Clemson vs. South Carolina Notes, page 2

Nov. 25, 2006

Jad Dean had made eight consecutive field goals before hemissed from 39 yards on the last play of today’s game. He hadmissed just one field goal, a 53-yard boot at Wake Forest, since hehad a 32-yarder blocked and returned for a touchdown at FloridaState in the third game of the year. He had made 11 of his last 12entering today’s game. Dean had been 11-12 on field goals in DeathValley this year with the only miss coming on a 32-yard missagainst Florida Atlantic in the season opener. In fact, over hiscareer, Dean had been 27-29 at home on field goal attempts insidethe 40. Today was just his third miss at home on a field goalattempt inside the 40. C.J.Spiller gained 155 yards in 10 carries in today’s game. Itmarked the second consecutive game that he has gained at least 150yards rushing. This marks the first time since the 2001 season thata Clemson player has rushed for at least 150 yards in consecutivegames. Woody Dantzler, who was at today’s game, had 164 againstGeorgia Tech and 184 against NC State in consecutive games thatyear. Spiller is the first Clemson running back to gain at least150 yards rushing in consecutive games since Terry Allen in 1988.Allen had 154 against Wake Forest and 167 against North Carolina inconsecutive games that year. Spiller now has 914 yards rushing thisseason to go with James Davis 1134. This is the first time inClemson history that the Tigers have had two running backs gain atleast 900 yards in the same season. Clemson has had two 1000 yardrushers in the same season, but one was quarterback Woody Dantzlerin 2000. Spiller now has 914 yards rushing in just 124 carries. Hehas 10 rushing touchdowns and 12 overall. He now has a 7.37-yardsper carry average. If the season ended today that would be thesecond best yards per rush average in Clemson history. The standingrecord for a season is 7.39 yards per carry by Billy Hair in 1950.Spiller’s 7.37 yards per rushing attempt is the best by an ACCplayer since Warrick Dunn had a 7.48 average for Florida State in1995 and the fourth best in ACC history. Dunn is Spiller’s favorNFL player and that is why he wears #28 in his honor. Spiller nowhas 914 yards rushing for the season and needs just 60 rushingyards in a bowl game to break Terry Allen’s freshman rushing recordof 973 in 1987. The Davis and Spiller combination now has 27rushing touchdowns this year, breaking the Clemson record forrushing touchdowns by two Clemson players in the same year. TravisZachery and Dantzler had 26 combined in 2000 and that was theprevious mark. Chansi Stuckey had four catches for 47 yards todayand extended his streak with at least one reception to 30consecutive games. It is the second longest streak in Clemsonhistory behind the 36-game streak by Jerry Butler from 1975-78.Today marked just the fifth time in Clemson history the Tigers hadthree touchdown plays of 50 yards or more in the same game. It alsooccurred against Furman in 1950, Georgia Tech in 1987 and LouisianaTech in the 2001 Humanitarian Bowl. The three plays today were the76-yard pass reception by Jock McKissic. Clemson now has 14touchdown plays of 50 yards or more, more than any other team inClemson history. Making big plays was not enough for Clemson today.The Tigers averaged 7.2 yards per play, but lost the game. This wasthe highest yards per play average for Clemson in a loss since2002. Clemson had a 7.2 yards per play average in a 48-31 loss atFlorida State in 2002. Clemson now averages 6.52 yards per play forthe season, on pace to break the Clemson record for a season, 6.16in 1950. Thomas Hunter had 35 receiving yards today, giving him 305for the season. He is the first Clemson tight end to go over 300receiving yards in a season since Bennie Cunningham had 312 in1975. Clemson ends the regular season with four losses, three bythree points or less. Clemson now has eight losses over the lasttwo seasons and seven have been by six points or less. VirginiaTech’s 24-7 win in Blacksburg this year is the only loss by oversix points over the last two years.

Clemson vs. South Carolina Series Notes

Clemson had three touchdown plays of at least 50 yards todayagainst South Carolina. It marked the first time in history thatClemson had at least three scoring plays of 50 yards or more in thesame game against South Carolina. In fact, entering today, Clemsonhad had just two touchdown plays of 50 yards or more against SouthCarolina since 1978. Yet the Tigers lost today’s game. This was thefirst time since the 1996 game that both teams scored at least 28points. That 1996 contest was a 34-31 South Carolina victory. Thatwas the last time South Carolina defeated Clemson at Clemson.Clemson assistant head coach Brad Scott was the South Carolinacoach in that game. That was also the last time South Carolinascored more than 30 points against Clemson. And speaking of thatgame in 1996, Clemson kicker Matt Padgett missed a 37-yard fieldgoal with 11 seconds left of that game. Today, Jad Dean missed a 39yard field goal with 13 seconds left. That was also the last timeSouth Carolina defeated a top 25 Clemson team. The Tigers were 22ndin the AP poll entering the 1996 game and 24th today. SouthCarolina defeated Clemson after the Tigers had two weeks to preparefor the first time since 1896, the first game in the history of theseries. Clemson had been 7-1 against South Carolina with two weeksto prepare historically. So much for the importance of an extraweek of preparation. When Clemson defeated Georgia Tech this year,31-7 in its most impressive performance of the year, Georgia Techhad two weeks to prepare for the Tigers. South Carolina is now 7-1against Clemson when the Tigers are attempting to defeat theGamecocks for a fifth straight season. Clemson has now beaten SouthCarolina five times in a row since a seven game streak from1934-40.