Game Prediction - Clemson vs. South Carolina

The turkey has been eaten, family has been visited, and now it’s time for the state of South Carolina to pit brother against brother and friend against friend as the Tigers face off against the Gamecocks in what could be the biggest game in the history of the rivalry.

The hatred between Clemson fans and South Carolina has grown exponentially over the last year with success and expectations higher than ever, and it all comes down to Saturday night. Can Clemson clinch a BCS bowl berth? Can South Carolina continue the nation’s longest home winning streak?

This week we will do our prediction a little differently with Gamecock Girl bloggess Lauren Rippy stating her case for South Carolina and Clemson Girl bloggess Nikki Steele predicting for the Tigers.




WHAT: NO. 6 CLEMSON AT NO. 10 SOUTH CAROLINA
WHEN: 7 P.M. ON ESPN2
WHERE: WILLIAMS-BRICE STADIUM, COLUMBIA, S.C.

LAUREN- QUARLES’ BREAKOUT SEASON MAY BE HIS LAST FOR THE GAMECOCKS: For anyone that has watched any sports programming that discusses college football I feel fairly confident in saying that you have heard some negative press about Jadeveon Clowney. Unfortunately for Jadeveon, it was impossible from the outset to live up to the expectations set for him after “The Hit” in last year’s bowl game. While Clowney has played through injury all year, he has not disappointed, but his presence has forced offenses to run into another issue on the defensive line, better known as Kelcy Quarles. Quarles has demolished opposing offenses, under the radar, all season and is forcing offensive coordinators to pick their poison, Clowney or Quarles. The response has been to move to the short passing game to try and eliminate their effectiveness but as you can see on any stat sheet, it hasn’t made much difference. Quarles leads the team in tackles for loss with 11 for a total of 86 yards. His next closest competitor, Clowney with 8.5. Kelcy also leads the team in sacks with 7, which is 5 more than the next highest total for the Gamecocks. While it seems pretty clear that next season we’ll be watching both of these stars on Sundays, here’s to hoping one of them decides to finish out their eligibility!

While the secondary for the Gamecocks has been the weak link at many points throughout the season it has found some consistency late in the year. This will be the paramount task on Saturday night against the ever present deep threat that Boyd and the Tigers offense present week in and week out. If Victor Hampton can keep his secondary unit disciplined throughout the game and eliminate the explosive, momentum changing plays they will put the Gamecocks in prime position for the fifth straight win.

NIKKI- ISAIAH BATTLE IS THE DIFFERENCE: It’s no secret that the Clemson offensive line has struggled mightily at times this season, but sophomore right tackle Isaiah Battle just might be the missing link that brings Clemson’s offensive line together. Senior left tackle Brandon Thomas has been the most consistent player on offense this season and has really led what is a young group of linemen through the ups and downs of the season. However, it wasn’t until two weeks ago when Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris started Battle at right tackle that the offense really began to click. Everyone knows the challenge that Thomas faces with Clowney, but the Gamecock’s other defensive end Chaz Sutton is a challenge in his own right, and having Battle manning the right side of the line will give quarterback Tajh Boyd some peace of mind knowing that he will have time to find his receivers. The Clemson running game also struggled at times this season, but has been better over the last two weeks since Roderick McDowell and company have had the big, physical and athletic Battle to run behind.

LAUREN- CONNOR SHAW’S LAST CHANCE: In Connor Shaw’s time at Carolina he has gone 25-5 as a starter. 25-5. That is better than any other quarterback in the history of the Gamecock football program. While he may not have the other statistics that typically signify one of the greatest quarterbacks in a program’s history he does have the intangibles that cannot be measured on paper. His sheer will to win is the reason that the Gamecocks sit at 9-2 on the season. His heroics during the Missouri game will not be something that any Gamecock soon forgets. He’s become Mr. Consistent and while that may not be glamorous it is exactly what Carolina has needed after the up and down career of Stephen Garcia.

Standing by his side, Connor will have one of the best running backs in the nation who is at 100% after resting during the blowout last week against Coastal Carolina. Mike Davis has definitely allowed Gamecock fans to move on after the injury-plagued career of our beloved Marcus Lattimore ended way too soon. Davis’ ability to run through and explode off of tackles has made him the most exciting part of the Gamecocks offense. Yes, a running back is the most exciting part of a Steve Spurrier led offense. This is not to say the passing game disappoints but Davis is just plain and simple that good. Thankfully he’ll be back in Garnet and Black for at least one more year to wow anyone that watches.

NIKKI – MARTAVIS BRYANT…THE X-FACTOR: Sammy Watkins is without a doubt the best wide receiver on Clemson’s team, in the ACC, and in the country. Teams have schemed to take the talented junior out of games all season, but so far they have all been unsuccessful. South Carolina will probably put its best corner, Victor Hampton on Watkins, leaving senior Jimmy Legree or one the Gamecocks safeties to cover the speedy Martavis Bryant. The junior from Anderson has had tumultuous career, but is playing with more confidence now than at any point in his three-year tenure. Two weeks ago against Georgia Tech, Bryant caught five passes for 176 yards and a touchdown. Bryant has made his name out-running opponents and making catches in traffic that most wide receivers only dream of catching. With the South Carolina defense trying to double-team Watkins, it will be up to Bryant to make a play and keep the Gamecocks honest.

