Monday 12/10/2001
Dec. 10, 2001
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Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl: Clemson vs. Louisiana Tech
Monday, Dec. 31, 2001 12:30 PM (EST)/10:30 AM (MST) Bronco Stadium (30,000) Boise, ID
Television: ESPN
Radio: Clemson Tiger Sports PropertiesPlay By Play: Jim Phillips* Color: Mike EppleySideline: Rodney Williams
Series History: First Meeting. Teams scheduled to meet again in the second game of 2002 season, Sept. 7, 2002.
Tickets: Available 1-800-CLEMSON
www.ClemsonTigers.com
Clemson’s Bowl History Clemson has a rich bowl tradition. The Tigers have a 12-12 record in bowl games and the 12 bowl victories rank in the top-25 in NCAA history . This will be Clemson’s 25th bowl appearance. Clemson’s first bowl appearance was in the 1940 Cotton Bowl when the Tigers defeated Frank Leahy and Boston College 6-3.
This will be Clemson’s 14th bowl game since 1985, a 17-year period. Clemson had six bowl victories in the 1985-96 time period but has lost five consecutive bowl games. Clemson’s last bowl win was in 1993, a 14-13 win over Kentucky at the Peach Bowl.
Clemson has some bowl wins over some of the greatest coaches in college football history:
Frank Leahy, the second winningest coach in college footballhistory on a percentage basis, when Clemson defeated Boston Collegein the 1940 Cotton Bowl Joe Paterno of Penn State, the winningestcoach in Division I college history on a total wins basis, whenClemson defeated Penn State in 1988 Citrus Bowl, 35-10. Woody Hayesof Ohio State, the 16th winningest coach in college footballhistory on a total wins basis, when Clemson won 17-15 in the 1978Gator Bowl, Hayes’s last game as coach Barry Switzer of Oklahoma,the 5th winningest coach in Division I college history on a winningpercentage basis, when Clemson defeated Oklahoma in 1989 CitrusBowl, Switzer’s final game as coach. Tom Osborne of Nebraska, the13th winningest coach in college football history on a total winsbasis, in the 1981 Orange Bowl, which gave Clemson its onlyNational Championship.
Dantzler Reaches 2000/1000 Goal Woodrow Dantzler became the first player in Division I history to reach 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in the same regular season when he gained 135 yards rushing against Duke on Dec. 1.
Dantzler reached the accomplishment with an 18-yard touchdown run on a fourth-down play in the third period. He played just one more snap the remaining 20 minutes.
Dantzler finished the regular season with 2,360 passing and 1,004 rushing. He ranks 41st in the nation in rushing and 34th in passing efficiency, the only player nationally to rank in the top 50 in both areas. He averaged 214.5 yards a game passing and 91.3 rushing over the course of the regular season.
His 378 yard total offense performance against Duke gave him an average of 305.8 yards per game in total offense, a Clemson record for a season and eighth best in the nation. He also set Clemson records for passing yards in a season, single season completions, passing yards in a career, touchdown passes in a career and 200-yard total offense games in a season with eight. He also became just the third player in college history to pass for 5,000 and rush for 2,500 in a career.
Dantzler had 947 rushing and 1,691 passing in 2000 during the regular season. The closest to achieve the milestone prior to Dantzler was Brian Mitchell of Lousiana-Lafayette, who had 1,311 rushing and 1,966 passing in 1989. Mitchell has been in the NFL many years and is one of the top kick return players in the league.
Records/Accomplishments by Clemson Quarterback Woodrow Dantzler in Final Regular Season Game
Became first player in NCAA history to pass for at least 2,000yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. He had 243passing and 135 rushing vs. Duke, giving him 2,360 passing and1,004 rushing for the season. Dantzler also became just the thirdplayer in NCAA history to reach 5,000 yards passing and 2,500 yardsrushing in a career. The others to do it are Antwan Randle-El ofIndiana, who played his final college game for Indiana on the sameday, and Brian Mitchell of Louisiana-Lafayette, who competedfrom1986-89.
Dantzler broke the following records against Duke:
Most touchdown passes in a career-had four vs. Duke to give him37 for his career, breaking the record of 35 by Nealon Greene in1994-97. Most passing yards in a career-had 243 vs. Duke to givehim 5819 for his career, ahead of the 5,719 Nealon Greene had from1994-97. Set record for passing yards in a single season-had 243vs. Duke to give him 2360 for the season, ahead of the previousmark of 2,212 by Nealon Greene in 1997. Broke his own record fortouchdown responsibility in a season-had five touchdowns passing(4) and rushing (1) vs. Duke , giving him 27 for the season. Hebroke own record of 24 he had set last year. Broke single seasontouchdown pass record-had four vs. Duke to give him 17 for theseason, ahead of the 16 set by Nealon Greene in 1997. Broke singleseason record for pass completions-Had 12 vs. Duke to give him 188for the season. Broke the previous record of 180 held by NealonGreene in 1997. Tied Clemson single game record for touchdownpasses with four. He tied record he co-owns with teammate WillieSimmons and Nealon Greene. Had 378 yards of total offense. It washis eighth game of at least 200 yards this year, breaking his ownrecord of seven games of at least 200-yards in a season. It was hisseventh game of at least 300 yards this season. He already had therecord for 300-yard games in a season.
Dantzler Joins 5,000/2,500 Club Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler became the third quarterback in NCAA history to accumulate 5,000 yards passing and 2,500 yards rushing when he had his 21st rushing yard against Duke in his final home game on Dec. 1. He completed the contest with 135 yards to move across the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season.
Dantzler has 2,615 rushing yards for his career in regular season contests. Dantzler surpassed the 5,000-yard passing mark against Florida State and finished his regular season career with 5,634. The only other quarterbacks in college football history with at least 5.000 yards passing and 2.500 rushing are Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle-El, whose college career finished this year, and former Louisiana-Lafayette quarterback Brian Mitchell. Randle-El had 7.469 passing and 3.895 rushing for his career at Indiana. Mitchell had 5,447 yards passing and 3,335 yards rushing in his career that spanned 1986-89.
Dantzler now ranks 11th in NCAA history in rushing yards by a quarterback. Dantzler is third among active Division I players in quarterback rushing behind Randle-El and Nebraska’s Eric Crouch.
Battle of Productive Quarterbacks The Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl will feature two of the top-10 quarterbacks in the nation in terms of total offense. Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler is eighth in the nation in total offense, while Louisiana Tech quarterback Luke McCown is fourth in the country in that category.
Both players have been very productive, Dantzler averages 305 yards per game and McCown averages 316.5 yards per game. Both are ranked in the top 50 in the nation in passing efficiency. Both quarterbacks account for at least 70 percent of their team’s offense. Dantzler has accounted for 72.56 percent and McCown for 74.87 percent.
Dantzler Carries Olympic Torch Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler had the honor of carrying the Olympic Torch through the Clemson campus on Dec. 4, 2001. It was just the second day of the Olympic Torch run and Dantzler’s route took him by Clemson Memorial Stadium, where he had led Clemson to victory over Duke in his final home game, just three days previously. Many students and Clemson fans were on hand as Dantzler made his run by the stadium at 9:30 PM.
Coaching Sons Do Battle in Boise Louisiana Tech Head Coach Jack Bicknell is the second member of his family to coach against the Tigers.
Bicknell is the son of Jack Bicknell, who coached at Boston College against Clemson in 1982 and 1983. Most recently, the older Bicknell has been coaching NFL Europe with the Barcelona Dragons. Of course, Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden is the son of Florida State Head Coach Bobby Bowden.
