COLUMBIA – Clemson won its 15th straight game when the top-ranked Tigers defeated South Carolina 37-32 in Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday.
Clemson ended the regular season with a perfect 12-0 record. That is something that has not happened since Clemson won the National Championship in 1981.
Here is what we heard after the rivalry win:
“I’m really proud of our team. It’s not easy to win on the road and to be undefeated on the road. Our team has just continued to find ways to win. This is a game of results. We got the result that we came here for. It is just a blessing to be a part of it. We don’t always play perfect, but we find a way to win,” head coach Dabo Swinney said. “It is great to be state champs again and I am very happy for our fans. This team’s got a chance to stand alone among Clemson greats.”
In the second half of the game, South Carolina scored 29 points to make the game a close one for a stretch of time. However, Clemson’s defense was able to provide the stops necessary to secure a win in the fourth quarter.
“They just had a great plan altogether. Sometimes we weren’t ready. We were looking to the sidelines or they just made some good plays because they have great players too,” defensive end Kevin Dodd said. “When the game got a little tight, we still stayed level and knew we were going to get out there and get the stops and the offense was going to their best to give us a score.”
Quarterback Deshaun Watson led Clemson to victory by rushing for 114 yards and passing for 279. Overall, Clemson recorded 515 total offensive yards, which makes for the eighth straight game the Tigers have had over 500 yards of offense.
“He (Watson) was unbelievable again. He was the difference in the game. That’s what great players do, they make everyone else better. He is certainly a great player. At this stage he’s the best player in the country. He just doesn’t flinch. He keeps grinding and he makes good decisions,” Swinney said.
“It was definitely like some Superman type thing that he loves to be. He definitely balled out today and he really showed up when we needed him,” tight end Jordan Leggett said.
Clemson will now play North Carolina in the ACC Championship game, and the Tigers are excited about the success of the season. However, they know there is still more work to be done.
“This win meant a lot, but we have a lot of things ahead of us,” Dodd said. “It’s special. Now we can look back on it and we won 12 games, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do. We’re trying to get that 15, so we’re trying to punch ourselves a ticket to the playoffs. Hopefully we can get that done next week.”
“It is like a dream come true. All the workouts and preparation we have had since the summer is all coming together,” running back Wayne Gallman said.