Clemson defeated Citadel in the final to win the Big Red 7s this weekend at the campus of The Citadel in South Carolina.

The Citadel in fact beat Clemson during pool play 19-17 to go with a 26-5 defeat of Western Michigan. They didn't run the table, however, as South Carolina took the final game 19-7. Clemson opened the day with a 24-5 defeat of USC and then bounced back from their loss to The Citadel with a 31-17 dismissal of WMU.

The Citadel and Clemson ended pool play 2-1, with WMU and USC 1-2. So that set up the final and the 3rd-4th game. Clemson put it all together in the final to win 33-7. Western Michigan edged South Carolina 19-17 to take 3rd. 

Clemson B ended the day 2-0-1, tying The Citadel B, who also tied USC.

The Citadel were led by all-conference player Noah Mills, who scored three tries on the day, and captain Gage Gibson, like Mills a player on the Southeast All-Star team at the NCR All-Star Championship. Gibson set up nine tries and scored two of his own. Several of those offloads were for Garret Peal, who had six tries Saturday.

"A fun day at an amazing location," said Clemson Head Coach Troy Hall. "The Citadel and Western Michigan were solid, big sides."

WMU's 7s team is being coached by former Eagle Ata Malifa.

"Western Michigan was a bit of an unknown to be honest," said Hall, who also played for the USA and played with Malifa for the Eagles 7s team. "Ata reached out a while back and asked about coming down. It worked out well! For us it was our first hit-out for 2022 so it was a good learning experience. Definitely a ways to go but a bloody good day nonetheless."