The older Bicknell was 1-0-1 against Clemson during the 1982-83 seasons. That is saying something, considering Clemson was 18-2-2 combined in those two years. Bicknell’s Boston College Eagles tied the Tigers 17-17 during the 1982 season at Clemson in a game that was televised nationally by CBS. The next year, at Boston, Clemson took a 16-3 lead. But, Boston College went on a 28-0 run behind quarterback Doug Flutie to come away with a 31-16 victory. That was Clemson’s only loss in the 1983 season.
The starting center for Boston College in the 1983 contest was Jack Bicknell, the current head coach of Louisiana Tech. He was the starting center for Boston College in 1983 and 1984 and was a member of the 1982 team that played in Death Valley.
Bicknell became the head coach at Louisiana Tech in 1999, the same year Bowden became the head coach at Clemson. Bicknell was the offensive line coach at Louisiana Tech in 1997-98 prior to become head coach.
Bowden Has Faced Louisiana Tech This will not be the first time Jack Bicknell and Tommy Bowden have been across the field from one another. In 1998, when Bowden was head coach at Tulane and Bicknell was offensive line coach at Louisiana Tech, Tulane defeated Louisiana Tech 63-30. That was Bowden’s last game prior to coming to Clemson.
Tulane used a balanced attack to gain the victory. Tulane had 303 yards rushing and 330 passing in what was Tommy Bowden final game as Tulane head coach. The Greene Wave scored nine touchdowns on its first 10 possessions behind quarterback Shaun King. King completed 19-26 passes for 330 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 92 yards. Tulane scored 21 points in the second quarter and the third period to put the game out of reach and clinch and undefeated regular season.
Louisiana Tech, with Bicknell serving as offensive line coach, was productive also, gaining 525 yards of total offense, including 471 passing. Tech threw 57 passes in the contest.
Bowden To Coach in 11th Bowl Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden will coach in the 11th bowl game of his career, his third at Clemson and his third as a head coach. He is the first coach to lead Clemson to a bowl game in each of his first three years with the program.
Bowden is 0-2 as a head coach in bowl games. Last year the Tigers lost to Virginia Tech, 41-20 in the Gator Bowl. In 1999 the Tigers lost to Mississippi State in the Peach Bowl, 17-7.
Bowden guided Tulane to a perfect 11-0 regular season in 1998, but resigned shortly after the regular season in order to start his Clemson career. He did not coach Tulane in its Liberty Bowl victory over Brigham Young that year. However, current assistant coaches , Ron West, Thielen Smith and Burton Burns all were on the sidelines for Tulane in that game.
Bowden coached in three bowls as an assistant at Florida State, three as an assistant at Alabama and two as an assistant at Auburn for a total of eight previous bowls. His teams were 4-4 in those games. Thus, combined with his head coaching career, he is 4-6 in bowl games as a Division I coach. Bowden’s last win was as an assistant at Auburn in 1996 as an assistant under Terry Bowden. Auburn defeated Army in the Independence Bowl that year, 33-29.
Clemson in Boise…Again Clemson athletic teams have been to Boise, ID, previously. In fact, five different Clemson athletic teams have played in Boise previously, all within the last 13 years.
The Clemson men’s basketball team has a 1-1 record in Boise. Both games took place in the 1989 NCAA Tournament. First, Clemson defeated St. Mary’s (CA) by an 83-70 score, then lost to number-one ranked Arizona 94-68.
The Lady Tigers have also played in Boise in a regular season tournament, but not against Boise State. Clemson won the Boise State Tournament Dec. 21-22, 1996 with wins over Washington State and Florida.
Clemson’s men’s tennis team lost at Boise State during the spring of 1997 by a 4-3 score. Clemson’s men’s and women’s track teams competed in the 1999 NCAA Outdoor Championships at Boise State. The men finished 19th, while the Lady Tigers were 41st.
Thus, the five teams who have played in Boise are a combined 3-2 in game competition, but only the men’s tennis team has actually played Boise State in Boise.
Weather Could be Chilly in Boise It could be a bit chilly in Boise on Dec. 31 for the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl. Clemson and Louisiana Tech are both not used to playing in cold temperatures. This year Clemson has had great weather for its games. For the 11 regular season games the average temperature was 69.7 degrees. Seven of the games the temperature was 70 degrees or better with a high of 81 degrees at kickoff for the Virginia game. The coldest game of the year was a 47-degree day at Wake Forest. The temperature for the Dec. 1 game with Duke was 61 degrees.
But, with an average temperature in the 30s in the month of December in Boise, chances are it will be a cold temperature when the two teams kick off at 10:30 AM on Dec. 31.
Clemson scoring summaries have kickoff temperatures back to the 1968 season. Since then, only one Clemson game has been played in the 30s and that was a Nov. 9, 1991 contest at Chapel Hill against North Carolina. Clemson defeated the Tar Heels 21-6 in 38-degree temperatures that night.
The temperature at kickoff for the 1996 Clemson at Virginia game was 51 degrees, but there were flurries on the field by the end of that Clemson 24-16 victory.
The only other recorded instances of snow at Clemson football games came in 1936 and 1903. Clemson lost to Furman in 1936 in Clemson by a score of 12-0 in a game that accounts list as played in snow. The Nov. 27, 1902 Clemson vs. Tennessee game in Knoxville was also played in the snow. Clemson won that game, 11-0.
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Tigers from Louisiana Clemson has just two players on its roster from Louisiana, fullback Chad Jasmin and defensive back Curtis Baham. Jasmin is the team’s top fullback, while Baham is red-shirting this year as a defensive back. Jasmin has been productive this year with 25 carries for 121 yards, a 4.8 per carry average that is second best on the team behind Woodrow Dantzler. He has two pass receptions for 12 yards. His top game this year came against Wofford when he had 8-47 rushing, but he also had 5-25 against Florida State and 5-34 against Maryland. For his career he now has 36 carries for 181 yards, a five-yard average.
Jasmin came to Clemson from St. James High School in Vacherie, LA. He rushed for 2018 yards in 210 attempts his senior year, a 9.6 average, and scored 33 touchdowns. He was an all-state performer in high school.
Baham is being red-shirted this season. A defensive back from Christian High School in New Orleans, Baham was a 4A All-State player as a junior and senior. He is the son of Curtis Baham, who played collegiately at Tulane and with Seattle in the NFL.
Two current Clemson coaches have ties to Louisiana. Thielen Smith played at LSU and coached with Tommy Bowden at Tulane. He has also coached at Southwestern Louisiana, and Northeast Louisiana. Burton Burns was an assistant coach at St. Augustine High in New Orleans after he graduated from Nebraska. He also served as an assistant at Southern University and Tulane.
Clemson Athlete from Boise While Clemson does not have any football players from Idaho, Clemson actually has a current student-athlete from Boise, ID. Clarice Seifert just finished her freshman year as a member of the Clemson top-20 women’s soccer team. She played in four games as a reserve back as a first-year freshman. A Clemson National Scholar, she attended Boise High School and majors in biological sciences at Clemson.
Clemson Out West Clemson has an 8-10 record in games played West of the Mississippi. That includes two games played in Japan, 1982 vs. Wake Forest and 1991 vs. Duke. Clemson has played 10 games in Texas, two in Japan, two in Missouri, two in Oklahoma and two in California. This will be Clemson’s first game in the state of Idaho.
Clemson’s last trip west of the Mississippi was in 1996 when the Tigers went to Missouri and suffered a 38-24 loss. Clemson has made two trips to California, a 21-7 loss to Pacific in 1951 and a 30-0 loss to Southern Cal in 1966. This will be Clemson’s first game in the Mountain Time Zone.
