Game Notes: Clemson 51, The Citadel 14

WITH THE WIN…

• Clemson reached nine wins in a season for the 32nd time in school history and for the 15th time in Dabo Swinney’s 16 full seasons as head coach.
• Clemson extended its school-record streak by winning nine games for a 14th consecutive season. Alabama and Clemson entered 2024 the longest active streaks of nine-win seasons in the country; Alabama entered 2024 with 16 straight nine-win seasons and can extend that to 17 with a win this evening.
• Clemson tied the 1987-2000 Florida State Seminoles (14) for the third-longest streak of nine-win seasons in FBS history.
• Head Coach Dabo Swinney joined Tom Osborne (25 straight from 1973-97), Nick Saban (16  straight from 2008-23) and Bobby Bowden (14 straight from 1987-2000) as the only coaches in major college football history to record at least 14 consecutive seasons with nine or more wins with one program.
• Clemson improved to 34-5-1 in its all-time series with The Citadel since the teams’ first meeting in 1909.
• Clemson won its 19th consecutive game against The Citadel. Clemson’s active 19-game winning streak in the series since 1932 is Clemson’s third-longest winning streak against a single opponent in school history, trailing a 32-game streak against Furman (1938-present) and a 29-game streak against Virginia (1955-89).
• Clemson improved to 16-1 in home games against The Citadel all-time. 
• Clemson won its 15th consecutive home game in its all-time series with The Citadel. It now ties for the fourth-longest home winning streak against a single opponent in Clemson history and represents the sixth home winning streak of 15 or more games against a single opponent in school records.
• Clemson improved to 219-65-13 (.758) all-time against foes from the state of South Carolina. Clemson has a winning record against all 12 Palmetto State opponents it has faced all-time.
• Clemson improved to 39-0 against FCS teams since the NCAA split Division I in 1978.
• Clemson improved to 70-4 at Death Valley in the College Football Playoff era, the nation’s second-best home record in that span.
• Clemson improved to 5-1 at home this season. It is Clemson’s 19th consecutive season with at least five home wins and is Clemson’s 23rd such season since 2000. 
• Clemson rebounded from a loss in its most recent home game prior to Saturday. Clemson still has not lost back-to-back home games since 2008 (Maryland and Georgia Tech). The second of those consecutive home losses in 2008 was Dabo Swinney’s first game as Clemson’s interim head coach.
• Clemson improved to 44-8 in regular season non-conference games since 2011.
• Clemson improved to 41-4 in non-conference home games under Dabo Swinney. Clemson is now 31-1 against non-conference opponents in Death Valley since 2013.
• In defeating The Citadel Head Coach Maurice Drayton, Clemson improved to 168-74-3 all-time (and 51-8 since 2011) when facing a coach for the first time.
• Clemson improved to 140-19 against AP-unranked teams under Dabo Swinney and improved to 116-9 in those games since the start of the 2012 season.
• Clemson improved to 103-14 in regular season play since the start of the 2015 season. 
• Clemson improved to 33-5 in November games since 2015.
• Clemson improved to 75-2 since 2015 when outscoring opponents in the “Middle Eight,” defined as the final four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half.
• Clemson has now won 122 of its last 127 games when leading at halftime.
• Clemson is now 144-4 since 2011 when leading after three quarters.
• Clemson improved to 87-6 when scoring first since 2015.
• Clemson is now 69-5 when having a 100-yard rusher since 2011.
• Clemson is now 86-4 when rushing for 200+ yards under Dabo Swinney.
• Clemson is now 66-2 when both passing and rushing for 200+ yards under Dabo Swinney. Overall, Clemson is 116-2-1 in program history when reaching those marks.
• Clemson now has a 137-9 record when totaling more first downs than its opponent since 2011.
• Clemson now has an 86-4 record when winning the turnover margin since 2011.
• Clemson has now won 120 of its last 121 games when holding teams under 23 points (dates to 2010).

GAME NOTES

• Clemson reached the 50-point mark for the third time this season, its most in a season since scoring 50 points seven times in 2019.
• Clemson produced a sixth 40-point game in a season for the eighth time in school history (10 in 2019, nine in 2018, eight in 2020, eight in 2013, eight in 2012, seven in 2015 and seven in 2016).
• Clemson scored a touchdown on each of its first five possessions of the game for the second time this season (first eight drives vs. Appalachian State). Clemson added a field goal on its sixth possession before finally being held off the scoreboard on its seventh drive.
• Clemson recorded 562 total yards, including 260 passing yards and 302 rushing yards.
• Clemson averaged 9.53 yards per play, its second yards-per-play average of 9.5 yards or better this season (9.75 vs. Appalachian State).
• Clemson’s 302 rushing yards were a season high and were Clemson’s most since rushing for 333 yards against Wake Forest in 2021. The game was Clemson’s 21st 300-yard rushing effort under Dabo Swinney.
• Clemson averaged a season-high 10.79 yards per carry, the fifth-highest yards-per-carry average in school history.
