South Carolina vs. Clemson: Game Grades, Analysis for Gamecocks, Tigers

In the battle for the Palmetto Bowl, Clemson University thoroughly controlled things in a 35-17 victory over in-state rival University of South Carolina. It was the first time since 2008 that the Tigers defeated the Gamecocks. 

Freshmen Deshaun Watson, Wayne Gallman and Artavis Scott carried the proverbial load for Clemson on the afternoon. Watson totaled four touchdowns on the day and didn't seem to be bothered much by a knee ailment. Scott had 185 yards receiving and two touchdowns, and Gallman also finished with 191 yards on the ground. 

South Carolina was not very consistent in this contest. The offense and defense both had its moments at times. However, shaky quarterback play and poor clock management doomed Steve Spurrier's team. 

A full box score can be found here, courtesy of NCAA.com. Additional analysis on position units will be addressed below, as will comprehensive game grades for both teams. 

Position Units	First-Half Grades	Final Grades
Passing Offense	A-	A
Pass Defense	B+	B+
Rush Offense	A	A
Run Defense	A	A
Special Teams	C	B
Coaching	A	A

Clemson Tigers Game Analysis

Passing Offense

In what could be the last game with Chad Morris as the offensive coordinator, Watson performed very well. Credit Morris for dialing up quick, manageable throws. He never put his quarterback in danger of getting hit and further injuring his knee. 

Watson went 14-of-19 for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Both touchdowns came on touch throws to Scott. Virtually six-inch passes ended up going 53 yards and 70 yards, respectively. Talk about efficiency.

Pass Defense

The secondary performed pretty well. It was obviously helped out by the strong effort up front by its defensive line. Dylan Thompson didn't attack down the field too much. 

South Carolina did have two substantial gains in the passing game. Pharoh Cooper was able to haul in a 46-yard reception. Running back David Williams also caught a pass that went 59 yards, as he was able to leak out of the backfield. Outside of these two plays, it was a solid effort by Clemson. 

Run Offense

The offensive line got considerable push throughout the day. It truly did impose its will upon South Carolina's front seven. Gallman was able to run through considerable holes and lanes. He finished with a career-high 191 yards on 27 carries. 

As a whole, Clemson ran for 225 yards on 40 carries. The two touchdown "throws" to Scott also acted as an extended part of the run game. Add in those statistics, and the numbers become that much gaudier. 

Rush Defense

It was a stout effort by the front seven. The likes of Vic Beasley and Grady Jarrett harassed Thompson all afternoon. If a sack or tackle for loss didn't occur, Thompson was likely flushed from the pocket and running for his life. It truly was a dominating performance. 

South Carolina only ran for 63 yards on 33 carries. Thompson ran nine times for -21 yards. 

Special Teams

Kicker Ammon Lakip was perfect on all five of his extra point attempts, but he failed to convert on his only field-goal try. A surprise onside kick recovery in the second quarter was called off due to a catch interference penalty.

Coaching

Credit Dabo Swinney and his staff for attacking South Carolina. The onside kick call was fantastic, and the team was generally the aggressor. Surely this was due to the fact Swinney hadn't been very successful versus South Carolina in the past. 

The offense was consistent in its approach. At times, it was clinical in its dissection of the Gamecocks defense. 

Defensively, South Carolina had no answer for the pressure up front. Pressure was brought from all angles, and the defensive line stunts up front did a number on neutralizing not only the ground game, but also Thompson's ability to distribute the football. 

Position Units	First-Half Grades	Final Grades
Passing Offense	C	B
Pass Defense	C	B+
Run Offense	D	D
Rush Defense	D	D-
Special Teams	A	B
Coaching	C	C

South Carolina Gamecocks Analysis 

Passing Offense

Statistically, Thompson did not have a poor game. He went 21-of-39 for 249 yards and a touchdown. However, he wasn't very sharp. He missed multiple throws that could have resulted in big plays. Credit Clemson's defensive line for making him uncomfortable for much of the day. 

The loss of tight end Rory Anderson also hindered the passing efforts. Surprisingly, receiver Cooper looked very good at quarterback. He finished 2-of-2 for 27 yards.

Pass Defense

The passing numbers are a bit misleading for Clemson. Two passing touchdowns came off shovel passes on jet sweeps. I attribute these repeated busts in coverage more so to the run defense.

In terms of coverage down the field, the unit did a very nice job. The longest pass play outside of Scott's short completions went for only 25 yards. 

Run Offense

Simply put, Clemson's defensive line dominated the line of scrimmage today. The push up front forced South Carolina's offensive linemen into the backfield. As a result, this often disrupted the timing of the plays. Additionally, there wasn't much room for Mike Davis to run the football. 

As a whole, the offense rushed for a paltry 63 yards on 33 carries. 

Rush Defense

This unit was abhorrent for the majority of the afternoon. Poor tackling enabled Gallman to rush for a season-high 191 yards. In total, Clemson ran for 225 yards on 40 carries. 

Both of Scott's touchdown "receptions" came off shovel passes on jet sweeps. South Carolina was repeatedly outflanked on the perimeter. Linebackers and corners couldn't get off blocks, and the angles to which the defenders were running were not effective. 

Special Teams

Kicker Elliott Fry connected on one of his two field-goal attempts. To be fair to the kicker, both attempts were beyond 47 yards. Punter Tyler Hull had a very nice day. He pinned Clemson inside of its own 5-yard line twice. 

Coaching

It was a strange game from a coaching standpoint.

Starting with the defense, Clemson ran a relatively simple jet sweep play repeatedly. South Carolina had no idea how to stop it and failed to make any sort of adjustments. With Watson having an injured knee, one would assume the Gamecocks would blitz early and often. This also failed to happen. 

Spurrier also looked like a defeated man on the sidelines. There didn't seem to be the usual pep and energy that he usually has. Clock management in this game was atrocious, and South Carolina basically conceded the game in the fourth quarter by not using any of its timeouts. 

Credit the coaches and team for playing better in the second half, but it was still a poor effort across the board.