South Carolina vs. Clemson Preview
CLEMSON, SC – Clemson coach Dabo Swinney understands how important recruiting is to any team’s future. And he knows that this Saturday’s game with No. 18 South Carolina could go a long way to ensuring that success.
The Tigers (6-5) will look to enhance their bowl prospects when they take on the Gamecocks (8-3) in the annual regular-season finale at Death Valley. South Carolina has bigger plans ahead as Southeastern Conference Eastern Division champs.
According to latest college football odds, oddsmakers from online sports book BroburySports.com have made South Carolina a 2.5-point spread favorites for Saturday’s game against Clemson. Current NCAA Public Betting Information shows that 83% of more than 2,174 bets for this game have been placed on South Carolina –2.5.
The Gamecocks will take on No. 2 Auburn at the Georgia Dome on Dec. 4.
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier landed two of the state’s best players in receiver Alshon Jeffery and tailback Marcus Lattimore the past two seasons.
“They’ve got some special players,” Swinney said. “It’s all about recruiting.”
Swinney sure doesn’t want to give the Gamecocks additional fuel for a new group of prospects which include the country’s top defensive lineman in Jadeveon Clowney of South Pointe High in Rock Hill.
It was Swinney and the Tigers who seemed to have the edge in the rivalry and the recruiting momentum, Clemson winning 10 of the 13 meetings.
The Tigers picked up highly regarded standouts like tailbacks James Davis and C.J. Spiller, quarterback Willy Korn and defensive end Da’Quan Bowers.
Bowers, a junior who’s a sack shy from the Tigers’ single-season record of 16, played at Bamberg-Ehrhardt High less than an hour away from South Carolina’s campus.
Still, Bowers said he selected Clemson for many other reasons than dominating the rival Gamecocks. Bowers spent as much if not more time at South Carolina during the recruiting process.
“Where I’m from, South Carolina is the home team,” Bowers said. “It was tough.”
Swinney acknowledge a win or a loss Saturday could effect players on the fence.
“It can be a factor, I guess, for a guy,” he said. “Probably not the factor. Most of these guys are making decisions on what they are most comfortable with, when they will play and academics.”
This result, anticipated by fans on both sides all year long, can play a big role in shaping the programs. A 63-17 Clemson blowout at Williams-Brice Stadium in 2003 was credited by many for then Tigers coach Tommy Bowden getting a long contract extension.
Five years later, Clemson defeated South Carolina 31-14 as Tigers chanted “Da-Bo Swin-ney” – then interim coach – again and again as the team left the field. He got the fulltime job a day later.
“We all know the magnitude of this game,” Swinney said.
Spurrier and Swinney have thawed some of the frosty relations between the teams in years past. Swinney sent a text congratulating Spurrier on winning the SEC East after South Carolina’s 36-14 victory at Florida two weeks ago.
“I started to tell him congratulations on beating Wake Forest, but I didn’t think he wanted to hear that,” Spurrier said of Clemson’s victory last Saturday.
“I like Dabo,” Spurrier continued. “He’s a good person. He’s a good coach. He runs really runs a good program there.”
And one that looks prepared to compete against Spurrier’s improved recruiters for years to come.
With national signing day more than two months off, both Clemson and South Carolina are among the top 20 recruiting classes for several recruiting services.
All it takes, Swinney says, are a few difference makers like South Carolina’s Jeffery and Lattimore this year – or Clemson’s Spiller and receiver Jacoby Ford off the Tigers ACC Atlantic winning squad of 2009.
“I know we were a lot better coaches last year with a few other pieces,” Swinney said.
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