S.C. State on short end of 73-7 mauling by No. 23 Clemson

CLEMSON, South Carolina -- South Carolina State confronted a different pedigree of “Tiger” Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

A week after routing Division II Benedict College at the Palmetto Capital City Classic, the opposition was a Division I Clemson team anxious for redemption after losing to another “Bulldog” team out of Athens, Georgia.

What transpired over 60 minutes of football was something Buddy Pough had not experienced in 13 years as South Carolina State head football coach. The 73-7 loss to the #23/24th-ranked Tigers marked the most points allowed and largest margin of defeat suffered under his leadership, surpassing the previous high set during a 70-14 loss in 2012 to Johnny Manziel-led Texas A&M.

S.C. State also lost a week earlier the same year to Arizona 56-0.

“They (Clemson) were better than us,” a disheartened Pough said. “That’s pretty obvious.”

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