South Carolina Football: Former Gamecocks have chance to beat Clemson once again this weekend

South Carolina football fans don’t need to be reminded that the Gamecocks knocked off the rival Clemson Tigers 31-30 in the closing game of the 2022 regular season, but they love to be reminded of the fact anyway.

The victory saw the Gamecocks end a 40-game home winning streak for that team from the Upstate, and it ended a 7-game skid in the rivalry. Shane Beamer and company will look to start their own streak this year with a second straight win in the series.

However, a handful of former Gamecocks will have an opportunity to beat Clemson once again even though they are no longer part of the South Carolina football program.

Defensive end Gilber Edmond and do-it-all offensive playmaker Jaheim Bell both transferred from South Carolina to Florida State this offseason, and the Seminoles will be taking on the Tigers this Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Florida State is considered a favorite in the game by most betting outlets, and the ESPN’s FPI (Football Power Index) gives FSU a 57.3% chance of winning the game.

When Bell and Edmond were Gamecocks, the duo were a big part of the Carolina win over their orange rivals last season. Bell scored a rushing touchdown, and Edmond tallied five tackles, including one for loss.

So far in the players’ first year trading their garnet and black in for garnet and gold, the transfer portal additions have played two vastly different roles on Mike Norvell’s team. Edmond hasn’t played a whole lot (he would have had a big role with the Gamecocks), but Bell has scored 3 touchdowns in two games against LSU and Boston College.

When Bell and Edmond left the South Carolina football program via the transfer portal, many Gamecock fans were not very happy with the young men’s decisions. However, on Saturday, they will be rooted on almost as hard as if they still in Columbia.