South Carolina football: 3 takeaways from shocking upset of Clemson

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CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 26: Debo Williams #0 of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates their win over the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium on November 26, 2022, in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) /

1. Takeaways for each team

There were some detractors when Beamer was hired, but he has delivered in his first two seasons. Last season, he got the Gamecocks to a bowl game with paperclips and duct tape at quarterback. This season, Spencer Rattler has solidified the position and shown his potential in the two most important games against Tennessee and Clemson.

The win is the first for the Gamecocks in the Palmetto Bowl since 2013 and an opportunity to win nine games since 2017 with a win in their bowl game. The Gamecocks are building something in Columbia. Can they compete with Clemson on the recruiting trail?

For Clemson, there are lots of questions. First, will Swinney clean house offensively and bring in a new staff outside the Clemson family? The possibility exists that they bring back Jeff Scott, who was fired at South Florida. Though he is part of the Clemson tree, wide receiver and quarterback development were significantly better under Scott.

That said, the Tigers have an opportunity to win the ACC title for the seventh time in eight seasons when they play North Carolina next weekend.