South Carolina’s 2025 football season has been anything but smooth. A team that opened in the preseason Top 25 — climbing as high as No. 10 in the AP poll — now sits at 4-7 with no shot at a bowl game, the SEC title, or the College Football Playoff.
What USC can control is how it finishes. The first step was a success: a dominant 51-7 win over Coastal Carolina, powered by a season-best 579 yards of offense on Saturday.
Now comes the biggest hurdle — the annual showdown with Clemson, set for Nov. 29 at Williams-Brice Stadium. Inside the locker room, celebrations ended the moment the Coastal win was sealed. Rivalry week has officially begun.
“I always wanted to play the rivalry thing, always wanted to play a game like that,” freshman receiver Jayden Sellers said. “I’m excited to go against them in a loud environment. It’ll be fun.”
For Sellers, this matchup has been a year in the making. Last season, he watched from the sideline as his older brother, quarterback LaNorris Sellers, led the Gamecocks to a 17-14 win in Death Valley.
“Watching (LaNorris) score that last touchdown, basically winning the game for them … it was definitely like an ‘Oh my goodness’ moment,” Sellers said. “It made me plan for what we could do next year together.”
Jayden has quickly developed into one of USC’s top pass-catchers late in the season. Against Coastal Carolina, he hauled in four passes for 127 yards and his first career touchdown, and he’s eager to write his own chapter in the rivalry.
LaNorris has a different kind of weight on his shoulders. Clemson will be his final game before deciding between entering the NFL Draft, transferring, or returning to USC.
“I’m just focused on the season right now,” he said. “When the time comes, I’ll make a decision.”
The game won’t affect postseason standings for either team — Clemson, sitting at 6-5 after a down year, is already bowl eligible — but bragging rights remain very much on the line.
“I’m just excited to play them,” linebacker Shawn Murphy said. “We’re gonna focus very hard on them this week and make it our mission to beat them.”
South Carolina vs. Clemson Game Details
- Who: South Carolina vs. Clemson
- When: Noon, Saturday, Nov. 29
- Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia
- Watch: SEC Network
