Saturday 10/20/2012
Team Notes* Clemson has now won 11 consecutive games at Memorial Stadium, which ties the school record. Clemson went 7-0 at home in 2011 and is 4-0 at home this season. The last time Clemson won 11 straight at Memorial Stadium was in 1991. The streak started on October 21, 1989 with a 31-10 over NC State and ended with a 20-20 tie against Virginia on October 12, 1991.
* Clemson is now 20-12-1 all-time against Virginia Tech and 9-6-1 against the Hokies at Clemson.
* Clemson had three interceptions and four total takeaways in today’s game. That is most interceptions and takeaways by Clemson in a game since last season against North Carolina when the defense forced six turnovers, including three interceptions.
* Clemson is now 5-1 under Dabo Swinney in opponent redemption games (when Clemson defeated the opposing team the previous season and that team seeks redemption the following year) at Memorial Stadium.
* Clemson held Virginia Tech to just seven points in the second half of today’s game. That is the fifth time this season that the Clemson defense has allowed seven points or fewer in the second half of a game.
Individual Notes* Tajh Boyd rushed for his third touchdown of the season in the second quarter of today’s game. He now has a rushing touchdown in each of the last three games. He is the first Clemson quarterback to rush for a touchdown in three straight games since Woodrow Dantzler had a rushing touchdown in three straight games in 2001.
* Boyd scored another rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to give him two for the game. It is the first time a Clemson quarterback has had multiple rushing touchdowns in a game since 2001 when Dantzler had 22 carries for 59 yards and two rushing touchdowns against Florida State.
* Boyd finished the game 12-for-21 passing for 160 yards, which gives him 6,065 passing yards for his career. That moves him past Dantzler for second all-time in Clemson history in passing yards. Charlie Whitehurst is Clemson’s career leader in passing yards with 9,665.
* Jonathan Meeks recorded two interceptions in the second quarter, including a 74-yard interception return for a touchdown, to give him seven career interceptions. It is the first interception return for a touchdown since last season when Kourtnei Brown took one 20 yards for a touchdown against North Carolina.
* Meeks is also the first Clemson player to have two interceptions in a game since 2009 when DeAndre McDaniel had two interceptions against Miami (FL).
* Meeks’ 74-yard interception return is the longest interception return by a Clemson player since 2006 when Jock McKissic returned an interception return 83 yards for a touchdown against South Carolina.
* Xavier Brewer intercepted his first pass of the season in the fourth quarter, giving him four for his career.
* Chandler Catanzaro made his 20th consecutive field goal at the end of the first quarter. He is now in sole possession of fourth place on the Clemson career field goals list with 56.
* DeAndre Hopkins scored his ninth touchdown of the season in the third quarter. Hopkins has now scored a touchdown in four straight games and six of the seven games this season. He finished the game with three catches for 68 receiving yards.
* Sammy Watkins finished today’s game with eight catches for 84 yards. Each of his first four receptions of the game resulted in a first down. He now has 106 career receptions. Both figures from today were season-highs for Watkins.
* Andre Ellington had 19 carries for 96 yards and scored his seventh rushing touchdown of the season in the third quarter.
* Tony Steward recorded his first career takeaway in the second quarter when he recovered a fumble.
* Rashard Hall led the Tigers on defense with 12 tackles in today’s game, including 0.5 tackle for loss. Jonathan Willard added 10, including 1.5 tackles for loss.
December 8, 2024
