Clemson – N.C. State Football Game Notes

Oct. 2, 2000

Clemson-NC State Football Game NotesDownload Free Acrobat Reader

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Oct. 2, 2000

Clemson’s 5-0 start has brought Clemson to a number-five ranking in the nation in both polls (AP and USA Today/ESPN Coach’s). This number-five ranking is Clemson’s best since September 12, 1988 when Clemson was ranked third with a 2-0 record.

Ironically, Bobby Bowden, the father of Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden, defeated that third-ranked Clemson team, 24-21, in the famous “Puntrooskie Game” and knocked Clemson out of the top five. Clemson has not been back since. The Tigers dropped to12th in the nation after that loss, then finished finished 10-2 and ranked ninth in the final AP poll.

Of course, Clemson’s highest ranking on record is number-one. Clemson was number-one in the November 30, 1981 poll, then again in the January 3, 1982 poll. Clemson defeated Nebraska 22-15 to win the 1981 National Championship, Clemson’s only national championship in college football history.

The Tigers have been ranked in the top five of the AP poll 18 times (including this week). Clemson was first ranked in the top five in 1959, a number-five ranking under Frank Howard on September 21, 1959. Clemson was ranked in the top five for eight rankings in 1981, for the first four polls of 1988 and for the first four polls of 1988.

NC State and Clemson Both Undefeated

Clemson (5-0) and NC State (4-0) are both undefeated heading into Saturday’s game at Death Valley. Believe it or not, this is the first time in the 59-year history of Death Valley that two teams with a perfect record and at least four victories have met. Plenty of undefeated teams have come to Death Valley and Clemson has been undefeated deep into many seasons, but never have two teams with a perfect record and at least four wins faced off on this famous turf.

Zachery Nearing Clemson Touchdown Record

Travis Zachery scored two more touchdowns in Clemson’s win over Duke last week. It gave the junior running back 29 career touchdowns, 26 rushing and three receiving. Zachery is closing in on the Clemson all-time record for touchdowns scored. The mark is 32, held by Lester Brown, who played tailback for the Tigers from 1976-79.

Zachery stands third heading into this game with his 29 total. The legendary Fred Cone, who played three years on the varsity, stands second with 31 touchdowns registered between 1948-50. With his two touchdowns last week, Zachery moved ahead of such well known Clemson players as Ray Mathews, Terry Allen and Kenny Flowers.

Zachery is having another solid all-around season. He stands seventh in the ACC in rushing with 73 yards per game. His 5.5 average is third best in the league, trailing only teammates Woodrow Dantzler (7.9), and freshman Keith Kelly (5.6).

Zachery has 364 yards rushing this season and 1819 for his career. That total is 17th best in Clemson history. The native of Marietta, GA needs just 181 rushing yards to become just the 14th player in Clemson history to rush for over 2000 yards in a career.

Zachery has nine receptions for the season, third best on the Clemson team. That gives him 40 for his career, just six away from breaking the Clemson career record for catches by a running back. That record of 45 is held by Ray Yauger (1968-70) and Raymond Priester (1994-97).

Clemson Leads Nation in Pass Defense

While Woodrow Dantzler and the Clemson offense has received much of the attention this year, the Clemson defense has certainly done its part in putting Clemson in the top five in the nation. Clemson leads the nation in total defense, allowing just 199.2 yards per game, and ranks tied for sixth in the country in scoring defense, giving up 9.6 points a game.

Clemson has been especially proficient in the area of pass defense. The Tigers lead the nation in pass efficiency defense with a 74.48 rating. The opposition has completed just 44.4 percent of its passes and is averaging just 4.35 yards per pass attempt. Those are near record figures for the Clemson program. Clemson has allowed just one touchdown pass and has had six interceptions.

There are many leaders in the secondary for Jack Hines’s (Tommy Bowden’s brother-in-law) unit. Charles hafley has 34 tackles, while Robert Carswell has 30. The starting safeties rank three, four on the Clemson team in tackles. Sophomore Darrel Crutchfield had seven tackles and four passes broken up at Virginia to key that win.

Clemson on Record Pace in Terms of Scoring

Clemson is scoring points at an incredible rate through the first five games. The Tigers rank fourth in the nation in scoring with an average of 47.6 points per game. The school record for scoring average per game is 38.0 set back in 1901 by John Heisman’s second Tiger team. That club had a perfect 6-0 record and outscored the opposition 222-10. As far as total points scored is concerned, the record is 368, a mark held by the 1989 and 1978 Clemson teams. Both of those teams played 12 games.

Here are some quick facts on Clemson’s scoring offense so far this year:

*Clemson has scored 238 points so far this year. That total through five games is already more points than Clemson scored in 82 or its 104 previous seasons.

*Clemson already has had three different games in which it has scored more than 50 points. The only other team in Clemson history that has had three 50-point games is the undefeated team of 1950. Ironically, this is of course the 50-year anniversary of that team, and it will be honored at the October 28 Georgia Tech game.

*Clemson already has scored 32 touchdowns. The record for a season is 48, set in 1950.

*Clemson’s 238 points is the most ever scored by a Tiger team through the first five games of the season.

*Clemson’s 52 points scored at Duke rank as the sixth most ever by a Clemson team on the opponent’s home field. It is the most points scored on the road since 1984 when Clemson won at Virginia, 55-0.

*Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler has accounted for 16 touchdowns this year, eight rushing and eight passing. That is an average of 19.2 points a game, just off the 20.9 scoring average Will Solomon had when he led the ACC in scoring in men’s basketball last year.

*Eleven different Clemson players have scored at least one touchdown this year.

*This is the first time in history Clemson has scored at least 30 points in each of the first five games of the season. In fact, it is the first time in history that Clemson has scored at least 30 points in five consecutive games at any point in the season. The 1950 Clemson team had a streak of four straight games of at least 35 points.

Scoring Points Nothing New for Bowden Teams

Scoring a lot of points is not a new experience for Tommy Bowden coached teams. Between his 22 games at Tulane and his 17 games as Clemson head coach, he has had 18 games in which his team has score at least 40 points in a game. Even the 62 points the Tigers scored against Missouri were not the most by a Bowden coached team. His Tulane team of 1998 defeated Southwest Louisiana, 72-20. The last game he coached at Tulane, the Green Wave scored 62 in a 62-30 win over Louisiana Tech.

Overall, Bowden coached teams have scored in the 70s on one occasion, scored in the 60s three times, scored in the 50s on six occasions and scored in the 40s eight times. For his 39 games as a Division I head coach his teams have scored 1433 points, an average of 36.7 points per game.

Clemson on/close to Record Pace in Many Areas

It is still very early, but Clemson has been operating at a record rate in many areas, especially on offense. Clemson has averaged 47.6 points a game through five games, far ahead of the 38.0 per game put up by Clemson’s 1901 team under John Heisman. The 514 yards a game are nearly 100 yards a game ahead of the standing record of 427.8 yards a game. Below are some areas where Clemson is operating at near or above the record rate:

Adams Looks For Clemson Record

Clemson linebacker Keith Adams can establish a Clemson record for consecutive games with at least one tackle for loss if he stops an NC State opponent behind the line of scrimmage on Saturday. Adams, a first-team All-American last year, has had at least one tackle for loss in 17 straight games, tying the record also held by current Seattle Seahawk linebacker Anthony Simmons. Simmons had a streak of 17 straight games between 1996 and 1997.

Adams has 10 tackles for loss and six sacks so far this year to lead the team and rank among the ACC leaders in both categories. He had 35 tackles for loss and 16 sacks, both Clemson records, last season. For his career, he now has 22 sacks and 45 tackles for loss. With still a year and a half left, Adams ranks tied for fourth in Clemson history in sacks and he is tied for sixth in tackles for loss. Only Michael Dean Perry (28), William Perry (27) and Adrian Dingle (23) have had more sacks than Adams in school history.

Adams has 56 tackles to tie for the team lead so far this season. He has 287 stops for his career and obviously needs just 13 to reach 300 for his career.

Adams on Display at College Football Hall of Fame

Clemson linebacker Keith Adams is one of 10 active players featured in the “Race for the Pantheon 2000” exhibit at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana. The display, located in the main exhibit hall, includes Adam’s jersey and photos of the Clemson junior linebacker. It was unveiled September 8.

The “Race for the Pantheon Display” features what the College Football Hall of Fame considers to be the top 10 players in college football. Adams was the only linebacker listed and is one of four juniors involved. He is a first-team preseason All-American for 2000 after earning All-America honors last year as a sophomore when he led the nation in tackles for loss and total tackles.

The 10 players Featured in the exhibit are:

Tigers Off to 5-0 Start

Clemson is off to a 5-0 start, Clemson’s first 5-0 start since 1987 when the Tigers opened 6-0. That year, NC State ended Clemson’s opening streak with a 30-28 victory in Death Valley. That was one of the most unusual games in Death Valley’s history. State took a 30-0 lead at halftime, only to see Clemson come back to 30-28 in the fourth quarter. Clemson actually got the ball back with a chance to win the game on a last-second David Treadwell field goal, but a final drive stalled and the Pack had the victory. Clemson’s defense had a record 19 tackles for loss, yet lost the game.

Clemson has had two perfect seasons (given a miminum of 11 games), the 1981 National Championship season and the 1948 campaign when the Tigers finished 11th in in the final AP poll with an 11-0 record. Clemson and Michigan were the only undefeated teams in the nation that year.

This is the ninth time in history that Clemson has started a season 5-0 or better. Clemson also started 5-0 in 1940, Frank Howard’s first Tiger team. Clemson also started 6-0 in 1900, 1928, 1929, 1930 and 1987. Clemson was 11-0 in 1948 and 12-0 in 1981.

Clemson Looks for 4-0 ACC Start

If Clemson can defeat North Carolina State on Saturday it would give the Tigers a 4-0 start in the ACC, its best league start since the 1983 season when the Tigers were 7-0 against ACC teams for the entire season. Clemson was perfect against ACC teams in 1982, 1981, 1967 and 1978.

