Clemson Loses Heartbreaker To N.C. State, 35-31

Oct. 9, 1999

By ELIZABETH A. DAVIS Associated Press Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Jamie Barnette threw four touchdown passes and Rahshon Spikes ran for 104 yards and a touchdown as North Carolina State beat Clemson 35-31 Saturday night.

N.C. State (4-2, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) rallied from a 14-point deficit in the first quarter and battled to regain the lead twice to earn its first conference win of the season. Barnette finished 15-of-29 for 215 yards with one interception.

Clemson (2-3, 2-1) dominated much of the first half and lost despite a strong performance by Woodrow Dantzler, who started in place of injured Brandon Streeter. Dantzler was 24-of-40 for 203 yards and two touchdowns.

The Wolfpack took the lead for good after Clemson’s Mal Lawyer fumbled a punt return and Lloyd Harrison recovered it on the Clemson 45. Down 31-28, Barnette drove the offense inside the Clemson 10 and, on second-and-goal, threw 3 yards to Andy Vanderveer for the touchdown to take a 35-31 lead with 14:11 to go.

N.C. State took its first lead of the game at 28-24 on its first possession of the second half. Barnette ran 10 yards to take the ball to the Clemson 3, and on fourth-and-goal, passed to Vanderveer for a 1-yard touchdown with 7:06 to go in the third quarter.

Dantzler’s 26-yard pass to Brian Wofford with 3:01 to go in the third quarter gave Clemson a 31-28 lead.

Before halftime, N.C. State cut Clemson’s lead to 24-21 when Barnette finished off a 94-yard drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Peterson.

The drive appeared dead after N.C. State was stopped inside the Clemson 40. Barnette bobbled a snap and was sacked on third down. N.C. State lined up to punt, but a personal foul on Clemson gave the Wolfpack a first down and kept the drive alive. Barnette passed 19 yards to Peterson for another first down and then spiked the ball to stop the clock before the touchdown pass.

The Wolfpack were down 14-0 after the first four minutes of the game. Dantzler capped a 65-yard drive with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Lawyer to put Clemson up 7-0 with 12:29 to go in the first quarter. The Tigers scored again 1 1/2 minutes later after Alex Ardley intercepted a pass that slipped out of Chris Coleman’s hands. On the next play, Zachery scored on a 10-yard run.

N.C. State got on the board on its next possession when Barnette found an open Ryan Hamrick for an 18-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 14-7 with 6:27 to go in the first quarter.