South Carolina Football: Ten Best Individual Performance of the Decade
By Jacob Elsey
9. DYLAN THOMPSON VS. CLEMSON (2012)
The Gamecocks marched into Memorial Stadium in 2012 as 6.5-point underdogs, facing off against a top 15 ranked Tiger team with a backup quarterback under center. Conner Shaw had injured his foot the week prior to the rivalry matchup, forcing sophomore Dylan Thompson to make the start.
Thompson wouldn’t disappoint. The second-year player from Boiling Springs, SC threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Gamecocks to 27-17 victory. The performance was one of five career 300-yard games as he put a damper on Clemson’s season.
The moment that sealed the fate for the Tigers was a 3rd-and-19 late in the fourth quarter where Thompson took a quarterback draw for 20 yards and a first down. He’d throw his final touchdown of the game three plays later to give the Gamecocks a two-score advantage that would end up being the game’s final score. It marks the Gamecocks’ last win in Clemson.