Clemson opened its ACC schedule with a 3-0 start in 1986, 1987 and 1988. NC State ended those 3-0 starts each time. Thus, the last three times Clemson has been 3-0, NC State prevented them from a 4-0 league start.

While NC State has ended Clemson winning streak, Clemson has ended Wolfpack streaks. Each of the last two times NC State started a season 6-0, Clemson ended the Pack winning streak. In 1989 NC State came to Clemson with a 6-0 record and ranked 12th in the nation. The unranked Tigers came away with a 30-10 victory. Two years later, NC State was again 6-0 coming to Clemson, but the 19th ranked Tigers defeated another 12th ranked NC State team, 29-19.

This is the first time NC State has been 4-0 since 1994. Louisville ended NC State’s winning streak that year.

Clemson Rushing Numbers at a Record Rate

When Tommy Bowden became Clemson head coach he said the Tigers would win a lot of games when they had seasons when they gained at least 2000 yards rushing. Clemson’s offense is wide open with four wide receivers on most plays, thereby giving the impression that it is a pass-happy attack.

To the contrary, at least statistically, Clemson has used the running game to gain nearly 60 percent of its total offense so far this year. It is an offense that has averaged 514 yards per game, just two feet per game less than Florida State’s national leading figure of 514.6.

Clemson has averaged 304 yards a game on the ground so far this year, a Clemson record pace. That is right, a higher average than any team coached by Danny Ford or Ken Hatfield. The Clemson record for the course of a season is 289.1 yards a game by the 1978 team that finished 11-1. As you can see by the chart below, success in rushing usually translates into victories and a national ranking.

Clemson’s has finished in the top 15 in the nation in rushing 11 of the last 22 years. The highest ranking Clemson has ever had in rushing per game is number-four by the 1995 team. Clemson is fourth in the country in rushing this week.

Clemson’s Top Rushing Seasons

Clemson vs. N.C. StateThe 20th Annual Textile Bowl

Clemson and N.C. State will do battle in the 20th annual Textile Bowl when the two teams meet in Clemson on Saturday. Clemson has a 13-6 advantage in the series since the game took on the Textile Bowl title in 1981, the year Clemson won the National Championship. The Textile Industry has a very important effect on the economy of North Carolina and South Carolina and the two schools competing in Saturday’s game.

Many of the Textile Bowl contests have been close, including each of the last three, which have been decided by a touchdown or less. Three years ago in Raleigh, Matt Padgett booted a 20-yard field goal with just 19 seconds left to give Clemson a 19-17 victory. The Tigers drove 78 yards in 14 plays to set up the winning score. Nealon Greene hit 20-32 passes for 250 yards and Tony Horne caught eight passes for 112 to key the Clemson offense. Raymond Priester added 89 yards rushing on 24 attempts.

In 1998 at Clemson, Torry Holt completed an incredible day with a nine yard scoring pass from Jamie Barnette with just 37 seconds left. It was his fourth touchdown reception of the day. Last year, NC State defeated Clemson 35-31 in an exciting contest in Raleigh that featured 35 first quarter points between the two teams combined. Clemson had five possessions in the fourth period with a chance to take the lead, but could not drive for a winning touchdown.

Thus, Clemson has scored 70 points against NC State over the last two years and lost both games. NC State had two weeks to prepare for last year’s game and they have 16 days to prepare for this year’s game.

Another close game took place in 1993. Clemson held a 20-0 lead after three quarters thanks to an offense that gained 250 yards rushing, but had to hang on in the last minute to gain the victory. Tim Jones broke up each of the Wolfpack’s last two pass plays of the game at the Clemson goal line over the last 12 seconds of the contest to preserve the Tiger victory.

Last Meeting vs. NC StateNC State 35, Clemson 31

Clemson scored 21 first quarter points, but could not hold off a resurgent N.C. State offense as the Wolfpack defeated the Tigers 35-31 in Raleigh. Clemson (2-3, 2-1) had leads of 14-0 and 21-7 in the first quarter before the Wolfpack (4-2, 1-2) caught fire. Wolfpack signal caller Jamie Barnette connected with tight end Andy VanDerVeer twice for touchdowns in the second half, with the latter being the game winner.

In his first start of ’99, Tiger quarterback Woodrow Dantzler, who was playing in place of injured starter Brandon Streeter, threw for 284 yards on 23-41 passing and two touchdowns. The 284 yards were the sixth most by a Tiger in history. But in the fourth quarter, Dantzler completed was just 2-12 thanks to an effective Wolfpack blitz package.

Meanwhile, Barnette, after torching the Tiger defense for four touchdowns and 374 yards in ’98, threw four more touchdown strikes and was 15-29 for 215 yards. He became the first player to throw four touchdowns against Clemson on two different occasions. Tailback Rahshon Spikes rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries to lead the 135-yard day by the Wolfpack ground game. Travis Zachery had 82 of the 83 yards rushing for the Tigers, who had just 19 rushing yards the last three quarters. Brian Wofford, Mal Lawyer, and Rod Gardner had six receptions apiece, with Wofford leading the way with 100 yards and a touchdown.

The Tigers, who were playing their fifth straight Bowl team (from ’98) to open the season, took the game’s opening drive 65 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead. Dantzler found Lawyer streaking down the middle for a 30-yard score. Three plays later, safety Robert Carswell broke up a Barnette pass, and Alex Ardley picked off the airborne ball and returned it 15 yards to the Wolfpack 10. On the next play, Zachery rushed up the middle for the score to give Clemson a 14-0 lead.

N.C. State finally got on track on the ensuing drive with a 10-play, 80-yard drive culminating in a Barnette to Ryan Hamrick 18-yard touchdown pass. But Clemson came back with its third touchdown in four drives. Starting in Wolfpack territory, the Tigers drove 43 yards in seven plays. Dantzler’s 17-yard keeper set up Zachery’s three-yard touchdown run. It was the first time the sophomore scored twice in one game.

Spikes cut into the Tiger lead, this time with a 39-yard touchdown run to cap a four-play, 71-yard drive with 16 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Clemson responded on the ensuing drive with a 43-yard field by Tony Lazzara to up the Tiger lead to 24-14.

That appeared to be the score entering halftime as the Wolfpack lined up to punt with under a minute left. But Clemson was called for a personal foul (for hitting the long snapper within one second after the snap). Three plays later and with 15 seconds left, Bryan Peterson’s 22-yard catch and run cut the Wolfpack deficit to 24-21 at the half.

After possessing the ball for the last 2:24 of the first half, N.C. State opened the second half with a 7:54 drive. Barnette found VanDerVeer over the middle on fourth-and-goal from the one. N.C. State had possession for nearly 23 minutes of the second half.

Clemson retook the lead 31-28 with 3:01 left in the third quarter when Dantzler threw a 26-yard strike on the run to Wofford. But those were the last points for Clemson, as the Tigers managed just 44 yards of offense in the final 18 minutes.

After Lawyer dropped a punt to set the Wolfpack up in Tiger territory, Barnette led his team for the game-winning score with 14:11 remaining in the game. On third-and-three from the 10, Clemson was flagged for pass interference. Two plays later, Barnette connected again with VanDerVeer, this time on a three-yard score. N.C. State scored touchdowns on all three drives in the red zone.

The Tigers had five possessions in the fourth quarter to take the lead, but two ended with punts, two on downs, and the last on an interception.

Terry Jolly had a career-high nine tackles and three for loss. Gary Childress, who appeared in just his second game of ’99 due to injury, had Clemson’s only other sack.

Last Meeting at ClemsonNC State 46, Clemson 39October 31, 1998 at Death Valley

Torry Holt scored four touchdowns and had 225 receiving yards, while Jamie Barnette threw for a Memorial Stadium record 374 yards on Halloween at Death Valley as the Wolfpack outlasted Clemson, 46-39. The two teams combined for 40 points in the fourth quarter that saw the lead change four times. Clemson had been 154-0 all-time when it scored 33 points or more.

The day also featured Tiger quarterback Brandon Streeter, who set school records for completions (27) and passing yards (329). Streeter’s favorite targets were Brian Wofford, who had his second straight 100-yard receiving game, and Mal Lawyer. Wofford caught nine passes for 128 yards and a touchdown, while Lawyer caught eight passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. It marked the first time in Clemson history two receivers had at least 100 yards receiving in the same game.

Clemson got on the board first with 3:57 left in the first quarter when Streeter kept on an option play and dragged the defender into the endzone from five yards. On the ensuing kickoff, Brian Williams picked up the ball he muffed on the one-yard line and took a knee in the endzone, resulting in a safety.

The Tiger defense limited the Wolfpack to just 48 yards midway through the second quarter when disaster struck. Clemson Thorpe Award candidate Antwan Edwards pulled a hamstring at the 9:31 mark and missed the rest of the game. Two series later, Barnette capitalized on Edwards’ absence as he found Holt deep across the middle for 85 yards and a score to cut the Tiger lead to 9-7.

Clemson once again turned the ball over on its first drive of the second half. Terry Witherspoon fumbled and Jason Perry picked up the loose ball, and ran 36 yards for the touchdown. Clemson turned the ball over five times while N.C. State was turnover-free.

Clemson responded with a 14-play, 83-yard drive on its next possession to halt the N.C. State momentum. Clemson cut further into the Wolfpack lead two possessions later when Streeter connected with Lawyer across the middle for 14 yards and a touchdown.

N.C. State offset Lawyer’s score on its next drive with a five-play, 78-yard drive capped by Holt’s 41-yard catch and run. But the Tigers came right back with a five-play, 84-yard drive to cut the lead to just five points. Streeter was 5-5 for all 84 yards on the drive that was capped by Wofford’s 52-yard catch on a post-pattern.