LAUREN- TWO SPECIAL FRESHMEN: Much to the surprise of many in Gamecock nation the special team’s duties have primarily been handled by two outstanding freshman this season, placekicker Elliott Fry and returnman Pharoh Cooper. While neither of them excites the crowd as some of their predecessors, that are now playing on Sundays, they both still possess that it factor that gave Coach Spurrier the confidence to allow freshmen to occupy these crucial roles. On Saturday they must maintain their poise under the big lights of the national stage with huge implications on the line. One mistake from the special teams could cost the Gamecocks the game and their hopes for a major bowl bid.

NIKKI – CATMAN…ENOUGH SAID: There are very few givens in college football, but Clemson kicker Chandler Catanzaro is about as close as it gets. The senior from Greenville is 12-of-13 this season with a career-long of 51. Catanzaro’s career began with a miss in overtime against Auburn in 2010, but since then he has gone on to have a stellar career with game-winning kicks to clinch an ACC Atlantic title in 2011 and a win over LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in 2012. When the game is on the line, there is nobody better than Chandler Catanzaro and nobody Clemson fans would rather see line up to knock the game winner through the uprights.

LAUREN- WHY THE GAMECOCKS WILL WIN: The Gamecocks will play their most complete game of the year Saturday night. The group of seniors, and juniors leaving for the draft, in their final home game at Williams-Brice will not disappoint the roaring crowd as they put Clemson away to clinch a 10 win regular season for the third year in a row. This group of seniors, who have never lost to Clemson, are not going to let the streak end at four over our in-state rivals as they move the streak to five for the first time ever.

GAMECOCKGIRL.COM SPORTS BLOGGESS LAUREN'S SCORE PREDICTION: SOUTH CAROLINA 27 - CLEMSON 21

NIKKI – WHY THE TIGERS WILL WIN: South Carolina has had Clemson’s number over the last four years and it hasn’t even been close. The Gamecocks always seem to catch the Tigers at the right time – right before an ACC Championship Game or right after an ACC battle with N.C. State or Georgia Tech. However, this year the Tigers had one final tune-up against The Citadel and it seems as though Clemson is finally playing its best football at the end of November. Boyd is as confident as he has ever been in the Clemson offense and has a stable of wide receivers that will test a young Gamecock secondary like that haven’t been tested this season. Clemson’s defense led by defensive end Vic Beasley, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and linebacker Spencer Shuey are playing better than they have at any point over the last five years. Boyd and Shuey are leading a group of seniors that are thirsty for a win over their rival and its finally time to tip the scale back in the favor of the orange and white.

CLEMSONGIRL.COM SPORTS BLOGGESS NIKKI'S SCORE PREDICTION: CLEMSON 31 – SOUTH CAROLINA 17

Post written by ClemsonGirl.com Sports Bloggess Nikki Steele and GamecockGirl.com Sports Bloggess Lauren Rippy.

Game Prediction - Clemson vs. University of South Carolina

The turkey has been eaten, family has visited, and now it’s time for the state of South Carolina to pit sister against sister and friend against friend as the Tigers face off against the Gamecocks.

If you are a Palmetto State native and you aren’t excited about a top-15 matchup between Clemson and South Carolina under the Death Valley lights, then you might as well go live in a cave.

The rivalry between Clemson fans and South Carolina has grown exponentially over the last year, with quips and rants from each school’s head coach and it all comes down to Saturday night. Which team will back up their coach’s words in the on-going war?

This week we will do our game prediction a little differently... Our house-divided sister site Gamecock Girl's sports bloggess Lauren Hall will be stating her case for South Carolina and our sports bloggess Nikki Steele will be predicting for the Tigers.

NO. 12 SOUTH CAROLINA AT NO. 11 CLEMSON

LAUREN- SOUTH CAROLINA’S DEFENSE IS THE BEST THE TIGERS WILL FACE: Jadeveon Clowney said he would be 100% ready by Saturday's kickoff so the Carolina defense should be at full speed. Unlike the ACC defenses that Clemson has played all year, USC is big and fast on the defensive line. This should force Tajh Boyd to stay in the pocket and make quick decisions, which he has struggled with at times throughout his career. While Clemson does have deep threats, the Gamecocks have done a good job at preventing the deep balls this year. Clemson will score but it won't be nearly as often as they are used to against two of the best defensive ends in the country.

