Game Notes: Clemson vs. FSU

Oct. 29, 2001

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Game Eight: Clemson vs. Florida State

Saturday, Nov. 3, 2001 3:30 PM (EST) Memorial Stadium (81,473) Clemson, SC

In the Rankings Clemson – NR AP, #24 USA Today/ESPN Florida State – #14 AP, #14 USA Today/ESPN

Television: ABCPlay By Play: Brad Nessler * Color: Bob GrieseSideline: Lynn Swann

Radio: Clemson Tiger Sports NetworkPlay By Play: Jim Phillips* Color: Mike EppleySideline: Rodney Williams

Series History: Florida State leads 12-2Tickets: Sold Out

Special Day: 20-Year Reunion of 1981 National Championship Team

Bowden Bowl III As everyone knows, when Florida State’s Bobby Bowden and Clemson’s Tommy Bowden take the field Saturday afternoon to coach their respective teams, it will be the third competition of father and son in NCAA Division I history. The previous two occasions have taken place the last two years when the two teams have met.

The first meeting in 1999 was a festive atmosphere at Clemson as a record 86,000 fans attended the game. In addition to the hype concerning a father coaching against a son for the first time, Bobby Bowden was going for his 300th career victory. He got it, but it was a struggle, as the Tigers fought the Seminoles to the wire before Florida State came away with a 17-14 victory. It was the closest victory for the Seminoles on the way to the 1999 National Championship. Florida State won the second meeting last year in Tallahassee.

Bobby Bowden has enjoyed success against Clemson in Death Valley, regardless of the opposing coach. Father Bowden is 5-0 in Death Valley, the only opposing coach with a perfect record in the facility given a minimum of two games.

The Clemson vs. Florida State games the last two years are not the only times Bowdens have been on opposite sides of the field. In 1991, Auburn, with assistant coach Tommy Bowden, faced Southern Mississippi, with assistant coach Jeff Bowden. Southern Mississippi upset Auburn that day. Jeff Bowden will be at the scene this year also as he is Florida State’s offensive coordinator.

Clemson-Florida State Series Florida State holds a 12-2 advantage in the series with Clemson dating back to a 38-13 Florida State win in Tallahassee in 1970. Both of Clemson’s wins in the series took place in Tallahassee, in 1976 by a 15-12 score and in 1989 by a 34-23 count. Florida State is 6-0 at Clemson and Clemson is 2-6 at Florida State.

In four straight meetings between 1988 and 1993 both teams were ranked in the top 25. Both teams have been ranked in the top 25 in six of the last 10 meetings, including last year when Clemson was 10th and Florida State was fourth. That marked just the third time in ACC history that two league teams were ranked in the top 10 heading into a contest.

The three meetings between the two teams played between 1988 and 1992, were classics. In 1988, Florida State won at Clemson 24-21, thanks in part to the famous “puntrooskie play”, and a 76-yard punt return by Deion Sanders. In 1989, Clemson defeated a Florida State team that ended the season ranked third in the final AP poll by a 34-23 score. That is the only loss by Florida State at home against a non-Florida team in the last 17 years.

In 1992, in front of more than 84,000 fans and a nationally televised audience at Clemson, fifth-ranked Florida State defeated 15th-ranked Clemson 24-20 in Death Valley. Florida State scored the winning TD in the final two minutes of the contest behind the passing of Charlie Ward. Clemson did pick off four passes in the game, including one that James Trapp returned for a touchdown. Trapp is still playing in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens.

The1997 game featured one of the greatest individual duals in the history of Death Valley. Tony Horne gained 267 all-purpose yards in the game, while Florida State’s Peter Warrick had 372 for the Seminoles, including a 90-yard punt return and an 80-yard pass reception. Horne’s all-purpose running total is the second highest in Clemson history, while Warrick’s total is the most ever against Clemson.

Clemson-Florida State Connections There are many connections between Clemson and Florida State in terms of coaching.

Clemson wide receivers coach Rick Stockstill was FloridaState’s quarterback between 1979-81. He passed for 1,356 yards as asenior in 1981 and was a two-year starter for FSU. He quarterbackedthe 1980 team to an Orange Bowl berth. Clemson defensivecoordinator Reggie Herring played for Florida State between1977-80. He is a member of the Florida State Athletic Hall of Fameand earned AP All-America honors in 1980. He played in three bowlgames in his four years with the Seminoles. Clemson assistant headcoach and tight ends coach Brad Scott served as offensivecoordinator of Florida State’s National Championship team of 1993.He served as an assistant with the Florida State program from1983-93. He was offensive coordinator from 1990-93. He has amaster’s degree from Florida State in athletics administration, adegree he earned in 1984. Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden was agraduate assistant at Florida State in 1978 and 1979, then servedas tight ends coach of the Seminoles in 1981 and 1982. Clemsondefensive backs coach Jack Hines was a graduate assistant atFlorida State in 1985-86. He is married to Robyn Bowden, one ofBobby Bowden’s daughters. Hines played for Bowden at West Virginia.Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews served in thesame capacity for Clemson between 1976-80 and held the assistanthead coach title under Danny Ford in 1980.

Last Year vs. Florida State Florida State propelled itself back into the national title race with an impressive 54-7 victory over visiting Clemson at Tallahassee in 2000. The Tigers were unable to contain the Seminoles’ passing attack as Bobby Bowden’s team gained 771 total yards, most ever against Clemson. The win preserved Florida State’s 34-game winning streak and 51-game unbeaten streak at home. The Seminoles clinched their ninth straight Atlantic Coast Conference title.

