No. 12 Clemson’s hopes of getting into the College Football Playoff are fading after a 17-14 home loss to No. 15 South Carolina. The Gamecocks got the win off two huge touchdown runs from South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers.
South Carolina took the three-point lead after Sellers scrambled for a 20-yard touchdown run with a little over a minute left. With one final drive, Clemson moved the ball down the field with a chance to score, but quarterback Cade Klubnik threw an interception that sealed the game for the Gamecocks.
After a tough first quarter, featuring a South Carolina fumble on the first drive and Clemson turning over on downs, the Tigers struck first with a touchdown in the second quarter. But the Gamecocks followed it up with a touchdown of their own. South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who had 16 carries in the game, kept the ball ran 25 yards into the end zone to tie things at 7-7.
Clemson then opened the second half with another touchdown, taking a 14-7 lead.
A messy third quarter for both teams saw back-to-back turnovers, with the Gamecocks fumbling the ball first and the Tigers going right afterwards. At the start of the fourth quarter, Clemson safety Khalil Barnes got a big interception on Sellers to give the Tigers back the ball, but the team was forced to punt after going three-and-out.
South Carolina then cut through the seven-point deficit with a field goal, and then Sellers played hero for another touchdown, finding the hole in the defense and shaking off two tackles to get into the end zone.
With the loss, Clemson, who was already on the CFP bubble, falls to 9-3 and may be on the outside looking in this postseason.
