Monday 10/28/2002
Game Eight: Clemson at Duke
Saturday, November 2, 2002 Noon Wallace Wade Stadium Durham, NC
Television: Jefferson Pilot Play By Play: Steve Martin Color: Doc Walker Sideline: Mike Hogewood
Radio: Clemson Tiger Sports Properties Play By Play: Jim Phillips Color: Rodney Williams Sideline: Pete Yanity
Series History: Clemson leads 30-15-1
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Clemson’s Remaining Schedule Clemson has four games remaining and a 4-4 record. The Tigers must win at least two of the remaining four games to become bowl eligible, something Clemson has been in each of the last three years under Tommy Bowden. Bowden is the only coach to take Clemson to a bowl game in each of his first three years with the program. He took the Tigers to he Peach Bowl in 1999, the Gator Bowl in 2000 and the Humanitarian Bowl in 2001.
Clemson has been to a bowl game 14 of the last 17 years. The three years Clemson has failed to reach a bowl during that time frame have been in even numbered years (1992, 1994 and 1998). Clemson must win two of its last four against teams that have a collective record of 15-18. The eight teams Clemson has played so far are collectively 44-23. Clemson has played two of the eight remaining undefeated teams, Georgia (8-0) and NC State (9-0). Georgia Tech, Florida State, Virginia and Wake Forest are also having winning seasons at this juncture in the season.
Clemson Has Played 10th Toughest Schedule Clemson has a 4-4 record against a schedule ranked as the 10th most difficult in the nation by the Jeff Sagarin computer poll, a rating published by USA Today. The Tigers are ranked 41st overall in that ranking.
Clemson has losses to three top 10 teams according to the Sagarin rankings. Clemson and Iowa State are the only two teams in the nation to have played three of the top 10 teams according to this poll. The four teams who have beaten Clemson this year are collectively 28-6. The four teams Clemson has beaten are collectively 16-17.
Clemson’s highest final schedule ranking in the history of the Sagarin poll is a #7 rating in 1999, Tommy Bowden’s first year as head coach. Clemson was 6-6 that year, but still had a final top 25 ranking (24th) according to Sagarin’s computer rankings. Clemson’s highest overall final ranking by Sagarin is #15 in 2000.
Nation’s Most Difficult Schedules, 2002
Team Rec. Rating 1. Southern Cal 6-279.84 2. Florida State 5-3 79.59 3. Stanford 2-5 78.07 4. NorthCarolina 2-6 78.06 5. Texas Tech 5-4 77.71 6. Arkansas 4-3 77.34 7.Notre Dame 8-0 76.97 8. UCLA 5-3 76.52 9. Alabama 6-2 75.48 10.Clemson 5-2 75.39
Clemson vs. Duke Series *Clemson holds a 30-15-1 advantage in the series with Duke, a series that dates to a 20-6 Duke win in Durham in 1934. Duke won the first four games of the series, all played at Duke. *Clemson has a 12-11 lead in games played at Duke. The Tigers have a 16-4-1 advantage in games played at Clemson. Clemson won the last neutral site game in the series, a victory in Tokyo in 1991. *Clemson has won three in a row, 10 of the last 12, and 18 of the last 21 meetings between the two teams. Duke’s only wins over Clemson since 1981 took place in 1989 (21-17 at Duke), 1994 (19-13 at Duke) and 1998 (28-23 at Duke). *Duke has not won at Clemson since 1980, a 34-17 Blue Devil triumph behind quarterback Ben Bennett. Clemson has won 10 straight over the Blue Devils in Death Valley, outscoring Duke 414-143, an average victory of 41-14. Clemson defeated the Blue Devils last year in Death Valley, 59-31.
Clemson 3-0 under Bowden vs. Duke Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden’s coached at Duke from 1983-86. He served as the Blue Devils wide receivers coach during that time period. Clemson defeated Duke 38-31 in Durham in 1983, Ben Bennett’s senior year, but the Blue Devils gained over 500 yards of total offense.
Clemson is 3-0 against Duke with Tommy Bowden’s as head coach. Bowden was 0-4 against Clemson as offensive coordinator at Duke during the 1980s. Clemson has outscored Duke 169-60 in the three games Bowden has been head coach. Clemson has scored at least 50 points in each game, the only time in history Clemson has scored at least 50 points against the same ACC team three consecutive years. Clemson did go for over 50 in five straight seasons against Presbyterian from 1948-52.
Over the last three years Clemson has averaged 26.3 first downs, 294 yards rushing, 270 yards passing, 564 yards of total offense and 56.3 points per game against the Blue Devils. That includes a 52-22 victory in 2000, the last time Clemson played at Duke.
Clemson Offense vs. Duke under Tommy Bowden’s
FD Rush-Yds Passing TotalOffense Pts 1999 29 52-239 25-34-319 86-558 58 2000 2556-315 12-23-212 79-527 52 2001 25 45-328 18-31-280 76-608 59Totals 79 153-882 55-88-811 241-1693 169 Average (26.3) (51-294)(18-29-270) (80-546) (56.3)
Last Year vs. Duke Clemson’s 2001 season finale was a record-setting day for Woody Dantzler. Arguably the best quarterback in school history, Dantzler set eight school records against the Duke Blue Devils, and in the process he also became the first quarterback in NCAA history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Included among the school records he now holds are career touchdown passes (37) and career passing yards (5,819). Dantzler finished the season with 2,360 passing yards and 1,004 rushing yards.
Dantzler set the NCAA mark with 5:59 remaining in the third quarter. After snapping the ball from shotgun and breaking to his right, Dantzler spun around to his left and coasted down the left sideline into the end zone. Dantzler’s touchdown run was the fifth touchdown of the game he contributed to, and it helped him set the Clemson school record for touchdown responsibility in a season with 27. Travis Zachery also scored four touchdowns, which brought his career total to 50. His mark fell just one touchdown shy of the ACC record set by Ted Brown of N.C. State in 1978.
Dantzler, Zachery and the Clemson offense fell behind early. D. Bryant connected with Sharpe in the right corner of the end zone 88 seconds into the game, and the score was set up by a 70-yard pass up the middle from Bryant to Brian Erdeljac. Duke’s 7-0 lead was the only lead the Blue Devils would hold the entire game.
The Tigers would answer one minute and 41 seconds later, when Dantzler connected with J.J. McKelvey for a 39-yard touchdown reception. After the Tiger defense held, Zachery rumbled 52 yards down the right sideline to give Clemson its first and final lead of the game. Zachery later caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from Dantzler with 18 seconds remaining in the first quarter, which gave Clemson a 24-10 lead.
After the Tiger defense held at the beginning of the second quarter, Roscoe Crosby caught the first of his two touchdown receptions, this one going for 47 yards. That play helped him set a single-game school record for receiving yards by a freshman. He would finish the game with 139 yards receiving, breaking the previous mark of 106 set by teammate Derrick Hamilton earlier this year against N.C. State.
Clemson would not score again until 90 seconds into the third quarter, when Zachery streaked 42 yards down the right sideline for his third touchdown of the game. Crosby’s second touchdown reception of the game went for 58 yards and came with 10:34 remaining in the third quarter.
After Dantzler’s record-setting 18-yard touchdown scamper at the 5:59 mark of the third period, the Tigers held an insurmountable 52-10 lead. The crowd came to its feet with just under three minutes to play in the third quarter, when Coach Tommy Bowden’s decided to bring Dantzler out of the game for the final time in his career at Death Valley.
Scoring Summary Duke 10 0 0 21 – 31 Clemson 24 7 21 7 – 59
DU– Sharpe 9 pass from Bryant (Garber kick), 1st, 13:32, 6-80 CU – McKelvey 39 pass from Dantzler (Hunt kick), 1st, 12:23, 4-80 CU – Zachery 52 run (Hunt kick), 1st, 9:33, 4-73 DU – Garber 48 FG, 1st, 4:09, 6-8 CU- Hunt 45 FG, 1st, 0:56, 8-51 CU- Zachery 22 pass from Dantzler (Hunt kick), 1st, 0:08, 1-22 CU- Crosby 47 pass from Dantzler (Hunt kick), 2nd, 13:29, 1-47 CU – Zachery 42 run (Hunt kick), 3rd, 13:30, 4-65 CU – Crosby 58 pass from Dadntzler (Hunt kick), 3rd, 10:24, 1-58 CU – Dantzler 18 run (Hunt kick), 3rd, 5:59, 6-53 DU – Moore 21 pass from Bryant (Freeman kick), 4th, 12:53, 1-21 DU- Wade 3 run (Freeman kick), 4th, 11:12, 2-4 CU – Zachery 1 run (Charpia kick), 4th, 6:33, 11-65 DU- Sharpe 29 pass from Wispelwey (Freeman kick), 4th, 3:22, 8-66
CU DU First Downs 25 19 Rushing 45-328 29-82Passing 18-31-1 24-57-2 Passing Yards 280 312 Total Offense 608 394Yard/Play 8.0 4.6 Return Yards 185 219 Fumbles-Lost 1-1 2-1 TotalTurnovers 2 3 Penalties 4-42 5-46 Interceptions 2-38 1-0PuntReturns 2-40 3-86 Kickoff Returns 3-82 5-105 Punting 5-25.47-38.1 3rd Down Conversions 5-15 8-21 Sacks by Defense 4-23 2-13Time of Possession 27:46 32:14
Rushing (Att-Yds-TD) CU – Dantzler 19-135-1, Zachery 14-115-3, Rambert 6-35, T. White 1-30, Simmons 1-5, Hamilton 1-4, Schell 1-2, Jasmin 2-2 DU – Douglas 13-44, Wade 4-15-1, Dargan 3-10, Bryant 8-10, Moore 1-3
Passing (Com-Att-Yds-I-TD) CU – Dantzler 12-20-243-1-4, Simmons 3-8-23, Schell 3-3-14 DU – Bryant 23-56-283-2-2, Wispelwey 1-1-29-0-1
Receiving (Rec-Yds-TD) CU – Crosby 6-139-2, Zachery 4-51-1, McKelvey 2-45-1, Bailey 1-16, Robinson 1-8, Rambert 1-7, J. Gardner 1-7, J. Scott 1-4, T. Elliot 1-3 DU – Sharpe 5-61-2, Love 4-56, Erdeljac 3-97, Wade 3-21, Douglas 3-18,Brzezinski 2-21, Landrum 2-11, Moore 1-21, Powell 1-6
Interceptions (No-Yds) CU – Francis 1-19, K. Johnson 1-19 DU – A. Green 1-0
Punt Returns (No-Yds) CU – Mance 1-31, Hamilton 1-9 DU – R. Hamilton 2-71, Stanford 1-12
Kickoff Returns (No-Yds) CU – Hamilton 2-63, Reames 1-19 DU – Douglas 4-85, Moore 1-20
Clemson Defensive Leaders Tackles – Hill 11, Leake 9, Thomas 8, Hafley 8, Carson 7, Feaster 5, Francis 5, McNeal 5, Eason 4, Bush 4, Vaughn 4, Sampson 4 Sacks – McNeal 3-15, Carson 1-6 Tackles for Loss – McNeal 3-15, Carson 1-6, Eason 1-3, Hill 1-1, Vaughn 1-1
Clemson Pass Defense Improved Clemson has improved on defense this year, but that is especially the case when it comes to pass defense. Clemson gave up 240 yards per game a year ago through the air and ranked 66th in the nation in pass defense on a yards per game basis.
