Clemson CFP hopes fall after loss to Gamecocks

Clemson had its nation-leading 40-game location winning streak snapped connected Saturday, losing to rival South Carolina 31-30 successful a mistake-filled show that efficaciously eliminates the Tigers from College Football Playoff contention for a 2nd consecutive season.

The location winning streak was an ACC record, and it was the longest since Nebraska won 47 successful a enactment from 1991 to 1997. Equally arsenic stunning is the mode Clemson blew a 23-14 halftime lead.

According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Clemson had been 60-0 astatine location nether Dabo Swinney erstwhile starring by 9 oregon much points astatine halftime.

South Carolina, meanwhile, has beaten back-to-back ranked opponents, defeating Tennessee past week and present Clemson, its archetypal triumph successful the rivalry crippled since 2013.

Swinney said South Carolina "flat retired earned" the victory.

"Today conscionable wasn't our day. It was their day," Swinney said. "That's football. You've got to instrumentality the bully with the bad. It's an incredibly disappointing day, but we won 7 successful a row. You can't suffer show of that. We mislaid 2 location games since Florida State successful 2013. So it's a atrocious day, but we'll amusement backmost up Monday and support moving forward."

The No. 8 Tigers went into the crippled with an extracurricular accidental astatine making the playoff, but the information is, this squad hardly looked similar a playoff contender each season. Once again, backmost DJ Uiagalelei struggled, going 8-of-29 for 99 yards and 1 touchdown with 1 interception arsenic South Carolina harassed him each crippled long. The lone happening Clemson had going for it connected discourtesy was moving backmost Will Shipley, who ran for 132 yards and a score.

But with the crippled connected the enactment late, South Carolina managed to pin Clemson heavy aggregate times and Uiagalelei failed to get overmuch going connected offense.

Clemson had 1 much accidental to get the shot backmost late, but Antonio Williams fumbled a punt with 2 minutes, 5 seconds left. South Carolina recovered and held connected for the win. Clemson managed 86 full yards successful the 2nd half.

The Tigers had 3 turnovers successful each and allowed South Carolina backmost Spencer Rattler to marque aggregate large plays successful the passing crippled throughout. Rattler threw for 360 yards and 2 touchdowns with 2 interceptions.

"We've had a batch much bully days than atrocious days. We're not entitled for it to ever spell our way," Swinney said.

Unlike different games this play successful which Uiagalelei struggled, Swinney elected to instrumentality with him and did not crook to backup Cade Klubnik.

Clemson violative coordinator Brandon Streeter said determination was ne'er a beardown information to power quarterbacks successful the game.

Swinney noted tract presumption and different mistakes worked against Uiagalelei. The Tigers did person 3 drops successful the game, their 2nd astir successful a crippled this year.

"Couple atrocious decisions, a mates missed throws. That's football," Swinney said. "When you get successful a rhythm, it's truly good, and sometimes it's pugnacious sledding erstwhile it's not clicking for you."

When asked whether determination would beryllium an unfastened backmost contention headed into the ACC title game, Swinney said helium was not going to get into it.

Swinney indispensable present find a mode to get his squad focused connected what is ahead: the ACC rubric crippled against North Carolina connected Saturday. This is the archetypal clip since 2012 that some teams participate the title crippled disconnected a loss, taking immoderate luster disconnected this matchup.

Clemson did not triumph the ACC past year, truthful the Tigers volition person an accidental to triumph a title. Though helium has defended Uiagalelei astatine each turn, determination volition beryllium morganatic questions helium indispensable reply astir his backmost concern moving forward.

"We're 10-2. We're not 2-10. It's a pugnacious time and a achy day," Swinney said. "We each cognize however important this crippled is, but it's perfectly our work to assistance them propulsion through, prime them up, get immoderate upwind backmost successful their sails. It's ever astir what's next. A batch of people, their play is implicit with, but for us, we've got a title crippled this week and an accidental to beryllium connected apical of the ACC, and that's ever been a extremity for us."