Bowden Bowl II turned into the most lopsided defeat of Tommy Bowden coaching career. Following the loss to Georgia Tech, Bowden lost consecutive games for the first time at Clemson.

The game was close through the first quarter. Trailing 3-0, the Tigers pinned Florida State deep inside their own territory on a 75-yard Jaime Somaini punt. Poor field position was not a problem for the Seminoles. Chris Weinke faked a hand-off that had the nearly all of the Clemson defense attacking the apparent ball carrier. Weinke then pulled the ball out from behind his hip and found Marvin Minnis for a 98-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive.

Clemson drove the length of the field on the following possession. Travis Zachery’s 4-yard score was the first touchdown that Clemson had scored at Florida State since the Seminoles joined the ACC. The second quarter began with Florida State in front 10-7.

Among the highlights for the Clemson offense were the performances of Zachery and Justin Watts. Zachery repeatedly made defenders miss after his blockers failed to clear a path for him. The junior finished with 76 yards on 14 carries. Justin Watt recorded his finest effort as a Tiger. The fifth year senior gained 65 yards on six receptions in his final meeting with the Seminoles.

Bret Cimorelli added two more field goals and Randy Golightly ran for the first of his two touchdowns to extend the lead to 23-7 by halftime. Cimorelli was perfect on the day, connecting on attempts of 28, 34, 28 and 34 yards.

Chris Weinke continued to demand consideration for the Heisman. He completed 27 of 43 passes for 521 yards, most ever against Clemson in terms of passing yardage. Florida State receivers Atrews Bell, Javon Walker and Minnis all had more than 100 yards receiving.

Clemson forced Florida State to punt on their opening possession of the second half. However the Seminoles got the ball right back when Woodrow Dantzler fumbled on Clemson’s first offensive play of the half. The play proved to be a costly turnover. Golighty soon made the score 30-7 on his second 1-yard touchdown of the day.

Dantzler entered the game hampered by a calf injury that worsened as the game progressed. The junior completed 7 of 21 passes for 91 yards before being replaced by Willie Simmons late in the third quarter. Simmons responded by going 7 of 16 for 72 yards.

Florida State capped off a 44-0 scoring run with two more touchdowns in the final quarter. The 47-point deficit translated into the worse Clemson loss since the Tigers fell to the Seminoles 48-0 in 1998. Robert Carswell and Chad Carson each had 11. Nick Eason and Terry Jolly recorded sacks of 14 and 11 yards, respectively. Seven Tigers finished with one tackle for loss.

Clemson To Celebrate 1981 National Championship Reunion, Kinard to be Inducted into Clemson Ring of Honor Clemson will celebrate the 20-year anniversary of its 1981 National Championship on Saturday at Death Valley. More than 100 former players and coaches are expected to attend, said retired athletic trainer Fred Hoover, who is coordinating the event.

The team will have a private reception on Friday evening, Nov. 2 at the Madren Center on the Clemson Campus. The team will be available for autographs outside the Fike Recreation Center on Saturday, Nov. 3, from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM. Current Ring of Honor member Jeff Davis and soon to be inducted member Terry Kinard will be on the Tailgate Show at 2:00 PM located next to Littlejohn Coliseum. They will also be available for autographs.

The 1981 team will march from Fike to “The Hill” at 2:45 pm where they will enter the stadium by Running Down The Hill during pre-game ceremonies. Terry Kinard will then be honored by the College Football Hall of Fame, and will be inducted into the Clemson Ring of Honor at Memorial Stadium. Kinard will be formally inducted into the College Hall of Fame in New York City in December. Each inductee has an on-campus ceremony during the season and this will be Kinard’s. Mrs. A.C. Brown and Mrs. Coral Harper will dot the “i” during the pregame ceremonies in memory of former player Gary Brown and Coach Tom Harper who have passed away since the 1981 National Championship season.

Clemson to Face Top-25 Team Three Weeks in Succession To say Clemson is heading into the tough part of its schedule is an understatement. The next three Clemson opponents are all ranked in the top 20 of both polls. Florida State, this week’s opponent, is ranked 14th in both polls. Maryland, with a 7-1 record, will be Clemson’s opponent on Nov. 10 in College Park. The Terps are 16th by USA Today and 15th by AP. Finally, South Carolina will be Clemson’s opponent on Nov. 17 in Columbia. The Gamecocks are 20th by USA Today and 17th by AP.

You don’t have to go back very far to find the last time Clemson played three straight top-25 opponents, but it is a rare occurrence. Clemson played against a fourth-ranked Florida State, 25th-ranked South Carolina and sixth-ranked Virginia Tech in consecutive games to end last season. However, that is the only previous time that Clemson has played a ranked team in three straight games. It almost happened in 1966. Clemson played a ninth-ranked Georgia Tech, fourth-ranked Alabama and fifth-ranked Southern Cal during a four-week segment in the 1966 season. What was Coach Frank Howard thinking when he made that schedule?

Clemson has played well against ranked teams over the years. The Tigers already own a win over then ninth-ranked Georgia Tech on the road this year. Clemson has defeated at least one top-25 team all but one season (1995) since 1986.

Florida State Overview Florida State enters this weekend’s game at Clemson with a 5-2 record. As usual, Bobby Bowden’s team gets better as the season progresses. Florida State is 16-1 in the month of November since 1996. Last week they defeated undefeated Maryland 52-31 in Tallahassee. Since a 49-27 loss to #1 ranked Miami, FSU has scored 95 points in two victories.