• Clemson recorded its sixth 500-yard game this season. It marks the first time Clemson has recorded six or more 500-yard games in a single season since 2019 (10).
• Clemson (5,169) has now produced the 20th 5,000-yard season in school history and the 14th such season in Dabo Swinney’s 16 full seasons as head coach.
• Clemson (2,148) has now reached 2,000 rushing yards for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons.
• Clemson (3,021) has now produced the 16th 3,000-yard passing season in school history.
• Clemson reached both 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in a game for the sixth time this season. Clemson entered the week tied for the national lead in this category in 2024.
• Clemson has now recorded its first season with at least six games with both 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards since 2019. It is Clemson’s fifth such season in school history (10 in 2019, eight in 2015, seven in 2018, six in 2016). 
• With its sixth 200-yard rushing game of the season, Clemson has now rushed for six or more 200-yard games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since a five-season stretch from 2015-19.
• Running back Jay Haynes rushed for a career-high 118 yards on five carries with two touchdowns.
• Haynes’ performance marked the fourth time in school history that a Clemson player rushed for 100 yards in a game on five or fewer carries. He joined Lyn-J Dixon (four carries for 116 yards vs. Louisville in 2018), Ken Moore (five carries for 152 yards vs. The Citadel in 1954) and Jim Reynolds (five carries for 105 yards vs. Presbyterian in 1945).
• Haynes’ two rushing touchdowns were a career high, and his two total touchdowns tied his career high set against Charleston Southern in 2023 (one rushing, one receiving).
• Haynes scored his second rushing touchdown of the season — the third of his career — on a career-long 70-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
• Haynes’ 70-yard touchdown run was Clemson’s second-longest rush of the season, trailing only Phil Mafah’s 83-yard touchdown run against NC State.
• Haynes’ 70-yard touchdown run was Clemson’s fourth touchdown run of 50 or more yards this season. The 2024 season marks Clemson’s first with four or more touchdown runs of at least 50 yards since 2019 (four).
• Haynes scored his second touchdown of the game on a nine-yard run in the second quarter.
• Haynes also recorded a 25-yard kickoff return to finish the game with a career-high 143 all-purpose yards.
• Clemson has now scored at least one rushing touchdown in a national-best 86 of its 93 games since the start of the 2018 season. Clemson has also now rushed for multiple touchdowns in a national-best 71 games in that span.
• Clemson has now rushed for a touchdown in 59 consecutive home games, the nation’s longest active streak. The last team to hold Clemson without a rushing touchdown in Death Valley was Troy in 2016.
• Quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 12-of-16 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns before exiting early in the third quarter. He also added four carries for 34 yards.
• Klubnik (18-7) tied Harvey White (18-7 from 1957-59) for the 13th-most wins as a starting quarterback for Clemson since World War II.
• On his third passing touchdown of the game, Klubnik (50) passed Charlie Whitehurst (49 from 2002-05) for fourth on Clemson’s all-time leaderboard for career passing touchdowns. 
• During the contest, Klubnik (29) passed Cullen Harper (27 in 2007) for the eighth-most passing touchdowns in a single season in Clemson history. 
• On his third touchdown pass, Klubnik (50) joined Tajh Boyd (107), Trevor Lawrence (90) and Deshaun Watson (90) as the only players in school history to throw 50 career touchdown passes.
• Klubnik (34) surpassed Trevor Lawrence’s 2020 Heisman Trophy finalist campaign (32) for seventh in touchdown responsibility (all touchdowns scored or thrown) in a season in school history.
• Klubnik (61) also passed Charlie Whitehurst (59 from 2002-05) for sixth in school history in career touchdown responsibility.
• During the game, Klubnik (6,998) passed Nealon Greene (6,786 from 1994-97) for sixth on Clemson’s career leaderboard for yards of total offense (combined rushing and passing yards).
• Klubnik (3,146) has now broken his single-season career high of 3,026 yards of total offense set in 2023.
• Wide receiver Antonio Williams caught five passes for 72 yards and tied his career high with two receiving touchdowns.
• The game was Williams’ third multi-touchdown game of the season, the fourth multi-touchdown game of his career and his second in his last two games.
• Williams became the first Clemson player to catch multiple touchdown passes in back-to-back games since Tee Higgins caught multiple touchdowns in three straight games against Wake Forest, South Carolina and Virginia in 2019.
• Clemson opened the scoring on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Klubnik to Williams.
• Williams added his second touchdown of the game on a nine-yard pass from Klubnik in the third quarter.
• With his ninth and 10th touchdown receptions of the season, Williams (10) became the first Clemson player with double-digit touchdown receptions in a season since Tee Higgins in 2019 (13).
• Williams has now recorded the ninth season in school history with double-digit touchdown receptions and is tied with Derrick Hamilton (10 in 2003) for eighth-most receiving touchdowns in a season in school history.
• On his fourth reception, Williams (58) broke his single-season career high in receptions set in 2022 (56).
• Wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. caught three passes for 75 yards with a touchdown.