Teams Will Play Again in 2002 Clemson and Louisiana Tech have never met in football. Now, they will meet twice in a three-game period. The two schools will meet in the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl on Dec. 31, 2001, then will play again at Clemson on Sept. 7, 2002 in the second game of the season for the Tigers. Clemson opens its 2002 season at Georgia on Aug. 31, 2002, then faces Louisiana Tech in the home opener the following Saturday.
Clemson and Louisiana Tech Have Similar Stats Clemson and Louisiana Tech have similar statistics offensively and defensively this season. Clemson averages 421.5 yards per game in total offense, while Louisiana Tech stands at 422.6 yards per game. Clemson has averaged 5.6 yards per play, while Tech stands at 5.7. Both teams have committed 23 turnovers on offense.
Defensively, both teams have struggled at times. Clemson has allowed nearly 390 yards per game, while Louisiana Tech has given up 443.6. Clemson has allowed 28.6 points a game, while Louisiana Tech has given up 31.0.
Bowden Offenses Among Best in Clemson History Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden came to Clemson with the reputation of producing big numbers on offense. His Tulane team of 1998 averaged more than 500 yards of total offense per game and was the only squad in the nation to average at least 300 yards passing and 200 rushing. His offensive numbers have not been quite as striking, but they have been noteworthy. Here is a list of the Bowden offensive stats as they relate to Clemson history in his three years at Clemson:
3 of the top 4 completion totals in Clemson history The top 3passing yardage single season figures The top three seasons interms of passing yards/game 3 of the top four completion percentagefigures 2 of the top 3 yards per play figures, and top two since1950 3 of the top 5 total offense per game figures 3 of the top 4first downs/game figures 2 of the top 7 scoring teams in schoolhistory
Bowden Earns Third Straight Bowl Bid Clemson became bowl eligible with its win over Duke on Dec. 1. With this bowl bid, Tommy Bowden is now the first coach in Clemson history to lead the Tigers to a bowl game in each of his first three years with the program.
Danny Ford had a 26-9 record through his first three full seasons as Clemson head coach, but his 1980 Tigers had a 6-5 record and were not selected for a bowl game. Ken Hatfield was 24-10-1 in his first three years, but his third Tiger team was 5-6 and did not go to a bowl. Frank Howard was 16-10-2 in his first three years, but he did not take the Tigers to a bowl game until his ninth season, 1948. Of course, there were very few bowl games in those days. With the bowl game remaining, Bowden trails only Ford, Hatfield and Josh Cody (1927-29) as far as total victories after three seasons. Cody was 21-9-1 for his first three years. Bowden is 21-14 in his first three years.
Clemson Offense Averages 421 Yards Under Bowden Clemson has a 21-14 record under Tommy Bowden and a consistent balanced offense has been a big reason. Over the nearly three years he has been the head coach the Tigers have averaged 421 yards per game in total offense. That is Clemson’s per game average this year in fact.
Clemson has gained 187 rushing and 234 passing over the 35 games. In an average game under Bowden the Tigers have averaged 30.2 points a game and scored four touchdowns. On average, the Tigers run the ball 44 times and throw it 32 times. Clemson has scored 139 touchdowns in the 35 games, nearly four per game. Twenty of the 35 games Clemson has had at least 400 yards of total offense.
Clemson Freshmen Earn All-America Honors Clemson had three players named freshman All-Americans by The Sporting News this year. That is the most freshman All-Americans by the Tiger program since 1988 when five Tigers were named by the same publication.
Freshman defensive tackle Donnell Washington and freshman wide receiver Derrick Hamilton were both named second-team freshman All-Americans by The Sporting News, while tight end Ben Hall, a first-year freshman, was named a third-team freshman All-American. Washington had 42 tackles this season to rank 10th on the entire team. He had seven tackles for loss and three quarterback sacks. He accomplished that without starting a game, but the 320-pounder did play 36 snaps per game.
Hamilton led the Tigers in receptions with 49 for 590 yards and three scores. He set a freshman record for receptions and reception yards by a freshman at Clemson and his 1,098 all-purpose yards are just 30 yards away from Terry Allen’s freshman mark. He ranked third in the nation in kickoff returns with a Clemson freshman record 31.7 yards per return.
Hall had seven catches for 74 yards and two scores this year as a first-year freshman. He was also an outstanding blocker, a key to Clemson’s 421 yards per game in total offense, third best in school history.
The last time Clemson had this many freshman All-Americans by The Sporting News was 1988. It was an impressive list. In fact, four of the five went on to play in the NFL. That group included Levon Kirkland, Ed McDaniel and Chris Gardocki, all of whom are still playing in the league. Dexter Davis, who played five years in the NFL and is now defensive coordinator at Morgan State, was a fourth freshman on the 1988 team that went on to the pros. The fifth player was Jeb Flesch, a four-year starter at guard for the Tigers who went on to become a first-team All-American.
Facts on Clemson’s Youth Clemson has one its youngest teams in years. There is good leadership from the class of 22 senior players, but 34 of Clemson’s 44 players on the two-deep are slated to return next year. Out of the nine ACC schools, only Duke has more players expected to return with 35. When it comes to defense, the youth notes are considerable. Nineteen of Clemson’s top-22 are expected to return next season. That can be confusing because starting defensive tackle Nick Eason is listed as a graduate student. Most graduate students are in their final year of eligibility, but not Nick. He graduated in three years and had a red-shirt year athletically, so he still has another year and is expected to return. Clemson and Duke are the only players in the ACC with 19 of its top 22 players on defense expected to return next season.
Clemson has seven freshmen listed as first or second team on defense. Clemson and Wake Forest are the only ACC schools to have seven freshmen on their defensive two-deep. These freshmen, five of whom are first-year freshmen, see significant playing time.
Donnell Washington is a defensive tackle who has seven tackles for loss this year, tied for third on the team. His 42 tackles lead all Clemson freshmen. Moe Fountain has six tackles for loss and is tied for fourth on the club in that category. Ryan Hemby has started two games at cornerback and has 11 tackles, while linebacker Eric Sampson had 14 tackles off the bench to key the defensive effort in the win over Wake Forest. He has 35 tackles for the season to rank second among the freshmen.
Three of Clemson’s top five receivers are freshmen. Derrick Hamilton leads the team with 49 catches for 590 yards. Roscoe Crosby is coming off his top game, as he had 6-139 and two touchdowns receiving against Duke. That was a Clemson record for receiving yards in a game by a freshman. Crosby now has 23 catches for 390 yards, Clemson records for a first-year freshman in each area. Airese Currie is fourth on the team in receptions with 17 for 315 yards, but his 18.5 yards per catch figure is a record for any Clemson freshman.
Carson Reaches Finals of Rhodes Scholarship Process Clemson linebacker Chad Carson reached the final stage of the Rhodes Scholarship selection process, a process that concluded Dec. 8. He was one of 100 scholars from across the country to advance to the final stage that selects 20 Rhodes Scholars. Clemson has never had a Rhodes Scholar and has had a student advance to the final stage just once previously, so this was a landmark accomplishment in itself. Carson has a 3.94 GPA in biological sciences. He was one of two students from the state of South Carolina to advance to the final stage. He is believed to be the only college football player to advance to that stage this year. He was trying to become the first ACC football player since 1961 to win a Rhodes Scholarship. Carson is outstanding in the classroom and on the field. He was named a permanent co-captain of the Clemson team by a vote of his teammates after the regular season. He led the team in tackles with 130 and ranks fifth in school history in total tackles with 441. He will play his final game for Clemson on Dec. 31 against Louisiana Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl, then will play in the East-West Shrine game on Jan. 12.