The Seminoles have averaged 37.6 points a game this year to lead the ACC in scoring. They rank third in total offense, second in passing. Florida State has also been strong on defense, allowing just 316 yards per game.

Freshman quarterback Chris Rix has been strong of late, especially in the victory over Maryland when he threw five touchdown passes. The rookie averages 230.7 yards per game through the air and he is second in the ACC in total offense, averaging 261 yards per game. He actually leads the ACC in passing efficiency with a 158.8 figure. He has thrown a league best 14 touchdown passes.

Florida State always has many outstanding receivers. The Seminoles had three players top 100 yards against the Tigers last year, including current senior Javon Walker. He has 24 catches for 529 yards, and a league best 22-yards per catch average. The top rusher for Florida State is Nick Maddox, high school All-American from North Carolina who averages 5.3 yards per rush. Greg Jones recently had a 100-yard rushing performance in a victory over Virginia and is 10th in the league in rushing yards per game.

Kendyll Pope is the top tackler for the Seminoles with a 10.3 average. Bradley Jennings also averages 10 tackles per game. Stanford Samuels leads the club in passes defensed, while Darnell Dockett and Travis Johnson pace the team in tackles for loss.

Florida State has been a model of consistency. The Seminoles have now been ranked in 206 consecutive AP polls dating to the fifth week of the 1989 season. Coach Bowden is now 320-89-4 in his 36 seasons as a college coach, including 247-57-4 at Florida State. Much has been made about Joe Paterno breaking Bear Bryant’s record with Penn State’s win over Ohio State last week. But, Coach Bowden is just four wins behind Paterno.

Dantzler the Runner Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler is the greatest running quarterback in ACC history. He is working on making a name for himself from a national standpoint. Dantzler had 119 yards rushing at Wake Forest and now has 678 for the season. Dantzler is 31st in the nation in rushing yards per game with his 96.86 average.

That figure is second best nationally among all quarterbacks. The only signal caller with a higher average is Keith Boyea of Air Force, who has an average of 97.86 yards per game. He has just seven more rushing yards than Dantzler. Eric Crouch of Nebraska is third among rushing quarterbacks with an average of 88.67 yards per game.

Dantzler now has 2289 career rushing yards in regular season play. That is the 17th-highest quarterback rushing total in NCAA history. Only 13 quarterbacks in history have at least 2,500 rushing yards. Dee Dowis of Air Force is the career leader with 3,612, but Antwaan Randle-El of Indiana is on his tail. The Indiana senior who started the year as a wide receiver has 3,418 entering this weekend’s game. Dantzler had his ninth career 100-yard rushing game at Wake Forest. He and Joe Burns of Georgia Tech lead all active ACC players in that category.

Dantzler is now fifth in Clemson history in career 100-yard rushing games with his nine. Raymond Priester has the record with 15, while Kenny Flowers and Buddy Gore both had 11. Terry Allen had 10.

Dantzler Stats Similar to Ward Heisman Numbers Woodrow Dantzler received rave reviews for his performance against N.C. State on Oct. 13.

N.C. State strongside linebacker Brian Jamison told The State Newspaper, “He has got to be one of the best athletes in America… That is why he is up for the Heisman. The man can run. He can pass. He has moves. He has speed. He can break tackles. There is nothing bad you can say about him.”

During the broadcast on Jefferson Pilot television, guest commentator and legendary former ACC coach Bill Dooley remarked, “If I had him as a quarterback, I’d get back into coaching.”

Another person who was impressed was N.C. State coach Chuck Amato. “I had the fortune to be around Charlie Ward (at Florida State, 1992-93) and Dantzler has more athletic ability. He is their football team. He’s their inspiration.

“He put on a display out there today that I don’t know if we’ll ever see again in this stadium. I hope not by an opposing quarterback. I can’t imagine a better player in the country in America. We must have set a record for missed tackles on him.”

Ward, now the starting point guard for the NBA’s New York Knicks, won the Heisman Trophy in 1993 when he led Florida State to the national championship and a 12-1 record. He did so with an all-around game as he had the ability to run as well as pass. Dantzler has had similar success as a runner and passer this year.

A look to the stats shows that Dantzler is ahead of Ward’s pace in total offense/game, touchdown responsibility per game, rushing yards per game. They have similar stats in passing efficiency and completion percentage.

Carson Records 23 Tackles, Moves to Fifth on Tackle List Chad Carson had the top tackle game of his career and the third best single game in Clemson history in the victory over Wake Forest on Oct. 27. Carson had 15 first hits and eight assists in helping the Tigers hold down Wake Forest’s outstanding rushing defense. The Demon Deacons entered the game averaging 235 yards per game on the ground, sixth best in the nation.

But, Carson and his teammates held Wake Forest to 193 on the day and 344 yards of total offense. It was the second lowest total offensive figure this year for Wake Forest. Carson had a lot to do with the run defense and he also contributed to the pass defense by intercepting a pass, his first career interception in 42 games as a Tiger.

Carson’s tackle total was third best in Clemson history. The only higher are the 27 by former teammate Keith Adams against South Carolina in 1999 and by Jeff Davis against North Carolina in 1980.

