South Carolina Stuns Clemson in Low-Scoring Defensive Struggle
South Carolina outlasted Clemson 17-14 in a defensive battle that saw 18 lead changes and dramatic swings in win probability. The Gamecocks, playing as the away team, covered the spread despite being favored by 2.5 points, while the game finished under the 49-point total.
Clemson's Cade Klubnik led all passers with 280 yards, connecting with Antonio Williams for 99 receiving yards. Phil Mafah rushed for 66 yards for the Tigers. However, Clemson managed only a pair of touchdowns across four quarters, with the defense unable to contain South Carolina's late-game surge.
South Carolina scored first in the second quarter, then capitalized on a fourth-quarter touchdown run by LaNorris Sellers to pull ahead for good. A crucial Klubnik interception in the fourth quarter proved decisive, as South Carolina's defense made plays when it mattered most.
The contest was tightly contested throughout, with neither team able to establish sustained offensive momentum. Clemson's third-quarter touchdown kept the game within striking distance, but South Carolina's defense ultimately prevailed in this low-scoring rivalry matchup.
AI-generated recap · Aug 29, 2026
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 South Carolina | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
 Clemson | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
Scoring Timeline
Drive Chart
Box Score
| Statistic | South Carolina | Clemson |
|---|---|---|
| Passing | 13-21 | 24-36 |
| Pass Yards | 164 | 280 |
| Rush Yards | 268 | 139 |
| Total Yards | 432 | 419 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| 3rd Down | 7-13 | 7-15 |
| Penalties | 7-66 | 3-15 |
| Possession | 30:37 | 29:23 |
Player Leaders
Player Leaders
Play-by-Play
Raheim Sanders run for 5 yds to the SC 30
LaNorris Sellers run for 38 yds to the CLEM 32 for a 1ST down
Raheim Sanders run for 3 yds to the CLEM 29
Raheim Sanders run for 6 yds to the CLEM 23
Raheim Sanders run for 4 yds to the CLEM 19 for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers sacked by T.J. Parker for a loss of 5 yards to the CLEM 24 LaNorris Sellers fumbled, recovered by SC T.J. Parker , return for 0 yards
Phil Mafah run for 2 yds to the CLEM 26
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Antonio Williams for 14 yds to the CLEM 40 for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Phil Mafah for 4 yds to the CLEM 44
Phil Mafah run for 3 yds to the CLEM 47
Cade Klubnik pass incomplete to Antonio Williams
Aidan Swanson punt for 37 yds, fair catch by Jalon Kilgore at the SC 16
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Raheim Sanders for 20 yds to the SC 36 for a 1ST down
Raheim Sanders run for 4 yds to the SC 40
Jared Brown run for 1 yd to the SC 41
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Gage Larvadain for 7 yds to the SC 48 for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers pass incomplete to Raheim Sanders
Raheim Sanders run for 6 yds to the CLEM 46
LaNorris Sellers sacked by Sammy Brown for a loss of 1 yard to the CLEM 47
Kai Kroeger punt for 43 yds
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Bryant Wesco Jr. for 36 yds to the CLEM 40 for a 1ST down
Phil Mafah run for 3 yds to the CLEM 43
Cade Klubnik run for a loss of 1 yard to the CLEM 42
Cade Klubnik pass complete to T.J. Moore for 28 yds to the SC 30 for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Antonio Williams for 7 yds to the SC 23
Phil Mafah run for 3 yds to the SC 20 for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Antonio Williams for 4 yds to the SC 16
Phil Mafah run for 3 yds to the SC 13
Phil Mafah run for 2 yds to the SC 11
Phil Mafah run for no gain to the SC 11
Raheim Sanders run for a loss of 7 yards to the SC 4
Raheim Sanders run for no gain to the SC 4
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Joshua Simon for 8 yds to the SC 12
Kai Kroeger punt for 45 yds, fair catch by Antonio Williams at the CLEM 43
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Antonio Williams for 40 yds to the SC 17 for a 1ST down
Phil Mafah run for 4 yds to the SC 13
Cade Klubnik run for 13 yds for a TD (Nolan Hauser KICK)
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Nyck Harbor for 17 yds to the SC 42 for a 1ST down
Oscar Adaway III run for 21 yds to the CLEM 37 for a 1ST down
Oscar Adaway III run for 4 yds to the CLEM 33
Oscar Adaway III run for 4 yds to the CLEM 29
Oscar Adaway III run for 4 yds to the CLEM 25 for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers run for 25 yds for a TD (Alex Herrera KICK)
Phil Mafah run for 14 yds to the CLEM 39 for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik pass incomplete to T.J. Moore
Phil Mafah run for 6 yds to the CLEM 45
Cade Klubnik pass incomplete to Bryant Wesco Jr.
