Five players and plays that stood out in South Carolina’s 17-14 win over Clemson
No. 15 South Carolina (9-3) rode out of Death Valley on Saturday afternoon with a 17-14 victory over No. 12 Clemson (9-3), concluding the 2024 regular season with six-straight victories to restore hope that the Gamecocks could find themselves in the College Football Playoff.
Here are five players and plays that led to South Carolina’s second win at Memorial Stadium in as many tries.
1. LB Demetrius Knight
The savior.
With 16 seconds left, everything was looking up for Clemson. The Tigers were down three, but they were at the 18-yard line. They were already in range for a game-tying kick and had time for a few shots to the end zone.
But a pass from Clemson QB Cade Klubnik was tipped and there to make the diving interception was Demetrius Knight — the Charlotte transfer who decided to spend his final collegiate season in Columbia.
He came up with the biggest interception of the season to seal the South Carolina victory and perhaps send the Gamecocks to the CFP.
2. LaNorris Sellers’ go-ahead 20-yard touchdown
Folks in Columbia will be talking about this play for years.
Needing a touchdown with just over a minute to play, South Carolina was shooting itself in the foot. A false start put the Gamecocks in a third-and-15 situation needing a miracle.
Surely offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains called a play, but play calls don’t always matter with Sellers. Things broke down, the redshirt freshman danced in the pocket and saw way too much green grass.
Sellers took off, dodged a couple more tackles and then darted into the end zone. Touchdown. For the first time all day, South Carolina led.
It led all because of its miracle-maker quarterback who would not be denied on this day. He finished the afternoon with 16 rushes for 166 yards.
3. Tonka Hemingway third-quarter fumble recovery
It’s been incredible how many times this season South Carolina has turned the ball over, only for the Gamecocks defense to force a turnover moments later.
It happened the first game of the year, when Sellers fumbled against Old Dominion and O’Donnell Fortune picked off a pass on the next play. It happened against LSU, when Robby Ashford fumbled late in the game just before Nick Emmanowri bailed him out with a pick.
In the third quarter on Saturday, running back Rocket Sanders fumbled after catching a pass over the middle. It was the Gamecocks’ second turnover of the day — Sellers fumbled on the first drive of the game — and put USC in serious trouble.
Down 7, South Carolina could afford to give up touchdowns on back-to-back drives.
Thank goodness for that Gamecock defense, though.
On what was supposed to be a double reverse, Klubnik stumbled and quickly pitched the ball to running back Phil Mafah. He then tried to pitch it but the ball hit the turf and South Carolina defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway — with one hand in a cast — jumped on it.
4. Sellers’ 25-yard touchdown run
South Carolina couldn’t afford to fall far behind Saturday after Clemson took an early lead via a 13-yard Klubnik rushing touchdown. The Gamecocks needed an answer.
On the drive following the opening score, Sellers delivered.
The South Carolina redshirt freshman was again spectacular improbably escaping sacks and on first-and-10 from the 25. He side-stepped a trio of tackles, then weaved his way into the end zone for the game-tying score.
It was the perfect response from the Gamecocks to ensure the Tigers didn’t keep momentum for long.
5. Punter Kai Kroeger
Two years after playing hero in the Gamecocks 2022 upset of Clemson, ending the Tigers’ 40-game home winning streak, punter Kai Kroeger again stole the show.
The lefty booted five punts for 233 yards (46.6 avg) and pinned the Tigers inside their own 20-yard line three times. In a low-scoring game all about field position, the Gamecocks had a heck of a weapon.