That is pretty good company for Carson as both players were not only All-Americans, but also won ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Carson now has 395 tackles for his career, fifth best in school history. He moved ahead of Robert Carswell, Adams and Randy Scott in his big game at Wake Forest. Carson now trails only Bubba Brown, Anthony Simmons, Davis and Ed McDaniel. Simmons and McDaniel are still in the NFL, while Davis played five years with the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Clemson Career Tackle Leaders Rk Player, Pos Years No 1. Bubba Brown, LB 1976-79 (515) 2. Anthony Simmons, LB 1995-97 (486) 3. Jeff Davis, LB 1978-81 (469) 4. Ed McDaniel, LB 1988-91 (489) 5. Chad Carson, LB 1998-01 (395) 6. Randy Scott, LB 1975-78 (382) 7. Keith Adams, LB 1998-00 (379) 8. Robert Carswell, FS 1997-00 (374) 9. Tim Jones, LB 1991-94 (3380 10. Henry Walls, LB 1983-85 (316)

Clemson Single Game Tackle Bests 1. Keith Adams 1999 vs. South Carolina (27) 2. Jeff Davis 1980 vs. North Carolina (24) 3. Chad Carson 2001 vs. Wake Forest (23) 4. Chad Carson 2000 vs. Georgia Tech (22) Jeff Davis 1980 vs. Maryland (22) Bubba Brown 1978 vs. Ohio State (22) Bubba Brown 1979 vs. N.C. State (22) 8. Henry Walls 1985 vs. Georgia Tech (21) Willie Anderson 1974 vs. South Carolina (21)

Hamilton Sets Freshman Receiving Record Freshman wide receiver Derrick Hamilton continued his outstanding rookie season with six catches for 91 yards at Wake Forest. The red-shirt freshman from Dillon, SC now has 37 receptions for 430 yards and two touchdowns. He set a Clemson freshman receiving record with his performance at Wake Forest, breaking the single season mark of 34 receptions by Terry Smith in 1991. Smith needs just 51 receiving yards to break Smith’s freshman receiving yardage mark.

Hamilton’s 106 yards receiving at N.C. State broke Ray Williams single game freshman receiving yardage mark. Ironically, Williams mark had been recorded against N.C. State, a 105 yard effort in 1983. Hamilton is now 38th in the nation in receptions per game with 5.29 and is second among freshmen. He trails only Kelley Washington of Tennessee, who averages 6.33 receptions per game. Reggie Williams of Washington is third among freshmen with 4.43 per game.

It was a big day for Clemson freshman receivers at Wake Forest. Clemson had 16 completions as a team and 13 were by freshmen. In addition to Hamilton’s six catches for 91, Roscoe Crosby had 3-36, Ben Hall had 3-17 and a touchdown, and Airese Currie had 1-36. Freshmen have already combined for 59 catches for 805 yards and four scores this year. The freshmen had 12 receptions for 224 yards and two touchdowns at N.C. State in Clemson’s 45-37 victory.

Sampson Comes Off the Bench to Help Defense While Clemson freshmen have had an impact in the receiving aspect of the game, there have been some positives on the defensive side. That was certainly the case at Wake Forest. Eric Sampson came off the bench for an injured John Leake and contributed 14 tackles on six first hits and eight assists in 69 snaps of play. Leake played the first nine plays before suffering a sprained ankle that shelved him for the game.

Sampson had played just 54 plays from scrimmage over the first six games and had eight total tackles. He also had two quarterback pressures in the impressive performance. His 14 tackles were the most by a first-year freshman since Anthony Simmons had 19 in a victory at South Carolina in 1995.

Sampson is trying to continue a long line of outstanding players from Jacksonville, FL who have excelled at Clemson. Sampson was a SuperPrep All-American at White High School in Jacksonville. He had 109 tackles, four interceptions and 12 sacks during his senior year. Recent Clemson Tigers who have come to the University from Jacksonville include Rod Gardner, now the top rookie receiver in the NFL with the Washington Redskins, Brian Dawkins, now an All-Pro safety with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Patrick Sapp, who played three years in the NFL at the conclusion of his Clemson career.

Washington Leads Young Defensive Linemen Freshman Donnell Washington had another solid game from the defensive tackle position in the win at Wake Forest. The 320-pounder had four tackles, including a tackle for loss, as he helped stop Wake Forest’s strong running game. The Deacs entered the contest sixth in the nation in rushing.

Washington now has 23 tackles for the season, 17 first hits and six assists. He leads all freshmen on the Clemson team in tackles. He now has six tackles for loss for the season, at least one in five of the seven games. He also has three sacks and three quarterback pressures. He had just one pressure at Wake Forest, but it was huge. He got to Wake Forest quarterback James MacPherson just as he released the ball, forcing the ball to flutter into the arms of Chad Carson. It put a stop to momentum the Deacs had gained after a Clemson fumble. Clemson had just a seven point lead at the time.

Clemson Offense Averages 418 Yards Under Bowden Clemson has a 20-11 record under Tommy Bowden and a consistent balanced offense has been a big reason. Over the nearly three years he has been the head coach the Tigers have averaged 417.7 yards per game in total offense. Clemson has gained 186 rushing and 232 passing over the 31 games. In an average game under Bowden the Tigers have averaged 30.2 points a game and scored four touchdowns. On average, the Tigers run the ball 45 times and throw it 32 times. Clemson has scored 124 touchdowns in the 31 games, exactly four per game. Eighteen of the 31 games Clemson has had at least 400 yards of total offense.

