Clemson Football: 3 takeaways from Week 14 rivalry win at South Carolina

1. The Clemson backfield slowly heated up

Eventually things got going for Clemson on the ground, but it wasn’t until the game started getting out of reach in the second half that the Tigers really found running room in any appreciable quantity. That said, they still finished with 211 yards and two touchdowns as a group by the end of the blowout of the Gamecocks.

The running game struggled in the first half, as the Tigers went to the locker room at halftime with only 82 yards on 17 carries. Lawrence accounted for 29 of those yards on a pair of scrambles, meaning that the running backs went for just 53 yards. Travis Etienne was held to 20 yards on 10 carries, while Lyn-J Dixon led the way with five touches for 33 yards over the first two quarters.

Once the Tigers got the ball in the second half, the ground game finally found its pace. Etienne busted off a 17-yard run for a first down into the red zone, then capped the drive with a two-yard run that gave Clemson a 31-3 lead early in the third quarter.

By the end of the game, Etienne and Dixon had piled on 111 yards between them. Etienne pounded out two rushing touchdowns, and Lawrence added 66 yards from the quarterback position. As long as they continue to produce this effectively by committee, Clemson has the offensive balance to threaten any opponents that might come their way in the College Football Playoff.