In 2002, Clemson is ninth in the nation in pass defense, allowing just 160 yards per game through the air. Clemson leads the ACC in allowing the fewest touchdown passes (six) and is 27th in the nation in pass efficiency defense with a 107 figure. Clemson has allowed just 13 pass plays of 20 yards or more and has not given up a pass play of more than 36 yards all year.
The solid effort in the pass defense area continued against NC State. Philip Rivers entered the game ranked first in the nation in passing efficiency with a 170 rating points figure. But, against the Tigers his rating was just 99.0. Rivers threw for just 129 yards, his low mark of the season. And, it was not because he just threw a couple of passes, he threw 24, meaning he averaged just 5.4 yards per attempt, also a season low. No NC State receiver had more than 29 yards receiving in the game.
As stated above, opponents are throwing for just 160 yards per game. If the season ended today, that would be the best Clemson pass defense figure on a per game basis since the 1981 National Championship team allowed just 154.5 yards per game. Clemson has allowed less than 200 yards per game over the course of a season just once since 1990, and that was in 1996 when opponents got 199.6 yards per game.
Here is a comparison of Clemson’s pass defense figures in 2001 and 2002:
2001 2002 Pass Yards/Game Allowed 240.6 159.8TDs/Game Allowed 1.83 0.75 Interceptions/Game 1.08 1.50Yards/Attempt Allowed 7.27 5.86 Yards/Completion Allowed 13.40 9.83Efficiency Rating 127.0 107.0 National Ranking Pass Def. 66th 9th
M and M Boys Lead the Secondary Mance All-ACC Candidate at Cornerback Brian Mance recorded his fifth interception of the season and his 11th as a Clemson Tiger against Wake Forest. It was the third straight game that he recorded a theft. The Clemson record for consecutive games intercepting a pass is four. Bobby Gage (1948), Terry Kinard (1980 and 1981) and Dexter Davis (1990) all hold the record with four straight games. Mance is the first Tiger with three in a row since Davis in 1990.
Mance is now tied for sixth in Clemson history in career interceptions with his double figure career total. He is tied with Pete Cook (1950-52), Brian Dawkins (1992-95) and Peter Ford (1993-96). The all-time leader is all-time great Terry Kinard with 17. Kinard was recently inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Mance also has one fumble recovery in his career, giving him 12 career takeaways, best among active Tigers and among the top 10 totals in Clemson history. He needs just one more takeaway to move into sixth place in Clemson history.
Mance has moved into the ACC lead in interceptions and passes defensed and he ranks 11th in the nation in interceptions with his five picks in just eight games. He is a big reason Clemson is tied for the ACC lead in interceptions with 12.
The senior had an outstanding game against Wake Forest with seven tackles, an interception and a caused fumble. He was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week for his performance, the third time in his career he has won that award. The caused fumble against Wake Forest really saved the day for the Tigers. A Wake Forest running back was streaking towards the Clemson endzone when Mance stripped the ball from behind. The momentum carried the ball into the endzone and it was batted through the endzone for a touchback with 1:15 left. Clemson ran out the clock and won the eight-point decision.
The senior from Alcolu, SC has now played 43 games at Clemson, 22 as a starter. He has missed just one game (UNC in 2001) in his career when his brother was killed in auto accident last year on his way home from the NC State game. For the season, Mance has 42 tackles to rank sixth on the on the team. He has played more snaps than any other Tiger with and he also leads the team in passes defensed with 11. Thirty-four of his 42 tackles have been individual hits.
Clemson’s Career Leaders In Interceptioins
Name Years Yds Avg. TDInt 1. Terry Kinard, FS 1978-82 147 8.6 0 17 2. FredKnoebel, CB 1950-52 122 8.1 0 15 3. Eddie Geathers, CB 1977-80 1149.5 0 12 Robert O’Neal, FS 1989-92 119 9.9 0 12 Alex Ardley, CB1998-00 151 12.6 1 12 6. Brian Mance 1999-02 73 6.6 0 11Pete Cook, CB 195052 129 11.7 0 11 Brian Dawkins, SS 1992-95 1019.2 1 11 Peter Ford, CB 1993-96 138 12.5 1 11
Miller Rookie of the Year Candidate Freshman defensive back Justin Miller made his first career start against Wake Forest and had an outstanding contest. The first-year freshman had 10 tackles, an interception and a pass broken up to pace the Clemson secondary along with Brian Mance. For his performance he was named ACC Rookie of the Week for the second time this season.
The tackle total in the Wake Forest game was the most by a freshman cornerback since 1986 when James Lott had 10 in the 1986 Gator bowl win over Stanford. Miller’s interception in the third period helped change the momentum of the game. He had a touchdown saving pass broken up and defended Wake Forest stat Fabian Davis most of the game. Davis had just three catches the entire game.
Miller continued his outstanding play in his second start against NC State. Playing the entire game, Miller tied for the Clemson team lead in tackles with 12, including eight first hits. He also had a pass broken up and an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. It was the first time he had attempted a kickoff return as a Clemson player.
Miller had a reception and an interception against Louisiana Tech, an example of his fine all-around abilities. The first-year player had a nine-yard reception in the first half and an interception in the endzone at a key juncture of the second half to thwart a Bulldog drive. He was named ACC Rookie of the Week for his performance against the Bulldogs.
It marked the first time since 1964 that a Clemson player had an interception and a reception in the same game. Pat Crain was the last to do it as he had a 15-yard interception return and a reception against Virginia on Halloween of 1964. It should be noted that players went both ways in those days, so Miller was the first to do it in the two-platoon era. Miller also had three tackles in the game and played 29 snaps.
Miller was named to the ESPN.com all-first year freshman team for September. He was joined in the secondary by J.J. Billingsley of Colorado, O.C. Collins of Memphis and Matt Fawley of Arizona State. Other ACC players named were D’Quell Jackson of Maryland (LB), Darryl Blackstock of Virginia (LB), Kwakou Robinson of Virginia (DL), T.A. McLendon of NC State (RB), and D’Brickashaw Ferguson of Virginia (OL).
Miller is second on the team in interceptions with three and has 48 return yards in the process. He has 41 tackles for the year, seventh best on the team, just one behind Brian Mance. He has had at least one pass defensed in seven straight games, including a touchdown saver against Virginia’s Billy McMullen in the fourth quarter on October 12.
Leake and Thomas Nearing 100 Tackles Clemson linebackers Rodney Thomas and John Leake have been among the ACC leaders in tackles all season. Currently, Thomas leads the way with 96 tackles, 50 first hits and 46 assists. Leake is second on the team with 94, 49 first hits and 45 assists. They rank second and third in the ACC in tackles, respectively. No other player on the Clemson team has more than 64 tackles.
At least one of the players has led the team in tackles in all eight games this year. The only other player involved in tackle leadership has been freshman cornerback Justin Miller, who tied Thomas for game honors against NC State with 12 tackles. Leake has led the team four times and Thomas has been a part of the lead four times.
As you can see by the numbers above, both will probably go over the 100-tackle mark for the season this Saturday at Duke. It will be the second season of at least 100 tackles for both players. They will both join an exclusive club when they reach the century mark for the second time in their careers. Only 10 other Clemson players have had at least 100 tackles more than one season.
Chad Carson, Charles Hafley, Keith Adams and Robert Carswell are recent Tigers to do it. Carson did it three years. Anthony Simmons is another three-time 100-tackle performer. Leake will have a chance to join Simmons, Carson, Jeff Davis, Bubba Brown and Randy Scott as three-time 100-tackle players next year.
Thomas now has an even 250 tackles for his career, including the 100 he had last year and the 96 this year. Leake had 134 last year and nine as a freshman when he played just special teams. He now has 237 for his career. Leake has started each of the last 20 games, while Thomas has started 19 of the last 20.
Bowden Teams Have Shown Comeback Ability Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden’s has shown an ability to come back from a defeat of 20 points or more since he became head coach in 1997. Five times in his career he has been defeated by 20 points or more. All five times he has won the next game, including four in a row as Clemson head coach.
