PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Trevor Lawrence is the straw that stirs Clemson’s drink and he’ll get his first taste of the Clemson vs. South Carolina rivalry on Saturday night. “You can definitely tell how intense the rivalry is,” Lawrence said. “I’m excited for the atmosphere. We want to finish the regular season the right way.” Lawrence, a freshman who will be making his eighth career start, has been impressive in his rookie season, breaking many of Deshaun Watson’s freshmen records and sharing the ACC lead with 21 touchdown passes.
–WR Justyn Ross is another freshman who has had a big impact. He rangy 6-foot-4 receiver with outstanding ball skills, Ross rank fourth on the team with 29 receptions, but is averaging a team-leading 19.7 yards per catch. He also ranks second on the team with six touchdown receptions. “I knew he was a talented player,” Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott said. “What I’m most proud about is this is when the season starts to get long for them as freshmen, but for Justyn he’s continued to work and is getting better and better each week.” On his very first play last week against Duke, Ross hauled in a 41-yard reception to set up a touchdown.
–DE Clelin Ferrell has been on a tear of late and has a strong recent history against South Carolina. The 6-foot-4, 265 pounder had five tackles against the Gamecocks last season, including two tackles for loss and a sack in just 39 plays. He’ll enter Saturday’s game with 26 career sacks, which ranks as the fourth-most among active FBS players.
–WR Hunter Renfrow is listed as day-to-day after suffering a head injury and missing the second half of the Duke game last week. Renfrow remains listed as a starter on the Tigers’ latest depth chart, and if he plays he stands to have a major impact in the final rivalry game of his career. Renfrow came up huge against the Gamecocks last season with four receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns, including a weaving, 61-yard catch-and-run that helped seal Clemson’s fourth consecutive win in the series.
SERIES HISTORY: Clemson leads the series, 69-42-4, and has won four straight.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We’ve played the most teams in the country that have seven or more wins. It’s not like we’ve played Village Idiot University.” — Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney on the Tigers’ 11-0 start.
