Saturday's football game at Williams-Brice Stadium will be the 115th meeting between the Clemson Tigers and the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Tigers will look to earn a much-needed win for a playoff spot, while the Gamecocks will look to defend their home territory and cap off a productive season.
Both Clemson and South Carolina will feature quarterbacks who are in their first full season as starters. Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant backed up Deshaun Watson his freshman and sophomore seasons and has led the Tigers to a 10-1 season.
Bentley started against UMass after the bye week last season and this year has lead the Gamecocks to an 8-3 record and their second straight bowl eligible season.
Both Bryant and Bentley have a season passer efficiency rating of at least 125 and average more than 200 passing yards per game. Though Bentley has the most passing yards of the two, Bryant makes up for it with his legs.He has amassed 613 rushing yards this season, the third best among quarterbacks in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Even with their impressive seasons, Bentley and Bryant might experience some frustration Saturday. Both the Tigers and Gamecocks rank in the Top 5 in their respective conferences in passes defended — the Gamecocks with 43 and the Tigers with 45.
The Tigers lead the ACC with 39 sacks this season. Bentley could find himself out of the pocket during this game and might need to scramble to avoid being taken down.
Another way the Gamecocks will try to limit the Tigers' defensive pressure is through the run game. The Gamecocks have rushed for more than 190 yards in their last two games, the best two-game stretch they have had this season in terms of rushing yards.
If this game is anything like the last nine meetings between the Tigers and Gamecocks, it is sure to have some offensive fireworks. The winner in all of the last nine meetings has scored more than 25 points.