He lost once by 20 points or more when he was the head coach at Tulane. Southern Mississippi handed his Green Wave team a 34-13 defeat in 1997, but Bowden came back to win the next week at Southwestern Louisiana.
At Clemson, he lost to Virginia Tech in 1999 by a 31-11 score, then won the next game against North Carolina 31-20. In 2000 he lost at Florida State, 54-7, but came back the next Saturday to defeat rival South Carolina, 16-14. Clemson also lost to Virginia Tech that year in the Gator Bowl, 41-20, then won the season opener in 2001 over Central Florida.
Last year Clemson lost to North Carolina, 38-3, a similar score to last Thursday’s loss to NC State (38-6). Last year he came back to defeat a bowl eligible Wake Forest team 21-14 in the next game.
Bowden After a Loss of 20 Points or More
Loss Next Game 1997 Southern Miss, 13-34 W,56-0 at Southwest Louisiana 1999 Virginia Tech, 11-31 W, 31-20 vs.North Carolina 2000 Florida State, 7-54 W, 16-14 vs. South CarolinaVirginia Tech, 20-41 #W, 21-13 vs. Central Florida 2001 NorthCarolina, 3-38 W, 21-14 at Wake Forest 2002 NC State, 6-38 ???
#Opening game of next season
Two Tigers Have Kickoff Return for Touchdown Clemson has had just nine kickoff returns for a touchdown by eight different players in its history, but two of the eight players are on the current Clemson team. On October 24, Justin Miller picked up a loose ball and raced 80 yards for a touchdown on a kickoff return in the second half. That was the first time a Clemson player had gone all the way for a touchdown on a kickoff return since last year’s Maryland game when Derrick Hamilton went 100 yards at Maryland for a score in a Clemson defeat.
This is the first time in history that two Clemson players on the same team have had a kickoff return for a touchdown. The list below shows that no teammates have ever done it. Doug Thomas had two in one season, 1990. Clemson once went 25 years without a kickoff return for a score, 1962-87.
Clemson currently ranks 25th in the nation in kickoff return average with a 22.71 figure. That figure is fourth best in the ACC. Clemson ranked 10th in the nation as a team last year with a 25.7 average. Derrick Hamilton ranked third individually a year ago. Hamilton is 57th in kickoff return average and 39th in punt returns nationally this year.
Clemson Kickoff Returns for touchdown (Chronological Order)
Opponent Year Yds John MaxwellCumberland 1903 100 Bobby Gage Duquesne 1947 89 Bill Mathis GeorgiaTech 1959 99 Hal Davis Georgia Tech 1962 98 Joe Henderson GeorgiaTech 1987 95 Doug Thomas Long Beach State 1990 98 Doug ThomasMaryland 1990 98 Derrick Hamilton Maryland 2001 100 Justin MillerNCState 2002 80
Clemson Veterans vs. Duke *Altroy Bodrick (LB)–Had three tackles in 55 plays against duke in 1999. Had four tackles in 24 plays at Duke in 2000. Did not play in 2001 game due to a torn ACL. *Nick Eason (DT)–Had two tackles in 41 snaps as a freshman in 1999, had three tackles, including two tackles for loss for 22 yards at Duke in 2000, then had four tackles in 60 plays as a starter last year. *Rodney Feaster (LB)–Had five tackles, in 26 plays in the Clemson victory in 2001 over Duke. *Derrick Hamilton (WR)–Did not catch a pass last year vs. Duke, but had 2-63 in kickoff returns. *Leroy Hill (LB)–Led Clemson in tackles with 11 in the victory over Duke in 2001. *Aaron Hunt (PK)–Is 12-12 on extra points and 2-2 on field goals against Duke in his career. Scored 10 points against Duke in 2001 game, including a 45-yard field goal. *Yusef Kelly (RB)–Had 12-84 in just 25 plays against Duke in 2000 in Durham. Did not play last year as he red-shirted the season. *John Leake (LB)–Had nine tackles in 60 plays against Duke in 2001. *Brian Mance (CB)–Had two tackles in 17 plays as a freshman in 1999, four tackles, including a career long 57-yard interception return in 2000, then had three tackles in 65 yards, plus a 31-yard punt return in 2001. *J.J. McKelvey (WR)–had 2-45 receiving, including a touchdown reception against Duke in 2001. *Bryant McNeal (DE)–Had three sacks, a career high and five total tackles in win over Duke in 2001. Also had two tackles as a sophomore in 2000 and two tackles as a freshman, including a tackle for loss in 1999. *Bernard Rambert (RB)–Had 10-49 rushing in 1999 as a freshman, and 6-46 last year, including a touchdown in the win at Clemson. *Jackie Robinson–Had first touchdown catch of his career against Duke in 1999, then had 3-36 receiving at Duke in 2000 and 1-8 last year in 39 snaps. *Willie Simmons (QB)–Was 1-4 for 38 yards and a touchdown against Duke in 1999. Was 3-8 for 23 yards last year in the win over the Blue Devils. *Rodney Thomas (LB)–Had eight tackles in 60 plays against Duke in 2001. *Khaleed Vaughn (DE)–Had four tackles, including a tackle for loss against Duke in 2001. Donnell Washington (DT)–Had three tackles in 45 snaps against Duke in 2001. *Kevin Youngblood (WR)–Had a 38-yard touchdown reception from Willie Simmons against Duke in 2000.
Clemson Completion Percentage Fourth Best in School History Clemson was at a record rate in terms of completion percentage prior to the NC State game. But, the Tigers connected on just 13-32 passes against the Pack’s tough defense.
Still, Clemson is completing passes at a 58.7 rate for the season, a mark that would be fourth best in school history if the season ended today. The record is a .605 pace by the 1997 Clemson team that was led by current Canadian Football league star Nealon Greene. The only other Clemson team to complete 60 percent over the course of the season is the 1989 Tiger team that was 117-195, exactly 60 percent. Current wide receivers coach Rick Stockstill was the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator that year.
Starting quarterback Willie Simmons has completed 58.1 percent of his passes so far this year on 137-236. He was 21-33 against Wake Forest, a 63.6 percent mark. He has thrown for 1503 yards and seven scores, an average of just under 200 yards per game.
Clemson’s reserves have had an impact on the percentage as Tony Elliott, Charlie Whitehurst and Jeff Scott are a combined 21-33 this season, including 18-30 by Whitehurst. The freshman completed his first 12 passes as a Clemson quarterback, the best streak ever by a Clemson quarterback at the beginning of his career.
Top Single Season Team Completion %
Year Comp-Att Pct 1. 1997 188-311 .605 2. 1989 117-195 .6003. 1999 252-423 .596 4. 2002 158-269.587 5. 2001 226-395 .572 6. 1995 122-215 .567 7. 1985137-247 .555 8. 1982 98-178 .551
Clemson Converting Before Halftime Clemson has done a good job of scoring just prior to the half in 2002. So far this year Clemson has recorded a touchdown on its last possession of the half with 80 seconds or less remaining in six of the eight games. Three of the drives have been for over 60 yards and the Tigers have negotiated the distance in less than 90 seconds in each situation.
The streak started when Clemson scored at Georgia on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Willie Simmons to Kevin Youngblood with just eight seconds left. The Tigers failed to do it against Louisiana Tech, but have now done so the last four games. The streak continued last week when Tye Hill scored his first career touchdown on a 32-yard run with just a minute left in the first half. Brian Mance had set up the score with an interception.
Against Wake Forest the Tigers gained some momentum going into the locker room with a 65-yard drive that included five passes in five attempts for 64 yards by quarterback Willie Simmons. Yusef Kelly scored on a one-yard run with eight seconds left in the half.
Clemson’s Last Possession of the Half in 2002
Last Possession Drive Time Left Georgia TD, Simmons toYoungblood 21 Yds 9-64-1:16 :08 Louisiana Tech Failed to score3-20-1:07 Georgia Tech TD, Simmons toWilliamson, 2 yards 4-5-:50:38 Ball State TD, Hamilton 9 run 3-21-1:03 1:20 Florida St. TD,Simmons to Hamilton, 9 yards 6-86-1:25 :27 Virginia TD, Hill 32 run1-32-:08 1:00 Wake Forest TD, Yusef Kelly 1 run 6-65-1:15 :08 NCState Failed to score 3-0-1:05
Total Offense Not Indication of Winner The team that has won the total offense aspect of the game has won just three of the seven Clemson games so far this year. Each of the last three games the team that has won that aspect of the statistics has lost the game. Entering this year Tommy Bowden’s had a 23-4 record when winning the total offense margin, but this year Clemson is just 3-3 in that situation.
Clemson gained 441 yards against Florida State in just 61 plays, an average of 7.23 yards per play. That was the highest yards per play average in Clemson history in a game the Tigers lost. The previous record was a 6.78 figure in a 28-25 loss to Maryland in 1959. In that game Clemson had 434 yards in 64 plays. Clemson had won 33 games in a row when averaging at least 6.5 yards per play dating to the 1975 season when Clemson averaged 6.61 yards per play in a 25-21 loss to Duke.
Clemson followed that up with a 5.6 average at Virginia, yet lost the game. The Tigers had 25 first downs at Virginia and held the Cavaliers to 80 yards rushing 40 attempts. Additionally, Clemson had a pair of drives of at least 92 yards, the first time in history Clemson has had a pair of 90 yards in the same game. But, Virginia came away with the victory.
Against Wake Forest, Clemson gave up 523 yards to the Deacons, including 365 on the ground. The 523 yards are the most ever yielded by the Clemson defense in a Tiger victory. Clemson had 280 yards in the Wake Forest game, so Wake Forest had a +243 total offense margin in the contest, but Clemson won the game 31-23.
