By Dave Holcomb
SouthernPigskin.com

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Dave Holcomb recaps Clemson’s 30-0 win over South Carolina.

For the first time in seven years, Clemson wont be involved in the College Football Playoff picture at the beginning of December.

But as far as down years go, just about every program would love to have Clemsons 2021 season. After starting 2-2, the Tigers ended the year winning seven of their last eight games, and to cap off the regular season, Clemson blew out rival South Carolina, 30-0 on Saturday night.

x9cWe are playing our best football right now, and you know what, thats what good teams do,x9d Tigers coach Dabo Swinney told ESPN on the field after the game. x9cThey get better. They respond.x9d

Clemson played one of its best games of the year on the final weekend of the regular season using the same formula the team did to turn its season around in October. The Tigers ran the ball for 265 yards, and the Clemson defense allowed just 206 total yards to beat South Carolina by 30 for the third time in the series last five meetings.

Three Tigers running backs had at least five carries Saturday night and averaged more than 6.5 yards per rush. Freshman Will Shipley, who entered with two 100-yard games over the last five weeks, led the way with a season-high 128 rushing yards (he also had 128 rushing yards versus Florida State).

Shipley, sophomore Kobe Pace and freshman Phil Mafah each scored one rushing touchdown. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei added 33 yards on just five rushing attempts.

Clemson rushed for 598 yards in its final two games and finished the regular season with four 200-yard rushing games. The Tigers are 72-1 under Dabo Swinney when they rush for at least 200 yards.

South Carolina had no answers to that Clemson running attack. The Gamecocks managed just 43 rushing yards, averaging 2.2 yards per carry. South Carolinas 206 total yards was its second-lowest total of the season.

The Gamecocks also turned it over twice and converted just 4 of 16 third-down attempts.

The lone negative for Clemson was the play behind center. Uiagalelei was not able to build upon his best game of the season last week when he averaged 10.9 yards per pass against Wake Forest. Uiagalelei went 9 for 19 with 99 passing yards and an interception.

But beating a big rival by 30 without 100 passing yards just speaks to how badly Clemson dominated South Carolina in other phases. Even with only 99 yards, Uiagalelei had the highest total through the air in the game.

Senior signal caller Jason Brown struggled for the Gamecocks, averaging only 3.5 yards per pass with two interceptions. Fellow senior Zeb Noland replaced Brown in the third quarter and didnt fare much better, with 96 passing yards on 22 attempts.

The game ended with Noland rushing for 12 yards, but the Clemson defense brought Noland down at the Tigers 3-yard line to preserve the shutout.

Clemson wont be going to a New Years Six Bowl as it has the last six years, but with a bowl victory, the Tigers can reach the 10-win plateau for the 11th straight season. The only other program that has that long of a 10-win seasons streak is Alabama.

During that 11-year run, the Tigers have won 129 games, including seven against South Carolina. Those seven victories have all come in the last seven meetings too, making Swinney the first coach to win seven straight in the Clemson-South Carolina rivalry.

The seven-game winning streak is also tied for the longest Clemson has ever had against its cross-state rival.

So while the bowl game wont be as prestigious this postseason, Clemson remains the king of South Carolina.