Carson was named a second-team Academic All-American in 1999 and a first-team selection in 2000. The teams for this year will be announced Dec.13.
Crosby Closes with a Flourish Clemson freshman wide receiver Roscoe Crosby finished his freshman year strong with six catches for 139 yards and two scores against Duke on Dec. 1. The talented freshman was faced with an injury plagued rookie year, but once he was healthy he showed everyone his capabilities.
Crosby finished the regular season with 23 receptions for 396 yards and three scores. He averaged 17.2 yards a catch, second only to classmate Airese Currie 18.5 figure. Crosby was drafted in the second round by the Kansas City Royals last June and will play minor league baseball this summer. He was a first-team USA Today All-American as a football player after his senior year at Union High in Union, SC.
Clemson Assistant Coaches Have Bowl Experience Clemson’s nine current assistant coaches and head coach Tommy Bowden have coached in a combined 82 bowl games. Of the current staff, Rick Stockstill has coached in the most bowl games, as the 2001 Gator Bowl against Virginia Tech was his ninth as a Clemson assistant. Defensive Coordinator Reggie Herring has a lot of bowl gifts in his closet. He has coached in 15 as an assistant coach and played in three more at Florida State.
Two Clemson assistants have served as head coaches in bowl games. Brad Scott led South Carolina to its first bowl win in history when he defeated West Virginia in the 1994 Carquest Bowl. Mike O’Cain, hired as Clemson’s quarterbacks coach on Dec. 4, 2000, served as N.C. State’s head coach in three bowl games.
Clemson Bowl Experience Clemson should have an advantage in terms of bowl experience in this game. Thirty-six active Tigers have played in a bowl game, including 20 who have played in two bowls. There are 11 active Tigers who have started a bowl game, including three players who have two starts in bowls. Those three players are Chad Carson, T.J. Watkins, and Kyle Young. Two players played in the 1999 Peach Bowl against Mississippi State, but missed last year’s game with Virginia Tech due to injury. Those two players are Nick Eason, starters on this year’s team.
Rambert has Bowl Experience Clemson running back Bernard Rambert has played 568 snaps in his career, but 110 have been in bowl games. He has averaged 17.6 plays a game over the last two years in regular season play, but 55 a game in two bowl games.
That average will continue in the Humanitarian Bowl as he will replace Travis Zachery, who has been dismissed from the team. Each of the last two years, Rambert had replaced an injured Zachery early in the bowl game.
Rambert had a still career high 70 yards on 18 rushes in the Peach Bowl against Mississippi State two seasons back. He had four rushes for seven yards against Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl last year. He also caught a couple of passes in that game. Now he will be Clemson’s starting running back against Louisiana Tech.
Kinard Inducted into College Football Hall of Fame Former Clemson All-America free safety Terry Kinard was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Dec. 11 at New York’s Waldrorf-Astoria Hotel.
Kinard, who played for the Tigers from 1978-82 and was named National Defensive Player of the Year by CBS Sports as a senior, will be just the second Clemson player in history to be honored by the College Football Hall of Fame, the first since Banks McFadden in 1959. Kinard attended the ceremonies in New York on Dec. 11 and will also be honored at the Hall of Fame site in South Bend, IN in August of 2002.
Ironically, Kinard burst on the national scene in South Bend in 1979. Starting as a freshman, Kinard had two fourth-quarter interceptions and seven tackles overall to lead Clemson to a 16-10 victory over the Irish. Now 22 years later, he will be inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame, which is located just two miles from Notre Dame Stadium.
A native of Sumter, SC, Kinard was a first-team Associated Press All-American in 1981 and 1982, the only two-time first-team AP All-American in school history. He was in fact a unanimous selection in 1982, the only unanimous first-team All-American in Clemson history.
Kinard recorded 17 interceptions during his Clemson career, still the high mark in school history and second in ACC history. He ranked in the top 15 in the nation in interceptions in 1981 and 1982 and was a major reason Clemson had a combined record of 21-1-1 over those two years. Clemson’s defense ranked in the top-10 in the nation in scoring defense each year. He was Clemson’s second leading tackler on the 1981 National Championship team and led the 1982 squad that finished eighth in the final Associated Press poll.
At the conclusion of his Clemson career, Kinard was chosen in the first round of the NFL draft by the New York Giants, the 10th overall pick of the draft. He played seven years for the Giants, including the team’s 1986 Super Bowl Championship season. Kinard was named to the NFL All-Rookie team in 1983 and the Pro Bowl in 1988.
Since his retirement from the game, Kinard was named to Sports Illustrated’s All-1980s team that was released in conjunction with the magazine’s All-20th Century team of college football. In 2000 he was named Clemson’s top player of the 20th Century by CNNSI.com. He was also chosen to the USA Today All-Decade team for the 1980s. In 1996 he was named to Clemson’s Centennial Team and received more votes than any other defensive player.
Clemson Has Four Wins over Teams with Winning Records Clemson has four wins over teams with winning records this season. The Tigers have defeated a 6-5 Central Florida team, a 6-5 Wake Forest team, a 7-4 N.C. State team and a 7-5 Georgia Tech team. Three of the four wins over teams with winning records have come on the road.
This is the most wins over teams that have finished the year with winning records since 1990 when Clemson had a school record tying six wins over teams that finished the year with a winning record. Clemson also had six wins over teams with a winning record in 1989, Danny Ford’s final season. The chart below includes bowl games, and only includes wins over Division I-A opponents.
This year marks just the 10th time in school history that Clemson has defeated as many as four teams with winning records in the same season. It is just the ninth time Clemson has done it in regular season play.
Wins over Division I Teams with Winning Record in One Season
Young Named Rimington Award Finalist Clemson center Kyle Young has been named one of five finalists for the Dave Rimington Award. The announcement was made Dec. 1 prior to Young’s final home game against Duke.
Young is joined on the list by LeCharles Bentley of Ohio State, Mel Fowler of Maryland, Seth McKinney of Texas A&M and Brett Romberg of Miami (FL). Young was one of the finalists for the award last year. Earlier, Young was named a third-team All-American by The Football News and The Sporting News. It marked the second straight year that Young had been honored as an All-American by both of those publications.
Young is perhaps the most honored lineman in Clemson football history. He was also named the recipient of the ACC’s Jim Tatum Award as the league’s top student-athlete football player earlier. On Dec. 11 he was one of eight Division I football players to receive a National Football Foundation Scholarship. He is a two-time first-team Academic All-American and is on track to win his third first-team honor later this month. If he does that he will be just the second three-time first-team Academic All-American offensive lineman in college football history.
Young leads the Tigers in knockdown blocks with 145, a figure that broke his own Tiger record. He has been Clemson’s highest rated blocker in 10 of the 11 games this year, including nine in a row. He has led the team in knockdown blocks in eight games. The native of Clemson has started 39 games in a row heading into the bowl game.
Clemson Seniors Close Out Season in a Bowl Game Clemson’s 22 seniors will make their final appearance in a bowl game. The class includes some of Clemson’s top players in history. Woodrow Dantzler already holds 50 Clemson records. Kyle Young has started 39 straight games and is a two-time All-American at center. Will Merritt and T.J. Watkins are three-year starters on three of the five Clemson offenses in history to average at least 400 yards per game.
The defense has been led by Chad Carson, a two-time academic All-American who ranks fifth in school history in tackles, and Charles Hafley, one of just two defensive backs in school history to have two different seasons of at least 100 tackles.
