South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers likely crushes Clemson’s CFP hopes with 17-14 win in Death Valley

No. 12 Clemson’s hopes of making the College Football Playoff are all but shot after a 17-14 home loss to No. 15 in South Carolina. The Gamecocks got the win on two huge touchdown runs from South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers.

South Carolina took the lead by three points with just over a minute left after Sellers scrambled for a 20-yard touchdown run on third-and-16.

With one last drive, Clemson moved the ball downfield with a chance to score, but quarterback Cade Klubnik threw an interception that sealed the win for the Gamecocks.

After a rough first quarter with a South Carolina fumble on the first drive and Clemson turning it over on downs, the Tigers struck first with a touchdown in the second quarter. But the Gamecocks followed it up with a touchdown of their own. Sellers kept the ball and ran 25 yards into the end zone to tie the game 7-7.

Clemson then opened the second half with another touchdown to take a 14–7 lead. Klubnik also ran for both of Clemson’s touchdowns and totaled 62 rushing yards.

A messy third quarter for both teams saw turnovers apart, with the Gamecocks fumbling the ball first and the Tigers trailing. At the start of the fourth quarter, Clemson safety Khalil Barnes picked off Sellers to give the Tigers the ball back, but the team was forced to punt after three-and-out.

South Carolina then cut the seven-point deficit with a field goal, and then Sellers played the hero for the game-winning touchdown, finding the hole in the defense and shaking off two tackles to get into the end zone. Sellers finished the game with 16 carries, and racked up more rushing yards (166) than passing yards (164).

Clemson falls to 9-3 with the loss and can only reach the CFP if it wins the ACC title. Clemson’s only path to the ACC championship game is a Syracuse upset of Miami.