The biggest day for football in the state of South Carolina has arrived. No. 14 South Carolina football travels upstate to face No. 12 Clemson, and this year, it's arguably the biggest Palmetto Bowl in recent history.

Noah Chast goes 1-on-1 with Lulu Kesin, a South Carolian beat reporter for The Greenville News. Kesin explains the keys for the Gamecocks to win this year’s Palmetto Bowl and why a win Saturday could have bigger implications for the future of Gamecock Football.

It’s the closest point spread in a Clemson-USC game since the 2014 game in Clemson (Clemson by 4.5). This is also the Gamecocks’ best road spread against Clemson in 14 years, dating back to when USC was a 1-point favorite at Clemson in 2010.

A brief history of the Palmetto Bowl, the college football rivalry game between the Clemson Tigers and South Carolina Gamecocks.

The battle for South Carolina has a must-win angle for both sides, as the 12th-ranked Clemson Tigers play host to the No. 15 South Carolina Gamecocks Saturday afternoon in Death Valley.

The South Carolina Gamecocks are looking for their ninth win of the regular season for the first time since 2013. To do that, they'll have to battle their bitter in-state rivalry Clemson with playoff implications on the line.