Turnovers have been the name of the game. Clemson had a -5 turnover margin in the two losses to Virginia and Florida State combined (committed six and forced one). Clemson had a +5 turnover margin against Wake Forest, a game it won. Wake Forest had entered the game with just five total turnovers all year, then committed five against Clemson, all in the second half.
Clemson did not commit a turnover on offense against the Deacs, the first time since the 2000 North Carolina game, 16 games ago, that Clemson had a game without a turnover. The five forced turnovers were the most forced by the Clemson defense since Clemson’s defense forced six in a win over Missouri in 2000, 22 games ago.
Clemson Second in ACC in Total Defense Clemson is most improved when it comes to defense. The Tigers are ranked second in the ACC in total defense, allowing just 316.6 yards per game, and that figure ranks 23rd in the nation. Clemson has allowed just 160 yards per game passing, 9th best in the nation. Last year Clemson ranked 71st in the nation in total defense and 66th in pass defense.
Clemson allowed 395 yards a game last year, so it is easy to see the 323 figure for the first eight games this year is considerably better. Clemson has allowed just 4.6 yards per play, much improved from the 5.3 allowed per play a year ago.
Many of the times the opposition has scored it has been the result of difficult field position after a turnover or a long kick return. Over the first seven games the opposition has taken possession of the ball at their own 38 or worse 67 times. They have driven for a touchdown just nine times in those 67possessions. Wake Forest had 11 possessions that started at their own 38 or worse and drove for a touchdown just once.
Clemson Defense Comparison
2001 Avg. 2002 First Downs/Game Allowed 21.9 17.8 TotalYards/Game Allowed 394.9 323.1 Rushing Yards/Game Allowed 154.3163.4 Passing Yards/Game Allowed 240.6 159.8 Yards/Play Allowed 5.34.6 Yards/Reception Allowed 13.4 9.8 Yards/rush Allowed 3.8 5.9
Hamilton All-Purpose Performer The all-purpose running statistic was made for Derrick Hamilton. The sophomore from Dillon, SC has averaged 155.3 all-purpose running yards/game this year and has been especially effective in the last five games. He had 256 all-purpose yard against Georgia Tech on September 14, then followed that with 160 yards against Ball State. He added 248 yards at Florida State and followed that with a 206-yard game at Virginia. He had 104 yards against Wake Forest, giving him four straight games of at least 100 all-purpose yards.
As you can see by the chart below, he has had two of the top eight all-purpose running games in Clemson history over the last three weeks.
For the year, Hamilton has 177 yards rushing, second on the Clemson team, has 278 yards receiving, third on the Clemson team, has 471 yards in kickoff returns and 226 yards on punt returns. He leads the Clemson team in both return areas. Last year Hamilton finished third in the nation in kickoff return average and was the ACC champion in that category. Thus, Hamilton has at last 175 yards in all four categories already this year.
His current average of 155.3 yards per game is seven yards per game ahead of the Clemson record of 148.5 yards per game set by Tony Horne in 1997.
Hamilton has been very effective when it comes to rushing. He has 17 rushes on reverses from his H-receiver position and has 177 yards, an 10.4 yards per carry figure. No Clemson rusher has ever averaged over 10 yards per carry given a minimum of 15 rushes for the course of a season. Five of his 15 carries have been for at least 10 carries, including a 77-yarder against Georgia Tech.
Entering the NC State game Hamilton ranks 16th in the nation and first in the ACC in all-purpose yards per game. Horne ranked 14th in the nation in 1997, the highest final ranking for any Clemson player in history.
Top All-Purpose Running Games in Clemson History
Player Opponent Year Rush Rec KOR PR 274 Terrence FlaglerWake Forest 1986 209 65 – – 267 Tony Horne Florida State 1997 – 131109 27 263 Raymond Priester Duke 1995 263 – – – 260 Cliff AustinDuke 1982 260 – – – 256 Derrick Hamilton Georgia Tech 2002 97 22 4196 254 Don King Fordham 1952 234 – 20 – 252 Ken Callicutt SouthCarolina 1974 197 55 – – 248 Derrick Hamilton Florida State 2002 2369 104 52 246 Buck George Presbyterian 1952 204 42 – – 242 RonaldWilliams Virginia 1991 185 57 – –
Hunt Sets Clemson Record Aaron Hunt established a Clemson record for extra points in a career when he booted two against Virginia. The junior now has 112 in 116 chances in his career. He went ahead of the 107 career extra points by Bob Paulling, who played for the Tigers from 1979-83.
Hunt scored five points in that game and now has 199 for his career, good enough for seventh in Clemson history. He needs just one point to become just the seventh Clemson player in history to record 200 or more points, quite an accomplishment for someone in the middle of his junior year. The all-time leader is Nelson Welch with 301.
Hunt has now made 29-40 field goals, including 9-12 this year. He ranks 24th in the nation in field goals per game and is 58th in scoring.
Hunt made 4-4 field goals in the win over Louisiana Tech. He became the first Clemson player to record four field goals in a game since 1998 when David Richardson had four in the season opener. Hunt’s day included a 47-yard field goal, second longest boot of his career. Hunt had field goals of 47, 22, 37 and 38 yards, distances that total to 144 yards. That was the seventh most yards on made field goals in a single game in Clemson history.
Clemson all-time Scoring List
Name Pos Years TD PAT FG Pts 1. Nelson Welch PK 1991-94 085-92 72-102 301 2. Travis Zachery RB 1998-01 50 300 3. Obed AririPK 1977-80 0 99-103 63-97 288 4. Chris Gardocki PK 1988-90 0 72-7263-89 261 5. David Treadwell PK 1985-87 0 92-93 47-66 233 6. BobPaulling PK 1979-83 0 107-109 23-41 209 7. Aaron HuntPK 2000-02 0 112-116 29-40199 8. Lester Brown RB 1976-79 32 192 9. Fred Cone RB1948-50 31 3-4 189 10. Ray Matthews RB 1947-50 28 168 Terry AllenRB 1987-89 28 168 Kenny Flowers FB 1983-86 28 168
Simmons On Record Rate for Completions Clemson quarterback Willie Simmons has averaged 17.1 completions per game, ahead of Woody Dantzler’s record of 16.9 completions per game set last year. Simmons has completed 137 of 236 passes so far this year for 1503 yards and six scores. He has a 58.1 completion percentage, a figure that would be fourth best in Clemson history given a minimum of 100 completions. The record is .631 by Brandon Streeter in 1999.
Simmons had made improvement each week during the 2002 season prior to the Virginia game. He completed 15-25 passes for 135 yards against the Cavaliers, his first decline from the previous week all season. He followed that with a solid 21-33 for 205 yards an no turnovers in the win over Wake Forest. He scored on a 13-yard run, his first career rushing touchdown. He struggled against NC State, however, throwing an interception and losing two fumbles.
The chart below shows that his passing efficiency improved every game from game’s 1-5, hitting a high of 163.8 at Florida State in the most recent game. He has completed at least 58 percent of his passes in six of the last seven games.
He had his best all-around game as a Clemson quarterback at Florida State. Playing in front of his mother and 50 other friends, the native of Quincy, FL completed 17-27 passes for 293 yards and two scores. The yardage total was a career high, as was his 11 yards per attempt. Simmons also had a career high 50 yards rushing in 13 attempts, giving him 343 yards of total offense, the eighth highest single total in Clemson history. Only Woodrow Dantzler, Bobby Gage and Brandon Streeter have had higher figures for a single game.
Simmons set a school record for pass completions and attempts by an individual in a Clemson victory when Clemson defeated Louisiana Tech in the second game of the season. He completed 25-43 passes in that game for 242 yards. The Clemson team threw 44 passes in the game and it was just the second time Clemson had thrown 40 or more passes in a game and gained victory in the process. Clemson was 1-16 prior to the Louisiana Tech game when throwing at least 40 passes. The only other victory came at Wake Forest in 1999.
Simmons 25 completions against Louisiana Tech rank in a tie for fourth in Clemson history for a single game. The record is 27 set by Brandon Streeter against NC State in 1998 and at Virginia Tech in 1999. Simmons 43 attempts was tied for fifth highest, most ever in a Clemson victory. It was the most pass attempts by an individual without an interception in school history.
Willie Simmons Weekly Stats in 2002
Com-Att Yds TD-Int Eff Pct Rush Yds Plays Tot Off Georgia17-37 165 1-1 86.9 .459 8 -29 25 136 Louisiana Tech 25-43 242 0-0105.4 .581 6 -8 49 234 Georgia Tech 18-31 176 2-1 120.6 .581 8 8 39184 Ball State 17-25 188 1-1 136.4 .680 3 13 28 201 Florida State17-27 293 2-2 163.8 .630 13 50 40 343 Virginia 15-25 135 0-1 97.4.600 6 2 31 137 Wake Forest 21-33 205 0-0 121.8 .636 9 12 42 217 NCState 6-17 64 0-1 55.1 .353 6 1 18 65
Clemson Single Game Total Offense Bests
Rush Pass Player Site-Opponent Year 517 184 333 WoodrowDantzler a-NC State (45-37) 2001 435 185 252 Woodrow Dantzlera-Maryland (42-30) 1999 418 164 254 Woodrow Dantzler a-Georgia Tech(47-44 OT) 2001 378 135 243 Woodrow Dantzler H-Duke (59-31) 2001374 141 233 Bobby Gage H-Auburn (34-18) 1947 374 220 154 WoodrowDantzler A-Virginia (31-10) 2000 366 23 343 Brandon StreeterH-Virginia (33-14) 1999 343 50 293 WillieSimmons A-Florida State (31-48) 2002 337 51 286Nealon Greene a-Wake Forest (33-16) 1997 336 59 277 WoodrowDantzler H-Florida State (27-41) 2001
Tigers Recover On-Side Kick Whenever the Bowden’s get together chances are there will be some trickery involved. Tommy Bowden’s might have pulled off the most surprising play in the four Bowden Bowls when he had his team on-side kick after the Tigers first score, Clemson’s first kickoff opportunity, in the first quarter. J.J. McKelvey had been practicing the play all week and they worked it to perfection, giving Clemson the ball after the Tigers had tied the game at seven.