Clemson took the lead on its next drive when Streeter found Lawyer from 25 yards, giving Clemson a touchdown on four of its last five possessions. N.C. State took the lead back when Daniel Deskevich kicked a 32-yard field goal. Ryan Hamrick’s one-handed, 51-yard catch helped set up the score.

The Tigers marched down the field again. David Richardson’s 40-yard field goal gave Clemson the 39-38 lead with 2:15 left. But Barnette led N.C. State down the field, as he was 6-6 for 76 yards, on the winning drive. Barnette hit Holt from nine yards for the winning score with 0:37 remaining. Clemson had five of its starting defenders, including ACC sack leader Adrian Dingle, injured and unavailable on the drive.

Dantzler Emerges as Heisman Candidate

After his 374-yard total offense performance against Virginia, many members of the media proclaimed Woodrow Dantzler a 2000 Heisman candidate. The interest in Dantzler grew after his 134-yard rushing, 174-yard passing performance in the win at Duke. It gave Dantzler three consecutive games of at least 100 yards rushing and at least 300 yards of total offense, a first in Clemson history.

The junior from Orangeburg, SC certainly has some impressive and unusual numbers , data that is in line with those of a Heisman Trophy candidate.The October 1, 2000 installment of CNNSI.com lists a top 10 Heisman candidates. Dantzler is listed fifth, ranking behind Michael Vick of Virginia Tech, Drew Brees of Purdue, Chris Weinke of Florida State and Eric Crouch of Nebraska.

Clemson has had just one player rank in the final top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting. That was Steve Fuller, who finished tied for sixth in the voting with fellow ACC player Ted Brown in 1978. The only Clemson player to win a National Award is Terry Kinard, who was named National Defensive Player of the Year by CBS and Chevrolet in 1982.

Dantzler was named National Player of the Week by CNNSI.com from his performance at Virginia. That internet site picks one player, regardless of position for the entire country. Dantzler had 220 yards rushing, an ACC record for a quarterback, and 154 yards passing in the victory at Virginia.

Dantzler is a prime reason Clemson ranks second in the nation in total offense, fourth in scoring, fourth in rushing and ninth in passing efficiency.

Dantzler Challenging for first 2000-1000 Season

Heisman Trophy voters are usually attracted to an unusual and extraordinary statistical accomplishment. Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler has a realistic chance of doing something that no other Division I quarterback in history has accomplished. Prior to the season Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden told members of the media that Dantzler had a chance to become the first quarterback in NCAA history to record at least 1000 yards rushing and 2000 yards passing in the same season.

Ten different quarterbacks on 11 occasions have had at least 1000 of each in the same season, but none of the 1000-yard rushers has reached 2000 yards passing. The closest to reaching both levels is Brian Mitchell, who had 1311 rushing and 1966 passing in 1989 at Louisiana-Lafayette. Mitchell has gone on to an NFL career as one of the top kick returners in the league and he is still playing with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Dantzler has 629 yards rushing and 865 yards passing through five games this year. He is on pace for a 1383-yard rushing season and a 1903-yard passing season for an 11-game regular season schedule. He leads the ACC and ranks 11th in the nation in rushing and is ranked fourth in the nation in passing efficiency with a 163.3 mark.

For those of your who might doubt Dantzler’s ability to accomplish the 2000/1000 double, check the chart below. For his first 11 games as Clemson’s quarterback he passed for 2095 yards and rushed 1037. After the Duke game, his 12-game numbers read 2269 yards passing and 1171 yards rushing. For his 12 games as Clemson quarterback he has averaged 98 yards a game rushing and 189 yards a game through the air.

Dantzler as Clemson’s Quarterback (12 Games)

Items on Dantzler’s Big Day in Charlottesville

Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler had another outstanding game in the victory over Virginia on September 23rd. The junior signal caller rushed for 220 yards and passed for 154, leading the Tigers to a 31-10 victory. He was named National Player of the Week by CNNSI.com for his accomplishments. Here are a few items on his performance that day: *Gained 220 yards rushing, fifth highest total in Clemson history regardless of position. *The 220 yards rushing set a Clemson and ACC record for rushing yards by a Tiger quarterback. Broke his own ACC record in terms of rushing yards by a quarterback. *Gained 374 yards of total offense, tied for second highest figure in Clemson history. *Set Clemson record for consecutive 200-yard total offense games. The Virginia game was his fourth straight game of at least 200 yards. The streak is now five in a row. *Became first Clemson player in history to gain at least 300 yards total offense in consecutive games. He now has three in a row, another first. *His 220 yards rushing against Virginia included a 75-yard touchdown run, tied for the longest run in history by a Clemson quarterback. Steve Fuller had a 75-yard run against Virginia Tech at Clemson in 1978. *The 75-yard run was the longest by any Clemson player since 1993 when Derrick Witherspoon raced 89 yards for a touchdown against Maryland. *With his performance at Duke, now the first Clemson quarterback in history to have three consecutive 100-yard rushing games. *Had 223 yards of all-purpose running (yes, he even caught a pass for three yards), 13th highest figure in Clemson history, most since Tony Horne had 225 against UTEP in 1997.

Dantzler Already 8th in Total Offense in Clemson History

Even though Woodrow Dantzler has started just 11 games at quarterback in his Clemson career, he is already eighth in school history in total offense. He has accumulated 1494 yards this year and now has 3754 for his career. That total is broken down to 1301 rushing and 2453 passing. He has played just 20 total games, meaning he averages 187.7 yards per game, an all-time Clemson record on a career basis.

Dantzler still has a long way to go to catch career record holder Nealon Greene, who had 6786 career total offense yards. But, he still has the rest of this season and all of next season. Dantzler’s 3754 career yards of total offense are just three yards from tying Bobby Gage for seventh on the Clemson all-time list. Raymond Priester, who had all of his yards on the ground, stands sixth at 3966.

Dantzler needs just 246 yards against NC State to become the sixth Clemson quarterback in history to reach 4000 yards of total offense.

Clemson Career Leaders in Total Offense

Dantzler Ranked in Top 12 Nationally in Five Areas

Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler is ranked in the top 12 in the nation in five different statistical categories, a testimony to his all-around abilities. Dantzler ranks fourth in the nation in passing efficiency with a 163.3 figure and fourth in points responsible for (19.2 PPG). He is ranked fifth in total offense with a 298.8 figure and is tied for 12th in points per game with 9.6. . Finally, Dantzler is 11th in the nation in rushing with an average of 125 yards per game.

It is safe to say that this is the highest a Clemson quarterback has ever ranked in rushing at any time in a season. With those strong rushing stats, Dantzler is even ranked in all-purpose running, standing 38th this week.

Dantzler has shown his versatility in the touchdown responsibility area. In five games he has already accounted for 16 touchdowns, eight rushing and eight passing. The Clemson record for an entire season is 19 by Mark Fellers in 1974.

Dantzler the Passer

Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler gets a lot of attention for his running ability. And he should, he leads all quarterbacks nationally in rushing and is first in the ACC overall with 125 yards per game. But, not only does he lead the ACC in rushing, he ranks fourth in the nation in passing efficiency.

Dantzler is also a fine passer as his 64 percent completion percentage and 163.3 passing efficiency rating shows. He has completed 63-98 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. He has thrown just one interception this year (a pass that was tipped) and had a streak of 79 straight passes without an interception to open the season.

For his career Dantzler is now first in passing efficiency (136.5), first in completion percentage (.579) and first in interception avoidance (2.22 %). Dantzler is also fifth in yards per attempt and eighth in total touchdown passes.

Clemson Career Leaders in Passing Efficiency (Minimum of 100 attempts)

Big Day for Reames Family

Clemson receiver and punt returner Joe Don Reames returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter of Clemson’s 31-10 victory over Virginia. It was an important score, bringing the Tigers to a 10-10 at the time.

That was the first kick return for a touchdown in the Tommy Bowden era at Clemson(16 games). It was the first Clemson punt return for a score since the last regular season game of 1997 when Tony Horne raced 40 yards for a score at South Carolina. Clemson has not had a kickoff return for a touchdown since 1990.

Reames had 9 punt returns for 59 yards this season prior to that return, then exeeded his return yardage in that one return in Charlottesville. It was an entertaining run in that he changed directions four times. He resembled the cartoon character “The Roadrunner” on that return. It is a fitting comparison because Reames has a tatoo of the character on his left leg. Reames is now 33rd in the nation in punt returns with an 11.67 average.

Reames was one of two members of his family to receive headlines in the sports page on Sunday morning. His brother, Britt Reames, pitched the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-5 win over the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field on Saturday. The Cardinals final out and Joe Don’s punt return took place within a half hour of each other. Britt Reames is now 2-1 this year for the Cardinals and is a candidate to make the team’s playoff roster.

Clemson 5-0 Before October 1st

Clemson had a very successful September. Clemson’s win at Duke gave it five wins in September for the first time ever. This was just the fourth month in school history in which Clemson won five games.

Clemson last had had a 5-0 month in November of 1991. Clemson used the perfect November to finish the regular season 9-1-1 and capture the ACC Championship. That was the last time Clemson won the ACC title.

The other 5-0 months are October of 1977 and October of 1981. Clemson ended the 1977 season with an 8-3-1 record and advanced to the Gator Bowl, Clemson’s first bowl season in 18 years. Clemson won the National Championship in 1981.

Clemson Politically Correct Team

Clemson might be the most politically correct team in the country. The Tigers are the only school in the nation with a Gore and Bush on its roster. Buddy Gore III is a walk-on placekicker who has never played in a game, while Jovon Bush is a second team defensive tackle who has seven tackles in the first five games.

Gore is the son of former Clemson All-ACC running back Buddy Gore, who was Clemson’s first 1000-yard rusher back in 1967. He is still fourth in Clemson history in rushing and still holds the career record for all-purpose running yards per game.

No word on who Gore and Bush will vote for in the upcoming election.

