A Dream Come True: Adam Randall Leaves His Mark on the Palmetto State Rivalry

COLUMBIA — Adam Randall has spent most of his life surrounded by the emotions of Clemson–South Carolina week. Before he ever touched the field as a Tiger, he was a kid from Myrtle Beach sitting in the stands, absorbing the noise, the tension, the history. On Saturday afternoon in Columbia, in his final rivalry game, he didn’t just watch it — he helped shape it.

Clemson earned a 28–14 win over South Carolina, the Tigers’ sixth straight victory in Columbia, fueled by four forced turnovers and 415 yards of total offense, including 268 through the air and 147 on the ground. Randall delivered one of the defining performances of the day, rushing 24 times for 102 yards and a touchdown as Clemson fought to a seventh win and extended its November surge.

For Randall, the moment carried a weight far deeper than the box score reflected.

“It's a lot, just being from South Carolina, growing up in this rivalry, just seeing it through the years,” he said. “I've been in the stands of a lot of games, and just being able to go out there and compete, it really means a lot. To come out with a win, it's just really special.”

Randall’s fingerprints were all over Clemson’s offensive identity Saturday — patient, physical, and determined to control the game on the ground. In what was his final Clemson–Carolina contest, the senior and converted wideout admitted the significance wasn’t lost on him.

“It's just really special, some things that you dream of,” he said. “I was telling the team, just going out there as a captain, you just dream of that as a kid. Just being able to have the opportunity to go out there and compete, and put it all on the line for my brothers, it was really special.”

His touchdown run, an authoritative close to a red-zone push that extended Clemson’s lead, felt like one of those childhood dreams materializing at full speed.

“It's just special, and it's something that you dream of when you're a little boy, and you're a little kid,” Randall said. “You see just the Travis Etienne’s and those guys running up and down the field. You dream that you're out there one day. Being out there and being in that position and us getting it done is just a dream come true.”

Much of Randall’s success came behind a line that steadily wore down the Gamecocks and receivers who threw key blocks at the second level.

“For us, it's just a mindset, just trying to get the run game established so that we can let our playmakers on the outside do their job,” he said. “I feel like we had a good day up front, and those guys always do a great job trying to create running lanes for me.”

But the emotional core of the day was Clemson’s response to last year’s loss in Death Valley — a result that lingered for 365 days.

It motivated every lift, every film session, every practice heading into Saturday.

“I mean, it's a huge motivating factor,” Randall said. “You never want to lose on your own field. Having the opportunity to come back down here and get a little bit of the bitter taste out of our mouth was special.”

He also relished returning to Williams-Brice Stadium, a place that symbolized big moments long before he ever played there.

“I think that Williams-Brice is a great atmosphere,” he said. “When you're playing in South Carolina in high school, you always want to get to Williams-Brice for the state championship. Being able to play here in college is just really special.”

As the game swung back and forth, one play in particular turned momentum sharply in Clemson’s favor: Cade Klubnik’s improvised touchdown after fumbling the snap, a moment that drew an immediate smile from Randall.

“Cade's a gamer,” he said. “Cade makes some of the extraordinary plays from his mistakes. At the end of the day, I know he's gonna make the play in the moment. Bouncing back from that early interception really shows you how great of an athlete and a player he is.”

For all the emotion, Randall said what he’ll carry with him most aren’t the touchdowns or yards, but the bonds that formed over years in the locker room.

“For me, I probably remember the relationships of my teammates, just the resiliency and the friendships,” he said. “A lot of guys that I've been doing life with for a long time, and I'm just gonna miss those guys moving forward.”

The win was Clemson’s fourth straight to close the regular season, a turnaround sparked by discipline and commitment despite sitting at 3–5 just a month ago.

“Just doing the little things,” Randall said. “Cleaning up some of our little mistakes. Everybody being committed. Everybody comes in with a great mindset each and every day, and applies the lessons that we learned, and continues to get better.”

Now, with a seventh win secured, the Tigers will play on — one more opportunity for Randall to wear the jersey he grew up dreaming about.

“Yeah, I'm looking forward to it,” he said. “We got seven wins, so I got another opportunity to go out there and play with my guys. I mean, that's all that matters.”