“The thing about that is you can’t practice it in pregame,” said Bowden the next day. “Rodney Allison had noticed in his film study that the player on that side of the field was retreating early to get into blocking position, so we decided to try it.”
McKelvey recovered at the Florida State 49 and Clemson drove for another touchdown, giving Clemson a 14-7 lead, its first lead in Tallahassee at any point of a game since 1989.
What was especially noteworthy is that the on-side kick was the first recovered by a Clemson team since the 1979 season. The Tigers last recovered an on-side kick in the fourth period of the 1979 Peach Bowl against Baylor. Clemson did not score on its extra possession that day and lost 24-19.
Walk-on Elliott Making Big Contribution Walk-on senior Tony Elliott has made a big impact on the Clemson offense almost on a weekly basis. He has caught at least one pass in six of the first seven games, Virginia was the only team to shut him out. For the season, Elliott has eight catches for 143 yards, fourth on the team in yardage.
The engineering student with a 3.54 career GPA has made many big plays, and has four catches for at least 20 yards, third on the team. Elliott’s 17.9 yards per reception leads the team. He scored his first touchdown as a Tiger on a 44-yard touchdown reception against Georgia Tech, a key play in Clemson’s five-point victory.
Against Florida State he was at it again. A quarterback as a sophomore in high school at James Island High in Charleston, Elliott completed a 41-yard pass to McKelvey on an end-around play. It set up a Clemson field goal, giving Clemson a 17-14 lead at the time.
Elliott began his career at Air Force Prep School in Colorado, but transferred to Clemson in January of 1999. He has overcome much hardship. When he was nine years old his mother was killed in front of his eyes in an auto accident when their car was struck by a drunk driver. Elliott has another year of eligibility, but will graduate in December. He has not decided if he will return for another season.
Running Game Key to Success under Bowden How important is the running game to Clemson under Tommy Bowden’s? The Tigers are 16-1 under Bowden when the Tigers rush for at least 200 yards. That stat was enhanced in the Ball State game when the Tigers gained 203 rushing in the victory over Ball State.Clemson has won 13 straight when rushing for at least 200 yards dating to the 1999 Georgia Tech game when the Tigers rushed for 231 yards, yet lost the contest, 45-42.
Clemson is 23-4 under Bowden when the Tigers win the rushing yardage stat. That includes a perfect 3-0 record this year. Clemson is also 14-3 under Bowden when it has a 100-yard rusher. Clemson is yet to have a 100-yard rusher this year, but has come close with Yusef Kelly gaining 97 and 99 yards rushing in two games this year.
200 of Each Means Clemson Victory Balance is obviously a hallmark of any successful offense. That has been the case for Clemson over the years and under Tommy Bowden’s. In its 1025-game history, Clemson has a 39-0-1 record when it has at least 200 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in the same game. The undefeated streak continued in Clemson’s most recent game when the Tigers had 209 passing and 203 rushing in the 30-7 win over Ball State.
That marked the 13th time in Tommy Bowden’s 41 games as Clemson coach that the Tigers had at least 200 of each. Clemson did it just 27 times in 985 games prior to his arrival. The only time Clemson did not win when it gained at least 200 of each was at Georgia Tech in 1976 when the two teams played to a 24-24 tie.
Clemson Trio of 6-4 Receivers Clemson receivers J.J. McKelvey, Kevin Youngblood and Derrick Hamilton are all at least 6-4 in height and they have used that advantage to rank in the top seven in the ACC in receptions per game. They have combined for 102 catches in eight games, over 13 per game. Youngblood has 36 receptions, McKelvey has 34 and Hamilton has 32.
It was Hamilton who had the big game against Virginia with 8-81. That gave Clemson three different receivers who have caught at least eight passes in a game this year. They combined for 17 catches against Wake Forest, six each by Hamilton and Youngblood and five catches for McKelvey.
Youngblood and McKelvey had career high performances of 10 catches in a game earlier this year. This is the first time in Clemson history that two players on the same team have had at least 10 receptions in a game. They are just the seventh and eighth players in Clemson history to catch 10 passes in a single game.
McKelvey had 10 catches for 123 yards and a score in the win over Ball State on the 21st of September. Youngblood had his breakout game against Louisiana Tech with 10 catches for 85 yards. Both are in the top 10 in the ACC in receptions per game. Youngblood is among the top 30 in the nation on a per game basis.
The list of other Clemson receivers who have accumulate at least 10 catches in a game includes current Washington Redskins firs-round pick Rod Gardner, who did it three times, Tony Horne, who was a Super Bowl Champion with the St. Louis Rams three years ago, Perry Tuttle, a first-round pick off of Clemson’s National Championship team of 1981, and Charlie Waters, one of the all-time greats in Dallas Cowboys history as a defensive back.
McKelvey added another 100-yard game at Florida State when he had 5-117 at Florida State. He was the first Tiger to have consecutive 100-yard receiving games since Rod Gardner did it in 2000. He had 70 receiving yards against Wake Forest and ranks seventh in the ACC in reception yards per game.
It is interesting to note that five of the 12 double figure reception games in Clemson history have come under Tommy Bowden’s.
Top Pass Reception Games in Clemson History
Yds Player Site-Opponent Year 11 129 Phil Rogers A-NorthCarolina 1965 11 111 Rod Gardner H-Marshall 1999 10123 J.J. McKelvey H-Ball State 200210 85 Kevin Youngblood H-Louisiana Tech2002 10 110 Tony Horne H-Appalachian State 1997 10 131 TonyHorne H-FloridaState 1997 10 148 Hank Walker H-Auburn 1947 10 144Charlie Waters H-Alabama 1969 10 124 Perry Tuttle A-Wake Forest1980 10 151 Perry Tuttle H-Maryland 1981 10 122 Rod Gardner H-Duke1999 10 137 Rod Gardner H-NC State 2000
Returning Red-shirts Have Made a Difference Three players who have had a positive impact on Clemson’s 2002 season are Kevin Youngblood. All three red-shirted the 2001 season, but have come back strong this year.
Kelly is Clemson’s leading rusher this season with 393 net yards, an average of 56 yards per game. He has 10 of Clemson’s 35 rushes of 10 yards or more this season. He leads the team in touchdowns with eight and is second in scoring with 48 points. Kelly sat out last year to red-shirt and was not injured.
Youngblood is the team’s top receiver with 35 catches for 285 yards and a score. He is among the ACC’s top receivers with 5.0 catches per game. No Clemson receiver has led the league in that area since 1980 when Perry Tuttle paced the conference. Youngblood missed last year with a broken leg.
Bodrick has started all seven games so far this year at the roverback position, a hybrid free safety and linebacker. He has 36 tackles to eighth on the team and also has four tackles for loss, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery. Bodrick missed all of last year with a torn ACL.
Field Position Has made a Difference Field position has been important for the Tigers this year, especially in the last three games. In fact, the team that has had the better average starting field position has won six of the seven games this year.
One of the reasons Clemson lost to Florida State and Virginia, despite winning the total offense war was field position. In the loss to Florida State the Seminoles average start was their own 43 yard-line, while Clemson’s average start was its own 30, a 13-yard difference. At Virginia the difference was 17 yards, as Clemson started at its own 22, but Virginia started on average at its own 39. Over the two game period the opposition started on average at its own 41, with Clemson starting at its 26.
Clemson improved in that area against Wake Forest with an average start of its own 35 to Wake Forest starting at its own 27. And, Clemson won the game, 31-23.
Sampson Interception Ends Georgia Tech Threat Clemson sophomore Eric Sampson intercepted a Georgia Tech pass at the Clemson 16 with just 1:12 left and returned the theft 35 yards to ice the 24-19 victory for the Tigers in Death Valley on September 14th. Clemson then ran out the remaining time to clinch the victory.
Sampson’s interception marked the first time since 1993 that a Clemson player came up with a turnover inside Clemson territory within the last two minutes with Clemson leading by seven points or less. In other words it was the first time in nine years that a defensive player made a game saving turnover with two minutes or less left.
The last time it happened was in 1993 at Duke when Dexter McCleon, now with the St. Louis Rams, intercepted a Duke pass at the Clemson eight-yard line with just three seconds remaining. Clemson held on for a 13-10 victory. That was actually the second straight week a defensive player made a game saving play late in the contest. The previous week, October 2, 1993, linebacker Tim Jones broke up an NC State pass in the endzone with :00 on the clock to give Clemson the victory. The Pack snapped the ball from the Clemson 12 on that down.
Clemson fans have suffered through some close last second losses in recent years. Seven times since 1997 the opposition has driven for a winning field goal or touchdown with inside two minutes left in the game. That included last year in the third game of the season when Virginia scored with just one second left to defeat the Tigers 26-24. It also had included the last two times Georgia Tech had come to Clemson. They scored a touchdown with a minute left to defeat Clemson 24-21 in 1998 and scored a touchdown with seven seconds left in 2000 to defeat a third ranked Clemson team, 31-28.
Sampson has started every game this year and has been a big contributor. He has 35 tackles, including a sack in his 438 snaps from scrimmage. He had nine of those tackles in the opener at Georgia, the second highest total for the Tigers in that game.