Clemson Records Second Greatest Total Offense Day

Clemson had its second most productive total offense day in school history in the win over Wake Forest on September 16. The Tigers gained 623 yards of total offense in the 55-7 win, 436 on the ground and 187 in the air. The only total offense figure that is higher is the 756 yards Clemson accumulated against Wake Forest in 1981, Clemson’s National Championship season. Clemson now has just four games of 600 yards or more.

The 436 yards rushing ranked in a tie for seventh best single game total in school history. The record is 615 against Georgia Tech in 1903. The modern record (since 1937) is 536 against Wake Forest in 1981. The 436 yards against Wake Forest were the most by a Clemson team since 1992 when the Tigers had 440 in a win over UT Chattanooga.

Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden often states that when Clemson is gaining a lot of yards on the grounds the result is usually a victory. That has been the case for the Clemson program overall. In he 105-year history of Clemson football the Tigers are now 98-3-1 when gaining at least 300 yards rushing. The 436 yards against Wake Forest were a high for the Tigers in the Tommy Bowden era. Clemson added 327 more rushing yards in the win at Virginia and 315 at Duke.

Clemson had 30 first downs in the win over Wake Forest, most first downs by a Clemson team since the Tigers had 30 against Maryland in a victory in 1983.

Clemson has 3 of top 8 Rushers in ACC

Clemson’s offense has the reputation of an attack that likes to throw a lot of passes. Clemson did set many passing records last year. But, Clemson has really excelled in terms of rushing offense so far in 2000. Clemson has averaged 304 yards a game on the ground in the first five games, tops in the ACC by a large margin. In fact, Clemson averages almost twice as many rushing yards per game compared with any other team in the league.

A look to the ACC stats shows that Clemson has three of the top 8 rushers in the ACC. Travis Zachery is seventh at 72.8. Keith Kelly, a freshman who is really Clemson’s third team tailback, stands eighth at 60.3.

James Making Impact on Defensive Front

Clemson fifth-year senior Freddie James is making a name for himself in his final year as a Tiger. The native of St. Stephens, SC made his first college start against Wake Forest and had a lot to do with Clemson holding the Demon Deacons to just seven points and 159 yards of total offense.

James played a career high 31 plays and made two tackles, and caused a fumble. In the win over Missouri the previous week, James had a career high five tackles, all first hits. For the season, James has 13 tackles, nine of which have been first hits. For his career, he has played in 26 games and has 43 career tackles.

“Freddie James has been one of the heroes of our defense this year,” said Clemson Defensive Coordinator Reggie Herring. The Tigers are leading the nation in total defense and scoring defense so far this year. The only chemical engineering major on the Clemson team, James is a strong team leader who is vice president of Clemson’s LIFELINE organization, a leadership group composed of Clemson football players. The group is active in terms of team leadership and community service activities.

James is part of an athletic family. His cousin is Lance Legree, starting defensive lineman at Notre Dame. Both are fifth-year seniors, both wear #90, and they were born just eight days apart. Legree was born three days before Christmas in 1977, while James was born five days after Christmas in 1977.

Carson Has Shown Improvement

Chad Carson, a second-team Academic All-American last year, has 56 tackles in five games, tied for the team lead with Keith Adams. Carson had a career high 18 tackles in the win over Missouri in the second game of the year and had 11 against Wake Forest. He added 10 more against Virginia and led Clemson at Duke with seven.

Carson and Adams are quite a duo. Both are juniors from Georgia. In fact, they used to tackle each other in high school games. Carson was a running back most of his career at Woodward Academy in Georgia. Adams was the top linebacker at rival Westlake High School in College Park, GA.

Carson has his own weekly column on ESPN.com in conjunction with the Bowl Championship Series site.

Clemson Outstanding in the Redzone

One of the reasons for Clemson’s success this year has been scoring in the redzone. Clemson has been in the opponent’s redzone 27 times already this season and has scored 18 touchdowns and five field goals. One missed field goal, and the end of the game when Clemson had a large lead, are two of the four times Clemson has failed to convert when getting in the red-zone. Clemson has had first and goal 13 times this year and has 11 touchdowns and two field goals.

Clemson Leads Nation in Two Categories

Clemson leads the nation, or is tied for the lead nationally two different areas, total defense, and pass efficiency defense. Clemson is also ranked in the top five in the nation in four other categories.

Clemson’s excellence on both sides of the ball is shown in the NCAA stats. Clemson leads the nation in total defense and is second in total offense. Clemson is fourth in scoring offense and sixth in scoring defense.

Clemson in the National Statistics Rankings

Clemson 32-0-1 With 200 Yards Passing and Rushing

Clemson gained 236 yards rushing and 222 passing in the win over The Citadel in the season opener. The Tigers had 206 rushing and 275 more passing in the win over Missouri. Clemson had a third game with at least 200 of each at Duke with 315 rushing and 212 passing. That kind of balance, in particular gaining at least 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing in the same game, means a Clemson victory. In history, Clemson has a 32-0-1 record when it has at least 200 yards of each.

Clemson had three such games last year, wins over North Carolina, Maryland and Duke. That means Clemson has had six games of at least 200 yards of each in the 17 games Tommy Bowden has coached at Clemson. The program had just 28 such games in the first 103 years of Clemson football prior to Bowden’s arrival.

Carswell Breaks Kinard’s Record

Senior safety Robert Carswell eclipsed a record held by one of Clemson’s all-time greats in the Wake Forest game. With his eight tackles, Carswell moved ahead of Terry Kinard to set the school record for tackles in a career by a defensive back. Carswell now has 312 career tackles, ahead of the 294 set by Kinard from 1978-82. Kinard was a two-time consensus All-American at Clemson, including a unanimous selection in 1982 when he was National Defensive Player of the Year. Kinard was named Clemson’s greatest player of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated earlier this summer.

That said, Carswell certainly should take pride in this record. He had 129 tackles last year to set the Clemson record for stops by a Tiger defensive back. But, Carswell can do more than just tackle, he had six interceptions last year to tie for the ACC statistical championship in that category. He was named a preseason first-team All-American by Playboy, Clemson’s first Playboy All-American since Anthony Simmons.

Carswell now is ranked 10th in Clemson history in total tackles regardless of position with his 309 total. He needs just eight to jump all the way to seventh in Clemson history.

Top Career Tackle Totals by Clemson Defensive Backs

Points Off Turnovers Impressive

While turnover margin is important, points off turnover might be even more important. Clemson was about as productive as you can get in terms of converting turnovers into points in its 76-16 win over Missouri.

Clemson forced six turnovers in the game, most forced by a Tiger team since 1995 when Clemson forced seven in a win over NC State in Raleigh. Clemson scored 34 points off those six Missouri turnovers. When you figure the maximum you can score (assuming you try to kick the extra points and not go for two) is 42 points, that is good production. Missouri scored just three points off Clemson’s one turnover.

This year, Clemson has a 76-16 advantage when it comes to points off turnovers. In the 17 games Tommy Bowden has coached at Clemson the margin is 176-61.

Mance Ties Clemson Record

Clemson sophomore Brian Mance had a very productive 16 plays of action against Missouri in the second game of the season. For those 16 plays, Mance had two interceptions and a fumble recovery. In addition to those three takeaways, he also had four tackles and two passes broken up. He also contributed a 28-yard punt return on special teams in the fourth quarter, second longest punt return by a Tiger under Tommy Bowden.

Mance, a backup cornerback in the Missouri game, became just the seventh Clemson player in history to have three takeaways in the same game. He was the first to do it since Brian Dawkins had three interceptions against Duke in 1995. Mance leads the team in takeaways this year. He had a third interception at Duke and now ranks 15th in the nation in interceptions.

Single Game Takeaways Leaders

Young Leads O-Line

Center Kyle Young has been Clemson’s highest graded offensive lineman in three of the five games this year. The junior first-team Academic All-American had an 80 percent grade and four knockdown blocks from the Clemson coaches for his 55 plays against Missouri. For his performance he was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week.

He played his finest game as a Clemson Tiger in the win at Virginia in the fourth game of the season and was again named ACC Lineman of the Week. He registered a career high 16 knockdown blocks, most by a Clemson lineman in seven years. He graded 93 percent for his 65 plays and had a 100 percent grade in terms of effort from the Tiger offensive line coaches.

Young was Clemson’s highest graded lineman in eight of the 12 games last year. The native of Clemson is the grandson of Ed McClendon, who was a member of Clemson’s 1939 Southern Conference Championship team. His brother, Will Young, was an All-ACC player for the Tigers in 1995.

The offensive line, which also features graduate students Theo Mougros and John McDermott, had a strong game against Virginia helping Clemson to 481 yards of total offense.

Gardner Countdown to Clemson Records

Rod Gardner will be chasing a couple of Clemson records this season. With his record 80 catches for a record 1084 yards last year, Gardner has vaulted from virtual obscurity to a record challenger.

Gardner enters the NC State game with 127 receptions for 1728 yards. He needs just 23 yards to move ahead of former teammate and current St. Louis Rams player Tony Horne. He ranks fifth in career receptions and 6th in reception yardage. If Gardner has 55 catches for 1233 yards this season, he will break both records, marks held by former All-ACC receiver Terry Smith. Smith had 162 catches for 2681 yards in his career.

Coming into last year Gardner had just 28 catches for 364 yards. An 80-catch season will obviously put him over the top, but the yardage record will be a challenge. Entering this season, the native of Jacksonville, FL trails only Smith, Perry Tuttle, Jerry Butler, Brian Wofford and Tony Horne in receptions.

Horne reached the final 10 of the Biletnikoff Award in his senior year (1997) when he had 70 catches. Gardner broke his record for a season last year. Horne, now the top kickoff return player in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams, is the only Clemson receiver in school history to reach the final 10 of the Biletnikoff Award voting. (The award did not exist when Butler and Tuttle played).

