much improved kickoff return team. He kicked 7 kickoffs for 418 yards, with a 59.7 yard average. 2 of his kicks went for touchbacks, while the Gamecocks on the day had 96 yards returning on kickoffs, with a long of 25. With the struggles Clemson has had with kickoffs this year, Saturday was not a bad day. Lakip may also be taking over the PAT duties, so it will be interesting to watch that down the stretch.