Eason-McNeal Top Tacklers Up Front Seniors Nick Eason and Bryant McNeal have had a lot to do with Clemson’s improvement up front on defense. They are side by side on the Clemson tackle chart as Eason is seventh on the team in tackles with 42, while McNeal is eighth with 41. McNeal has seven tackles for loss to lead the team, plus five sacks, one of the top totals in the ACC.
Eason has five tackles for loss, including four sacks.The graduate student had two sacks in the victory. He was a big reason Tech quarterback A.J. Suggs had -50 yards rushing in the game.It marked the first time in Eason’s career that he had two sacks in the same game. He now has 26 career tackles for loss, first among active Clemson players. Clemson’s defense had five sacks against Georgia Tech and continually forced pressure on A.J. Suggs. Clemson allowed just 303 yards of total offense and the Tigers now allow 281 yards per game for the season.
McNeal has been very consistent throughout his career. He has never missed a game and the NC State game will be his 44th in a row. He led the team in sacks last year with eight and now has 13 over two seasons.
Byrd Leads Offensive Line Gary Byrd is the leader of Clemson’s offensive line. With season ending injuries to veterans Derrick Brantley and Nick Black, the leadership burden is even heavier for Byrd. A graduate student from Stone Mountain, GA, Byrd has started two bowl games at Clemson, the 2001 Gator Bowl against Virginia Tech and the 2001 Humanitarian Bowl against Louisiana Tech. He is a veteran of over 1400 career plays and has been a common denominator on two of the most productive offenses in Clemson history. He suffered a sprained ankle and knee against Virginia, but returned for the Wake Forest game.
Byrd has played well so far this year. In the win over Louisiana Tech he had an 85 percent total performance grade, including an 80 percent technique grade from Clemson line coach Ron West. He led the Tigers in knockdown blocks in the game with 11 and was a big reason Clemson scored 33 points in the contest. He had six knockdowns in the season opener against Georgia. He had two fumble recoveries against Florida State to keep Clemson drives alive.
Byrd leads a young offensive line. Each of the other four offensive line starters are in their first year as starters. Byrd has 21 career starts and the other four offensive linemen have combed for 25. Byrd and Greg Walker are the only Tigers to start every game this year. Byrd, Walker, Henry and Johnson all played every snap against Wake Forest. Chester played all but six.
Clemson Offensive Line Experience
2002 Career Player Year GP-GS GP-GS Gary Byrd, OT Grad 5-530-19 Greg Walker, OG Jr. 5-5 29-5 Jermyn Chester, C Jr. 5-4 12-5William Henry, OT Grad 4-3 9-3 Cedric Johnson, OG So. 4-4 15-4Tommy Sharpe, C Jr. 5-1 5-1 Mark Jetton, OG Fr. 1-0 1-0 ChipMyrick, OG Fr. 1-0 1-0 Vontrell Jamison, OT So. 1-0 1-0 *NickBlack, OT Jr. 5-1 21-1 *Derrick Brantley, OT Sr. 2-2 14-8
*Note: Lost for the season due to injury
Clemson Offense Averages 409 Yards, 30 Points Under Bowden Clemson has a 26-18 record under Tommy Bowden’s and a consistent balanced offense has been a big reason. Over the his four years he has been the head coach the Tigers have averaged 409 yards per game in total offense.
Clemson has gained an average of 181 rushing and 231 passing over the 44 games. In an average game under Bowden the Tigers have averaged 30 points a game and scored four touchdowns. On average, the Tigers run the ball 43 times and throw it 32 times under Bowden. Clemson has scored 171 touchdowns in the 44 games, nearly four per game. Twenty-four of the 44 games Clemson has had at least 400 yards of total offense.
Clemson Offense in the Tommy Bowden’s Era (Figures are for 44 games)
Per Game Points 1253 29.7 Touchdowns 164 3.9 First Downs914 22.0 Rushing Attempts 1788 42.9 Rushing Yards 7487 181.2 PassAttempts 1327 32.4 Pass Completions 758 18.5 Passing Yards 9589231.4 Completion % .571 .572 Plays 3115 75.3 Total Offense 17,076409.0 Record 25-16 .591
Bowden Offenses Among Best in Clemson History Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden’s came to Clemson with the reputation of producing big numbers on offense. His Tulane team of 1998 averaged over 500 yards of total offense per game and was the only squad in the nation to average at least 300 yards passing and 200 rushing.
His offensive numbers have not been quite as striking at Clemson, but they have been noteworthy. Here is a list of the Bowden offensive stats as they relate to Clemson history in his three years at Clemson: *3 of the top 4 completion totals in Clemson history *The top 3 passing yardage single season figures *The top three seasons in terms of passing yards/game *3 of the top four completion percentage figures *2 of the top 3 yards per play figures, and top two since 1950 *3 of the top 5 total offense per game figures *3 of the top 4 first downs/game figures * 2 of the top 7 scoring teams in school history
John Lovett New Clemson Defensive Coordinator John Lovett, defensive coordinator at Auburn for the last three seasons, was named Defensive Coordinator at Clemson last spring. Lovett has been an assistant coach at the college level for 23 years, including 13 seasons as a defensive coordinator. He has experience working with all levels of the defense, but has spent most of his seasons in the game coaching the secondary and outside linebacker position. Lovett is coaching the secondary at Clemson. Jack Hines, who coached the secondary at Clemson the last three years, has moved to the linebackers.
Lovett helped Auburn to bowl games each of the last two years. His 2000 defense ranked 14th in the nation in total defense and 15th in rushing defense, helping the Tigers to a 9-4 record and a berth in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan. Auburn won the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference that season.
In 2001, his defense had a lot to do with Auburn’s berth in the Peach Bowl. One of Auburn’s victories was a 23-20 triumph over then #1 ranked Florida. Lovett’s defense held Florida to 20 points, -36 yards rushing and 328 yards of total offense, season lows in all three categories for Steve Spurrier’s team that finished the season ranked third in the nation. The Tigers also forced five turnovers in the game, including four interceptions of passes thrown by Heisman Trophy finalist Rex Grossman. Lovett’s defense also held Georgia’s high-powered attack to but 17 points in a 24-17 Auburn triumph.
The 51-year-old coach, who was born in Nyack, NY, worked under Tommy Tuberville, the last seven years, four at Mississippi (1995-98) and three at Auburn (1999-01). He coached the secondary all four years he was at Mississippi, including the 1997 season when the Rebels had an 8-4 record, including a victory in the Ford Motor City Bowl.
Prior to coming to Mississippi in 1995, Lovett worked as defensive coordinator at the University of Maine for two stints. He first went to Orono in 1985 and served as defensive coordinator and secondary coach from 1985-88. He also served as defensive coordinator for the Black Bears in 1994. The 1987 team won the conference championship and qualified for the Division I-AA playoffs
Clemson Has More ACC Wins than Any Other School Clemson was a charter member of the ACC in 1953 and the Tigers began their 50th ACC season on a high note with a 24-19 victory. Clemson has a record of 195-106-6 in conference play for its previous 49 seasons plus four games, a winning percentage of .646. Clemson’s 195 victories are first among all conference teams in league games, 14 more than second place North Carolina, who has won 55 percent of its league games. Maryland is third with 169, while NC State is fourth at 168. Clemson has a winning record against every other ACC team since the league began with the exception of Florida State.
Clemson also leads the ACC in conference championships with 13. Florida State and Maryland are tied for second with nine (this includes co-championships). NC State and Duke are tied for fourth with seven wins apiece. Every current league member has won the league title at least once.
Crosby Withdraws from Clemson Plans to Return in January Clemson sophomore Roscoe Crosby will withdraw from Clemson on Friday, then plans to return to school in January and play for the Tigers in 2003. Crosby made the announcement after Clemson’s practice on Thursday.
The native of Union, SC had Tommy John Surgery on June 25, 2002 in Birmingham, AL and was in the process of red-shirting the football season athletically. He had been attending classes this semester, but will withdraw on Friday. He then will go to Arizona to continue his professional baseball career with the Kansas City Royals. Crosby will then attend classes at Clemson during the spring semester and then play professional baseball for the Royals this summer prior to returning to Clemson in August in time for the beginning of varsity football practice.
“This is what I have to do to continue my professional baseball career,” said Crosby. “I don’t want to go into the summer baseball season without having played any baseball for such a long period of time. “I still want to play football at Clemson and this allows me to do that. I plan to return in the spring to take the necessary academic courses and then return for the 2003 football season.”
Crosby said this has been a difficult fall. “It has been very frustrating. Sometimes I can’t even watch the games because I want to be out there so much. The guys have been great. When I see them on campus or in class they still make me feel part of the team. But, because I am not practicing or playing it is frustrating. “I am looking forward to coming back. The first time I run down the hill it will feel like my first time my freshman year. I am not ready to give up football.”
Crosby said that he has received outstanding cooperation from the Royals and Clemson. “Both sides have been very supportive and understanding. I am thankful that I play for the Kansas City Royals organization. The Clemson coaches have helped me any way they can. Both sides have allowed me to pursue both sports. They know I am still serious about that.”
Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden’s said, “I am 100 percent supportive of Roscoe’s decision and look forward to his return for the 2003 season.”
Crosby set a Clemson record for receptions and reception yards by a first-year freshman in 2001 with 27 catches for 465 yards. A USA Today first-team All-American in football and baseball, Crosby was injured much of the first half of last year with a sprained knee and a broken nose.
He had 23 of his 27 catches over the last six games of the season, including 6-139 and two scores against Duke and 4-69 in the bowl victory over Louisiana Tech. His 139 receiving yards were the most ever for a Clemson freshman and he was named ACC Rookie of the Week for that performance.
Losing First Game Not Always a Bad Sign Clemson lost its season opener at Georgia on August 31, but losing the opener is not always a bad sign for the Tigers. In fact, the last five times Clemson has lost its season opener, the Tigers have gone on to a bowl game or won at least nine games. Clemson has won two in a row since losing the season opener.