Aidan Swanson punt for 30 yds, fair catch by Jalon Kilgore at the SC 25
LaNorris Sellers pass incomplete to Nyck Harbor
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Jared Brown for 12 yds to the SC 37 for a 1ST down
Raheim Sanders run for 1 yd to the SC 38
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Joshua Simon for no gain to the SC 38
PENALTY SC False Start 5 yards from SC38 to SC33. NO PLAY.
LaNorris Sellers sacked by Wade Woodaz for a loss of 3 yards to the SC 30
Kai Kroeger punt for 58 yds, fair catch by Antonio Williams at the CLEM 12
Phil Mafah run for 2 yds to the CLEM 14
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Bryant Wesco Jr. for 2 yds to the CLEM 12
Jay Haynes run for 8 yds to the CLEM 20
Aidan Swanson punt for 47 yds , Juju McDowell returns for 8 yds to the SC 41
LaNorris Sellers run for a loss of 3 yards to the SC 38
LaNorris Sellers pass incomplete to Gage Larvadain
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Jared Brown for 7 yds to the SC 45
Kai Kroeger punt for 46 yds , Antonio Williams returns for 1 yd to the CLEM 10
Phil Mafah run for 5 yds to the CLEM 15
Cade Klubnik pass incomplete to Olsen Patt-Henry
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Antonio Williams for 10 yds to the CLEM 25 for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik run for 5 yds to the CLEM 30
Cade Klubnik pass complete to T.J. Moore for 7 yds to the CLEM 37 for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik pass incomplete to Jake Briningstool
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Bryant Wesco Jr. for 9 yds to the CLEM 46
Phil Mafah run for 8 yds to the CLEM 45
End of 2nd Quarter
Cade Klubnik pass complete to T.J. Moore for 9 yds to the CLEM 34
Phil Mafah run for 4 yds to the CLEM 38 for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik pass complete to T.J. Moore for 5 yds to the CLEM 43
Cade Klubnik pass incomplete to Jake Briningstool
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Bryant Wesco Jr. for 7 yds to the 50 yard line for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik run for 15 yds to the SC 35 for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Jake Briningstool for 5 yds to the SC 30
Cade Klubnik run for 2 yds to the SC 28
Jay Haynes run for 3 yds to the SC 25 for a 1ST down
PENALTY CLEM False Start (Haynes,Jay) 5 yards from SC25 to SC30. NO PLAY.
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Antonio Williams for 12 yds to the SC 18
Cade Klubnik run for 18 yds for a TD (Nolan Hauser KICK)
Raheim Sanders run for 2 yds to the SC 27
Raheim Sanders run for 6 yds to the SC 33
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Jared Brown for 22 yds to the CLEM 45 for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Raheim Sanders for 11 yds Raheim Sanders fumbled, recovered by SC Barrett Carter
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Bryant Wesco Jr. for 23 yds to the SC 43 for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Antonio Williams for 7 yds to the SC 36
Cade Klubnik pass incomplete to Bryant Wesco Jr.
Cade Klubnik run for 4 yds to the SC 32 for a 1ST down
Phil Mafah run for a loss of 8 yards to the SC 40
Oscar Adaway III run for 7 yds to the SC 47
LaNorris Sellers pass incomplete to Nyck Harbor
LaNorris Sellers run for 4 yds to the CLEM 49 for a 1ST down
Oscar Adaway III run for 1 yd to the CLEM 48
(03:41) No Huddle-Shotgun Sellers,LaNorris pass incomplete deep right to Brown,Jared thrown to CLEM25 QB hurried by Carter,Barrett PENALTY SC Holding (Simon,Joshua) 11 yard from CLEM48 to SC41. NO PLAY.
