PALMETTO BOWL: Clemson vs South Carolina 1st Quarter Film Review

This rivalry is broken.

Not because Clemson has won 6 in a row. When South Carolina pulled off their only streak of any kind in the last 50 years, it was the strongest point in the rivalry’s history. This rivalry is broken because one side has completely lost their belief in the entire university leadership while the other ascended to the top of the sport, and completely broke the competitive spirit which comes from the mutual, hate-fueled, and necessary belief your team will win the big game.

I said in my preview the South Carolina defensive front could keep the game respectable if they limited Travis Etienne, which is exactly what they chose to do above all else. The sub 40 point output is indeed a disappointment (selfishly, not actually) and credit goes to the Gamecock front rallying to Etienne and tackling hard. It seems I was wrong, however, in my belief that keeping Clemson under 40 would amount to a moral victory like we discovered last year when Jake Bentley put up 35 points on Clemson.

Part of this is because it’s easier to find positivity in exciting offense than in admirable run defense. Another part is because Trevor Lawrence exposed a secondary which doesn’t have the depth to play man coverage, especially when Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross get to go off against man coverage for once. But I think the main reason we’re not hearing last year’s crowing is because UofSC fans are truly over their administration from the coaching staff all the way up to the Board of Trustees.

What I can’t get over, especially after my truly impressive visit to Williams-Brice in 2017, was just how dead the place was Saturday. Even with Clemson fans filling 20,000 seats (at least), there were more than a few empty pockets in the SC season ticket sections, which already had too many orange pockets supplementing them. The atmosphere was non-existent after the opening 4th down stop while they held their collective breath waiting for the inevitable. The most heckling I overheard was “wait til Ohio State gets ya” or “enjoy eating that UVA cupcake.” (I then realized irony is dead this kind of lack of self-awareness killed it).

There’s little positivity for them to glean from another blowout, even if it forced Clemson’s “worst” offensive display in weeks, when you’ve already given up with this staff. There’s no hope to be found in what felt like a truly sleep-walking atmosphere yesterday, even before it thinned out. They may snap out of it when new blood takes over, but yesterday in their own stadium, even the most stubbornly optimistic/pigheaded fans seemed to at last accept reality.

Many a columnist will lament how the once criminally-underrated Palmetto Bowl has fallen, but you know what I think I’m fine with it.

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South Carolina then proceeds to stuff Etienne on 4 carries inside the 3 yard line; that was the day’s only real low point but it was a HUGE low point.

3 Dixon carries and a pop pass to Rodgers gash the Gamecocks in consecutive plays to end the quarter with Clemson just across the 50.