In 1999, Tommy Bowden’s first year, Clemson lost the opener to Marshall, but finished with a 6-6 record and a Peach Bowl bid. That Clemson team played the 10th toughest schedule in the nation that year and four of the six losses were to teams who finished the year ranked in the top 15 in the nation.
Clemson lost the season opener to North Carolina in 1996, 45-0, but came back to finish 7-4 in the regular season and played in the Peach Bowl. Clemson lost the opener at home in 1986 to Virginia Tech, then lost just one more game the rest of the year on the way to a Gator Bowl bid and a top 20 season.
The Tigers lost the opener of 1982 at Georgia, 13-7, then went the rest of the year without a loss, finishing 9-1-1. Clemson was on probation that year and could not go to a bowl. The 1977 team lost the opener to 10th ranked Maryland, then finished 8-4 with its first bowl bid in 18 years.
Clemson has Eight Graduates on Roster The 2002 Clemson team has already broken a school record and the kickoff of the season opener has not even taken place. This year’s team has eight graduates on its roster, a record for a Clemson team. The list includes three players who will travel to roster with two full seasons yet to play.
Clemson starting quarterback Willie Simmons, starting defensive end Khaleed Vaughn and reserve tackle William Henry are listed as graduates on the roster, but still have this year and 2003 in terms of eligibility. Simmons received his degree last May, accomplishing his course requirements in just three years and three summer schools. That is the earliest a Clemson scholarship football player has ever graduated. Vaughn and Henry both graduated this past August 10th and still have two years to play.
The list of graduates on the 2002 Clemson team includes starting wide receiver Altroy Bodrick, starting defensive tackle Nick Eason and starting offensive tackle Gary Byrd. Nathan Gillespie is a reserve offensive lineman who also has his Clemson diploma. Eason graduated in August of 2001, so he also had his degree with two years to play.
The previous high for graduates on a Clemson football team was seven set just last year. By the end of the 2002 academic year 18 of the 22 seniors on the 2001 football team already had their degree. Two of those players are in school this year and plan to graduate by May of 2003.
Clemson Graduates on 2002 Team
Pos Graduation Degree Jackie RobinsonWR Dec. 2001 Health Science Khaleed Vaughn DEAug. 2002 Marketing Willie Simmons QBMay 2002 Marketing William Henry OTAug. 2002 Sociology Altroy Bodrick ROVAug. 2002 Rec. Park Adm. Gary Byrd OT Aug. 2002Rec. Park Adm. Nick Eason DT Aug.2001 Sociology Nathan Gillespie OG Dec. 2001 Marketing
Clemson Has 82.4 Graduation Rate for 1996 Entering Class Clemson has eight graduates on its current roster, one of the top totals in the nation. The list of signees who entered Clemson in 1996 also had an outstanding graduation rate. Of the 17 Tigers who entered as scholarship players that fall, 14 have graduated, an 82.4 percent graduation rate. When the NCAA releases its graduation rates for that class next fall, Clemson should be among the national leaders. The class includes a perfect 9-9 in terms of graduates among African American signees for that year. No one in the nation can top that 100 percent rate.
Members of that class who have their Clemson degrees are Terry Bryant, Rod Gardner, Jason Holloman, Freddie James, Mal Lawyer, John McDermott, Harold Means, Theo Mougros, Ryan Romano, Sean Sullivan, Justin Watts, Terry Witherspoon and Brian Wofford.
It is interesting to note that the study does not include athletes who enter in January. Two other first-year players who started their Clemson careers in January of 1996 who graduated are Jason Gamble and Mike Seth. They are not included in the figures.
Tiger Teammates Clemson has 15 different sets of football players who went to the same high school or junior college. The list includes three schools that have sent Clemson three players apiece. Orangeburg-Wilkinson, the high school that sent 2001 senior Woody Dantzler to Clemson, still has three representatives on the current Clemson team in Ryan Hemby, Kevin Johnson and Jackie Robinson.
Fork Union Prep in Virginia has sent Clemson Eric Coleman, Maurice Fountain and Gaines Adams. Fountain was a high school teammate of wide receiver Kelvin Grant. The only brother combination on the list is the Vaughn brothers, Khaleed and Nigel, who both played at North Atlanta High in Atlanta, GA.
Clemson players who played together in high school or prep school:
City State Players C.A. Johnson Columbia SC Eugene Koon, ToddMcClinton Camden Camden SC Maurice Fountain, Kelvin Grant EasleyEasley SC EricMeekins, Josh Smith Fairfield Central Fairfield SC CharlesBennett, Altroy BodrickFork Union Prep Fork Union VA Eric Coleman,MauriceFountain, Gaines Adams JamesIsland Charleston SC Ryan Charpia, Tony Elliott Lexington LexingtonSC Fletcher Anderson, PhillipDieckmann Manning Manning SC Brian Mance, Travis Pugh NorthAtlanta Atlanta SC Khaleed Vaughn,Nigel Vaughn Orangeburg-Wilkinson Orangeburg SC Ryan Hemby, KevinJohnson, Jackie RobinsonRichland Northeast Columbia SC Airese Currie,Toure Francis Shanks Quincy FL Charles Harper,WillieSimmons, Ronnie ThomasSummerville Summerville SC Dustin Fry, Bernard RambertSW Miss. CC Summit MS Brandon Jamison, Kelvin Morris UnionUnion SC KyleBrowning, Roscoe Crosby
18 Tigers on NFL Rosters Clemson had 18 former players on NFL rosters entering play on September 8th, the opening day of the NFL season. The list includes four players who are now in double digits in the league in terms of years of service. Woody Dantzler, who is on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, is the only member of the 2001 Clemson team to make a roster.
The list of veterans includes Chris Gardocki, who is in his 12th year in the NFL as a punter. The former pro bowl punter is with the Cleveland Browns. Gardocki holds the career punting average record for both the Browns (44.1) and the Indianapolis Colts (44.8). Chester McGlockton (Denver Broncos) and Levon Kirkland (Philadelphia Eagles) are both in their 11th seasons in the NFL. Kirkland made his 124th consecutive NFL start for the Eagles on Sunday against Tennessee. James Trapp, who is in the Clemson Hall of Fame for his track accomplishments from 1989-93, is in his 10th year in the NFL and is with the Baltimore Ravens.
The Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers all have two players apiece from Clemson on their respective roster. Twelve of the 18 players are defensive players, including four defensive linemen.
Two former Tigers stood out in week one. Rod Gardner had seven receptions for 131 yards and a score to help Washington to victory in Steve Spurrier’s first game as head coach. Adrian Dingle had two sacks to help the San Diego Chargers to a victory over Cincinnati.
Former Clemson Players on NFL Rosters
Pos Hgt Wgt CU Yrs NFL Exp NFL Team Keith Adams LB 5-11 23098-00 2nd Dallas Cowboys Lorenzo Bromell DE 6-6 275 96-97 5thMinnesota Vikings Brentson Buckner DE 6-2 305 90-93 9th CarolinaPanthers &Jim Bundren OT 6-5 305 94-97 4th Miami DolphinsRobertCarswell DB 5-11 215 97-00 2nd San Diego Chargers #WoodyDantzler QB 5-11 205 98-01 R Dallas Cowboys Brian Dawkins DB 5-11200 92-95 7th Philadelphia Eagles Adrian Dingle DE 6-3 272 95-984th San Diego Chargers Antwan Edwards DB 6-1 205 95-98 4th GreenBay Packers RodGardner WR 6-3 218 97-00 2nd Washington Redskins Chris GardockiP 6-1 200 88-90 12th Cleveland Browns Lamont Hall TE 6-4 260 94-974th New Orleans Levon Kirkland LB 6-1 270 88-91 11th PhiladelphiaEagles Dexter McCleon DB 5-10 195 93-96 6th St. Louis Rams ChesterMcGlockton DT 6-4 329 89-91 11th Denver Broncos Trevor Pryce DT 6-5295 1996 6th Denver Broncos Anthony Simmons LB 6-0 230 95-97 5thSeattle Seahawks James Trapp DB 6-2 190 89-92 10th Baltimore Ravens# Practice Squad & Injured reserve
Clemson Assistant Coaches Have Bowl Experience Clemson’s nine current assistant coaches and head coach Tommy Bowden have coached in a combined 81 bowl games. Of the current staff, Rick Stockstill has coached in the most bowl games with the Tigers, as the 2001 Humanitarian Bowl was his 10th as a Clemson assistant. Brad Scott leads the way in total bowl games coached with 15 between his time at Clemson, Florida State and South Carolina.
Two Clemson assistants have served as head coaches in bowl games. Scott led South Carolina to its first bowl win in history when he defeated West Virginia in the 1994 Carquest Bowl. Mike O’Cain, hired as Clemson’s quarterbacks coach in December of 2000, served as NC State’s head coach in three bowl games.
As you can see by the list below, eight of the 10 coaches on this staff have been together all three years of the Bowden era. Mike O’Cain has coached in two of the three bowl games. John Lovett is the only newcomer to the staff this year.
Position Player CU Bowl Overall Tommy Bowden HeadCoach 1 3 11 Rodney AllisonDefensive Ends 3 3 8 Burton Burns RunningBacks 3 3 4 JackHines Linebackers 1 3 8 John Lovett DefensiveBacks 0 0 5 MikeO’Cain Quarterbacks 0 2 @10 Brad Scott Tight Ends0 3 *15 ThielenSmith Defensive Line 2 3 5 Rick StockstillWide Receivers 3 10 10 Ron West Offensive Line 2 3 5 Totals 15 3081
*Includes one bowl (win) as head coach of South Carolina @Includes three games as head coach at NC State Overall is total as a coach only
Some Tigers using New Helmet The latest in equipment use in football at all levels is the Revolution Helmet manufactured by Riddell. Many Clemson players have switched to the new helmet for this season and Clemson equipment personnel estimate 30 players are using it this year. Many of the players are first-year freshmen.
