Clemson and South Carolina State shorten quarters during blowout

The Clemson Tigers are blowing out South Carolina State so badly that both teams have agreed to play the second half with 12-minute quarters.

This is the closest thing you’ll ever see to a mercy rule in football. While Week 3 of the college football season features plenty of marquee games, Clemson got a gimme in South Carolina State.

For the defending CFB Playoff finalists, it’s exactly the type of game they needed to get their season back on track. They only just got by Auburn in Week 1, and had an uninspiring performance against Troy, but against South Carolina State, they were leading 45-0 at halftime. Clemson has limited their opponents to 66 yards of total offense while Deshaun Watson is back to his usual self with 152 yards and three touchdowns.

It’s been such a methodical beatdown, that both teams’ coaches have decided to play 12 minute quarters in the second half instead of 15:

Given the way South Carolina State has played, it’ll still feel like an eternity, but it should help stop the bleeding. They haven’t shown anything to suggest they can stop Deshaun Watson, while their offense has been anemic. You could say this is no less than what they deserve after they completely botched a touchback.

This win should give Clemson the confidence they needed to push on. With Louisville absolutely destroying Florida State, the Seminoles are no longer Clemson’s biggest conference threat. But given the way they’ve played, Clemson will need all the confidence they need before they face Lamar Jackson’s team in two weeks’ time.

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The way Louisville has looked so far, they definitely have what it takes to crash the College Football Playoff. But the road to get there still goes through Death Valley.