Derrian Carter, Greenville NewsSun, November 30, 2025 at 12:42 AM UTC·3 min readCOLUMBIA — It was all a blur for Clemson football safety Ricardo Jones.
The sophomore defensive back saw his teammate, Ashton Hampton, break up a pass in the fourth quarter, and Jones reached out to intercept the deflection and return it for a 12-yard pick six against South Carolina (4-8).
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThen, Jones saw a sea of Gamecocks fans taunting and booing him, including some using lewd gestures.
"In the moment I didn't see it, but after the game, one of my teammates did show me the picture," Jones said Nov. 29. "I just laughed at it."
His first career pick six and team-leading sixth interception sealed Clemson's win against rival South Carolina, beating the Gamecocks 28-14 at Williams-Brice Stadium.
The win ensured Clemson (7-5) won't tie its worst regular-season finish under coach Dabo Swinney when the Tigers were 6-6 in 2010. Clemson has now won its last six games at South Carolina, the first time the Tigers have achieved this since 1989-99.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementClemson's offense was fine against South Carolina, but the Tigers' defense carried the load. The Tigers generated a season-high four turnovers (two fumbles, two interceptions), their most since the 2023 Gator Bowl against Kentucky when they last beat an SEC opponent.
The Gamecocks' offense led by quarterback LaNorris Sellers had improved since South Carolina fired offensive coordinator Mike Shula and promoted Mike Furrey as interim play-caller. Under Furrey, South Carolina had averaged 40.5 points in two games, including scoring 30 on the road against Texas A&M to nearly upset the No. 3 Aggies.
Sellers has also haunted Clemson's defense for nearly a year after he rushed for 166 yards and two scores, including the game-winning 20-yard touchdown, and forced 18 missed tackles, according to Pro Football Focus.
MORE: What Dabo Swinney said was 'greatest' about one of his worst Clemson seasons after South Carolina win
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis time, Sellers was held to 2 rushing yards on 12 carries.
"Pain has a way of making you better, and there was a lot of pain in this game last year," Swinney said. "... Everybody's had to live with that all year, so you turn the pain into purpose."
Clemson's defense wasn't perfect, allowing 53-yard and 74-yard touchdown passes in the second quarter. Sellers did finish with 381 passing yards. However, the Tigers responded under first-year defensive coordinator Tom Allen, allowing no points in South Carolina's final eight possessions.
Clemson's defense was fast, physical and aggressive, embracing the hostile environment where the Tigers have thrived for a decade. Multiple players had at least two sacks, two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and five tackles.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter allowing a season-high 46 points against Duke, Clemson has held four straight opponents to fewer than 20 points for the first time since the final two games of 2021 and first two games of 2022.
The Tigers did not allow a third-down conversion until the game's final two minutes. Clemson also had 11 pass breakups, its most since 2022 against Louisiana Tech (12), and recorded five sacks.
"I just can't say enough about coach Allen and our defensive staff and the plan that they put together," Swinney said. "We did everything we needed to do."
Since Allen changed how defensive back meetings are structured with all three units meeting together instead of separately, there have been less coverage busts in Clemson's secondary. This has allowed Clemson's front-7 to dominate its opponents at the line of scrimmage.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNow, Clemson awaits its bowl-game destination after starting the season 1-3. Swinney recognizes this isn't ideal given the expectations entering this season but is content the Tigers made the best out of a bad season.
"There's only two other teams that have won eight-(plus) wins 15 years in a row, and that's Georgia and Alabama," Swinney said. "So, that's quite the turnaround."
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football makes sure LaNorris Sellers doesn't beat Tigers again
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