Throughout faculty soccer’s Rivalry Week, you typically see groups dig deep into the darkness of their playbooks. Trick performs, loopy formations, and extra are staples throughout Rivalry Week.

That was definitely the case from Clemson towards South Carolina.

On 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 crew.

After the transient huddle, Shipley raced to his left, the place there was a South Carolina participant ready to try to sort out him. The issue for the Gamecocks? Shipley didn’t have the soccer.

As a substitute, it was within the arms of Phil Mafah, who minimize in the direction of the opposite aspect of the sector. Simply when it regarded like Mafah had put collectively an amazing return for the Tigers, he now not had the soccer:

Did he try to throw this ahead?

It definitely seems to be prefer it from that angle, and much more so from this replay angle:

Making issues worse? Not solely did the Gamecocks get better 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 an exquisite catastrophe.

Excellent for Rivalry Week.