Backup Thompson shines in 27-17 thrashing of Tigers
CLEMSON — When it was time for South Carolina to celebrate its 27-17 win over Clemson, nothing went as planned. As the Gamecocks had throughout the game, they improvised.
First, a planned Gatorade bath for USC coach Steve Spurrier didn’t happen because most of the seniors were on the field with the defense.
“Maybe we’ll get him in practice or something,” senior spur DeVonte Holloman said.
Next, Gamecock fans rushed the field, creating a chaotic scene that prevented the players from immediately celebrating together. USC supporters flocked to senior free safety and fan favorite D.J. Swearinger, patting him on the head and pulling him in for photos.
Senior cornerback Akeem Auguste tried to hoist the Hardee’s Trophy, but it was too heavy, so linebacker Shaq Wilson carried it around the field with him.
Without its starting quarterback and starting tailback, there was reason to celebrate a gritty and unexpected fourth consecutive win over the archrival Tigers.
“It seems like when we play Clemson, they don’t play very well,” Spurrier said.
Backup quarterback Dylan Thompson described himself as one of the worst athletes on the team after his start against East Carolina. Against Clemson, he looked agile and shifty on quarterback draw plays. He found out he was starting for injured quarterback Connor Shaw on Thanksgiving Day.
South Carolina bested Clemson’s prolific offense in the second half, tallying 256 yards to the Tigers’ 91. With a foot sprain that will require surgery after the season and a banged-up knee that needed an MRI last week, sophomore defensive end Jadeveon Clowney had 4.5 sacks and seven tackles.
“For me, it’s the ACC versus the SEC,” Clowney said. “Everybody knows where the most physical ball comes out of — the SEC.”
Clinging to a three-point lead, the Gamecocks’ final touchdown drive epitomized their gritty and physical play in the game. Third-string tailback Mike Davis broke through for 26 yards to get to the Clemson 39-yard line.
South Carolina lumbered to the Tigers’ 18-yard line with a few Thompson and Davis runs and a short pass. Facing fourth down, Clemson was unable to stop Thompson from plowing through for a 1-yard gain and the first down.
As it had throughout the game, penalties cost the Gamecocks deep in Clemson territory. In the third quarter, USC had to settle for a field goal after back-to-back holding penalties. South Carolina had 12 penalties for 110 yards.
In the fourth quarter, an illegal substitution and a holding penalty had Thompson facing a third-and-19 on the Clemson 26-yard line. Though the expected play in that situation is a pass, Thompson saw an unexpected defensive formation.
He thought Clemson would be in zone defense, but it was in man-to-man defense, so he exposed a Tiger defense with gaping holes, picking up the first down on a 20-yard quarterback draw.
“I mean, I’m kind of athletic, I guess,” Thompson said. “The main thing was blocking. The holes were wide open. I think anyone could have done what I did tonight.”
Making his first start since the second week of the season, Thompson was 23-of-41 for 310 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He began his postgame media session by reading Psalm 100:3 and talked about how he never thought, growing up, he would share this moment with his sister, a Clemson alumna.
Sharing his interview session with wide receiver Ace Sanders, Thompson deflected attention to Sanders and how he set a USC single-season record for punt return yardage.
Before Thompson’s start against ECU, star tailback Marcus Lattimore told Thompson to remember whom he played for, alluding to their mutual Christian faith. On Saturday morning, he received a text from the injured Lattimore with the same advice.
“When guys go down, the next guy has to be ready,” Thompson said. “I think that’s happened here with last year and this year. Today was my opportunity ... The way it worked out, it’s nothing but God. I honestly believe that.”
With less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Thompson hit wide receiver Bruce Ellington over the middle to give the Gamecocks a cushy lead after the 13-play, seven-minute drive.
South Carolina was on offense 23 minutes of the 30-minute second half. In the first half, Clemson’s offense operated with efficient precision, having one touchdown drive go 75 yards, lasting just two plays and a mere 24 seconds. Its first drive was 16 plays.
The second half was a reversal of fortunes, as Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd was intercepted twice, and USC was 11-of-21 on third down conversions.
“They’ve proven all year they can score points, but our defense is the best in the country,” Thompson said.
“We wanted to stay on the field,” said Sanders, who had 119 receiving yards. “We were going three-and-out, three-and-out, so we wanted to show people that our offense is not just dependent on our defense. We can actually play on our side of the ball, too.”
Just as South Carolina won and then celebrated in surprising fashion, its recent sustained dominance over a Clemson team that was playing to return to a BCS bowl has been equally unexpected. Clemson had historically dominated the rivalry series with less successful teams.
The Gamecocks can now say they’ve beaten Clemson four years in a row for the first time since 1951–54. USC’s seniors don’t know how it feels to lose to their in-state rival.
“History doesn’t really have anything to do with anybody that’s here now,” Holloman said. “We’re trying to start our own history, so whatever happened before we got here, we threw that out the window.”