Clemson career Reception Leaders

Clemson career Reception Yardage Leaders

Clemson’s 5-0 start has brought Clemson to a number-five ranking in the nation in both polls (AP and USA Today/ESPN Coach’s). This number-five ranking is Clemson’s best since September 12, 1988 when Clemson was ranked third with a 2-0 record.

Ironically, Bobby Bowden, the father of Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden, defeated that third-ranked Clemson team, 24-21, in the famous “Puntrooskie Game” and knocked Clemson out of the top five. Clemson has not been back since. The Tigers dropped to12th in the nation after that loss, then finished finished 10-2 and ranked ninth in the final AP poll.

Of course, Clemson’s highest ranking on record is number-one. Clemson was number-one in the November 30, 1981 poll, then again in the January 3, 1982 poll. Clemson defeated Nebraska 22-15 to win the 1981 National Championship, Clemson’s only national championship in college football history.

The Tigers have been ranked in the top five of the AP poll 18 times (including this week). Clemson was first ranked in the top five in 1959, a number-five ranking under Frank Howard on September 21, 1959. Clemson was ranked in the top five for eight rankings in 1981, for the first four polls of 1988 and for the first four polls of 1988.

NC State and Clemson Both Undefeated

Clemson (5-0) and NC State (4-0) are both undefeated heading into Saturday’s game at Death Valley. Believe it or not, this is the first time in the 59-year history of Death Valley that two teams with a perfect record and at least four victories have met. Plenty of undefeated teams have come to Death Valley and Clemson has been undefeated deep into many seasons, but never have two teams with a perfect record and at least four wins faced off on this famous turf.

Zachery Nearing Clemson Touchdown Record

Travis Zachery scored two more touchdowns in Clemson’s win over Duke last week. It gave the junior running back 29 career touchdowns, 26 rushing and three receiving. Zachery is closing in on the Clemson all-time record for touchdowns scored. The mark is 32, held by Lester Brown, who played tailback for the Tigers from 1976-79.

Zachery stands third heading into this game with his 29 total. The legendary Fred Cone, who played three years on the varsity, stands second with 31 touchdowns registered between 1948-50. With his two touchdowns last week, Zachery moved ahead of such well known Clemson players as Ray Mathews, Terry Allen and Kenny Flowers.

Zachery is having another solid all-around season. He stands seventh in the ACC in rushing with 73 yards per game. His 5.5 average is third best in the league, trailing only teammates Woodrow Dantzler (7.9), and freshman Keith Kelly (5.6).

Zachery has 364 yards rushing this season and 1819 for his career. That total is 17th best in Clemson history. The native of Marietta, GA needs just 181 rushing yards to become just the 14th player in Clemson history to rush for over 2000 yards in a career.

Zachery has nine receptions for the season, third best on the Clemson team. That gives him 40 for his career, just six away from breaking the Clemson career record for catches by a running back. That record of 45 is held by Ray Yauger (1968-70) and Raymond Priester (1994-97).

Clemson Leads Nation in Pass Defense

While Woodrow Dantzler and the Clemson offense has received much of the attention this year, the Clemson defense has certainly done its part in putting Clemson in the top five in the nation. Clemson leads the nation in total defense, allowing just 199.2 yards per game, and ranks tied for sixth in the country in scoring defense, giving up 9.6 points a game.

Clemson has been especially proficient in the area of pass defense. The Tigers lead the nation in pass efficiency defense with a 74.48 rating. The opposition has completed just 44.4 percent of its passes and is averaging just 4.35 yards per pass attempt. Those are near record figures for the Clemson program. Clemson has allowed just one touchdown pass and has had six interceptions.

There are many leaders in the secondary for Jack Hines’s (Tommy Bowden’s brother-in-law) unit. Charles hafley has 34 tackles, while Robert Carswell has 30. The starting safeties rank three, four on the Clemson team in tackles. Sophomore Darrel Crutchfield had seven tackles and four passes broken up at Virginia to key that win.

Clemson on Record Pace in Terms of Scoring

Clemson is scoring points at an incredible rate through the first five games. The Tigers rank fourth in the nation in scoring with an average of 47.6 points per game. The school record for scoring average per game is 38.0 set back in 1901 by John Heisman’s second Tiger team. That club had a perfect 6-0 record and outscored the opposition 222-10. As far as total points scored is concerned, the record is 368, a mark held by the 1989 and 1978 Clemson teams. Both of those teams played 12 games.

Here are some quick facts on Clemson’s scoring offense so far this year:

*Clemson has scored 238 points so far this year. That total through five games is already more points than Clemson scored in 82 or its 104 previous seasons.

*Clemson already has had three different games in which it has scored more than 50 points. The only other team in Clemson history that has had three 50-point games is the undefeated team of 1950. Ironically, this is of course the 50-year anniversary of that team, and it will be honored at the October 28 Georgia Tech game.

*Clemson already has scored 32 touchdowns. The record for a season is 48, set in 1950.

*Clemson’s 238 points is the most ever scored by a Tiger team through the first five games of the season.

*Clemson’s 52 points scored at Duke rank as the sixth most ever by a Clemson team on the opponent’s home field. It is the most points scored on the road since 1984 when Clemson won at Virginia, 55-0.

*Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler has accounted for 16 touchdowns this year, eight rushing and eight passing. That is an average of 19.2 points a game, just off the 20.9 scoring average Will Solomon had when he led the ACC in scoring in men’s basketball last year.

*Eleven different Clemson players have scored at least one touchdown this year.

*This is the first time in history Clemson has scored at least 30 points in each of the first five games of the season. In fact, it is the first time in history that Clemson has scored at least 30 points in five consecutive games at any point in the season. The 1950 Clemson team had a streak of four straight games of at least 35 points.

Scoring Points Nothing New for Bowden Teams

Scoring a lot of points is not a new experience for Tommy Bowden coached teams. Between his 22 games at Tulane and his 17 games as Clemson head coach, he has had 18 games in which his team has score at least 40 points in a game. Even the 62 points the Tigers scored against Missouri were not the most by a Bowden coached team. His Tulane team of 1998 defeated Southwest Louisiana, 72-20. The last game he coached at Tulane, the Green Wave scored 62 in a 62-30 win over Louisiana Tech.

Overall, Bowden coached teams have scored in the 70s on one occasion, scored in the 60s three times, scored in the 50s on six occasions and scored in the 40s eight times. For his 39 games as a Division I head coach his teams have scored 1433 points, an average of 36.7 points per game.

Clemson on/close to Record Pace in Many Areas

It is still very early, but Clemson has been operating at a record rate in many areas, especially on offense. Clemson has averaged 47.6 points a game through five games, far ahead of the 38.0 per game put up by Clemson’s 1901 team under John Heisman. The 514 yards a game are nearly 100 yards a game ahead of the standing record of 427.8 yards a game. Below are some areas where Clemson is operating at near or above the record rate:

Adams Looks For Clemson Record

Clemson linebacker Keith Adams can establish a Clemson record for consecutive games with at least one tackle for loss if he stops an NC State opponent behind the line of scrimmage on Saturday. Adams, a first-team All-American last year, has had at least one tackle for loss in 17 straight games, tying the record also held by current Seattle Seahawk linebacker Anthony Simmons. Simmons had a streak of 17 straight games between 1996 and 1997.

Adams has 10 tackles for loss and six sacks so far this year to lead the team and rank among the ACC leaders in both categories. He had 35 tackles for loss and 16 sacks, both Clemson records, last season. For his career, he now has 22 sacks and 45 tackles for loss. With still a year and a half left, Adams ranks tied for fourth in Clemson history in sacks and he is tied for sixth in tackles for loss. Only Michael Dean Perry (28), William Perry (27) and Adrian Dingle (23) have had more sacks than Adams in school history.

Adams has 56 tackles to tie for the team lead so far this season. He has 287 stops for his career and obviously needs just 13 to reach 300 for his career.

Adams on Display at College Football Hall of Fame

Clemson linebacker Keith Adams is one of 10 active players featured in the “Race for the Pantheon 2000” exhibit at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana. The display, located in the main exhibit hall, includes Adam’s jersey and photos of the Clemson junior linebacker. It was unveiled September 8.

The “Race for the Pantheon Display” features what the College Football Hall of Fame considers to be the top 10 players in college football. Adams was the only linebacker listed and is one of four juniors involved. He is a first-team preseason All-American for 2000 after earning All-America honors last year as a sophomore when he led the nation in tackles for loss and total tackles.

The 10 players Featured in the exhibit are:

Tigers Off to 5-0 Start

Clemson is off to a 5-0 start, Clemson’s first 5-0 start since 1987 when the Tigers opened 6-0. That year, NC State ended Clemson’s opening streak with a 30-28 victory in Death Valley. That was one of the most unusual games in Death Valley’s history. State took a 30-0 lead at halftime, only to see Clemson come back to 30-28 in the fourth quarter. Clemson actually got the ball back with a chance to win the game on a last-second David Treadwell field goal, but a final drive stalled and the Pack had the victory. Clemson’s defense had a record 19 tackles for loss, yet lost the game.

Clemson has had two perfect seasons (given a miminum of 11 games), the 1981 National Championship season and the 1948 campaign when the Tigers finished 11th in in the final AP poll with an 11-0 record. Clemson and Michigan were the only undefeated teams in the nation that year.

This is the ninth time in history that Clemson has started a season 5-0 or better. Clemson also started 5-0 in 1940, Frank Howard’s first Tiger team. Clemson also started 6-0 in 1900, 1928, 1929, 1930 and 1987. Clemson was 11-0 in 1948 and 12-0 in 1981.

Clemson Looks for 4-0 ACC Start

If Clemson can defeat North Carolina State on Saturday it would give the Tigers a 4-0 start in the ACC, its best league start since the 1983 season when the Tigers were 7-0 against ACC teams for the entire season. Clemson was perfect against ACC teams in 1982, 1981, 1967 and 1978.

