Clemson vs. NC State postgame notes

TEAM

• Clemson has won 11 in a row dating to last year, Clemson’s longest winning streak since the Tigers won 13 in a row between 1980-82.

• Clemson has won 17 of its last 18 games for the first time since the 1938-40 era when Banks McFadden starred for the Tigers.

• This was the 40th win for Clemson’s 2015 senior class, tied for the second most in school history for a four-year period. This group is now 40-7. That .851 winning percentage is the best in school history. Two more wins and it will tie the record of 42 wins set by last year’s senior class.

• Clemson finished the month of October with a 5-0 record, just the fourth 5-0 month in school history. The other months it happened were October of 1977, October of 1981 and September of 2000.

• This was Clemson’s 55th win over NC State, third among all Clemson opponents. Clemson has defeated NC State 11 of the last 12 meetings dating to the 2004 season. That includes five of the last six games played in Raleigh.

• Clemson is now 14-7 all-time on Halloween.

• Clemson has started 8-0 for the first time since 2011, but just the fifth time in school history. The other years Clemson started at least 8-0 are 1948 (11-0), 1981 (12-0) 2000 (8-0), and 2011 (8-0).

• Clemson has now won 34 straight games over teams unranked in either poll entering the game, and 36-0 against teams unranked by Associated Press entering the game.  

• Dabo Swinney is now 69-26 in his career at Clemson, including 45-15 in games against ACC opponents (counting two appearances in ACC Championship games).  With today’s victory Swinney moved ahead of Danny Ford into second place on the ACC game victories list by Clemson coaches. Danny Ford was 44-14-1. Swinney is already ninth in ACC history in victories in ACC games with 45. Next on the list is former Maryland coach Jerry Claiborne, who had 46. Frank Howard is the Clemson career leader in that category with 66.

• Swinney is now 19-11 in ACC road games. Only Frank Beamer has more ACC road wins among active league coaches with 33.

• Coupled with last season’s 41-0 win, it was the first time since 1995 and 1996 that the Tigers posted 40 or more points against NC State in back to back games.

• The Tigers have scored 50 or more points in consecutive games, a first since games against Virginia and Georgia Tech in 2013.

• Clemson produced its fourth straight game with at least 500 total yards, only the second time that has happened in school history (2013).

• Clemson is now 70-0-1 (and 3-0 this season) in its history when passing and rushing for at least 200 yards as a team.

INDIVIDUAL

• Deshaun Watson accounted for six touchdowns, tying his personal best he established against North Carolina in 2014. His five passing touchdowns were second-most in his career, trailing only the game against the Tar Heels.

• Watson rushed for a 24-yard score in the first quarter, his third straight game with a touchdown on the ground.

• Watson is now 12-1 as Clemson’s starting quarterback, the only player in Clemson history to win 12 of his first 13 as starting signal caller. He is 11-0 in games he has started and finished.

• Wayne Gallman rushed for 100 yards for the fifth time in Clemson’s last six games. The five 100-yard rushing games are the most in a season by a Tiger since Andre Ellington in 2011.

• Gallman’s seven rushing touchdowns are the most by a Tiger running back since Ellington’s eight in 2012.

• Deon Cain and Ray-Ray McCloud both caught their first career touchdowns. The Tigers have now had eight different players with a receiving touchdown in 2015.

• Charone Peake scored on a 42-yard touchdown pass late in the first half, his first scoring reception since the second game of the season against Appalachian State.

• Hunter Renfrow scored his second career touchdown in the opening period, a 57-yard scoring pass from Watson.

• B.J. Goodson had a career-high three tackles for loss, including a sack. He finished with a team-best 10 tackles.

• Goodson caused the first fumble of his career in the first quarter on a sack that gave the Tigers possession in Wolfpack territory.

• Travis Blanks’ second-quarter sack was the first of his career.

• Ben Boulware had his first sack of the season in the fourth quarter. Boulware matched Goodson’s tackle total with 10 of his own.

• Greg Huegel made a career-high three field goals against the Wolfpack.