CLEMSON, S.C. — South Carolina coach Shane Beamer has no doubt about where his surging, 16th-ranked Gamecocks belong in the postseason — chasing a national championship.
“It’s hard for me to say we’re not one of the 12 best teams in the country,” a giddy Beamer said Saturday after watching his team pull off another late miracle, courtesy of quarterback LaNorris Sellers, to defeat No. 12 Clemson 17-14.
Sellers scored his second touchdown, this one from 20 yards out with 1:08 to play, for South Carolina’s sixth straight victory, four of them in that run coming over ranked opponents.
Are you paying attention, College Football Playoff selectors?
“If the committee’s job is to pick the 12 best teams, you tell me,” Beamer said.
It would be hard to pick against the Gamecocks (9-3, 5-3 SEC; No. 15 CFP) with Sellers, a confident, poised freshman, playing as well as he is.
He finished with 166 yards rushing and 164 yards passing.
Two games ago, he set career bests with 353 yards passing and five TD throws in twice rallying the Gamecocks from fourth-quarter deficits to defeat Missouri 34-30.
This time, Sellers shrugged off his interception near Clemson’s goal with less than 11 minutes left to lead his team to a field goal and then his game winner. Sellers spun away from defender Peter Woods in the backfield, broke through the line and cut left to reach the end zone.
Sellers hears defenders get angry when they get their hands on him but can’t bring down the speedy, 6-foot-3 passer who is in his first year since taking over for Spencer Rattler.
How does he do it?
“I don’t really know,” Sellers said.
Beamer had an answer to that one, too.
“He’s a competitor, he’s a warrior,” Beamer said. “He doesn’t get too high or too low. He’s out there having fun.”
The Gamecocks hope to have more fun in a week or so, confident they’ll hear their name called among the expanded field of 12 that will play for a national crown. They know, too, they’ll have Sellers leading the way.
“He’s a magician, man,” Gamecocks linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. said. “LeMagic, LeComeback, whatever you want to call him.”
Clemson (9-3, 7-1 ACC, No. 12 CFP) had a final chance and drove to the South Carolina 18 with 16 seconds left — well within reach of a tying field goal — when Cade Klubnik was intercepted by Knight to end things.
The Gamecocks were 3-3 after losing at Alabama in mid-October and then pulled off their longest winning streak since 2012.
The Tigers were hoping to shore up a spot in the College Football Playoff 12-team field, but their offense had too many costly mistakes and their defense could not corral Sellers.
“He’s a great player and made great plays,” Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter said.
The Tigers will get another chance at making it into the playoff in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. They qualified for the game after No. 8 Miami lost at Syracuse 42-38. They play No. 9 SMU.
Clemson will be seeking its eighth ACC crown in the past 10 years.
Clemson and South Carolina both entered this one with momentum, the Tigers having won three straight and the Gamecocks five in a row, including three consecutive over ranked opponents Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Missouri.
But neither team found its offensive rhythm in the opening half.
Sellers was sacked by T.J. Parker and turned the ball over as Parker recovered with South Carolina inside the Clemson 20.
The Tigers drove to the South Carolina 11 and turned down a chip-shot field goal to go for it on fourth-and-1. But Mafah was stopped way short by Jalon Kilgore and Knight.
Klubnik had scoring runs of 13 and 18 yards for the Tigers.
South Carolina: What a run by the Gamecocks, who before the season were picked 13th in the SEC and now may find themselves part of the national championship playoff field.
Clemson: The Tigers lost to both ranked SEC opponents they faced this season, first to No. 1 Georgia to start the year and then to rival South Carolina.
Tigers coach Dabo Swinney was proud of his team’s regular season but said — before Miami ended up losing — that the loss might leave it short of getting back to the playoff. “We could’ve had a great year,” he said. “We got better this season, a lot of positives to build on.
“But this one is tough. It’s tough. It hurts.”
Shane Beamer knew what a big week it was when he got a voicemail from his old boss, former South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier. “Beamer, you’re doing great,” said Spurrier, who coached the Gamecocks from 2005-2014. “This might be the biggest game in the history of South Carolina.”
South Carolina awaits the playoff selection committee’s deicison on Dec. 8. Clemson plays SMU in the ACC title game Dec. 7.
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