Tuesday 01/01/2008
Jan. 1, 2008
Recap | Stats | Photo Gallery | AP Action Photos
Clemson ended its 2007 season with a 9-4 record. The Tigers are now 15-15 all-time in bowl games and now trail Auburn, 33-11-2, in the series score. Clemson is also now 4-4 when playing in indoor stadiums.
C.J. Spiller was named the Most Valuable Offensive Player of the 2007 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Spiller finished with eight carries for 112 yards rushing, including an 83-yard touchdown run, and also had 103 yards in kickoff returns.
Clemson played its first overtime game of the 2007 season on Monday night, which, incidentally, was also the first overtime game in Chick-Fil-A Bowl history. The Tigers are now 5-4 all-time in overtime games.
With its second touchdown of the night, the 2007 Clemson squad broke the school record for points in a single season with 427 for the year and finished with 430. The previous record was set just a season ago as the 2006 team posted 425.
C.J. Spiller’s 83-yard touchdown run at the 13:14 mark in the second quarter was the longest rush in a bowl game in Clemson history as well as the longest scoring play from scrimmage in Chick-Fil-A Bowl history. The previous Clemson record was 62 yards by DeChane Cameron against California in the 1992 Citrus Bowl.
Spiller’s play also set the school record for the longest scoring play from scrimmage – rush or pass – in a bowl game, bettering a 68-yard completion by Harvey White to Gary Barnes versus TCU in the 1959 Bluebonnet Bowl.
The 83-yard rush by Spiller was the longest run from scrimmage in any game since Derrick Witherspoon rushed for 89 yards against Maryland on Oct. 30, 1993.
Spiller now has 10 plays over 50 yards in his career. Three have come on artificial turf – An 82-yard reception at Boston College in 2006 – A 72-yard run at Wake Forest in 2006 – The 83-yard rush at the Georgia Dome tonight
For the game, Spiller recorded 103 yards in kickoff returns and 112 yards rushing, marking just the second time under Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden’s tenure that a player has totaled at least 100 points in two categories in the same game. It is just the fourth time in school history that the feat has been accomplished. Tony Horne did it twice in the 1997 season and Derrick Hamilton did it against North Carolina in 2003 with 102 yards receiving and 100 in kickoff returns. Horne had 131 yards receiving and 109 yards in kickoff returns against Florida State and then 119 yards receiving and 106 kickoff return yards versus Texas-El Paso later than same year.
Mark Buchholz kicked the extra point after Spiller’s touchdown to break the school record for extra points in a single season. It was his 47th of the year to better Jad Dean’s mark of 46 set in 2007.
Also with that extra point, Buchholz tied Chris Gardocki’s Clemson record of 107 kick-scoring points in a single season set in 1989.
Buchholz then set that school record as well as the overall points scored record with a 22-yard field goal at the start of the fourth quarter. Travis Zachery had scored 108 points in the 2000 season. The field goal gave Buchholz 110 for the year and he finished with 114.
James Davis went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the first half of Monday’s game, accomplishing the feat for the second consecutive season. Davis is just the third Tiger with two 1,000-yard rushing seasons, joining Raymond Priester and Woodrow Dantzler.
Clemson’s 37 yards passing in the first half was its lowest of the season. The previous low was 73 against South Carolina on Nov. 24.
Jimmy Maner’s 59-yard punt in the third quarter was his 12th punt of at least 50 yards this season.
Crezdon Butler’s interception at the 13:46 mark on the Auburn 32-yard line in the fourth quarter was his third of the season and the sixth of his career. The interception led to a 7-play, 32-yard touchdown drive by Clemson that put it ahead 17-10.
James Davis ran the ball one yard for Clemson’s second touchdown of the night at the 11:24 mark of the fourth quarter to give him 10 rushing touchdowns for the year and 12 with his two receiving scoring plays. He now has 38 career touchdowns, which moved him into a tie for 12th place in ACC history for a career.
December 8, 2024