• Wesco scored his third touchdown of the season on a 55-yard pass from Klubnik in the second quarter.
• Including a 76-yard touchdown reception against Appalachian State earlier in the season, Wesco became the first Clemson player to catch multiple touchdowns of 50 yards or more in a single season since Cornell Powell and Amari Rodgers in 2020 (two each).
• With three carries for 14 yards, running back Phil Mafah (1,012) posted the 24th 1,000-yard rushing season in Clemson history. He became the 18th player in Clemson annals to record at least one 1,000-yard rushing season, joining Travis Etienne, Wayne Gallman, Raymond Priester, James Davis, Andre Ellington, Woodrow Dantzler, Terrence Flagler, C.J. Spiller, Kenny Flowers, Terry Allen, Will Shipley, Deshaun Watson, Cliff Austin, Buddy Gore, Travis Zachery, Roderick McDowell and Lester Brown.
• Mafah (1,012) has now recorded the 11th 1,000-yard individual rushing season by a Clemson player in Dabo Swinney’s tenure.
• Mafah (2,784) passed Terry Allen (2,778 from 1987-89) for ninth on Clemson’s all-time leaderboard for career rushing yards.
• Linebacker Barrett Carter scored his first career offensive touchdown on a four-yard run on his first career carry in the fourth quarter.
• The touchdown was the second of Carter’s career, joining a three-yard fumble return touchdown against Florida State in 2021.
• Carter became the first Clemson defensive player to rush for a touchdown since defensive tackle Nyles Pinckney’s one-yard run at Georgia Tech in 2020.
• Quarterback Christopher Vizzina completed 6-of-14 passes for 62 yards.
• Vizzina recorded a career-long 35 yard run in the third quarter.
• Defensive tackle Payton Page recorded his first career interception in the first quarter and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown.
• Page’s pick-six was Clemson’s second defensive touchdown of the season. 
• Clemson extended its streak of scoring multiple defensive touchdowns to 15 straight seasons. Clemson’s 15-year streak is the nation’s longest active streak. The last time Clemson had fewer than two defensive touchdowns in a season was 2009, Dabo Swinney’s first full season as head coach, when the Tigers supplemented a single defensive touchdown with six special teams touchdowns.
• Page’s touchdown was the first of any kind by a Clemson defensive lineman since defensive tackle Nyles Pinckney’s one-yard run at Georgia Tech on offense in 2020.
• Page’s pick-six was the first defensive touchdown by a Clemson defensive lineman since defensive end Logan Rudolph returned a fumble 39 yards for a touchdown against Boston College in 2019.
• Page became the first Clemson defensive tackle to return an interception for a touchdown since Carlos Watkins’ 15-yard pick-six against Appalachian State in 2015. Page’s pick-six was the longest by a Clemson defensive tackle since Jock McKissic’s 82-yard interception return for touchdown against South Carolina in 2006.
• Cornerback Avieon Terrell recorded a remarkable takeaway in the second quarter, chasing down The Citadel’s Johnny Crawford 50 yards downfield and stripping the ball from behind for both a forced fumble and fumble recovery in one motion.
• The takeaway was Terrell’s fourth of the season, including two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. It was also Terrell’s second forced fumble of the season and of his career.
• Defensive lineman Peter Woods recorded his third sack of the season in the first quarter. 
• Woods has now recorded a sack in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.
• Linebacker Jamal Anderson recorded his first career sack in the fourth quarter.
• Clemson did not punt in the contest. It was Clemson’s first time punting zero times in a game since 2014 vs. South Carolina State.
• Clemson won the turnover margin, 2-1. Clemson has now finished even or better in the turnover margin in 10 straight games for the first time since an 11-game streak across the 2021-22 seasons. Dating to last season, Clemson has lost the turnover margin only once in its last 16 games.
• With only one giveaway in the game, Clemson has now played 13 consecutive games (dating to last season) with one giveaway or fewer for the first time on record back to at least 1981. Dating to last season, Clemson has nine giveaways over its last 13 games and has not had a multi-giveaway game in that span.
• Clemson won the turnover margin for the 106th time under Dabo Swinney, and Clemson is now 100-6 under Swinney when the Tigers win the turnover margin. 
• Unofficially, Clemson played 104 players in the game, Clemson’s second-most this season (106 vs. Appalachian State) and fifth-most in a game under Dabo Swinney.
• Former Clemson tight end and current student coaching assistant Jason LeMay was selected to run the American flag down the Hill prior to the game. A native of Black Mountain, N.C., Hospital Corpsman Petty Officer 2nd Class LeMay served nearly 10 years in the United States Navy as one of only roughly 300 Diving Medical Technicians and as a military free fall jumper. He served on the USS Harry S Truman, with Naval Special Warfare Group 2 at Little Creek, and as part of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group including a deployment in Afghanistan.
• All of Clemson’s seniors were declared as captains for the game. Team representatives at the coin toss were wide receiver Hampton Earle, offensive lineman Trent Howard, defensive tackle Payton Page and punter Aidan Swanson.