The class has been to three bowl games, a bowl invite each of the last three years. The class won three out of four games against South Carolina and defeated every other ACC team except Florida State. The win over a #9 Georgia Tech team in Atlanta was the highest ranked Clemson victory in 20 years, the second highest ranked road win in school history. Six of the members of the class already have earned their undergraduate degrees and others will be receiving their degree in December and May.
Clemson Senior Class of 2001
Hamilton Returns Kickoff 100 Yards for TD Freshman Derrick Hamilton returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in Clemson’s 37-20 loss at Maryland. He became the first Tiger in almost 100 years to take a kickoff return goal line to goal line for a score. The only other 100-yard kickoff return for a score on record is a 100-yard return by John Maxwell against Cumberland College in 1903. That game was played on November 26, 1903 and was played in Montgomery, AL in what was considered to be the “Championship of the South”. That turned out to be John Heisman’s last game as Clemson Head Coach.
Hamilton really raced 103 yards on his return at Maryland, as he fielded the ball three yards deep in the endzone, raced up the Clemson sideline, then ran to the other side of the field and ran the remaining 50 yards down the Maryland sideline. It was just the eighth kickoff return for a touchdown in Clemson history, the first since 1990.
Ironically, the last time Clemson had a player return a kickoff for a touchdown was against Maryland. In 1990, in a game played at Baltimore Memorial Stadium, Doug Thomas ran 98 yards for a score on a kickoff return in an 18-17 win over the Terps.
Clemson once went 25 years without a kickoff return for a touchdown. Clemson did not have a kickoff return for a touchdown between Hal Davis’s 98-yard return against Georgia in 1962 and Joe Henderson’s 95-yard return for a score against Georgia Tech in 1987. Henderson’s return for a score broke a streak of 999 consecutive punt or kickoff returns without a touchdown, a 17-year streak.
Getting back to Hamilton, he finished the day with 153 yards on two official kickoff returns at Maryland. The 71.5 yards per return set a Clemson record. He broke Henderson’s record of 60 yards per return against Tech in 1987. His 153 yards in kickoff returns rank fifth best in school history for a single game. David Thomas had a record 174 yards on five returns at Georgia Tech in 1972.
Hamilton certainly contributed to Clemson’s record 218 kickoff return yards at Maryland. The previous best was just 188 yards on nine returns at Tulane in 1946.
Hamilton’s kickoff return is listed as a tie for third in school history for the longest play of any kind. There are two plays longer in the record books. Prior to the 1970s, plays could be recorded longer than 100 yards, based on where the ball was fielded in the endzone. In 1968, Richie Luzzi returned a missed field goal against Georgia 108 yards for a score. Two years later, Don Kelley was credited with a 102 yard interception return. Those would both be scored as 100-yard returns by today’s standards.
Hamilton is now second in the nation in kickoff returns with his 31.7 yard average. He is also leading the ACC in that category.
Dantzler Ranked Among Winningest Clemson QBs Woodrow Dantzler has an 18-11 record as a starting quarterback over the last three years, currently tied for seventh in total wins by a Clemson starting quarterback with All-American Bobby Gage, who led the Tigers from 1946-48.
Dantzler tied Harvey White, an All-ACC performer from 1957-59 with the win over Duke. DeChane Cameron is next on the list with 19. The only 20-game winners in Clemson history are Rodney Williams (32), Nealon Greene (24), Homer Jordan (22), Mike Eppley (21) and Steve Fuller (21).
Dantzler has actually been a starter in 19 Clemson victories the last three years. However, one of his starts (vs. Duke in 1999) was as a wide receiver and he does not get credit as the starting quarterback in that game.
Clemson’s career leader in victories for a starting quarterback is Rodney Williams, who started 32 Clemson wins between 1985-88. That is a mark that could stand for a while as someone would have to average eight wins a year as a starter for four seasons just to tie Williams. Williams is tied with Chris Weinke of Florida State for the ACC record. The NCAA leader is Peyton Manning, who started 39 victories at Tennessee.
Dantzler Named Semifinalist for Davey O’Brien Award Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler was one of 12 semifinalists for the 2001 Davey O’Brien Award. The Award, which is chosen by national sportswriters and commentators, goes to the best quarterback in college football.
Dantzler has had at least 300 yards total offense in seven of the last nine games, including a school record 517 yards at N.C. State on Oct. 13. He also had six touchdowns in that game, four passing and two rushing, tying the ACC record for touchdown responsibility in a game. He had a five-touchdown game and 378 yards of total offense in the win over Duke, his final game in Death Valley.
Dantzler was named one of 10 “leading candidates” for the Walter Camp Award earlier in November. That honor is presented to he top player in college football.
Hunt 10-12 on Field Goals Clemson placekicker Aaron Hunt will always hold a special place with Clemson fans. His 25-yard field goal with three seconds left gave the Tigers a 16-14 win over the Gamecocks last year at Clemson. It was the latest game winning kick for a Clemson player since 1987 when David Treadwell kicked a field goal with two seconds remaining to defeat Georgia in a game at Clemson.
Hunt kicked on field goal and seven extra points against Duke and is 10-12 this season. He booted a 48-yard field goal against North Carolina, the Tigers only points of the day. The 48-yard field goal would have been good from over 50 yards and it was the longest of Hunt’s career. In fact, it was the longest by a Clemson kicker since 1997 when David Richardson kicked a 48-yard field goal in the Peach Bowl against Auburn.
Hunt has kicked the ball 50 times this year and it has gone through the uprights 47 times. The sophomore is 37-38 on extra points and 10-12 on field goals. He has five field goals of 43 yards or more after not making a field goal over 40 yards all of last year.
Hunt made 45-47 extra points last year and is now 82-85 for his career. He had made 44 in a row over before missing an extra point at South Carolina. His miss was from 35 yards as a Clemson player was called for taunting on Clemson’s 54-yard touchdown pass from Woodrow Dantzler to Airese Currie. His 45 made extra points last year set a Clemson record for a season. His attempt total tied the Clemson record. Hunt made 5 of his last 6 a year ago and is 10-12 this year, meaning he has made 15 of his last 18 over two years. He was 10-16 last year overall and is now 20-28 in two years.
Young Named National Football Foundation Scholar Clemson center Kyle Young was one of 16 recipients of a Postgraduate scholarship as selected by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. The announcement was made by Chairman of The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Jon F. Hanson.
The Clemson graduate and starting center for the Tigers the last three seasons is the first Clemson football player to receive a scholarship from the National Football Foundation since 1978 when Steve Fuller was so honored.
Young is actually just the fifth Clemson football player to receive the honor overall. In addition to Fuller, the others are Jimmy Bell, a quarterback in 1964, Jimmy Addison, a quarterback in 1967, and Ben Anderson, a defensive back in 1972.
Young graduated Summa Cum Laude from Clemson last May and is taking graduate courses this year, his final year of eligibility. He had a 3.98 career GPA and had A’s in every course but one over his four undergraduate years On the field, Young has led the Clemson offensive line in knockdown blocks this year with 145. He is a big reason Clemson has averaged over 400 yards per game in total offense and has had a positive effect on the play of Woodrow Dantzler, who ranks eighth in the nation in total. Young was a second-team All-American on the field last year in addition to his first-team Academic All-America status.
“This is a great honor for Kyle and our football program,” said Head Coach Tommy Bowden. “Clemson has meant so much to Kyle and his family and I know this scholarship award is very meaningful to him. Having grown up in Clemson, he has been following or a part of Clemson football all his life. He is a role model for future Clemson football players and all student-athletes who are at Clemson now or will be in the future.”
Each scholar-athlete was awarded an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. The group was honored Dec. 11 at the 44th Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Young was joined at the awards dinner by former Clemson All-American Terry Kinard, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame at the same affair.