NIKKI- THE CLEMSON OFFENSE IS THE MOST EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE THE GAMECOCKS HAVE SEEN: The Gamecocks play in the mighty SEC ,which without a doubt is the best defensive conference in the land, but after watching a lot of college football, I have to question its offensive power. South Carolina’s defense has faced only two offenses that rank in the top-30 nationally in total offense- Tennessee at No. 23 and Georgia at No. 25. Both of those schools are a far cry from what the Gamecocks will see Saturday night in Clemson’s sixth-ranked offense, a group that has been hitting on all cylinders for the last few weeks. The Tigers are averaging 204 yards on the ground and 244 yards through the air, while putting up over 44 points per game. Quarterback Tajh Boyd accounted for eight touchdowns and over 500 yards of total offense a week ago and even the best defenses have had no luck in slowing him down. In the backfield, Boyd complements running back Andre Ellington who has rushed for 959 yards and eight touchdowns. And let’s face it; at wide receiver and tight end, Boyd has a bunch of Frisbee catching dogs in Nuk Hopkins, Sammy Watkins, Jaron Brown and Brandon Ford. All Boyd has to do is get the ball to his playmakers and they will make the Gamecocks pay. The wide receivers will have some one-on-one coverage down the sideline and if they can get behind the cornerbacks, it will be as simple as throw-and-catch. If Clemson’s offensive line can give Boyd enough time to find his playmakers, it will be a long night in the Valley for the Gamecocks.

NIKKI- THE CLEMSON DEFENSE IS MUCH IMPROVED AGAINST THE RUN: Every Clemson fans’ worst nightmares begin with Connor Shaw running rampant last season in Williams Brice on his way to trouncing the Tigers for a third straight season. But, that was last season and with a new defensive coordinator in Brent Venables, the Tigers seemed to have fixed their problem with running quarterbacks. The Clemson defense started off a little shaky, but has steadily improved from week-to-week and after inserting middle linebacker Spencer Shuey in the lineup have seemingly shut down opponents’ running game, giving up 163 yards rushing per game. If the Tigers can limit the running game, then the defensive backs can focus on limiting the big play, which they have been prone to this season. The secondary is banged up and will need the front seven to get pressure on Shaw in order to give them a chance at slowing down South Carolina’s speedy receivers.


LAUREN- SHAW OR THOMPSON…THAT IS THE QUESTION? After losing Marcus Lattimore to a season-ending injury, the Gamecock offense has been extremely inconsistent. That, coupled with Connor Shaw's continued injured shoulder saga, make this weekends matchup much more difficult. Kenny Miles has done a great job as the new starting tailback in his senior season, backed up by Mike Davis who is proving to be a strong asset to the offense. But the quarterback situation is still a big question. It appears that Shaw may be healthy enough to play, but Dylan Thompson has spent the week taking all the snaps with the first team offense at practice. Again Spurrier has a decision to make, but if Shaw does start I believe he will be on a very short leash due to his turnover struggles of late. Hopefully, whoever is playing quarterback can find a way to get the ball to Justice Cunningham and Ace Sanders. These two have the ability to extend drives and make the big plays, which is what USC needs.

NIKKI- CATMAN…ENOUGH SAID: Clemson has one weapon that South Carolina doesn’t, and that’s Chandler Catanzaro, who has hit 15-of-16 field goals this season and is ready at a moments notice to hit the game-winning field goal. Against N.C. State a week ago, the Tigers gave up big plays in the return game. After doing the same against Florida State earlier in the season, the Tigers special teams fixed the problems only allowing less than 19 yards per return until the Wolfpack came to Death Valley. The players and coaches will have the issues fixed. And let’s not forget that if Ace Sander thinks he’s going to get free, he better watch out for kickoff specialist Spencer Benton who will be looking to make a big hit on senior night.

LAUREN- SPECIAL TEAMS MUST BE SPECIAL: This year's special teams have been a source of extreme highs and lows. There have been sparks of brilliance and many moments that we would all rather forget. The key to special teams is not turning over the ball, if Carolina can do this they should be able to provide the offense with good field position, which will be vital in this game.

LAUREN- WHY THE GAMECOCKS WILL WIN: The Gamecocks defense will overpower the Clemson offense that had torched the ACC this year. Carolina's defense will create good field position for the struggling offense. By forcing Clemson to rely on their run game, they will lose the ability to score quickly and often which has been their hallmark this year. As much as it breaks my heart…
CLEMSON 17- SOUTH CAROLINA 14

NIKKI- WHY THE TIGERS WILL WIN: The Gamecocks have owned the Tigers over the last three seasons, but with an offense that is seemingly unstoppable, Clemson is ready to turn the corner and send its seniors out with a bang. The South Carolina defense is very talented and very good there’s no doubt, but offensive coordinator Chad Morris doesn’t take it lightly when an opponent shows him up and that’s just what South Carolina did in 2011. The Clemson offense will use the Gamecocks’ aggressiveness against them to hit the big play or move the chains using Boyd’s mobility. The Clemson defense has been susceptible to the big play and that probably won’t stop Saturday night, but at home and under the lights Venables’ boys will make the plays they need to in order to seal the victory.
CLEMSON 45- SOUTH CAROLINA 28

Post written by Clemson Girl's Sports Bloggess, Nikki Steele and Gamecock Girl's Sports Bloggess, Lauren Hall