South Carolina Football: Report card vs. Clemson Tigers
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina football fans were electric leading up to kickoff against the rival Clemson Tigers. The stakes of this game were not lost on the Gamecock faithful as USC needed a win to clinch traditional bowl eligibility.
The crowd was silenced early but came alive again in short order. A very competitive game was marred by a lot of mistakes, but a spirited effort from the Gamecock defense was not enough to overcome a poor showing from the offense.
The loss was the Gamecocks’ first home loss when forcing a turnover over the past two seasons, but USC’s overall loss in the turnover battle played a huge factor in the game, especially early.
Here are the grades for South Carolina football’s 16-7 loss:
In one of the loudest Williams-Brice Stadium kickoff environments in the history of South Carolina football, Gamecock fans were ready. Even after a disastrous start, the fans bounced back in a big way. It probably wasn’t as consistently loud as it was last week against Kentucky, but it was close, despite an ugly game on the field.. . South Carolina Gamecocks. FANS . A
C-. Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains did not have a very good game. Odd play calls (like a reverse pass that was designed to be thrown to Spencer Rattler on 4th-and-goal from the 1) and uninspired ones (being too committed to the run) had fans scratching their head for most of the night. Defensive coordinator Clayton White had another nice showing as his defense played well in the 3-3-5. The great game on defense and the horrible game on offense combined with the average special teams performance to earn an average coaching grade. A slight ding goes against the South Carolina football staff for a lack of aggression at times later in the game, settling for punts instead of going for it from near midfield.. . South Carolina Gamecocks. COACHING
Special teams was okay on Saturday. Kai Kroeger had a couple of punts he’d like to have back and a couple more that were just fine. Jalon Kilgore muffed a punt but did not lose the football. Mitch Jeter made his extra point attempt and had two touchbacks. The coverage units did well in limited opportunities. No advantage in the 3rd phase of the game was a stark contrast to last season and was a factor in the loss.. . South Carolina Gamecocks. SPECIAL TEAMS. C+