During faculty soccer’s Rivalry Week, you usually see groups dig deep into the darkness of their playbooks. Trick performs, loopy formations, and extra are staples throughout Rivalry Week.
That was actually the case from Clemson in opposition to South Carolina.
In this yr’s installment of the Palmetto Bowl, the Gamecocks discovered themselves down 16-7 after a Clemson security. South Carolina teed the ball up for the following free kick, and the Tigers had one thing prepared for the following return.
The muddle huddle.
Mitch Jeter’s kick drifted all the way down to the Clemson ten-yard line, the place returner Will Shipley had settled beneath the soccer. Shipley raced upfield to the Clemson 17-yard line, the place he joined a circle of Tigers who had been ready for him.
It was time to cover the soccer from the South Carolina kickoff workforce.
After the temporary huddle, Shipley raced to his left, the place there was a South Carolina participant ready to attempt to sort out him. The drawback for the Gamecocks? Shipley didn’t have the soccer.
Instead, it was within the palms of Phil Mafah, who minimize in the direction of the opposite facet of the sector. Just when it seemed like Mafah had put collectively a terrific return for the Tigers, he not had the soccer:
Did he attempt to throw this ahead?
It actually seems prefer it from that angle, and much more so from this replay angle:
Making issues worse? Not solely did the Gamecocks get well the unfastened ball, however they scored a landing on their ensuing possession to chop Clemson’s result in 16-14.
Clemson’s muddle huddle return was a phenomenal catastrophe.
Perfect for Rivalry Week.