LaNorris Sellers pass incomplete to Gage Larvadain
South Carolina Penalty, (-16 Yards) to the SC 34
Kai Kroeger punt for 41 yds, fair catch by Antonio Williams at the CLEM 25
(02:59) No Huddle-Shotgun Klubnik,Cade pass incomplete short middle to Briningstool,Jake thrown to CLEM35, 1ST DOWN, PENALTY SC Pass Interference (Smith,DQ) 9 yards from CLEM25 to CLEM34, 1ST DOWN. NO PLAY.
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Antonio Williams for 5 yds to the CLEM 39
Phil Mafah run for 4 yds to the CLEM 43
Phil Mafah run for 4 yds to the CLEM 47 for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik sacked by Bam Martin-Scott for a loss of 9 yards to the CLEM 38
Phil Mafah run for 2 yds to the CLEM 40
(15:00) PENALTY CLEM False Start (Moore,T.J.) 5 yards from CLEM40 to CLEM35. NO PLAY.
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Phil Mafah for 10 yds to the CLEM 45
Aidan Swanson punt for 41 yds, fair catch by Juju McDowell at the SC 14
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Nyck Harbor for 26 yds to the SC 40 for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers run for 4 yds to the SC 44
Raheim Sanders run for 10 yds to the CLEM 46 for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers run for 14 yds to the CLEM 32 for a 1ST down
Raheim Sanders run for 5 yds to the CLEM 27
LaNorris Sellers run for 13 yds to the CLEM 14 for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers run for 3 yds to the CLEM 11 South Carolina Penalty, (-15 Yards) to the CLEM 26
LaNorris Sellers pass intercepted
Phil Mafah run for 4 yds to the CLEM 13
Cade Klubnik pass complete to T.J. Moore for 4 yds to the CLEM 17
Cade Klubnik pass incomplete to Bryant Wesco Jr.
Aidan Swanson punt for 39 yds, fair catch by Juju McDowell at the SC 44
Raheim Sanders run for 4 yds to the SC 48
LaNorris Sellers run for 27 yds to the CLEM 25 for a 1ST down
Raheim Sanders run for 5 yds to the CLEM 20
LaNorris Sellers run for 1 yd to the CLEM 19
LaNorris Sellers pass incomplete to Gage Larvadain
PENALTY SC Delay Of Game 5 yards from CLEM19 to CLEM24. NO PLAY.
Alex Herrera 42 yd FG GOOD
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Bryant Wesco Jr. for 3 yds to the CLEM 47
Phil Mafah run for 1 yd to the CLEM 48
Cade Klubnik pass incomplete to Bryant Wesco Jr.
Aidan Swanson punt for 32 yds, fair catch by Jalon Kilgore at the SC 20
Aidan Swanson punt for 32 yds, fair catch by Jalon Kilgore at the SC 25
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Raheim Sanders for 17 yds to the SC 42 for a 1ST down
Raheim Sanders run for 4 yds to the SC 46
LaNorris Sellers run for 2 yds to the SC 48
LaNorris Sellers run for 27 yds to the CLEM 25 for a 1ST down
LaNorris Sellers pass complete to Nyck Harbor for 8 yds to the CLEM 17
Raheim Sanders run for 3 yds to the CLEM 14 for a 1ST down
Raheim Sanders run for a loss of 1 yard to the CLEM 15
LaNorris Sellers pass incomplete to Dalevon Campbell
(01:18) PENALTY SC False Start (Thompson,Josiah) 5 yards from CLEM15 to CLEM20. NO PLAY.
LaNorris Sellers run for 20 yds for a TD (Alex Herrera KICK)
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Jake Briningstool for 24 yds to the CLEM 49 for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik pass complete to T.J. Moore for 12 yds to the SC 39 for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik run for 11 yds to the SC 28 for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik pass complete to Jake Briningstool for 6 yds to the SC 22
Cade Klubnik pass incomplete to Phil Mafah
Cade Klubnik run for 4 yds to the SC 18 for a 1ST down
Cade Klubnik pass incomplete
Cade Klubnik pass intercepted
L. Sellers takes a knee