Countdown to kickoff prediction series: South Carolina wins again at Clemson

Last week, when the calendar revealed that it was 100 days until South Carolina kicked off the season, I posted a story on GamecockCentral entitled “100 predictions for the 2026 Gamecocks.” Now, that countdown is down to just 96 days.

The prediction paired with day 96 read “The program’s winning streak in the Upstate will continue, and Carolina will finish the year with more wins than Clemson.”

Let’s break down that prognostication.

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It’s been 2,746 days

Some South Carolina football fans may already know this, but it has been 2746 days since the Gamecocks have lost to the rival Clemson Tigers in Memorial Stadium.

The last time USC lost in Clemson was in 2018. Back then, the underdog Gamecocks posted over 600 yards of offense that day, playing well enough on offense to pull off the upset of the eventual national champs. The defense, though, couldn’t stop the Tigers, making November 24, 2018 the program’s most recent defeat in the Upstate.

It should be noted that the 2020 contest, one that very likely would have gone the way of the orange and white, didn’t happen, as the COVID-shortened season canceled most non-conference games. But South Carolina fans shouldn’t let that get in the way of some rivalry trash talk. It has still been 2746 days since the Gamecocks’ last loss in Clemson. It will be 2926 days by the time the two teams match up this November.

That stretch has included a pair of big-time wins for South Carolina.

The 2022 Gamecocks won a classic that included an elite special teams performance and a big day from former receiver Juice Wells. Then, in 2024, a strong day from the defense (including a game-sealing interception from Demetrius Knight) complemented a legendary dual-threat performance from quarterback LaNorris Sellers.

Earning a bigger number on the scoreboard again will go a long way in the Gamecocks reaching their goals. Based on the schedule, it could also be the difference between posting a better win-loss record than their rivals, too. That certainly isn’t a team goal, but it doesn’t hurt fanbase morale if it happens.

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How to make it happen again

Both South Carolina and Clemson are teams with talented rosters that are flying under the radar a bit this offseason. Because the Gamecocks and Tigers fell short of their College Football Playoff expectations in 2025, they are fringe top-25 programs in this year’s offseason rankings.

The Palmetto State’s top teams have offensive questions after disappointing years last year.

The Gamecocks were awful with the ball in 2025 but feel confident in improvement being on the way, thanks to quarterback LaNorris Sellers’ return, offensive line improvements via the transfer portal, and the hire of new assistants Kendal Briles (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach), Randy Clements (offensive line coach), and Stan Drayton (assistant head coach/running backs coach).

For Clemson, multi-year starting quarterback Cade Klubnik is gone. Chris Vizzina is the expected starter in his stead. The Tigers also have a new offensive coordinator. Former playcaller Garrett Riley is now at Missouri, and old OC Chad Morris is back in the Upstate.

For South Carolina to continue its road winning streak over Clemson, Briles might take a page out of history books.

During the Gamecocks five-game winning streak in the Palmetto Bowl under head coach Steve Spurrier (Morris was the Tigers’ OC for three of those games), the Carolina offense chewed up clock to keep Morris’ unit off the field. They accomplished this with a strong run game, including a lot of quarterback keepers. That sounds like something Briles and Sellers could accomplish again in 2026.

Picking up another rivalry win in 2026 will require another solid defensive effort, too.

The Carolina defense has played pretty well against Clemson in the last four matchups. The 2025 game saw the Tigers put up yardage, but Clemson ran far more plays and held the ball longer. The per-play numbers favored the Gamecocks by a fair amount.

Special teams have been important in the two recent Carolina wins. The two teams combined for 27 punts in the two games, and the Gamecocks were better both times. USC also forced two special teams turnovers in 2022. Finding an advantage in the third phase of the game could be key again.

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