Rex Brown/Courtesy The Journal

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson dives to the pylon for a touchdown during the Tigers’ win at South Carolina on Saturday.

After win over rival Gamecocks, ACC title game only thing standing in way of playoff appearance for Tigers

Courtesy Clemson

Athletic Communications

news@thepccourier.com

COLUMBIA — The top-ranked Clemson Tigers capped a perfect regular season with a win over their archrivals in a game that was closer than many predicted Saturday, and now only an ACC Championship showdown with North Carolina stands between the program and its first appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Kerry Gilstrap/Courier
A pair of Clemson defenders combine to sack South Carolina’s Lorenzo Nunez during the Tigers’ win Saturday.

After last Saturday’s 37-32 win at South Carolina, the No. 1 Tigers will now travel to Charlotte, N.C., this weekend to battle the Tar Heels for the conference title.

A sluggish start gave way to a flurry of points in the Tigers’ win over the Gamecocks last week, with sophomore sensation Deshaun Watson completing 20-of-27 passes for 279 yards and rushing for a career-high 114.

With the victory, the Tigers reached 12-0 for the second time in school history — the other being the 1981 national championship season. Clemson is one of only two undefeated teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, heading into this weekend’s ACC Championship.

Watson, who is among many experts’ top picks for the Heisman Trophy, was responsible for four of Clemson’s five touchdowns against South Carolina, as he rushed for three scores and threw for another. Fellow sophomore Wayne Gallman added 102 yards on the ground, and freshman Deon Cain caught five passes for 96 yards and a 55-yard touchdown.

After a scoreless first quarter by both offenses, Clemson scored first midway through the second period when Watson capped an eight-play, 83-yard march with a five-yard touchdown plunge. The Tiger defense forced a quick three-and-out, and Watson followed with a 55-yard strike to Cain to extend the lead to 14-0. South Carolina drove 11 plays for 76 yards as the half closed, but the Tiger defense forced a 21-yard field goal and Clemson led 14-3 at intermission.

Rex Brown/Courtesy The Journal
Former Easley standout running back C.J. Fuller celebrates after scoring his first touchdown as a Clemson Tiger in the third quarter of Saturday’s win at South Carolina.

Watson led the offense to scoring drives on its first two possessions of the second half as Clemson staked itself to a 28-10 lead on Easley High School product C.J. Fuller’s first career touch down, but the Gamecocks closed the lead to only three points  in the fourth quarter by capitalizing on the Tigers’ third lost fumble of the day.

Shon Carson scored from one yard out, and Lorenzo Nunez added a two-point conversion to make the score 28-25.

With momentum clearly residing on the home team’s sideline, Watson calmly led a 10-play, 60-yard drive and finished it off with his third rushing touchdown of the day to extend the lead to 34-25.

The Tiger defense then forced its fourth three-and-out of the day, and Clemson held the ball for 4:38 on the ensuing possession before tacking on a late field goal. South Carolina scored a touchdown with one second remaining in the game to make up the final margin.

Although North Carolina dropped its season opener against the Gamecocks in Charlotte, the Tar Heels have caught fire since then, reeling off 11 consecutive wins and jumping into the top 10.

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium, and the game will be televised by ABC.