Game Notes: Clemson vs. UNC

Oct. 15, 2001

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Game Six: Clemson vs. North Carolina

Saturday, Oct. 20, 2001 12:00 Noon (EST) Memorial Stadium (81,474) Clemson, SC

In the Rankings Clemson – 13 AP, #15 USA Today/ESPN North Carolina – Unranked

Television: ESPN2Play By Play: Mark Jones * Color: Chris SpeilmanSideline: Holly Rowe

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

Series History: Clemson leads 31-17-1Tickets: Only General Admission Available1-800-CLEMSON

Special Day: Homecoming

Clemson Personnel Update * Altroy Bodrick (LB) – Tore his ACL in a preseason scrimmage Aug. 18. Will red-shirt the season. * Roscoe Crosby (WR) – Re-sprained a knee in practice on Oct. 4. Also suffered broken nose in post-game celebration at Georgia Tech. Questionable for North Carolina. * Tony Elliott (WR) – Suffered broken wrist vs. Georgia Tech, will miss North Carolina game. Out 4-6 weeks. * Marcus Houskin (CB) – Suffered broken neck vs. Wofford and is out for the season. * Kevin Johnson (CB) – Suffered broken rib vs. Georgia Tech. Questionable for North Carolina. * Jackie Robinson (WR) – Suffered broken jaw vs. Virginia on Sept. 22. Doubtful for North Carolina. * Kevin Youngblood (WR) – Suffered broken leg in Aug. 21 scrimmage. Has not played all year. Will not play at N.C. State. Could return late in the season.

Dantzler Dazzles (Woodrow Dantzler’s Heisman Website) Clemson quarterback’s performance in the Tigers 45-37 victory in Raleigh last week 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.

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.

Last week, 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.

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 – 6874 *Career total offense vs. same team – 1127 vs. NC State

Dantzler Stats Similar to Ward Heisman Numbers Woodrow Dantzler received rave reviews for his performance against NC State on October 13th.

N.C. State strongside linebacker Brandon 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 NC 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.

Dantzler Ranked in Top 25 in Five Categories Woodrow Dantzler is ranked in the top 25 in the nation in five different statistical categories, including second in two important areas. The Tiger signal caller who now owns 30 school records is second in the country in total offense, second in completion percentage, sixth in scoring responsibility, 12th in passing efficiency and 25th in rushing. That’s right, 25th in rushing. Dantzler is the only player in the nation ranked in the top 25 of both passing efficiency and rushing.

Dantzler trails only Florida quarterback Rex Grossman in passing efficiency and is second only to Wes Counts of Middle Tennessee State in completion percentage. Counts is 114-159 so far this year for a 71.7 completion percentage. Dantzler has hit on 102-148 for a 68.92 percentage.

Dantzler has gained 516 yards on the ground for an average of 103.2 yards per game. He is second among quarterbacks nationally on a per game basis to Keith Boyea of Air Force, who has averaged 111 yards per game through five contests.

No Clemson player has ever ranked in the top 25 in the nation in five different categories for the course of the season. Dantzler was 21st in passing efficiency and 25th in scoring responsibility last year. Keith Adams (1999), Tony Horne (1997), Nelson Welch (1992) and Chris Gardocki (1989) are the only players to rank in the top 25 in three different areas in the same year. Dantzler is trying to become the first Clemson quarterback to rank in the top 25 in the country in total offense since Steve Fuller finished 21st in 1978.

Dantzler on Pace for 2,000/1,000 Season Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler has averaged 343 yards per game in terms of total offense. That is more than 100 yards per game ahead of his own Clemson single season pace of 241.6 yards per game set last year.

Dantzler is doing it with balance between the running game and the passing game. He has 516 yards rushing and 1,199 passing for 1,715 total. That is an average of 103.2 yards per game rushing and 239.8 yards per game passing. That is a pace to reach 2,638 yards passing and 1,135 yards rushing for the course of an 11-game season.

If Dantzler can keep the pace up he would become the first quarterback in Division I college football history to have 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing 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 1,311 rushing and 1,966 passing in 1989.

