Trevor Lawrence Electric as Clemson Routs South Carolina

The No. 3 Clemson Tigers took another step toward the College Football Playoff on Saturday with a 38-3 road win over the rival South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.

Clemson improved to 12-0 on the season with the win, and it is just a victory over Virginia in next week's ACC Championship Game away from clinching a CFP berth. South Carolina fell to 4-8 in defeat, wrapping up a disappointing season that did not result in a bowl appearance.

The win was Clemson's sixth in a row over South Carolina in the Palmetto Bowl.

Sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence was the star of the show for Clemson, and he appears to be peaking at the right time after struggling early in the campaign.

The Clemson defense also did a number on South Carolina, surrendering just 174 yards of total offense and nine first downs.

Notable Stats

Trevor Lawrence, QB, CLEM: 26-of-36, 295 YDS, 3 TD, 0 INT; 8 CAR, 66 YDS

Travis Etienne, RB, CLEM: 15 CAR, 51 YDS, 2 TD; 3 REC, 37 YDS

Tee Higgins, WR, CLEM: 3 REC, 101 YDS, 2 TD

Justyn Ross, WR, CLEM: 9 REC, 111 YDS, 1 TD

Ryan Hilinski, QB, SC: 16-of-27, 105 YDS, 0 TD, 1 INT

Tavien Feaster, RB, SC: 12 CAR, 47 YDS; 4 REC, 8 YDS

Shi Smith, WR, SC: 5 REC for 40 YDS

Tigers Hitting Their Stride at Perfect Time with CFP Approaching

Clemson began the season as the No. 1 team in the nation, and although some uneven performances early in the campaign allowed the likes of Ohio State and LSU to surpass the Tigers, head coach Dabo Swinney has his team playing its best football of the season.

The Tigers crushed the Gamecocks in every facet Saturday, but the most impressive aspect of the win was undoubtedly Lawrence's efficiency.

During Clemson's win, Lawrence set a school record for the most consecutive completions in a single game with 16:

That record was made even more impressive by the fact that Lawrence wasn't simply playing the dink-and-dunk game. He made big plays down the field to wide receivers Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross, including this 65-yard bomb to Higgins:

Since throwing a pair of interceptions in the first half against Louisville on Oct. 19, Lawrence has thrown 19 touchdowns and no interceptions, and he is resembling the player who picked apart Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game last season.

Former CBS Sports college football reporter Jon Solomon suggested Clemson will be a scary team to run into during the CFP with Lawrence firing on all cylinders:

Lawrence has been aided by the fact that he boasts perhaps the best wide receiver duo in college football.

Both Higgins and Ross had their way with the South Carolina secondary Saturday, and Higgins made program history with his second consecutive season of at least 10 touchdown grabs:

Clemson didn't need to have a huge day on the ground in order to beat South Carolina, but that didn't stop running back Travis Etienne from producing.

Etienne's yardage total was modest, but his two rushing touchdowns made him the all-time ACC record holder with 53, surpassing Pitt's James Conner.

The Tigers showed Saturday that they can beat teams in a multitude of ways offensively, plus their defense continued to roll and has given up more than 14 points in a game just once this season.

Clemson will be a massive favorite in the ACC Championship Game, and it will have plenty of incentive to win big in hopes of claiming the No. 1 spot in the CFP rankings.

Since two of Ohio State, LSU and Clemson figure to be Nos. 2 and 3, the top-ranked team will have a huge advantage in the semifinals. Even if Clemson is unable to claim the No. 1 spot, though, it has a legitimate chance to repeat as national champions given how complete the team has shown itself to be recently.

What's Next?

Clemson will look to win its fifth straight conference title when it faces Virginia in next week's ACC Championship Game.

Meanwhile, South Carolina will look ahead to next season, as it missed out on a bowl berth for the first time since 2015 and just the second time since 2008.