What happened to ‘never again?’

That was the battle cry in and around the South Carolina program following last year’s 56-7 loss at Clemson. But from the get-go on Saturday, quarterback Jake Bentley couldn’t get on track on a night that began with an interception returned for a touchdown.

Bentley struggled in first half, going 8-for-15 passing for 42 yards and the interception, and things hardly improved in the second half in a 34-10 loss.

By the time Clemson had more than double the yardage of South Carolina, the Tigers played like a team looking to prove it’s worthy of a No. 1 ranking that may be coming on Tuesday night. In the end, the yardage difference was 489-207.

South Carolina fell to 8-4 and will wait for its bowl selection next Sunday. The Tigers improved to 11-1, and will play Miami in the ACC Championship next week in Charlotte. The result also meant Dabo Swinney won his 100th game at Clemson.

This result extended an ominous streak for South Carolina. South Carolina has not led against Clemson since early in the 2014 game, thanks to Pharoh Cooper. In what was billed as a strong homefield advantage, similar to the Kentucky game, the Gamecocks left with another disappointing loss.

The meeting was not without emotion. During a punt return, players from both teams were given unsportsmanlike fouls after punches were exchanged. Later, Swinney drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after bottles were thrown on the field toward Clemson players.

The Clemson defense, which reached 40 sacks on the season in the first half, bottled up Bentley and kept him from finding his favorite targets. Bryan Edwards, Hayden Hurst and Ty’Son Williams, who at one point combined for four catches for 26 yards, later had five for 32, three for 28 and two for 13, respectively.

Some solace came late when Bentley found Edwards with less than three minutes remaining for a 38-yard touchdown.

The ‘never again’ slogan may have given way to an emotional outlook. The Gamecocks were whistled for nine penalties for 76 yards, compared to two for 25 for Clemson.