Clemson opened its ACC schedule with a 3-0 start in 1986, 1987 and 1988. NC State ended those 3-0 starts each time. Thus, the last three times Clemson has been 3-0, NC State prevented them from a 4-0 league start.

While NC State has ended Clemson winning streak, Clemson has ended Wolfpack streaks. Each of the last two times NC State started a season 6-0, Clemson ended the Pack winning streak. In 1989 NC State came to Clemson with a 6-0 record and ranked 12th in the nation. The unranked Tigers came away with a 30-10 victory. Two years later, NC State was again 6-0 coming to Clemson, but the 19th ranked Tigers defeated another 12th ranked NC State team, 29-19.

This is the first time NC State has been 4-0 since 1994. Louisville ended NC State’s winning streak that year.

Clemson Rushing Numbers at a Record Rate

When Tommy Bowden became Clemson head coach he said the Tigers would win a lot of games when they had seasons when they gained at least 2000 yards rushing. Clemson’s offense is wide open with four wide receivers on most plays, thereby giving the impression that it is a pass-happy attack.

To the contrary, at least statistically, Clemson has used the running game to gain nearly 60 percent of its total offense so far this year. It is an offense that has averaged 514 yards per game, just two feet per game less than Florida State’s national leading figure of 514.6.

Clemson has averaged 304 yards a game on the ground so far this year, a Clemson record pace. That is right, a higher average than any team coached by Danny Ford or Ken Hatfield. The Clemson record for the course of a season is 289.1 yards a game by the 1978 team that finished 11-1. As you can see by the chart below, success in rushing usually translates into victories and a national ranking.

Clemson’s has finished in the top 15 in the nation in rushing 11 of the last 22 years. The highest ranking Clemson has ever had in rushing per game is number-four by the 1995 team. Clemson is fourth in the country in rushing this week.

Clemson’s Top Rushing Seasons

Clemson vs. N.C. StateThe 20th Annual Textile Bowl

Clemson and N.C. State will do battle in the 20th annual Textile Bowl when the two teams meet in Clemson on Saturday. Clemson has a 13-6 advantage in the series since the game took on the Textile Bowl title in 1981, the year Clemson won the National Championship. The Textile Industry has a very important effect on the economy of North Carolina and South Carolina and the two schools competing in Saturday’s game.

Many of the Textile Bowl contests have been close, including each of the last three, which have been decided by a touchdown or less. Three years ago in Raleigh, Matt Padgett booted a 20-yard field goal with just 19 seconds left to give Clemson a 19-17 victory. The Tigers drove 78 yards in 14 plays to set up the winning score. Nealon Greene hit 20-32 passes for 250 yards and Tony Horne caught eight passes for 112 to key the Clemson offense. Raymond Priester added 89 yards rushing on 24 attempts.

In 1998 at Clemson, Torry Holt completed an incredible day with a nine yard scoring pass from Jamie Barnette with just 37 seconds left. It was his fourth touchdown reception of the day. Last year, NC State defeated Clemson 35-31 in an exciting contest in Raleigh that featured 35 first quarter points between the two teams combined. Clemson had five possessions in the fourth period with a chance to take the lead, but could not drive for a winning touchdown.

Thus, Clemson has scored 70 points against NC State over the last two years and lost both games. NC State had two weeks to prepare for last year’s game and they have 16 days to prepare for this year’s game.

Another close game took place in 1993. Clemson held a 20-0 lead after three quarters thanks to an offense that gained 250 yards rushing, but had to hang on in the last minute to gain the victory. Tim Jones broke up each of the Wolfpack’s last two pass plays of the game at the Clemson goal line over the last 12 seconds of the contest to preserve the Tiger victory.

Last Meeting vs. NC StateNC State 35, Clemson 31

Clemson scored 21 first quarter points, but could not hold off a resurgent N.C. State offense as the Wolfpack defeated the Tigers 35-31 in Raleigh. Clemson (2-3, 2-1) had leads of 14-0 and 21-7 in the first quarter before the Wolfpack (4-2, 1-2) caught fire. Wolfpack signal caller Jamie Barnette connected with tight end Andy VanDerVeer twice for touchdowns in the second half, with the latter being the game winner.

In his first start of ’99, Tiger quarterback Woodrow Dantzler, who was playing in place of injured starter Brandon Streeter, threw for 284 yards on 23-41 passing and two touchdowns. The 284 yards were the sixth most by a Tiger in history. But in the fourth quarter, Dantzler completed was just 2-12 thanks to an effective Wolfpack blitz package.

Meanwhile, Barnette, after torching the Tiger defense for four touchdowns and 374 yards in ’98, threw four more touchdown strikes and was 15-29 for 215 yards. He became the first player to throw four touchdowns against Clemson on two different occasions. Tailback Rahshon Spikes rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries to lead the 135-yard day by the Wolfpack ground game. Travis Zachery had 82 of the 83 yards rushing for the Tigers, who had just 19 rushing yards the last three quarters. Brian Wofford, Mal Lawyer, and Rod Gardner had six receptions apiece, with Wofford leading the way with 100 yards and a touchdown.

The Tigers, who were playing their fifth straight Bowl team (from ’98) to open the season, took the game’s opening drive 65 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead. Dantzler found Lawyer streaking down the middle for a 30-yard score. Three plays later, safety Robert Carswell broke up a Barnette pass, and Alex Ardley picked off the airborne ball and returned it 15 yards to the Wolfpack 10. On the next play, Zachery rushed up the middle for the score to give Clemson a 14-0 lead.

N.C. State finally got on track on the ensuing drive with a 10-play, 80-yard drive culminating in a Barnette to Ryan Hamrick 18-yard touchdown pass. But Clemson came back with its third touchdown in four drives. Starting in Wolfpack territory, the Tigers drove 43 yards in seven plays. Dantzler’s 17-yard keeper set up Zachery’s three-yard touchdown run. It was the first time the sophomore scored twice in one game.

Spikes cut into the Tiger lead, this time with a 39-yard touchdown run to cap a four-play, 71-yard drive with 16 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Clemson responded on the ensuing drive with a 43-yard field by Tony Lazzara to up the Tiger lead to 24-14.

That appeared to be the score entering halftime as the Wolfpack lined up to punt with under a minute left. But Clemson was called for a personal foul (for hitting the long snapper within one second after the snap). Three plays later and with 15 seconds left, Bryan Peterson’s 22-yard catch and run cut the Wolfpack deficit to 24-21 at the half.

After possessing the ball for the last 2:24 of the first half, N.C. State opened the second half with a 7:54 drive. Barnette found VanDerVeer over the middle on fourth-and-goal from the one. N.C. State had possession for nearly 23 minutes of the second half.

Clemson retook the lead 31-28 with 3:01 left in the third quarter when Dantzler threw a 26-yard strike on the run to Wofford. But those were the last points for Clemson, as the Tigers managed just 44 yards of offense in the final 18 minutes.

After Lawyer dropped a punt to set the Wolfpack up in Tiger territory, Barnette led his team for the game-winning score with 14:11 remaining in the game. On third-and-three from the 10, Clemson was flagged for pass interference. Two plays later, Barnette connected again with VanDerVeer, this time on a three-yard score. N.C. State scored touchdowns on all three drives in the red zone.

The Tigers had five possessions in the fourth quarter to take the lead, but two ended with punts, two on downs, and the last on an interception.

Terry Jolly had a career-high nine tackles and three for loss. Gary Childress, who appeared in just his second game of ’99 due to injury, had Clemson’s only other sack.

Last Meeting at ClemsonNC State 46, Clemson 39October 31, 1998 at Death Valley

Torry Holt scored four touchdowns and had 225 receiving yards, while Jamie Barnette threw for a Memorial Stadium record 374 yards on Halloween at Death Valley as the Wolfpack outlasted Clemson, 46-39. The two teams combined for 40 points in the fourth quarter that saw the lead change four times. Clemson had been 154-0 all-time when it scored 33 points or more.

The day also featured Tiger quarterback Brandon Streeter, who set school records for completions (27) and passing yards (329). Streeter’s favorite targets were Brian Wofford, who had his second straight 100-yard receiving game, and Mal Lawyer. Wofford caught nine passes for 128 yards and a touchdown, while Lawyer caught eight passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. It marked the first time in Clemson history two receivers had at least 100 yards receiving in the same game.

Clemson got on the board first with 3:57 left in the first quarter when Streeter kept on an option play and dragged the defender into the endzone from five yards. On the ensuing kickoff, Brian Williams picked up the ball he muffed on the one-yard line and took a knee in the endzone, resulting in a safety.

The Tiger defense limited the Wolfpack to just 48 yards midway through the second quarter when disaster struck. Clemson Thorpe Award candidate Antwan Edwards pulled a hamstring at the 9:31 mark and missed the rest of the game. Two series later, Barnette capitalized on Edwards’ absence as he found Holt deep across the middle for 85 yards and a score to cut the Tiger lead to 9-7.

Clemson once again turned the ball over on its first drive of the second half. Terry Witherspoon fumbled and Jason Perry picked up the loose ball, and ran 36 yards for the touchdown. Clemson turned the ball over five times while N.C. State was turnover-free.

Clemson responded with a 14-play, 83-yard drive on its next possession to halt the N.C. State momentum. Clemson cut further into the Wolfpack lead two possessions later when Streeter connected with Lawyer across the middle for 14 yards and a touchdown.

N.C. State offset Lawyer’s score on its next drive with a five-play, 78-yard drive capped by Holt’s 41-yard catch and run. But the Tigers came right back with a five-play, 84-yard drive to cut the lead to just five points. Streeter was 5-5 for all 84 yards on the drive that was capped by Wofford’s 52-yard catch on a post-pattern.