Dantzler Dazzling at N.C. State Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler performance in the Tigers 45-37 victory in Raleigh in October is hard to put into words. It was the greatest combination of rushing and passing for a Clemson football player in history and ranks among the best in college football history.
How can we make such a statement? A look to the NCAA record book tells us that only one player in one game has ever had at least 300 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in the same game. Washington’s Marques Tuiasosopo had 302 yards passing and 207 rushing against Stanford on Oct. 30 ,1999, the only player in history to achieve the 300/200 in the same game.
At State, Dantzler passed for 333 and had 184 net yards rushing. Had it not been for two sacks in the second quarter, one of 13 yards and another of 11, Dantzler would have joined Tuiasosopo in that exclusive club. As it was, Dantzler’s performance was the fifth best in ACC history in terms of total offense, and a Clemson record. The ACC mark is 554 yards of total offense by Rusty LaRue for Wake Forest against N.C. State in 1995. LaRue threw 78 passes in that game.
Dantzler did more than just pick up yardage, he led the Tigers to six touchdowns. He ran for two and passed for four, and the six touchdowns combined broke the Clemson single game record that had stood since 1947. That also tied an ACC record for touchdown responsibility in one game.
It was Dantzler’s top passing game as a Tiger, and in many ways the best by any Clemson quarterback. The graduate student from Orangeburg, SC completed 23-27 passes for 333 yards and four touchdowns. His passing efficiency rating of 237.6 was a Clemson record for a minimum of 20 attempts. His stats included a 79-yard pass to freshman Airese Currie, the longest pass play for the Tigers in five years.
Here is a list of Clemson Records Dantzler Set in the win at N.C. State
Single game passing efficiency (Min 20 attempts)-237.58 Singlegame total offense-517 yards (333 passing, 184 rushing) Single gametouchdown responsibility-6 Tied single game touchdown passes-4Single game completion percentage (min 20 attempts)-.851 Careertotal offense-6,874 Career total offense vs. same team-1,127 vs.N.C. State
Dantzler Now Owns 50 Clemson Records Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler holds more records than any other football player in Clemson history. The graduate student holds 50 records entering the bowl game with Louisiana Tech. He holds eight single game, 23 season and 19 career marks. He is Clemson’s career leader in total offense, passing yards and touchdown responsibility and set single season marks this year for total offense, passing yards, touchdown passes and 300-yard total offense games, just to name a few.
Clemson Records Held by Dantzler (50)
Single Game (8)
Touchdown Responsibility-6 vs. NC State, 2001 Total Offense-517vs. NC State, 2001 Completion % (Min 20 attempts)–.851 vs. NCState, 2001 Completion % (Min 15 attempts)–.941 vs. The Citadel2000 Yards rushing by a quarterback-220 vs. Virginia, 2000 PassingEfficiency (Min 15 attempts)-247.2 vs. The Citadel, 2000 PassingEfficiency (Min 20 attempts)-237.6 vs. NC State, 2001 TouchdownPasses-#4 vs. NC State, Duke, 2001
Season (23)
Total offense-3364, (2001) Total offense/game-305.8 (2001)Total offense plays-517 (2001) 200-yard total offense games-9(2000, 2001) 300-yard total offense games-7 (2001) Consecutive200-yard total offense games-7 (2000) 100-yard rushing, 300-yardtotal offense games-5 (2001) Passing Yards-2360 (2001) Passingyards/game-214.5 (2001) 200-yard passing games-8 (2001) PassCompletions-188 (2001) Completions/game-17.1 (2001) Passattempts-311 (2001) Touchdown Passes-17 (2001) Touchdownpasses/game-1.55 (2001) Quarterback rushing-1028, (2000)Consecutive 100-yard rushing games by QB-4 (2000) Yardsrushing/game by a QB-91.3 (2001) 100-yard rushing games by aquarterback-5 (2001) Touchdowns rushing and passing-27 (2001)Consecutive games throwing a TD pass-6 (2000) Yards rushing inseries of 3 games-520 (2000) Yards rushing in series of 4 games-623(2000)
Career (19)
Total offense-8523 Total offense/game-224.3 Total offenseplays-1349 Total Offense Plays/Game-35.5 200-yard total offensegames–24 300-yard total offense games-13 Total offense in careervs. one opponent-1127 vs. NC State, 1999-01 Passing Yardage-5819Passing Yards/Game-153.1 200-yard passing games–13 Passattempts/game-20.3 Completions/Game-11.7 Completionpercentage–.576 Touchdown Passes–37 Touchdown Passes/Game-0.97Yards rushing by a quarterback–2704 100-yard rushing games by aquarterback-12 100-yard rushing, 300-yard total offense games in acareer-11 Touchdowns rushing and passing in a career-64
#tied record
Dantzler Named National Player of the Week Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler was named National Player-of- the-Week by USA Today.com for his performance against Georgia Tech. Dantzler gained 418 yards of total offense in Clemson’s 47-44 victory at Atlanta, 164 rushing and 254 passing. He ran for two scores and threw for two. His 11-yard touchdown run on a quarterback draw on the last play of overtime gave the Tigers the victory.
Dantzler trumped that accomplishment with a 517-yard effort against N.C. State. He was named co-National player of the week by CNNSI.com. He was also named the top player in the country for the first half of the season by CBS.Sportsline.com and ESPN.com.
Dantzler’s performance against Georgia Tech marked the first time a Clemson player had won the National Player of the Week from USAToday.com. Dantzler was also the ACC Player of the Week according to the site, the third time in three years he has won that honor. He won it again for the N.C. State game, giving him four player of the week selections. He was the ACC Player of the Week according to the site in 1999 for his 435-yard performance against Maryland, and in 2000 when he led the Tigers to a 62-9 win over Missouri.
Dantzler was named National Player of the Week in 2000 by cnnsi.com for his performance at Virginia. He had 220 yards rushing, an all-time ACC record for a quarterback, and 154 passing in Clemson’s 31-10 win over the Cavs.
Dantzler is the first Tiger in history to be named a National Player of the Week three times. A Clemson player has been named National Player of the week 11 times in history, including Dantzler’s performance at N.C. State. Here is a listing:
Clemson Gained 500 Yards In Consecutive Road Wins Clemson had at least 500 yards in consecutive road wins over Georgia Tech and N.C. State. A 500-yard total offense game is certainly an accomplishment anywhere, but especially on the road. Clemson gained 502 yards at Georgia Tech and 567 at N.C. State in gaining consecutive victories. It marks the first time in Clemson history that the Tigers have had at least 500 yards in consecutive road games. The 567 yards gained at N.C. State were the most recorded on the road since 1903 when John Heisman coached Clemson to a 73-0 victory with 615 yards, all on the ground.
Clemson had one of its top offensive games in the Tommy Bowden era in the 47-44 win over Georgia Tech on Sept. 29. The Tigers gained 502 yards of total offense, third highest figure under Bowden and second best in an ACC game.
It marked just the second time in Clemson history that the Tigers had at least 500 yards of total offense against a top 25 team. The only other occasion came in 1983 when Clemson had 544 yards against an 11th-ranked Maryland team in a 52-27 Clemson victory.
It was a balanced attack for the Tigers, perhaps the most balanced in Clemson history for a 500-yard performance. Clemson had 248 rushing and 254 passing in the contest. It marked just the fourth game in Clemson history that Clemson had at least 240 yards rushing and passing in the same game.
Clemson has now had seven 500-yard total offense games under Tommy Bowden, including three this year (Georgia Tech, N.C. State and Duke). Clemson is now 41-0-1 in its history when gaining at least 500 yards of total offense. The only non-victory came in 1991 when Clemson gained 511 yards in a 20-20 tie with Virginia.
