CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Winning It For the Seniors
Artavis Scott's 185 receiving yards was a Tiger record at Memorial Stadium.

Winning It For the Seniors


by - Senior Writer -

CLEMSON – Saturday’s victory over South Carolina was a mix of the old and the new, with the graybeards leading the defensive charge while the new kids on the block led the way on offense.

Clemson broke South Carolina’s five-game winning streak in the rivalry with a dominating effort from a senior-laden defense and enough big plays by an offense that was led by three freshmen. Old school football fans will relish the effort of the defense, but the play of those three freshmen gave Tiger fans a glimpse into the future.

Deshaun WatsonDeshaun Watson
Fr. Quarterback
#4 6-3, 204
Gainesville, GA

View Full Profile
was 14-19 passing for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for two scores in the game. He is the first Clemson first-year freshman starting quarterback to defeat South Carolina, and he did it with a torn ACL.

Artavis ScottArtavis Scott
Fr. Wide Receiver
#3 5-11, 190
Oldsmar, FL

View Full Profile
recorded seven receptions for 185 receiving yards, including a career-long 70-yard reception, to establish a Clemson single-game record for receiving yards by a freshman. Additionally, the 185 receiving yards is a Tiger record at Memorial Stadium. The previous high for a game at Memorial Stadium was a 176 by Martavis BryantMartavis Bryant
Wide Receiver (2011 - 2013)
#1 6-5, 200
Calhoun Falls, SC

View Full Profile
in 2013.

Scott’s 185 receiving yards is also a Clemson record for receiving yards against South Carolina. The previous record was 138 in 1999 by Rod Gardner, who was an honorary captain at last Saturday’s game.

Wayne GallmanWayne Gallman
RS Fr. Running Back
#9 6-1, 209
Loganville, GA

View Full Profile
rushed for a career-high 191 yards on 27 carries. It was the most rushing yards allowed to one player by South Carolina this season. It was also the most rushing yards by a Clemson player against South Carolina since Ken Callicut had 197 rushing yards in 1974.

Not a bad day by the kids, huh?

Scott told the media in the hallway outside of the locker room that the freshmen wanted to win the game for the seniors.

“It feels great. The seniors haven’t won and we wanted to send them out the right way,” Scott said. “We knew we had to break that little streak they had going on, and that was a great way to end it. It hasn’t happened in a while, and we wanted those seniors to be happy. Like Coach (Dabo) Swinney says, the fun is in the winning.”

Scott said it shows the future is indeed bright, but they can’t sit on the success they had in one game.

“We know this is great for our future, but we try to look at it like one day at a time,” he said. “Right now, we are just having fun with it.”

The underclassmen ran down the hill first and waited at the bottom for the seniors – the first time I can remember that happening – and Gallman said he told one senior that Saturday was dedicated to him.

“We wanted to honor those guys,” Gallman said. “I told D.J. HowardD.J. Howard
RS Sr. Running Back
#22 6-0, 205
Lincoln, AL

View Full Profile
that it was all about him. I wanted to go out there and run for him and the rest of those guys. They’ve been through a lot, and we wanted to do everything in our power to make sure they went out of here with a victory.”

Watson said he dedicated the victory to the seniors as well.

“We went out there and played hard and gave it our all,” he said. “This was for them, and all of the fans and the alumni, too. It’s something we’ve talked about for a while now. We know they haven’t had a chance to win this game, and we wanted to do our part to help them.”

Ultimate Level LogoUpgrade Your Account

Unlock premium boards and exclusive features (e.g. ad-free) by upgrading your account today.

Upgrade Now
Comment on this story
Print   
Send Feedback to David Hood: Email | Comment
Former Clemson offensive lineman signs with Seahawks
Former Clemson offensive lineman signs with Seahawks
No. 3 Tigers set for midweek action
No. 3 Tigers set for midweek action
National bracket predictions, rankings for Clemson in NCAA Tournament
National bracket predictions, rankings for Clemson in NCAA Tournament
Clemson vaults into Top 5 after weekend wins at Duke
Clemson vaults into Top 5 after weekend wins at Duke
Post your comments!