COLUMBIA, S.C. _ It wasn't 56-7, but it wasn't much better for South Carolina.
A year after getting beaten by 49 points by archrival Clemson and promising themselves that wouldn't happen again, the Gamecocks fell 34-10 to the No. 4 Tigers on Saturday night in front of a sellout Williams-Brice Stadium crowd of 82,908.
Clemson improved to 11-1 overall and will face No. 2 Miami on Saturday in the ACC Championship Game with the hope of winning their second straight conference title and clinching a berth in the Colle Football Playoff. South Carolina fell to 8-4 on the season and will wait to learn its bowl destination. Bowl bids will be announced on Dec. 3.
It was the fourth straight win for the Tigers in this series.
South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley struggled for the second straight year against the Tigers defense. On Saturday, he finished 16 of 29 for 126 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, making him 23 of 46 for 167 yards, three interceptions and one touchdown in two appearances against Clemson.
None of the other Gamecocks fared much better. Clemson's defense, ranked third in the nation in points allowed coming into the game, held South Carolina to 207 yards. Meanwhile, the Tigers gained 467 yards and let their second- and third-string quarterbacks play fourth quarter. Clemson's yardage total was the second-highest of the season surrendered by South Carolina and most since N.C. State gained 504 yards in the season opener.
South Carolina trailed 20-0 after a first half in which it was outgained 226 to 99. Clemson got the first score of the game when Ryan Carter intercepted a Bentley pass and returned it 12 yards for a score. Carter barely moved on the play, on which either Bentley or intended wide receiver Bryan Edwards made the wrong decision, letting the pass go directly to the Clemson defender.
After that, the Tigers added to their lead with two long scoring drives, a nine-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 1-yard Tavien Feaster scoring run with 8:12 left in the second quarter and a 10-play, 79-yard drive that ended on a 4-yard scoring pass from Kelly Bryant to Hunter Renfrow with 1:50 left in the second quarter. Clemson missed the extra point on the last touchdown, leaving the score 20-0 at the break.