Offensive Line Playing Well One of the reasons for Clemson’s success against Georgia Tech and N.C. State was the play of its offensive line. The veteran group includes three players who are graduates (Kyle Young and T.J. Watkins). They combined to help the Tigers gain 502 yards of total offense and scored seven touchdowns and 47 points in the victory. It was the most points Clemson has scored against Georgia Tech since a 73-0 Tiger victory in 1903. John Heisman was Clemson’s coach in that game.
The starting offensive line combined for 68 knockdown blocks in that game, high total for the season. In fact, the total against Georgia Tech was 20 more than the previous best of 48 knockdowns for the starting offensive line against Central Florida.
Clemson’s starting offensive line came back to get 58 knockdown blocks in the win at N.C. State. Kyle Young led the way with 19, while Will Merritt added 13 and Gary Byrd had 11.
Heading into the Bowl game Kyle Young led the team in knockdown blocks with 145, breaking his record of 120 set last year. T.J. Watkins is second with 117, while Will Merritt has 104. Gary Byrd has contributed 93, while Derrick Brantley has 32.
Tigers win in Overtime at Tech Clemson defeated Georgia Tech 47-44 in overtime on Sept. 29, just the second time in history that Clemson has participated in an overtime game. Clemson is now 2-0 since the rule came into effect for the 1996 season. Clemson’s only other overtime game was a 29-20 victory over Duke in 1997. Clemson won by the odd margin when Rahim Abdullah returned an interception 63 yards for a score to end the game. The Tigers had scored three points on their offensive possession when David Richardson kicked a field goal.
Including the two overtime games, Clemson has now won four games in its history on the last play of the game. In addition to the Duke game listed above and Dantzler’s touchdown run to beat Tech, David Treadwell twice booted field goals on the last play of the game to give Clemson a victory. In 1985 he booted a 36-yard field goal on the last play to give Clemson a 20-17 win at Virginia Tech. Then, the following year he kicked a 46-yard field on the final play to give Clemson a 31-28 victory at Georgia.
Clemson’s Highest Ranked Wins The win over ninth-ranked Georgia Tech was the highest ranked Clemson win regardless of site since 1981 when Clemson defeated fourth-ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, a 22-15 victory that gave Clemson the National Championship.
Regardless of site, Clemson now has nine wins over top 10 teams in its history, three in Death Valley. Clemson has now had 21 wins over top 25 teams since 1986 and has had at least one ranked win in 14 of the last 15 seasons (including this season). The Tigers defeated Virginia, 33-14, in 1999 when the Cavs were ranked 19th (USA Today), then downed a 25th-ranked South Carolina team last year.
The win over Tech now assures that Tommy Bowden will have at least one ranked win in each of his first three years with the Tigers. The win over Tech was the fifth highest ranked win in school history.
Clemson 37-0-1 With 200 Yards Passing and Rushing Clemson is now 11-0 under Tommy Bowden when gaining at least 200 yards or each in the same game. The Tigers are now 37-0-1 in history when gaining at least 200 of each. Clemson first turned the trick against Wake Forest in 1953. Clemson has had four games this year in which it has had at least 200 or each in the same game. That includes the win over Duke when Clemson had 328 rushing and 280 passing. It marked the first time in history Clemson had at least 270 in each category.
The program had just 28 such games in the first 103 years of Clemson football prior to Bowden’s arrival and now has had 11 in the 35 games he has been head coach of the Tigers. The streak was nearly snapped at Georgia Tech in 1999. Clemson had 231 yards rushing and 197 passing in the loss at Georgia Tech. The only tie game in which Clemson had at least 200 of each took place in 1976 when Clemson had 248 rushing and 234 passing in a 24-24 tie in Atlanta against Tech.
Seven Graduate Students Start for Tigers Clemson has seven graduate students slated to hold starting positions for the bowl game against Louisiana Tech. That is an all-time record for graduate students on the Clemson football team.
The list is led by Woodrow Dantzler, who received his degree in marketing from Clemson in August. Dantzler hugged Clemson President Jim Barker when he was presented his diploma on the stage at Littlejohn Coliseum.
Starting defensive back Charles Hafley and starting defensive tackle Nick Eason both earned their degrees in sociology that same day. Eason’s graduation was especially impressive because he still has two years of eligibility. He earned the degree in three years and three summer sessions and plans to earn a masters before his eligibility is up. He is the first Clemson football player to earn an undergraduate degree with two years of eligibility remaining.
Four other Clemson players received their degrees prior to this past August, and all four of them are starters on offense. Kyle Young, starting center, and T.J. Watkins, starting guard, earned their degrees in May. Young graduated Summa Cum Laude and is a two-time first-team Academic All-American. Wide receiver Matt Bailey also received his degree that day. Starting offensive guard Will Merritt received his degree in December of 2000, just a few days prior to the Gator Bowl.
Clemson’s Eason Named to AFCA Goodworks Team Clemson defensive tackle Nick Eason was named to the 2001 American Football Coaches Association Good Works team on in September. The AFCA recognizes 11 Division I players every year for their community service involvement. Eason was the only ACC player named to the team. Eason has been active in community service since he first came to Clemson in 1998. Each year the ACC honors six student-athletes at each of its member institutions for their time spent on community service projects. Eason is the only Clemson student-athlete to be chosen for this award three times.
Eason, a graduate student from Lyons, GA, has traveled abroad with the Athletes in Action to speak with students about the positives of athletics and to teach youngsters about sports. He also is a frequent visitor to elementary schools in he area.
Clemson’s defensive MVP last year earned his degree from Clemson in August and still has two years of eligibility remaining (including he 2001 season). He is the first Tiger gridder to earn his degree (sociology) with two years of eligibility remaining. Eason is the second Clemson football player to be named to the Good Works team. Robert Carswell, now with the San Diego Chargers, was named to the team in 1999.
Tigers Only Division I Team With Returning Two Academic All-Americans Clemson is the only school in the nation with two returning first-team Academic All-Americans on its roster. Linebacker Chad Carson and center Kyle Young were both named first-team Academic All-Americans in 2000. That was the first time in Clemson history the Tigers had two first-team selections in the same year.
Carson is a senior with a 3.94 career GPA in biological sciences. He led the Tigers in tackles last year and ranked fourth in the nation. Young led the Tigers in knockdown blocks last year with 120. He graduated from Clemson with a 3.98 career GPA last year and is now taking postgraduate courses. He was also a first-team Academic All-American in 1999 and is trying to become just the second ACC player in history to be a three time first-team selection. Mike Diminick, who played for Duke in the 1980s, is the only other ACC player to be a three-time first-team selection.
Young Looks for Landmark Accomplishment Clemson center Kyle Young has been named a first-team Academic All-American each of the last two years. If he is chosen for a third time at the end of the 2001 season he will become just the second offensive lineman in college football history to be chosen a first-team Academic All-American in three different seasons. He would also become just the second ACC player in history to be chosen three times.
Young has been named to the All-District team for the third straight year, which puts him on the national ballot. The national team will be announced Dec. 13.
The College Sports Information Directors of America have chosen the academic All-America team every year since 1952, so the 2001 team will be the 50th team selected. Players chosen to the team must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA. Young had a 3.98 career GPA and graduated in May, Summa Cum Laude.
Young will try to join former Colorado offensive lineman Jim Hansen as the only three-time first-team selections. Hansen was named in 1990, 1991 and 1992. The only other ACC player to be a three-time first-team selection, regardless of position, is Mike Diminick, a defensive back from Duke, who was named first team in 1986, 1987 and 1988.
