South Carolina has some memorable wins this year, but Clemson game was different

Senior defensive lineman Zacch Pickens had to hear about South Carolina’s recent losses to Clemson during his Thanksgiving dinner.

Pickens has family about 20 minutes away from Clemson, a place the Gamecocks hadn’t won since 2012.

“What about those Tigers?” Pickens heard while back home to Anderson, where he starred at T.L. Hanna High School.

South Carolina (8-4) secured the 31-30 win Saturday — with some of Pickens’ family in attendance at Memorial Stadium. And the recipe for victory didn’t look like the Gamecocks’ other memorable wins this season.

The team fell into a 14-0 hole in the first quarter, struggling to move the ball offensively. Spencer Rattler was intercepted on the first play of the team’s second drive, and Clemson returned it for a touchdown. Later in the half, he was pressured in his own end zone and the Tigers forced him into a safety.

He completed a 65-yard pass to Juju McDowell on a fourth-and-1, then threw his second interception of the game while in the red zone.

Most of South Carolina’s signature wins this season came from quick starts — like its defensive fumble recovery early against Kentucky and the kick return touchdown to open the game against Texas A&M. The team also struck first against Tennessee last week and led 21-7 after the first quarter.

This time, against Clemson, the Gamecocks had to overcome a nine-point halftime deficit.

“You gotta keep fighting through adversity,” Rattler said. “We knew there was gonna be adversity in a big rivalry game like this.”

Rattler’s accuracy in the second half picked up, and he avoided the mistakes he made earlier in the game. His best throw of the day came on a 72-yard completion to wide receiver Antwane Wells, who recorded 131 yards and two touchdowns against the Tigers.

Rattler led the Gamecocks to three scoring drives in the second half, including the possession that ended with Mitch Jeter’s go-ahead field goal.

The USC defense allowed just one touchdown in that same time frame. The Tigers punted the ball five times in the half, and cornerback Marcellas Dial came away with his team-leading third interception of the season.

Dial had a couple of opportunities at a takeaway prior to that moment and helped clinch the victory with the pick.

“Like coach (Shane) Beamer said, we knew they were going to throw us one,” Dial said. “And the time I got it, too, was very big. It was a great feeling.”

The teams alternated possessions a bit in the game’s final few minutes. Clemson’s last touch was on a punt return, and the Gamecocks forced Tigers freshman Antonio Williams into a fumble.

That turnover essentially sealed Clemson’s fate, but Wells put the game away by converting the final third down of the game.

Rattler, who’s being throwing Wells’ way all season, encouraged offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield to give the James Madison transfer one more opportunity.

“Juice with the ball in his hands is scary,” Rattler said. “I said, ‘Satt, let’s call this play and finish it right now.’ ”

The exuberant USC locker room was complete with victory cigars and celebratory music.

Some players had been waiting on a win against Clemson since they arrived at USC. Others have never been part of the rivalry and will start their personal records against the Tigers at 1-0.

“All this stuff is new to me,” Wells said. “I never even knew we got a trophy for winning this game.”

South Carolina is on a bit of a hot streak. It defeated then-No. 5 Tennessee last week before knocking off No. 8 Clemson on Saturday. The Gamecocks compromised — and perhaps ended — both teams’ chances of making the College Football Playoff.

Despite the 63-point outing against the Volunteers, the Gamecocks came into Saturday as underdogs.

“When we took care of business last week, it wasn’t just, ‘OK, we did it, great,’ ” Beamer said. “No, we plan on doing it two (weeks) in a row. And we did.”

The team still has a bowl game to play after picking up its eighth win this season.

But in what stood as the regular-season finale, South Carolina came from behind and beat the Tigers for the first time in nine years.

“I know what this rivalry means to the people of South Carolina and Gamecocks everywhere,” Beamer said. “And just really happy for them. I’m really happy for our seniors.”

For Pickens — one of those seniors — the comeback win relieved him some from the grief he’ll get from his family.

“It’s amazing,” Pickens said. “Now I don’t have to hear about that every time I go home.”