Hafley Sets Clemson Single Game Record Clemson graduate defensive back Charles Hafley set a school record for tackles in a game by a defensive back in the Tigers 38-3 loss to North Carolina on Oct. 20 at Death Valley. Hafley was credited with 19 tackles in the contest on 11 first hits and eight assists. That broke the previous record of 18 set by Leomont Evans against Georgia in 1995.

Hafley now ranks third on the Clemson team and is among the ACC leaders in tackles with 75 through seven games, an average of 10.7 per game. The North Carolina game was his fourth double figure tackle game this season and 10th of his career. A year ago Hafley had 106 tackles, most ever by a strong safety and third best in Clemson history for a defensive back.

Hafley is on pace to break the Clemson record for tackles in a season by a defensive back. Robert Carswell, now with the San Diego Chargers, had 129 in 1999, an average of 10.75 per game. Hafley is on pace to get 130 tackles in a 12-game season (including a bowl game). Anthony Johnson had 117 tackles in 1985 and that is the only other total higher than Hafley’s figure from 1985.

Hunt Boots Longest Field Goal Clemson placekicker Aaron Hunt booted a 48-yard field goal against North Carolina, the Tigers only points of the day. The 48-yard field goal would have been good from over 50 yards and it was the longest of Hunt’s career. In fact, it was the longest by a Clemson kicker 1997 when David Richardson kicked a 48-yard field goal in the Peach Bowl against Auburn.

Hunt has kicked the ball 30 times this year and it has gone through the uprights 29 times. The sophomore is 25-25 on extra points and 4-5 on field goals. His only miss was from 31 yards against Virginia. He has three field goals of 43 yards or more after not making a field goal over 40 yards all of last year.

Hunt made 45-47 extra points last year and is now 70-72 for his career. His 45 made extra points last year set a Clemson record for a season. His attempt total tied the Clemson record. Hunt made five of his last six a year ago and is 4-5 this year, meaning he has made nine of his last 11 over two years. He was 10-16 last year overall and is now 14-21 in two years. His 25-yard field goal with three seconds left gave the Tigers a 16-14 win over South Carolina in Death Valley last year.

Dantzler Stats Better on the Road The ACC has seen a lot of success for the road team this year. Through games of Oct. 20 the home team had won just 10 of 23 games. Clemson certainly has contributed to that with a 3-0 record on the road and a 0-2 mark at home.

Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler has been a player who does not let the visiting crowd bother him, in fact it must motivate him because his stats on the opponent’s home field are considerably better than they are at home.

Over the last three years, seasons Dantzler has been the starter, or a factor in the Clemson lineup, Dantzler has averaged 306.8 yards of total offense per game in 12 contests on the road and has averaged just 213.3 yards per game in 15 games played in Death Valley.

Dantzler has averaged a 100-yard rushing, 300-yard total offense game on the road for those 12 games in the opponent’s home facility. He has done that each of his last three road games. He has averaged 204.7 passing and 102.1 rushing. His passing efficiency is 142.4 on the road and 130.1 in Death Valley. He has averaged 2.33 touchdowns rushing and passing on the road and 1.73 in Death Valley since 1999.

In three road games this year, Dantzler has had 418 yards total offense at Georgia Tech and 517 at N.C. State, two of the top three total offense games in Clemson history. He added a 330-yard effort at Wake Forest. Each of Dantzler’s top five total offense games have been on the road.

Zachery Closing in on Scoring Record Clemson running back Travis Zachery’s is closing in on a number of milestones. The senior all-purpose running back has scored 46 touchdowns in his Clemson career, already a school record. He has 38 rushing and eight receiving and obviously needs four touchdowns to become the first Clemson player to reach 50 touchdowns.

Those touchdowns translate into scoring. He has 276 points in his Clemson career and needs 26 to break Nelson Welch’s career record of 301. Welch was a placekicker for the Tigers from 1991-94. He booted a school record 72 field goals and added 85 extra points for his 301 total.

As you can see by the chart below, Zachery is already third on the Clemson scoring list. He recently passes Chris Gardocki, who had 261 points. Gardocki will be inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame on Feb. 1.

Zachery had his streak of 13 consecutive games with at least one touchdown rushing or receiving, snapped when he failed to score against North Carolina. That is the Clemson record for consecutive games with at least one score. He shattered the mark, as the previous best was a streak of nine straight games by Lester Brown, 1978-79.

Zachery has 45 regular season touchdowns in his career. Only two ACC players in history have reached 50 touchdowns in regular season play. Five more TDs in the last four regular season games would give Zachery an even 50. The others to do it are Ted Brown, who had 51 for N.C. State between 1975-78, and Leon Johnson, who had 50 at North Carolina between 1993-96.

Zachery Approaching 3,000/1,000 Club Clemson senior running back Travis Zachery’s is among the best all-around ball carriers in the nation. That is one reason he was listed among the preseason candidates for the Doak Walker Award. So far this year Zachery has 362 yards rushing and 287 yards receiving, giving him 649 yards from scrimmage. He has had five touchdowns rushing and got his second receiving at N.C. State for seven total touchdowns.

Zachery now has 2,844 yards rushing in his career and 930 receiving. No Clemson player in history has had at least 3,000 yards rushing and 1,000 receiving. It is quite a difficult accomplishment, something only three players in ACC history have accomplished. The others to do it are Leon Johnson, a former running back from North Carolina (1993-96), Warrick Dunn of Florida State (1993-96), and Terry Kirby of Virginia (1989-92). Zachery needs 156 yards rushing and 70 receiving to pull off the 3,000/1,000 double.