Overall, 12 different football players have been named first-team academic All-American three times. Clemson’s Kyle Young will attempt to join that group in 2001.
Hamilton Third in Nation Among Freshmen Receivers Clemson freshman Derrick Hamilton ranked third among all freshmen receivers nationally in receptions per game in 2001. He finished the regular season with 49 in 11 games for a 4.45 catches per game figure. Kelley Washington of Tennessee and Reggie Williams of Washington were the only other freshmen with a higher national ranking than Hamilton as far as receptions per game is concerned. Hamilton will be the first freshman to lead Clemson in receptions since 1991 when Terry Smith had 34-480 yards. Hamilton has broken the previous freshman marks by a wide margin and now has 49 receptions for 590 yards. He ranked sixth in the ACC in catches per game, highest finish ever by a Clemson freshman.
Hamilton finished the regular season third in the nation in kickoff returns with a 31.7 average. He was also the ACC kickoff return yardage champion. He needs just 31 all-purpose yards in the bowl game to break Terry Allen’s freshman all-purpose running yardage record of 1126 set in 1987.
Clemson Coverage Has Been Sound Clemson has been outstanding in kick coverage this year. Clemson led the ACC in kickoff return coverage, allowing just 20.3 yards per return. Clemson allowed just one return over 30 yards all year and that was a 43-yarder. Clemson was also solid on punt coverage. For the year Clemson allowed 186 punt return yards, but 86 came in the last game of the season against Duke. Over the first 10 games opponents had just 100 punt return yards on 40 Clemson punts. Clemson has balanced special teams unit. Junior running back Bernard Rambert leads the team in special teams tackles with 10, while Tore White and Rodney Feaster are second with nine apiece. Joel Gardner, a senior, has also been a big contributor on special teams. He threw the key block on Hamilton’s 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Maryland.
Clemson Strong in Return Game Clemson is also outstanding when it comes to punt and kickoff returns this year. The Tigers rank 10th in the nation in kickoff returns with a 24.86 average. Derrick Hamilton is third in the nation and first in the ACC in kickoff returns with a 31.73 average, while Brian Mance finished 30th at 24.52. Mance is also 27th in the nation in punt returns with a 11.38 average. It is the first time since 1995 that Clemson has had the same player ranked in the top 30 in the nation in punt returns and kickoff returns in the same year. Antwuan Wyatt was ranked in the top 15 in the nation in both areas that year, as he was 12th in kickoff returns and 15th in punt returns.
Clemson at Record Rate for First Downs Clemson has had one of its most productive offenses in history this year. Tommy Bowden team is at a record rate in terms of first downs per game, and is on pace to be the second best offense in Clemson history in terms of pass completions per game, and passing yardage per game. It has also been the third best total offense per game in Clemson history, ranks third in yards per play and fourth in completion percentage.
Clemson’s offense has been strong this year, averaging 421.5 yards per game. The record is 436 yards per game set by the 2000 offense, while the 1978 team averaged 427 yards per game. Here is a list of how this team stacks up on a per game basis with great Clemson offenses of the past.
Category
Carson Records 23 Tackles vs. Wake Forest, Moves to Fifth on Tackle List Chad Carson had the top tackle game of his career and the third best single game in Clemson history in the victory over Wake Forest on Oct. 27. Carson had 15 first hits and eight assists in helping the Tigers hold down Wake Forest’s outstanding rushing defense. The Demon Deacons entered the game averaging 235 yards per game on the ground, sixth best in the nation. Carson was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in his career for that performance. But, Carson and his teammates held Wake Forest to 193 on the day and 344 yards of total offense. It was the second lowest total offensive figure this year for Wake Forest. Carson had a lot to do with the run defense and he also contributed to the pass defense by intercepting a pass, his first career interception in 42 games as a Tiger.
Carson’s tackle total was third best in Clemson history. The only higher are the 27 by former teammate Keith Adams against South Carolina in 1999 and by Jeff Davis against North Carolina in 1980. That is pretty good company for Carson as both players were not only All-Americans, but also won ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Carson now has 441 tackles for his career, fifth best in school history. He moved ahead of Robert Carswell, Adams and Randy Scott in his big game at Wake Forest. Carson now trails only Bubba Brown, Anthony Simmons, Davis and Ed McDaniel. Simmons and McDaniel are still in the NFL, while Davis played five years with the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Clemson Career Tackle Leaders 1. Bubba Brown, LB 1976-79 (515) 2. Anthony Simmons, LB 1995-97 (486) 3. Jeff Davis, LB 1978-81 (469) 4. Ed McDaniel, LB 1988-91 (489) 5. Chad Carson, LB 1998-01 (441) 6. Randy Scott, LB 1975-78 (382) 7. Keith Adams, LB 1998-00 (379) 8. Robert Carswell, FS 1997-00 (374) 9. Tim Jones, LB 1991-94 (338) 10. Henry Walls, LB 1983-85 (316)
Clemson Single Game Tackle Bests 1. Keith Adams 1999 vs. South Carolina (27) 2. Jeff Davis 1980 vs. North Carolina (24) 3. Chad Carson 2001 vs. Wake Forest (23) 4. Chad Carson 2000 vs. Georgia Tech (22) Jeff Davis 1980 vs. Maryland (22) Bubba Brown 1978 vs. Ohio State (22) Bubba Brown 1979 vs. N.C. State (22) 8. Henry Walls 1985 vs. Georgia Tech (21) Willie Anderson 1974 vs. South Carolina (21)
Hafley Sets Clemson Single Game Record…Again Clemson graduate defensive back Charles Hafley set a school record for tackles in a game by a defensive back in the Tigers 38-3 loss to North Carolina on Oct. 20 at Death Valley. Hafley was credited with 19 tackles in the contest on 11 first hits and eight assists. He topped that figure just a couple of weeks later with 20 tackles against Maryland.
Hafley now ranks second on the Clemson team and is among the ACC leaders in tackles with 121 through 11 games, an average of 11 per game. The South Carolina game was his sixth double figure tackle game this season and 13th of his career. A year ago Hafley had 106 tackles, most ever by a strong safety and third best in Clemson history for a defensive back. He will obviously shatter that mark and could break former teammate Robert Carswell record for a DB (129). He and Carswell are the only defensive backs in Clemson history with two 100-tackle seasons.
21 Tigers on NFL Rosters Twenty-one former Clemson football players, including five from last year’s 9-3 team that finished 14th in the final poll were named to NFL teams this year. The list also included former Tiger lineman Corey Hulsey, who had not played since the 1998 season with the Tigers. Hulsey made the Buffalo Bills roster as a guard.
Robert Carswell (FS, San Diego Chargers), Darrel Crutchfield (DB, Philadelphia Eagles) and Keith Adams (LB, Dallas Cowboys) were members of Clemson’s 2000 team that stuck with NFL teams as rookies. Terry Witherspoon was named to the San Diego Chargers practice squad and was with the Dallas Cowboys practice squad in December.
Five of the 21 players on the list are in at least their 10th year in the NFL. That list includes Chris Gardocki, in his 11th year in the league as a punter. He will play for the Cleveland Browns this year. Terry Allen is a running back with the World Champion Baltimore Ravens, while Levon Kirkland, Ed McDaniel and Chester McGlockton are all former Tigers in their 10th year in the NFL.
The Seattle Seahawks start two former Tiger linebackers in Anthony Simmons and Kirkland, while the Denver Broncos start two former Tigers at
defensive tackle in former All-Pros McGlockton and Trevor Pryce.
December 8, 2024
