Saturday 09/24/2011
Sept. 24, 2011
Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery 1 | Photo Gallery 2
Clemson Team Notes * With a win today, Clemson has now won five straight games against Florida State at Memorial Stadium. Clemson is the first ACC team to do that. * Clemson has now defeated top 20 opponents each of the last two weeks. The Tigers defeated 19th ranked Auburn last week and 11th ranked Florida State today. It is the first time Clemson has beaten top 25 teams in consecutive games since 2005 when the Tigers down 17th ranked Florida State and 19th South Carolina in Columbia in the final two regular season games. * This is the fourth time Clemson has beaten top 25 teams in back to back games, but the first time the Tigers have done it at home. * Clemson is now 35-23-1 all-time in ACC openers. Eight of Clemson’s last 11 ACC openers have been decided by six points or less. Clemson is 13-0 in ACC openers in seasons it has won the ACC Championship. * Today’s win was Clemson’s first win over the Seminoles when both teams enter the game with a top 25 ranking since 1989. That season, Clemson entered the game ranked 10th while Florida State was ranked 16th. Clemson traveled to Florida State and won the game 34-23. * Clemson is now 4-0 on the season, which is the Tigers first start of at least 4-0 since 2007 when Clemson also started 4-0. This is just the sixth time since 1971 Clemson has opened at least 4-0. * When Clemson plays a 4-0 Virginia Tech team next week it will be the first time since, that Clemson has been involved in a battle of unbeatens who have played at least four games since 2000 when Clemson was 5-0 and NC State 4-0 entering an October 7 game at Clemson. The Tigers won that game 34-27. * Clemson held Florida State to just 29 rushing yards for the game. That is fewest rushing yards by an opponent since 2009 when Clemson held Boston College to 29 rushing yards. It is also the fewest rushing yards that Florida State has had against Clemson since 2003 when the Tigers held the Seminoles to just 11 yards rushing. * Clemson tallied 344 passing yards in today’s game. It is the first time ever that Clemson has thrown for at least 300 yards against Florida State and obviously Tajh Boyd’s 344 passing yards were the most by a Clemson quarterback against a Florida State team. * With 386 passing yards last week and 344 this week, Clemson has had 300 yards passing in back-to-back games for the first time since 2007. That season, Clemson threw for 372 yards against Virginia Tech and then threw for 315 yards the following game against Central Michigan. * Clemson has had at least 400 yards of total offense in all four games this season. It is the first time since 2009 that Clemson has recorded at least 400 yards of total offense in four consecutive games. That year, Clemson recorded 400 yards of total offense in four straight games against Miami (FL) (410), Costal Carolina (400), Florida State (483) and N.C. State (454).
Clemson Player Notes * Sammy Watkins scored Clemson’s first touchdown of the game on a 24-yard pass from Tajh Boyd in the first quarter. That touchdown was Watkins fifth touchdown reception of the season, which is a Clemson single season record for touchdown receptions by a freshman. It took him just three full games and 7:13 into today’s game to break that record. * Watkins caught another touchdown pass in the fourth quarter for his sixth of the season. He is now tied for ninth in Clemson history for touchdown receptions regardless of class in a single season. * Watkins finished the game with eight receptions for 141 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Watkins has now had back-to-back games of at least 140 yard receiving games as he had 155 in the win over Auburn last week. He joins former Clemson All-American Rod Gardner (2000 vs. Maryland and North Carolina) as the only players in school history with consecutive games of at least 140 yards receiving. * Watkins also rushed three times for 13 yards and had one kickoff return for 21 yards for a total of 175 all-purpose yards. Watkins has now had at least 175 all-purpose yards in three straight games. * Watkins has had a touchdown catch in four straight games. The Clemson record is five by Derrick Hamilton in 2003 and Aaron Kelly in 2007. * Tajh Boyd completed 23 of 37 passes for 344 passing yards and three touchdowns. Boyd has now thrown for at least three touchdowns in all four games this season. He is the first Tiger to do that in four straight games. * Boyd has thrown for at least 300 yards in consecutive games, just the second Tiger to do that. Charlie Whitehurst did it against Duke and South Carolina to close the 2003 regular season. * DeAndre Hopkins recorded the longest reception of his career on a 50-yard pass from Boyd in the first quarter. He finished the game with five receptions for 78 yards. * Dwayne Allen caught four passes for 67 yards and one touchdown and has now caught touchdown passes in consecutive games for the first time in his career. * Quandon Christian recorded his first career interception in the first quarter. He finished the game with two tackles in addition to the interception. * Rennie Moore had a sack on Florida State’s final play of the game. It was his first sack of the year and he now has 5.5 for his career.
December 8, 2024
