Georgia Tech vs. Clemson Notes

TEAM

• Clemson passed for 336 yards and rushed for 201 yards, making the Tigers 69-0-1 in games with at least 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards.

• The Tigers finished the game with 537 yards of offense, their highest offensive output of the season and most since 533 yards against Wofford in the 2015 season opener.

• Clemson’s defense, which was fifth in the country in third-down conversion defense, held Georgia Tech to 0-10 on its first 10 third-down conversions. The Yellow Jackets finished the game 1-12 on third down.

• The Tiger defense finished with 11 tackles for loss, tied for its most of the season. Clemson led the country in tackles for loss the last two seasons.

• Clemson has now scored on its first two offensive possessions in three of the five games in 2015.

• Clemson’s defense recorded a safety when Jadar Johnson blocked a punt at the six yard-line and the ball rolled out of the back of the endzone in the first quarter. It was Clemson’s first safety since Shaq Lawson forced an intentional grounding penalty in the endzone against North Carolina on Sept. 27, 2014.

• Clemson also recorded a safety against Georgia Tech in 2012, when Spencer Shuey tackled running back Orwin Smith in the endzone in the Tigers’ 47-31 win.

• Clemson scored 19 points in the first quarter, its most since putting up 17 first-quarter points versus Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Dec. 29, 2014.

• Clemson’s 33 points in the first half were the second-most, first-half points for the Tigers this season (35 against Wofford on September 5).

• Wayne Gallman’s 66-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was Clemson’s longest play of the season.

• Georgia Tech scored its first touchdown of the game with 5:27 remaining in the first half. It was just the second first-half touchdown Clemson’s defense allowed in 2015.

• Nine different Tigers carried the ball, the highest number of players with a rush in 2015.

• Georgia Tech came into Saturday’s contest leading the ACC in scoring offense with 41.1 points per game. Clemson held the Yellow Jackets to 24 points, 17.1 points below their season average.

• The Yellow Jackets led the ACC in rushing offense (311.8 yards per game) heading into Saturday’s game, but Clemson’s defense allowed just 71 rushing yards on the day, 240.8 below Georgia Tech’s season average.

• Clemson tied the school record for consecutive victories at home with today’s win. This was Clemson’s 13th straight win at home, tying the record set between 1927-31 and 2011-13. That streak from 1927-31 took place at Riggs Field. Clemson will have a chance to break the record next week when Boston College comes to town.

• Clemson has won 14 of its last 15 games dating to last season. The only loss during that 15-game period was at Georgia Tech last year. This is the first time Clemson has won 14 of 15 since the 2012-13 seasons.

• Clemson is 5-0 this year, the first time Clemson has been 5-0 since 2013, when the Tigers started 6-0. This is the fourth time since 1999 that Clemson has started 5-0. The Tigers started 8-0 in 2000 and 2011, and 6-0 in 2013. This is the third time a Dabo Swinney coached team has started 5-0.

• The home team has now won seven consecutive games in the Clemson vs. Georgia Tech series when one of the teams is playing at home (the 2009 ACC Championship game was played at a neutral site). This is the first time the home team has won seven straight in the series since 1962-68, when Georgia Tech beat Clemson seven straight years in Atlanta.

• Clemson has won four straight games at home over Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets’ last win at Clemson took place in 2008 in Dabo Swinney’s first game as interim head coach. He was told he would be the head coach for the game the Monday prior to the contest. This is the first time Clemson has won four games in a row at home over Georgia Tech since the 1991-96 era.

• Clemson has beaten Georgia Tech three of the last four meetings, the first time that has happened since the Tigers won three in a row from 2001-03.

• Swinney is 43-6 at home, including wins in 30 of the last 32 games.

• Swinney broke Danny Ford’s ACC record for wins by a league coach in his first eight years with a program. Today was Swinney’s 66th win. Ford had 65 wins through his first eight years at Clemson.

• Clemson has won 31 consecutive games against teams not ranked in either the AP or USA Today polls. The streak is 33 in a row against teams not ranked in the top 25 by only the AP poll. It is the second longest streak in the nation behind Alabama, who plays unranked Arkansas on Saturday night. All 31 of the wins have been by at least three points. That 31-game streak by at least three points over unranked teams is the longest streak of its kind in the nation.

• Clemson has won eight games in row over two seasons, the Tigers’ longest winning streak since winning the first eight games of the 2011 season.

INDIVIDUAL

• Dabo Swinney is 43-15 against ACC teams (including ACC championship games), a 74.1 winning percentage. With today’s victory, he moved ahead of Lou Holtz (73.9) into sixth place on the all-time winning percentage list in ACC games.

• Swinney is tied for 11th in ACC history on conference victories with 43 (includes league championship games). He is tied for 11th with Tommy Bowden, Mack Brown, Ralph Friedgen and Jim Grobe.

• Deshaun Watson is 9-1 as Clemson’s starting quarterback. His only loss as a starter took place at Georgia Tech last year, when he played the first 18 plays of the game before leaving with an injury.

• Wayne Gallman’s 66-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was the longest run of his career. His previous career-best was a 34-yard run at Georgia Tech in 2014.

• Gallman finished the day with 115 rushing yards. It is the third straight game with 100+ rushing yards. Gallman is the first Tiger with three straight 100+ yard games since Andre Ellington (final two games of 2011 and first game of 2012). 

• Gallman is the first player to have three straight games with 100+ rushing yards in the same season since Reggie Merriweather in 2005.

• Wayne Gallman tied a career-high with two touchdowns, both in the first quarter.

• Jordan Leggett scored on a 29-yard receiving touchdown in the second quarter, giving him a touchdown catch in three straight games. It is the longest streak by a Tiger since Sammy Watkins recorded a touchdown catch in three straight games from Nov. 2-23, 2013.

• Leggett set a career high in touchdown receptions with two when he caught an eight-yard pass from Deshaun Watson with four seconds left in the first half.

• Leggett became the first tight end with multiple touchdown receptions in a game for Clemson since Brandon Ford versus NC State in 2012.

• Jayron Kearse set a career-high with three first-half tackles for loss for 11 yards. His previous career high was two for 10 yards versus Syracuse on Oct. 25, 2014.

• Dorian O’Daniel set a new career high with three tackles for loss (seven total tackles).

• Cordrea Tankersley recorded his second interception of the year in the first quarter. It was also the second interception of his career, the first coming at Lousiville on September 17.

• Jadar Johnson blocked a punt in the first quarter, resulting in a safety. It was Johnson’s first blocked punt of his career.

• Johnson’s blocked punt was Clemson’s first blocked punt since Drew Traylor blocked a punt at South Carolina on Nov. 26, 2011.

• Zac Brooks scored on a 35-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, the longest rush of his career. His previous career long was a 27-yard run versus Boston College in 2013.

• Deon Cain caught a 38-yard pass from Nick Schuessler in the fourth quarter, the longest reception of his career. It also marked the longest completion of Schuessler’s career.

• Cain finished the day with 96 receiving yards, a career high.

• Trevion Thompson caught a 33-yard pass from Schuessler in the fourth quarter, his longest catch of his career.

• Ray-Ray McCloud made his first career start on Saturday. McCloud took the first play from scrimmage for an eight-yard gain.