Clemson took the lead on its next drive when Streeter found Lawyer from 25 yards, giving Clemson a touchdown on four of its last five possessions. N.C. State took the lead back when Daniel Deskevich kicked a 32-yard field goal. Ryan Hamrick’s one-handed, 51-yard catch helped set up the score.

The Tigers marched down the field again. David Richardson’s 40-yard field goal gave Clemson the 39-38 lead with 2:15 left. But Barnette led N.C. State down the field, as he was 6-6 for 76 yards, on the winning drive. Barnette hit Holt from nine yards for the winning score with 0:37 remaining. Clemson had five of its starting defenders, including ACC sack leader Adrian Dingle, injured and unavailable on the drive.

Dantzler Emerges as Heisman Candidate

After his 374-yard total offense performance against Virginia, many members of the media proclaimed Woodrow Dantzler a 2000 Heisman candidate. The interest in Dantzler grew after his 134-yard rushing, 174-yard passing performance in the win at Duke. It gave Dantzler three consecutive games of at least 100 yards rushing and at least 300 yards of total offense, a first in Clemson history.

The junior from Orangeburg, SC certainly has some impressive and unusual numbers , data that is in line with those of a Heisman Trophy candidate.The October 1, 2000 installment of CNNSI.com lists a top 10 Heisman candidates. Dantzler is listed fifth, ranking behind Michael Vick of Virginia Tech, Drew Brees of Purdue, Chris Weinke of Florida State and Eric Crouch of Nebraska.

Clemson has had just one player rank in the final top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting. That was Steve Fuller, who finished tied for sixth in the voting with fellow ACC player Ted Brown in 1978. The only Clemson player to win a National Award is Terry Kinard, who was named National Defensive Player of the Year by CBS and Chevrolet in 1982.

Dantzler was named National Player of the Week by CNNSI.com from his performance at Virginia. That internet site picks one player, regardless of position for the entire country. Dantzler had 220 yards rushing, an ACC record for a quarterback, and 154 yards passing in the victory at Virginia.

Dantzler is a prime reason Clemson ranks second in the nation in total offense, fourth in scoring, fourth in rushing and ninth in passing efficiency.

Dantzler Challenging for first 2000-1000 Season

Heisman Trophy voters are usually attracted to an unusual and extraordinary statistical accomplishment. Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler has a realistic chance of doing something that no other Division I quarterback in history has accomplished. Prior to the season Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden told members of the media that Dantzler had a chance to become the first quarterback in NCAA history to record at least 1000 yards rushing and 2000 yards passing in the same season.

Ten different quarterbacks on 11 occasions have had at least 1000 of each in the same season, but none of the 1000-yard rushers has reached 2000 yards passing. The closest to reaching both levels is Brian Mitchell, who had 1311 rushing and 1966 passing in 1989 at Louisiana-Lafayette. Mitchell has gone on to an NFL career as one of the top kick returners in the league and he is still playing with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Dantzler has 629 yards rushing and 865 yards passing through five games this year. He is on pace for a 1383-yard rushing season and a 1903-yard passing season for an 11-game regular season schedule. He leads the ACC and ranks 11th in the nation in rushing and is ranked fourth in the nation in passing efficiency with a 163.3 mark.

For those of your who might doubt Dantzler’s ability to accomplish the 2000/1000 double, check the chart below. For his first 11 games as Clemson’s quarterback he passed for 2095 yards and rushed 1037. After the Duke game, his 12-game numbers read 2269 yards passing and 1171 yards rushing. For his 12 games as Clemson quarterback he has averaged 98 yards a game rushing and 189 yards a game through the air.

Dantzler as Clemson’s Quarterback (12 Games)

Items on Dantzler’s Big Day in Charlottesville

Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler had another outstanding game in the victory over Virginia on September 23rd. The junior signal caller rushed for 220 yards and passed for 154, leading the Tigers to a 31-10 victory. He was named National Player of the Week by CNNSI.com for his accomplishments. Here are a few items on his performance that day: *Gained 220 yards rushing, fifth highest total in Clemson history regardless of position. *The 220 yards rushing set a Clemson and ACC record for rushing yards by a Tiger quarterback. Broke his own ACC record in terms of rushing yards by a quarterback. *Gained 374 yards of total offense, tied for second highest figure in Clemson history. *Set Clemson record for consecutive 200-yard total offense games. The Virginia game was his fourth straight game of at least 200 yards. The streak is now five in a row. *Became first Clemson player in history to gain at least 300 yards total offense in consecutive games. He now has three in a row, another first. *His 220 yards rushing against Virginia included a 75-yard touchdown run, tied for the longest run in history by a Clemson quarterback. Steve Fuller had a 75-yard run against Virginia Tech at Clemson in 1978. *The 75-yard run was the longest by any Clemson player since 1993 when Derrick Witherspoon raced 89 yards for a touchdown against Maryland. *With his performance at Duke, now the first Clemson quarterback in history to have three consecutive 100-yard rushing games. *Had 223 yards of all-purpose running (yes, he even caught a pass for three yards), 13th highest figure in Clemson history, most since Tony Horne had 225 against UTEP in 1997.

Dantzler Already 8th in Total Offense in Clemson History

Even though Woodrow Dantzler has started just 11 games at quarterback in his Clemson career, he is already eighth in school history in total offense. He has accumulated 1494 yards this year and now has 3754 for his career. That total is broken down to 1301 rushing and 2453 passing. He has played just 20 total games, meaning he averages 187.7 yards per game, an all-time Clemson record on a career basis.

Dantzler still has a long way to go to catch career record holder Nealon Greene, who had 6786 career total offense yards. But, he still has the rest of this season and all of next season. Dantzler’s 3754 career yards of total offense are just three yards from tying Bobby Gage for seventh on the Clemson all-time list. Raymond Priester, who had all of his yards on the ground, stands sixth at 3966.

Dantzler needs just 246 yards against NC State to become the sixth Clemson quarterback in history to reach 4000 yards of total offense.

Clemson Career Leaders in Total Offense

Dantzler Ranked in Top 12 Nationally in Five Areas

Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler is ranked in the top 12 in the nation in five different statistical categories, a testimony to his all-around abilities. Dantzler ranks fourth in the nation in passing efficiency with a 163.3 figure and fourth in points responsible for (19.2 PPG). He is ranked fifth in total offense with a 298.8 figure and is tied for 12th in points per game with 9.6. . Finally, Dantzler is 11th in the nation in rushing with an average of 125 yards per game.

It is safe to say that this is the highest a Clemson quarterback has ever ranked in rushing at any time in a season. With those strong rushing stats, Dantzler is even ranked in all-purpose running, standing 38th this week.

Dantzler has shown his versatility in the touchdown responsibility area. In five games he has already accounted for 16 touchdowns, eight rushing and eight passing. The Clemson record for an entire season is 19 by Mark Fellers in 1974.

Dantzler the Passer

Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler gets a lot of attention for his running ability. And he should, he leads all quarterbacks nationally in rushing and is first in the ACC overall with 125 yards per game. But, not only does he lead the ACC in rushing, he ranks fourth in the nation in passing efficiency.

Dantzler is also a fine passer as his 64 percent completion percentage and 163.3 passing efficiency rating shows. He has completed 63-98 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. He has thrown just one interception this year (a pass that was tipped) and had a streak of 79 straight passes without an interception to open the season.

For his career Dantzler is now first in passing efficiency (136.5), first in completion percentage (.579) and first in interception avoidance (2.22 %). Dantzler is also fifth in yards per attempt and eighth in total touchdown passes.

Clemson Career Leaders in Passing Efficiency (Minimum of 100 attempts)

Big Day for Reames Family

Clemson receiver and punt returner Joe Don Reames returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter of Clemson’s 31-10 victory over Virginia. It was an important score, bringing the Tigers to a 10-10 at the time.

That was the first kick return for a touchdown in the Tommy Bowden era at Clemson(16 games). It was the first Clemson punt return for a score since the last regular season game of 1997 when Tony Horne raced 40 yards for a score at South Carolina. Clemson has not had a kickoff return for a touchdown since 1990.

Reames had 9 punt returns for 59 yards this season prior to that return, then exeeded his return yardage in that one return in Charlottesville. It was an entertaining run in that he changed directions four times. He resembled the cartoon character “The Roadrunner” on that return. It is a fitting comparison because Reames has a tatoo of the character on his left leg. Reames is now 33rd in the nation in punt returns with an 11.67 average.

Reames was one of two members of his family to receive headlines in the sports page on Sunday morning. His brother, Britt Reames, pitched the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-5 win over the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field on Saturday. The Cardinals final out and Joe Don’s punt return took place within a half hour of each other. Britt Reames is now 2-1 this year for the Cardinals and is a candidate to make the team’s playoff roster.

Clemson 5-0 Before October 1st

Clemson had a very successful September. Clemson’s win at Duke gave it five wins in September for the first time ever. This was just the fourth month in school history in which Clemson won five games.

Clemson last had had a 5-0 month in November of 1991. Clemson used the perfect November to finish the regular season 9-1-1 and capture the ACC Championship. That was the last time Clemson won the ACC title.

The other 5-0 months are October of 1977 and October of 1981. Clemson ended the 1977 season with an 8-3-1 record and advanced to the Gator Bowl, Clemson’s first bowl season in 18 years. Clemson won the National Championship in 1981.

Clemson Politically Correct Team

Clemson might be the most politically correct team in the country. The Tigers are the only school in the nation with a Gore and Bush on its roster. Buddy Gore III is a walk-on placekicker who has never played in a game, while Jovon Bush is a second team defensive tackle who has seven tackles in the first five games.

Gore is the son of former Clemson All-ACC running back Buddy Gore, who was Clemson’s first 1000-yard rusher back in 1967. He is still fourth in Clemson history in rushing and still holds the career record for all-purpose running yards per game.

No word on who Gore and Bush will vote for in the upcoming election.

