Watson's 4 TDs enough for Clemson

Clemson’s Deon Cain (8) makes a catch for a 55-yard touchdown in front of South Carolina’s Al Harris Jr. during Saturday’s game.
Clemson’s Deon Cain (8) makes a catch for a 55-yard touchdown in front of South Carolina’s Al Harris Jr. during Saturday’s game.

NO. 1 CLEMSON 37, SOUTH CAROLINA 32

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Deshaun Watson isn't giving up on Clemson's step-by-step approach, not when it's worked so well.

Watson had another big day, running for three touchdowns and passing for a fourth as the No. 1 Tigers capped an undefeated regular season and held off rival South Carolina 37-32 on Saturday.

The prizes for Clemson (12-0) are huge, but Watson will take them one at a time.

"We weren't worried about the national championship," Watson said. "We were just worrying about this game, achieve one of our goals and be state champs, and that's what we did. The national championship will take care of itself."

Especially if Watson keeps performing at this level. He passed for 279 yards and ran for 114 to keep the Tigers on track for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Clemson is 12-0 for the first time since winning the 1981 national championship, and they have a chance to do it again. Next up is No. 14 North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game Dec. 5, and a victory would send the Tigers to the national semifinals.

As long as Watson's around, the Tigers' title chances are pretty good.

The Heisman Trophy hopeful had a 5-yard TD run and a 55-yard scoring pass to Deon Cain to put the Tigers up 14-0. He added 30- and 3-yard touchdown runs in the second half.

"He's just a great leader and he's very comfortable on that stage," Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney said. "It's what he was born to do. There's nothing else I can tell you."

Watson said the Tigers will enjoy this victory, then regroup today to focus on the Tar Heels.

"I'm just looking to be 13-0 next week," he said.

Clemson extended its nation's best victory streak to 15 games, but if it was looking for style points to impress the CFP committee this wasn't the way to do it.

The Tigers fumbled three times as their 18-point lead was cut to 28-25 with 12:19 left on Shon Carson's 1-yard touchdown run and Lorenzo Nunez's two-point conversion.

Watson, though, followed the series with a 60-yard scoring drive that he ended with a 3-yard burst around the left side. Carson added an 11-yard touchdown catch with a second left, and Clemson gave up the most points South Carolina (3-9) has scored all year.

Still, the Tigers went past 500 yards for an eighth consecutive game and did enough on defense to corral the struggling Gamecocks.

South Carolina ends the year on a five-game losing streak with interim coach Shawn Elliott, who took over last month following Steve Spurrier's resignation. The next coach also won't have play-making standout Pharoh Cooper, who took part in Senior Day festivities after saying he'll give up his final college season for the NFL draft.

"Our team fought to the very end. Players believed, they came out, they fought," Elliott said. "They did everything in their power."

It was the Tigers first victory at Williams-Brice Stadium since 2007 and just the third victory in eight tries for Swinney against the Gamecocks.

GEORGIA 13, GEORGIA TECH 7

ATLANTA -- Sony Michel rushed for 149 yards and scored Georgia's lone touchdown on the first possession of the game, and that was enough for the Bulldogs to pull out a victory over Georgia Tech that likely boosted the job prospects of Coach Mark Richt.

While hardly an impressive effort, Georgia (9-3) got back on the winning side in its state rivalry and put Richt in position for a 10th season with at least 10 victories in his 15-year tenure .

A bowl victory might be enough for Richt to keep his job after a disappointing season in which the Bulldogs started as the favorite in the SEC East, only to get blown out by Alabama and Florida.

It was a fitting close to a dismal season for Georgia Tech (3-9). The Yellow Jackets, who won the Orange Bowl last season, lost nine of their last 10 games to finish with their worst record since going 1-10 in 1994.

LOUISVILLE 38, KENTUCKY 24

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Quarterback Lamar Jackson accounted for 316 yards and three touchdowns, Brandon Radcliff ran for two touchdowns and Louisville (7-5) erased a 24-7 halftime deficit with 31 consecutive points for its fifth consecutive victory over in-state rival Kentucky (5-7).

The victory was especially sweet for the Cardinals, who trailed 21-0 after one quarter behind two interceptions that led to 14 points. Jackson replaced Kyle Bolin at quarterback and brought them back with his arm and feet, and Kentucky couldn’t stop either.

Jackson finished with 186 yards rushing and touchdowns of 16 and 13 yards on 17 carries. He also threw for 130 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown to James Quick.

Jackson finished the regular season with 2,347 yards of offense to break Teddy Bridgewater’s mark of 2,195 in 2011. His two rushing touchdowns helped set another school season mark with nine, breaking Benny Russell’s record.

Louisville gained 489 yards, including 325 in the second half.

The Cardinals’ defense clamped down to hold Kentucky to three points and 143 yards over the final three quarters, and 291 overall, in denying the Wildcats’ postseason quest for a second consecutive season.

Sports on 11/29/2015

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