Among the veterans using the helmet are starting outside linebacker Khaleed Vaughn, starting middle linebacker and top returning tackler John Leake, and running backs Yusef Kelley, Chad Jasmin and Tye Hill. Linebacker David Dunham was troubled by a concussion early in preseason and switched to the Revolution. He has not had problems since.
The helmet is the result of five years of research conducted by the NFL, who concluded that 70 percent of concussions result from hits to the side of the head. The sides of the new helmet extend farther down toward the chin, creating a firm shell along the jaw line.
Clemson Faces Tough Schedule in 2002 In many ways this will be Clemson’s most difficult schedule. The 2002 Tigers have nine games against teams who had winning records last year and eight of the 2002 opponents played in bowl games last year.
Nationally, Clemson is tied for third in number of games against teams who had winning records in 2001 and tied for fourth in number of 2001 bowl opponents on the 2002 schedule.
Clemson has had some difficult schedules under Tommy Bowden’s. The 1999 schedule is listed as the 10th toughest in the nation according to the 2002 NCAA Record Book. In 2001, Clemson had five wins over teams with winning records, one off the Clemson single season record.
Most Difficult Schedules of 2002
Based on 2002 Opponents Who Played in 2001 Bowls
Team 2002 Games 2001 Bowl Opp 1. Florida State 13 9 NotreDame 12 9 Virginia 13 9 4. Clemson 12 8 Duke 12 8 Iowa State 13 8Missouri 12 8 Texas 12 8 Wake Forest 12 8
Based on 2002 Opponents who had 2001 Winning Record
Team 2002 Games Winning Opp 1. Florida State 13 10 Virginia13 10 3. Clemson 12 9 Alabama 12 9 Duke 12 9 Florida 12 9
Clemson Home Games Draw 6.7 Times the Population You could make the statement Clemson is the most rabid football town in Division I. The data used compares average stadium attendance to city population. Last year Clemson ranked 15th in the nation in attendance average with an 80,152 figure. The town of Clemson has a population of just 11,939. That means Clemson’s average football attendance in 2001 was 6.7 times the population of the city.
A look to the 2001 attendance figures and the most recent city population totals shows that only six Division I schools had a higher average attendance than the city population.
School City 2001 Attend Pop Ratio 1. Clemson Clemson, SC80,152 11,939 6.71 2. Penn State State College, PA 107,576 38,4202.80 3. Auburn Auburn, AL 85,449 42,987 1.99 4. VirginiaCharlottesville, VA 56,283 40,002 1.41 5. Virginia Tech Blacksburg,VA 50,762 39,573 1.28 6. Iowa Iowa City, IA 64,665 62,220 1.04
ACC Announces 50th Anniversary All-Time Football Team Clemson Leads All Schools With Nine Selections Nine former Clemson football players have been named to the 50th Anniversary All-ACC team, the conference announced in July. Clemson’s nine selections are the most among ACC schools. Players who have been named to the team are Joe Bostic, Jerry Butler, Bennie Cunningham, Jeff Davis, Steve Fuller, Terry Kinard, William Perry, Michael Dean Perry and Anthony Simmons.
All nine players were All-Americans at Clemson. Five of them earned such honors on more than one occasion. The honorees have won 10 ACC titles collectively, with three of the players earning a National Championship ring in 1981. Eight of the nine players were named to Clemson’s All-Centennial team in 1996. Butler, Davis, Fuller and Kinard are also honored in Clemson’s Ring of Honor.
Each of the honorees has played in the NFL at some point after their Clemson careers. Anthony Simmons, the youngest Clemson player honored by the ACC, is currently a starting linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks. The group collectively has played 76 years in the NFL and combined to win five Super Bowl Championship rings. Joe Bostic was a four-year starter and two-time All-American between 1975-78 on Clemson’s offensive line. He is also in Clemson’s Hall of Fame. In 1999, A panel of Clemson historians ranked him as the 11th best player in Clemson history. Bostic went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL, all with the Cardinals organization.
Jerry Butler earned first-team Associated Press All-American honors in 1978 and was ranked as the 4th best player in school history in 1999. He was famous for a diving backward touchdown catch that helped beat rival South Carolina in 1977. Butler, also a member of Clemson’s Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor, played nine seasons for the Buffalo Bills in the NFL.
Bennie Cunningham, Clemson’s most decorated tight end, was a two-time All-American. He was a consensus first-team All-American as a junior in 1974 and a first-team choice by the Sporting News in 1975. He was also ranked among Clemson’s greatest players in 1999. Cunningham won two Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers between 1976-85.
Jeff Davis was an All-American in 1981, the year Clemson won the National Championship. Davis is the third leading tackler in Clemson history. “The Judge” is a member of Clemson’s All-Centennial team, Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor. He was inducted into the state of South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2001. He played for six seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Steve Fuller was a third-team All-American on the field in 1978 as well as a two-time Academic All-American. He was also the ACC Player-of-the-Year in 1977 and 1978, the only two-time selection in Clemson history. He was ranked as a top 5 player by Clemson historians in 1999, and is in the Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor. Fuller won a Super Bowl ring with the Chicago Bears in 1985.
Terry Kinard, perhaps Clemson’s most decorated athlete, was a two-time first-team AP All-American in 1981-82. He was a starting safety on Clemson’s 1981 National Championship team. He was named the 1982 National Player-of-the-Year by CBS. Kinard was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last fall and the state of South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2002. He is still Clemson’s career leader in interceptions with 17, now a 20-year-old record. He won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants and played eight seasons in the NFL.
William Perry was a three-time All-American at middle guard for Clemson, a first in school history. He still ranks among Clemson’s career leaders in sacks and tackles for loss. Also a member of the 1981 team, Perry was named to the All-Centennial team and will be inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame this fall. “The Refrigerator” won a Super Bowl ring in 1985 with the Chicago Bears.
Michael Dean Perry, Clemson’s career leader in both sacks and tackles for loss, was a first-team All-American in 1987 when he was an Outland Trophy finalist. A member of the All-Centennial team, Perry was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 2000. He went on to considerable success in the NFL as he played in six Pro Bowls and was a four-time All-Pro with the Cleveland Browns.
Anthony Simmons was Clemson’s second three-time All-American. He likely would have been just the second player in NCAA history to achieve such honors four times had he not left for the NFL after his junior year. He is second on Clemson’s career tackles list, an impressive feat to accomplish in only three years. Simmons is currently a starting linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks
Tommy Bowden’s Coaches Show The Tommy Bowden’s Coaches Show will be televised across the state of South Carolina every Sunday.
Here is the Schedule:
WASV (62), Greenville/Spartanburg, 12 Noon Sunday WOLO (25), Columbia, 12:00 Noon, Sunday WTAT (24), Charleston, 11:00 AM, Sunday WBEK (16), Augusta, GA, 11:00 AM, Sunday WFXB (43), Myrtle Beach, 11:30 AM, Sunday Fox Sports Net South, 1:30 PM, Friday Comcast/Charter Comm SE, 7:30 PM, Thursday Sunshine Network, 2:30 Pm Thursday WHHI (3), Hilton Head, 10:00 PM Wednesday Comporium Cable, Rock Hill, SC– Ch 21, 6:30 PM, 11:30 PM Wednesday Ch 21, 6:30 PM, 11:30 PM, Friday Ch. 2, 11:30 AM, Saturday Triangle Television, Durham, NC 9:30 PM Wednesday 1:30 AM, Thursday 8:00 PM, Friday 10:00 AM, Saturday
Clemson Graduate Designed 50-Year Anniversary Logo What started out as an internet search for fresh ideas has turned into a ticket to some of the ACC’s most exciting upcoming 50th Anniversary events, not to mention a place in the conference’s history books for Clemson graduate T.J. Harley.
Harley needed some ideas back in the summer of 2001 for some t-shirt designs he was planning for Clemson’s 20th anniversary celebration of the school’s 1981 football national championship. At the time, Harley was working as a student at one of Clemson’s downtown t-shirt stores, Tigertown Graphics.
The search took him to TheACC.com for what he thought would be a search for some different logo ideas. Harley had no idea the ACC was looking for some ideas of its own. In May of 2001, the ACC announced a contest that gave current students, faculty, and staff members at all nine member institutions the opportunity to submit ideas for the conference’s 50th anniversary logo.
“Some of the most creative minds in the country reside on our campuses, and we’d love to have their quality of work represent our conference in this important celebration,” stated ACC Commissioner John Swofford at the time of the contest’s announcement.
For Harley the contest meant another opportunity to display his talents, but there was one problem, his discovery of the contest was almost too late. “I noticed that the contest deadline was the next day so I immediately stopped working on the Clemson shirt and spent the next couple hours working on a design for the ACC,” Harley recalled. Those couple of hours turned out to produce the ACC’s 50th Anniversary logo.
The logo will represent the conference’s expansive marketing efforts to promote the ACC’s 50th Anniversary celebration. Founded in 1953, the ACC is celebrating its 50th year this year and will the year with a Gala at the Greensboro Coliseum in March. For his efforts, Harley will receive two tickets to the Gala as well as tickets to the 2003 ACC men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
The vast nature of the 50th Anniversary celebration will expose Harley’s work through several mediums, including newspaper, television, internet, souvenir and apparel items. The exposure won’t stop there though. As part of the celebration, the ACC has a historical book and video in the works. Harley’s design potential hasn’t gone unnoticed. The recent graphic communications graduate has secured a job with Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), which is based in Atlanta.
December 8, 2024