Zachery scored three touchdowns at Tech and one more at N.C. State, giving him 46 for his career, already a Clemson record. He has scored 40 touchdowns in his last 30 games. His three scores at Tech gave him eight for his career against the Yellow Jackets, including six at Grant Field in Atlanta. Zachery is from nearby Marietta, GA.

Zachery enters the Florida State game with 2,844 career rushing yards, third best in school history. He moved ahead of Terry Allen (now with Baltimore Ravens) on the all-time list in the win over N.C. State. Now, only Kenny Flowers and Raymond Priester have more rushing yards than Zachery.

Zachery topped the 4,000-yard mark in all-purpose running in the loss to North Carolina. He now has 4,050 for his career, just the second Clemson runner to reach 4,000 yards. Raymond Priester is the career leader in all-purpose running with 4,282.

Kopp Punting Improved There weren’t many positives in Clemson’s performance against North Carolina on Oct. 20. However, Clemson Coach Tommy Bowden did compliment the special teams. Aaron Hunt booted a career-best 48-yard field goal, and punter Wynn Kopp averaged 40.7 yards per punt on seven boots and he allowed just three total punt return yards, meaning he had a 40.3 net punting average.

Kopp has now had a net punting average of at least 40 yards in four of the first seven games. Opponents have just 58 total punt return yards in nine returns out of his 27 punts so far this year. His 37.2 net punting average is best by a Clemson punter since Chris McInally had a 38.3 net punting average for the 1995 season.

All punters are compared to Clemson great Chris Gardocki, who now is in his 11th year in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns. Gardocki’s final season at Clemson, 1990, he had 39.3 net punting average for the season.

Mance In Top 25 in Punt, Kickoff Returns Starting cornerback Brian Mance missed the North Carolina game after his brother, Kenny was tragically killed in an automobile accident in the early morning hours of Oct. 14. He was just two miles from his home and fell asleep at the wheel.

Mance was back in the lineup at Wake Forest and helped the Tigers to victory. Mance is a valuable member of the Clemson lineup. He has 26 tackles and three passes broken up in six games, all as a starter in the secondary. He also is Clemson’s top kick returner. According to this week’s NCAA stats, Mance is 22nd in the nation in punt returns with a 11.9 average and is 25th in kickoff returns with a 26.5 average. He leads the ACC in kickoff returns and is second in punt returns.

Bowden 8-1 Week After a Loss Tommy Bowden continued his ability to bring his team back after a loss when his team defeated Wake Forest on Oct. 27. Clemson had lost to North Carolina 38-3 the previous week. Bowden is now 8-1 at Clemson the game after a loss. He is 11-2 in his coaching career including his career at Tulane. The only time he has suffered a two-game losing streak at Clemson took place last year when the Tigers lost consecutive games to Georgia Tech and Florida State.

Dantzler Dazzling at N.C. State Clemson quarterback’s performance in the Tigers 45-37 victory in Raleigh is hard to put into words. It was the greatest combination of rushing and passing for a Clemson football player in history and ranks among the best in college football history.

How can we make such a statement? A look to the NCAA record book tells us that only one player in one game has ever had at least 300 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in the same game. Washington’s Marques Tuiasosopo had 302 yards passing and 207 rushing against Stanford on Oct. 30 ,1999, the only player in history to achieve the 300/200 in the same game.

At State, Dantzler passed for 333 and 184 net yards rushing. Had it not been for two sacks in the second quarter, one of 13 yards and another of 11, Dantzler would have joined Tuiasosopo in that exclusive club. As it was, Dantzler’s performance was the fifth best in ACC history in terms of total offense, and a Clemson record. The ACC mark is 554 yards of total offense by Rusty LaRue for Wake Forest against N.C. State in 1995. LaRue threw 78 passes in that game.

Dantzler did more than just pick up yardage, he led the Tigers to six touchdowns. He ran for two and passed for four, and the six touchdowns combined broke the Clemson single game record that had stood since 1947. Dantzler tied the Clemson single game record for touchdown passes in a single game, a mark he now co-owns with his backup, Willie Simmons.

It was Dantzler’s top passing game as a Tiger, and in many ways the best by any Clemson quarterback. The graduate student from Orangeburg, SC completed 23-27 passes for 333 yards and four touchdowns. His passing efficiency rating of 237.6 was a Clemson record for a minimum of 20 attempts. His stats included a 79-yard pass to freshman Airese Currie, the longest pass play for the Tigers in five years.

Dantzler achieved the 517 yards of total offense one game and two weeks after gaining 418 yards in Clemson’s thrilling 47-44 win over a ninth ranked Georgia Tech team in Atlanta. Obviously it is the top total offense figure for consecutive games in Clemson history.

Here is a list of Clemson Records Dantzler Set in the win at N.C. State * Single game passing efficiency (Min 20 attempts) -237.58 * Single game total offense-517 yards (333 passing, 184 rushing) * Single game touchdown responsibility-6 * Tied single game touchdown passes-4 * Single game completion percentage (min 20 attempts) -.851 * Career total offense-6,874 * Career total offense vs. same team-1,127 vs. N.C. State

Dantzler Ranked in Top 35 in Five Categories, On Pace for 2,000/1,000 Season Woodrow Dantzler is ranked in the top 35 in the nation in five different statistical categories, including. The Tiger signal caller who now owns 31 school records is fifth in the country in total offense, 24th in passing efficiency and 31st in rushing. That’s right, 31st in rushing. He is second among all quarterbacks in rushing and is the only quarterback in the nation with 600 yards rushing and 1,400 yards passing. Dantzler is also 13th in points responsible for, and 25th in completions per game.