Clemson Records Second Greatest Total Offense Day

Clemson had its second most productive total offense day in school history in the win over Wake Forest on September 16. The Tigers gained 623 yards of total offense in the 55-7 win, 436 on the ground and 187 in the air. The only total offense figure that is higher is the 756 yards Clemson accumulated against Wake Forest in 1981, Clemson’s National Championship season. Clemson now has just four games of 600 yards or more.

The 436 yards rushing ranked in a tie for seventh best single game total in school history. The record is 615 against Georgia Tech in 1903. The modern record (since 1937) is 536 against Wake Forest in 1981. The 436 yards against Wake Forest were the most by a Clemson team since 1992 when the Tigers had 440 in a win over UT Chattanooga.

Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden often states that when Clemson is gaining a lot of yards on the grounds the result is usually a victory. That has been the case for the Clemson program overall. In he 105-year history of Clemson football the Tigers are now 98-3-1 when gaining at least 300 yards rushing. The 436 yards against Wake Forest were a high for the Tigers in the Tommy Bowden era. Clemson added 327 more rushing yards in the win at Virginia and 315 at Duke.

Clemson had 30 first downs in the win over Wake Forest, most first downs by a Clemson team since the Tigers had 30 against Maryland in a victory in 1983.

Clemson has 3 of top 8 Rushers in ACC

Clemson’s offense has the reputation of an attack that likes to throw a lot of passes. Clemson did set many passing records last year. But, Clemson has really excelled in terms of rushing offense so far in 2000. Clemson has averaged 304 yards a game on the ground in the first five games, tops in the ACC by a large margin. In fact, Clemson averages almost twice as many rushing yards per game compared with any other team in the league.

A look to the ACC stats shows that Clemson has three of the top 8 rushers in the ACC. Travis Zachery is seventh at 72.8. Keith Kelly, a freshman who is really Clemson’s third team tailback, stands eighth at 60.3.

James Making Impact on Defensive Front

Clemson fifth-year senior Freddie James is making a name for himself in his final year as a Tiger. The native of St. Stephens, SC made his first college start against Wake Forest and had a lot to do with Clemson holding the Demon Deacons to just seven points and 159 yards of total offense.

James played a career high 31 plays and made two tackles, and caused a fumble. In the win over Missouri the previous week, James had a career high five tackles, all first hits. For the season, James has 13 tackles, nine of which have been first hits. For his career, he has played in 26 games and has 43 career tackles.

“Freddie James has been one of the heroes of our defense this year,” said Clemson Defensive Coordinator Reggie Herring. The Tigers are leading the nation in total defense and scoring defense so far this year. The only chemical engineering major on the Clemson team, James is a strong team leader who is vice president of Clemson’s LIFELINE organization, a leadership group composed of Clemson football players. The group is active in terms of team leadership and community service activities.

James is part of an athletic family. His cousin is Lance Legree, starting defensive lineman at Notre Dame. Both are fifth-year seniors, both wear #90, and they were born just eight days apart. Legree was born three days before Christmas in 1977, while James was born five days after Christmas in 1977.

Carson Has Shown Improvement

Chad Carson, a second-team Academic All-American last year, has 56 tackles in five games, tied for the team lead with Keith Adams. Carson had a career high 18 tackles in the win over Missouri in the second game of the year and had 11 against Wake Forest. He added 10 more against Virginia and led Clemson at Duke with seven.

Carson and Adams are quite a duo. Both are juniors from Georgia. In fact, they used to tackle each other in high school games. Carson was a running back most of his career at Woodward Academy in Georgia. Adams was the top linebacker at rival Westlake High School in College Park, GA.

Carson has his own weekly column on ESPN.com in conjunction with the Bowl Championship Series site.

Clemson Outstanding in the Redzone

One of the reasons for Clemson’s success this year has been scoring in the redzone. Clemson has been in the opponent’s redzone 27 times already this season and has scored 18 touchdowns and five field goals. One missed field goal, and the end of the game when Clemson had a large lead, are two of the four times Clemson has failed to convert when getting in the red-zone. Clemson has had first and goal 13 times this year and has 11 touchdowns and two field goals.

Clemson Leads Nation in Two Categories

Clemson leads the nation, or is tied for the lead nationally two different areas, total defense, and pass efficiency defense. Clemson is also ranked in the top five in the nation in four other categories.

Clemson’s excellence on both sides of the ball is shown in the NCAA stats. Clemson leads the nation in total defense and is second in total offense. Clemson is fourth in scoring offense and sixth in scoring defense.

Clemson in the National Statistics Rankings

Clemson 32-0-1 With 200 Yards Passing and Rushing

Clemson gained 236 yards rushing and 222 passing in the win over The Citadel in the season opener. The Tigers had 206 rushing and 275 more passing in the win over Missouri. Clemson had a third game with at least 200 of each at Duke with 315 rushing and 212 passing. That kind of balance, in particular gaining at least 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing in the same game, means a Clemson victory. In history, Clemson has a 32-0-1 record when it has at least 200 yards of each.

Clemson had three such games last year, wins over North Carolina, Maryland and Duke. That means Clemson has had six games of at least 200 yards of each in the 17 games Tommy Bowden has coached at Clemson. The program had just 28 such games in the first 103 years of Clemson football prior to Bowden’s arrival.

Carswell Breaks Kinard’s Record

Senior safety Robert Carswell eclipsed a record held by one of Clemson’s all-time greats in the Wake Forest game. With his eight tackles, Carswell moved ahead of Terry Kinard to set the school record for tackles in a career by a defensive back. Carswell now has 312 career tackles, ahead of the 294 set by Kinard from 1978-82. Kinard was a two-time consensus All-American at Clemson, including a unanimous selection in 1982 when he was National Defensive Player of the Year. Kinard was named Clemson’s greatest player of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated earlier this summer.

That said, Carswell certainly should take pride in this record. He had 129 tackles last year to set the Clemson record for stops by a Tiger defensive back. But, Carswell can do more than just tackle, he had six interceptions last year to tie for the ACC statistical championship in that category. He was named a preseason first-team All-American by Playboy, Clemson’s first Playboy All-American since Anthony Simmons.

Carswell now is ranked 10th in Clemson history in total tackles regardless of position with his 309 total. He needs just eight to jump all the way to seventh in Clemson history.

Top Career Tackle Totals by Clemson Defensive Backs

Points Off Turnovers Impressive

While turnover margin is important, points off turnover might be even more important. Clemson was about as productive as you can get in terms of converting turnovers into points in its 76-16 win over Missouri.

Clemson forced six turnovers in the game, most forced by a Tiger team since 1995 when Clemson forced seven in a win over NC State in Raleigh. Clemson scored 34 points off those six Missouri turnovers. When you figure the maximum you can score (assuming you try to kick the extra points and not go for two) is 42 points, that is good production. Missouri scored just three points off Clemson’s one turnover.

This year, Clemson has a 76-16 advantage when it comes to points off turnovers. In the 17 games Tommy Bowden has coached at Clemson the margin is 176-61.

Mance Ties Clemson Record

Clemson sophomore Brian Mance had a very productive 16 plays of action against Missouri in the second game of the season. For those 16 plays, Mance had two interceptions and a fumble recovery. In addition to those three takeaways, he also had four tackles and two passes broken up. He also contributed a 28-yard punt return on special teams in the fourth quarter, second longest punt return by a Tiger under Tommy Bowden.

Mance, a backup cornerback in the Missouri game, became just the seventh Clemson player in history to have three takeaways in the same game. He was the first to do it since Brian Dawkins had three interceptions against Duke in 1995. Mance leads the team in takeaways this year. He had a third interception at Duke and now ranks 15th in the nation in interceptions.

Single Game Takeaways Leaders

Young Leads O-Line

Center Kyle Young has been Clemson’s highest graded offensive lineman in three of the five games this year. The junior first-team Academic All-American had an 80 percent grade and four knockdown blocks from the Clemson coaches for his 55 plays against Missouri. For his performance he was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week.

He played his finest game as a Clemson Tiger in the win at Virginia in the fourth game of the season and was again named ACC Lineman of the Week. He registered a career high 16 knockdown blocks, most by a Clemson lineman in seven years. He graded 93 percent for his 65 plays and had a 100 percent grade in terms of effort from the Tiger offensive line coaches.

Young was Clemson’s highest graded lineman in eight of the 12 games last year. The native of Clemson is the grandson of Ed McClendon, who was a member of Clemson’s 1939 Southern Conference Championship team. His brother, Will Young, was an All-ACC player for the Tigers in 1995.

The offensive line, which also features graduate students Theo Mougros and John McDermott, had a strong game against Virginia helping Clemson to 481 yards of total offense.

Gardner Countdown to Clemson Records

Rod Gardner will be chasing a couple of Clemson records this season. With his record 80 catches for a record 1084 yards last year, Gardner has vaulted from virtual obscurity to a record challenger.

Gardner enters the NC State game with 127 receptions for 1728 yards. He needs just 23 yards to move ahead of former teammate and current St. Louis Rams player Tony Horne. He ranks fifth in career receptions and 6th in reception yardage. If Gardner has 55 catches for 1233 yards this season, he will break both records, marks held by former All-ACC receiver Terry Smith. Smith had 162 catches for 2681 yards in his career.

Coming into last year Gardner had just 28 catches for 364 yards. An 80-catch season will obviously put him over the top, but the yardage record will be a challenge. Entering this season, the native of Jacksonville, FL trails only Smith, Perry Tuttle, Jerry Butler, Brian Wofford and Tony Horne in receptions.

Horne reached the final 10 of the Biletnikoff Award in his senior year (1997) when he had 70 catches. Gardner broke his record for a season last year. Horne, now the top kickoff return player in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams, is the only Clemson receiver in school history to reach the final 10 of the Biletnikoff Award voting. (The award did not exist when Butler and Tuttle played).

Clemson career Reception Leaders

Clemson career Reception Yardage Leaders