Stephon Gilmore has big day against a pair of former Clemson stars

South Carolina got the better of Clemson on a football field this weekend.

That football field was in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and it was a matchup of former Gamecocks and Tigers, with USC great Stephon Gilmore, now with the New England Patriots, getting the edge over Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins of the Houston Texans.

In the Patriots’ 27-20 win, Gilmore was tasked with shadowing Hopkins, one of the NFL’s premier wide receivers last season. Hopkins finished with 78 yards on eight catches and no touchdowns — it was the first time in almost a year that Hopkins has had fewer than 80 yards while not scoring in a game.

Gilmore ended the contest with eight tackles, seven solo, to lead the defense, and defended two passes, including a deep pass from Watson where Gilmore sped downfield to intercept the pass in the back of the endzone while crashing into a teammate. He did have two holding penalties, but in the eyes of many watching the game, he had an excellent game after a slow start to last year.

Watson, meanwhile, had electrified the NFL last season as a rookie before an ACL tear ended his season. His comeback in 2018 got off to a slow start, as he completed just 50 percent of his passes for 176 yards, a touchdown and an interception rating. His QB rating was just 62.9.

The Texans, however, also had some Gamecock flavor on their sideline, with Jadeveon Clowney recording two tackles, Johnathan Joseph picking up seven with a pass defended and Bruce Ellington snagging four passes for 37 yards and a TD.