Dantzler has gained 678 net yards on the ground for an average of 96.86 yards per game. That is ahead of his record setting pace last year. He is on pace for 1,065 yards rushing in the regular season. He is on pace for 2,330 passing. No player in NCAA history has had 1000 yards rushing and 2000 yards passing in the same season.

He had 947 rushing and 1,691 passing last season during the regular season. If he is to achieve the distinction he will have to do it in the regular season as NCAA records do not count bowl games. The closest to achieve the milestone is Brian Mitchell of Lousiana-Lafayette, who had 1311 rushing and 1966 passing in 1989.

Dantzler Reaches 4,000/2,000 mark, Now Owns 31 Clemson Records Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler became the first quarterback in ACC history to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 2,000 when he had his 517-yard total offense game at N.C. State.

Including bowl games, Dantzler has 2,378 rushing and 4,942 passing in his four-year career. So far this season, Dantzler has 678 yards rushing and 1,483 passing for 2,161 total, an average of 309 yards per game in total offense. He ranks first in the conference in total offense per game and is fifth in the nation. He is third in the ACC in rushing and third in passing efficiency.

The graduate student has connected on 64 percent of his passes this year, a record pace, and is now at 58.2 percent for his career, also best in school history.

Dantzler became Clemson’s all-time leader in total offense with his performance at Tech and now has 7320 career yards, ahead of the previous record held by Nealon Greene. He is also second in school history in passing efficiency and interception avoidance.

Dantzler on Clemson career Records Lists Rank/Category/Figure Left for Record * 1st, quarterback rushing (2,378) has record * 1st, completion percentage (.581) has record * 1st in touchdown responsibility (55) has record * 1st in total offense (7,320) has record * 1st in total plays (1,166) has record * 2nd in passing efficiency (131.18) 131.30 rating points * 2nd in interception avoidance (2.58) 2.55 percent * 2nd in completions (385) 74 completions * 2nd in passing yards (4,942) 780 yards * 3rd in touchdown passes (31) 5 TD passes

Clemson Records Held by Dantzler (31)Single Game (8) * Touchdown Responsibility-6 vs. N.C. State, 2001 * Total Offense-517 vs. N.C. State, 2001 * Completion % (Min 20 attempts) -.851 vs. N.C. State, 2001 * Completion % (Min 15 attempts) -.941 vs. The Citadel 2000 * Yards rushing by a quarterback-220 vs. Virginia, 2000 * Passing Efficiency (Min 15 attempts)-247.2 vs. The Citadel, 2000 * Passing Efficiency (Min 20 attempts)-237.6 vs. N.C. State, 2001 * Touchdown Passes-#4 vs. N.C. State, 2001

Season (13) * Total offense-2,899, (2000) * Quarterback rushing-1,028, (2000) * 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback-4 (2000) * Touchdowns rushing and passing-24 (2000) * 200-yard total offense games-9 (2000) * 300-yard total offense games-4 (2000) * Consecutive 200-yard total offense games-7 (2000) * Consecutive games throwing a TD pass-6 (2000) * 100-yard rushing, 300-yard total offense games-4 (2000) * Most yards rushing in series of 3 games-520 (2000) * Most yards rushing in series of 4 games-623 (2000) * Most total offense/game in season-241.6 (2000) * Most total offense plays in season-434 (2000)

Career (10) * Completion percentage in career-.582 * Total offense-7,320 * Yards rushing by a quarterback in a career-2,378 * 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback-9 * Most total offense/game in career-215.3 * Most 300-yard total offense games in career-9 * Most 100-yard rushing, 300-yard total offense games in a career-9 * Most touchdowns rushing and passing in a career-55 * Most total offense plays in a career-1,166 * #Most 200-yard passing games-9 #tied record

Dantzler Named National Player of the Week Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler was named National Player of the Week by USA Today.com for his performance against Georgia Tech.

Dantzler gained 418 yards of total offense in Clemson’s 47-44 victory at Atlanta, 164 rushing and 254 passing. He ran for two scores and threw for two. His 11-yard touchdown run on a quarterback draw on the last play of overtime gave the Tigers the victory.

Dantzler trumped that accomplishment with a 517 yard effort against N.C. State. He was named National player of the week by ESPN.com. He was also named the top player in the country for the first half of the season by CBS.Sportline.com and ESPN.com.

Dantzler’s performance against Georgia Tech marked the first time a Clemson player had won the National Player of the Week from USA Today.com. Dantzler was also the ACC Player of the Week according to the site, the third time in three years he has won that honor. He won it again for the N.C. State game, giving him four player of the week selections. He was the ACC Player of the Week according to the site in 1999 for his 435-yard performance against Maryland, and in 2000 when he led the Tigers to a 62-9 win over Missouri.

Dantzler was named National Player of the Week in 2000 by CNNSI.com for his performance at Virginia. He had 220 yards rushing, an all-time ACC record for a quarterback, and 154 passing in Clemson’s 31-10 win over the Cavs.

Dantzler is the first Tiger in history to be named a National Player of the Week three times. A Clemson player has been named National Player of the week 10 times in history, including Dantzler’s performance last week. Here is a listing:

Clemson Gains 500 Yards In Consecutive Road Wins Clemson had at least 500 yards in consecutive road wins over Georgia Tech and N.C. State. A 500-yard total offense game is certainly an accomplishment anywhere, but especially on the road. Clemson gained 502 yards at Georgia Tech and 567 at N.C. State in gaining consecutive victories. It marks the first time in Clemson history that the Tigers have had at least 500 yards in consecutive road games. The 567 yards gained at N.C. State were the most recorded on the road since 1903 when John Heisman coached Clemson to a 73-0 victory with 615 yards, all on the ground.

Clemson had one of its top offensive games in the Tommy Bowden era in the 47-44 win over Georgia Tech on Sept. 29. The Tigers gained 502 yards of total offense, third highest figure under Bowden and second best in an ACC game.

It marked just the second time in Clemson history that the Tigers had at least 500 yards of total offense against a top 25 team. The only other occasion came in 1983 when Clemson had 544 yards against an 11th-ranked Maryland team in a 52-27 Clemson victory.

It was a balanced attack for the Tigers, perhaps the most balanced in Clemson history for a 500-yard performance. Clemson had 248 rushing and 254 passing in the contest. It marked just the fourth game in Clemson history that Clemson had at least 240 yards rushing and passing in the same game.

Clemson has now had four 500-yard total offense games under Tommy Bowden. Clemson is now 40-0-1 in its history when gaining at least 500 yards of total offense. The only non-victory came in 1991 when Clemson gained 511 yards in a 20-20 tie with Virginia.

Bush Had Best Game vs. N.C. State Senior defensive tackle Jovon Bush had his most productive day as a Tiger in the win at N.C. State. The native of Hardeeville, SC is in his senior year, but it is his first year as a starter. He has made the most of it and that included the game in Raleigh.

Bush had eight tackles in the game, most by a Clemson down lineman this year. His total included two tackles for loss and four quarterback pressures. He ranked third on the Clemson defense in tackles for the day in his 62 plays on defense.

Bush now has 36 tackles for the season, more than any other defensive tackle. He also has nine quarterback pressures in his 315 snaps on the field. Bush had 20 tackles as a reserve each of the last two years, meaning he has taken just five games to exceed his previous high tackle total for a season.

Offensive Line Playing Well One of the reasons for Clemson’s success against Georgia Tech and N.C. State was the play of its offensive line. The veteran group includes three players who are graduates (Will Merritt, Kyle Young and T.J. Watkins) and two red-shirt juniors (Gary Byrd and Akil Smith). They combined to help the Tigers gain 502 yards of total offense and scored seven touchdowns and 47 points in the victory. It was the most points Clemson has scored against Georgia Tech since a 73-0 Tiger victory in 1903. John Heisman was Clemson’s coach in that game.

The starting offensive line combined for 68 knockdown blocks in the game, high total for the season. In fact, the total against Georgia Tech was 20 more than the previous best of 48 knockdowns for the starting offensive line against Central Florida.

Four different starters had double figures in knockdown blocks in the game. T.J. Watkins led the way with 19, while Akil Smith had 17, more ever for a Clemson tackle. Center Kyle Young had 14 and Gary Byrd added 11. Smith was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week for the first time in his career. Will Merritt was the only Tiger who failed to reach double figures, but he had seven.

Clemson’s starting offensive line came back to get 58 knockdown blocks in the win at N.C. State. Kyle Young led the way with 19, while Will Merritt added 13 and Gary Byrd had 11.

Kyle Young leads the team in knockdown blocks with 90, more than halfway to his team best 120 set last year. T.J. Watkins is second with 79, while Merritt has 68. Gary Byrd has picked up 66, while Akil Smith has 53. Smith leads the team in intimidation blocks with 15.

Win at Tech Was Landmark Victory Clemson’s win at Georgia Tech was a landmark accomplishment in many ways. The Yellow Jackets were ranked ninth in the nation in the AP poll heading into the game. The victory was the highest ranked win on the road by a Clemson team in 20 years. The last one and the highest ranked win on an opponent’s home field took place in 1981 when Clemson won at eighth ranked North Carolina.

The win at Georgia Tech was more remarkable in that Clemson entered the game ranked 25th in the nation in the USA Today poll, unranked by AP. Clemson was ranked second in the nation when it won at North Carolina in 1981.

The win at Tech was the 17th in Clemson history over a top-25 team on the road. It was the first since 1997 when Clemson won at 25th-ranked N.C. State and it was the first top-10 road win since 1992 when Clemson won at 10th-ranked Virginia.

A road win over a top-25 team means a tombstone will be added to the entrance at the Clemson practice fields. A tombstone commemorating the victory is added each time Clemson gets a road win over a top 25 team.

Clemson’s Highest Ranked Wins The win for over ninth-ranked Georgia Tech was be the highest ranked Clemson win regardless of site since 1981 when Clemson defeated fourth-ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, a 22-15 victory that gave Clemson the National Championship.

Regardless of site, Clemson now has nine wins over top 10 teams in its history, three in Death Valley. Clemson has now had 21 wins over top 25 teams since 1986 and has had at least one ranked win in 14 of the last 15 seasons (including this season). The Tigers defeated Virginia, 33-14, in 1999 when the Cavs were ranked 19th (USA Today), then downed a 25th-ranked South Carolina team last year.

The win over Tech now assures that Tommy Bowden will have at least one ranked win in each of his first three years with the Tigers. The win over Tech was the fifth highest ranked win in school history.