Healthy Dantzler Means Success for Clemson Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler is running a little ahead of his record pace of 2000 before he suffered a lower leg injury. Dantzler was among he leading contenders for the Heisman Trophy and ranked in the top 25 in the nation in passing and rushing at this time last year. Then he suffered an injury at North Carolina. After averaging more than 300 yards a game in total offense for the first seven games, he had three straight games of less than 100 yards, as he played limited time in games eight, nine and 10.

Now healthy again, Dantzler has run off five straight games of at least 200 yards total offense, including three in a row of at least 300. He has gotten better and better each week this year and has increased his total offense figure by nearly 100 yards each of the last two weeks. That will be a challenge this week, as a 100-yard increase over last week would mean a 600-yard game. That won’t happen against a defense as sound as North Carolina’s.

Still, it is interesting to note that Clemson has won 12 of its last 13 games with a healthy Dantzler in the lineup. That dates back to the last game of the 1999 regular season, a win at South Carolina. He played sparingly in the loss to Mississippi State in the 1999 Peach Bowl. The Tigers went 7-0 with a healthy Dantzler to open last year and are 4-1 with a healthy #1 this year.

That computes to a 12-1 record. The only loss a 26-24 defeat to Virginia when the Cavaliers scored on the last play of the game. He has been very productive in those 13 games, averaging 313.2 yards a game in total offense, 104 per game on the ground and 209.2 through the air. He has been very consistent in those 13 games, recording at least 250 yards of total offense in 11 games and accounting for at least two touchdowns in all but one of the contests. He has accounted for 37 touchdowns in those 13 games rushing and passing.

Dantzler Reaches 4,000/2,000 mark, Now Owns 30 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. He needed just 57 yards rushing in that game to do it and he shattered the barrier with 184 yards on the ground.

Including bowl games, Dantzler has 2,216 rushing and 4,658 passing in his four-year career. So far this season, Dantzler has 516 yards rushing and 1,199 passing for 1,715 total, an average of 343 yards per game in total offense. He ranks first in the conference in total offense per game and is second in the nation. Additionally, he is first in the ACC in passing efficiency and is third in rushing.

The graduate student has connected on nearly 69 percent of his passes this year, a record pace, and is now at 58.9 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 6,874 career yards, ahead of the previous record held by Nealon Greene.

Dantzler also has jumped into the lead in terms of career passing efficiency. His big game against Georgia Tech boosted his efficiency rating to 133.43, best in school history by a couple of percentage points.

Dantzler on Clemson career Records ListsRank/Category/Figure Left for Record *1st, quarterback rushing (2216) has record *1st, completion percentage (.589) has record *1st in touchdown responsibility (52) has record *1st in total offense (6874) has record *1st in passing efficiency (133.43) has record *2nd in interception avoidance (2.62) 2.55 percent *2nd in total plays (1082) 77 plays *2nd in completions (359) 100 completions *2nd in passing yards (4658) 1064 yards *3rd in touchdown passes (29) 7 TD passes

Clemson Records Held by Dantzler (30)Single Game (8) *Touchdown Responsibility-6 vs. NC State, 2001 *Total Offense-517 vs. NC State, 2001 *Completion % (Min 20 attempts)–.851 vs. NC 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. NC State, 2001 *Touchdown Passes-4 vs. NC State, 2001

Season (13) *Total offense-2899, (2000) *Quarterback rushing-1028, (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 (9) *Completion percentage in career–.589 *Career passing efficiency-133.4 *Total offense–6874 *Yards rushing by a quarterback in a career–2216 *100-yard rushing games by a quarterback-8 *Most total offense/game in career-214.8 *Most 300-yard total offense games in career–8 *Most 100-yard rushing, 300-yard total offense games in a career-8 *Most touchdowns rushing and passing in a career–52

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.

It 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 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 twice. A Clemson player has been named National Player of the week 10 times in history, including Dantzler’s performance at Georgia Tech. Here is a listing:

Homecoming Success Clemson faces North Carolina for Homecoming today. The Tigers are 26-2-2 since 1971 on Homecoming with the only losses coming to Georgia Tech in 1989 and Virginia in 1997. The first homecoming game at Clemson took place on Sept. 30, 1922 when Centre defeated Clemson at Riggs Field, 21-0. Clemson has celebrated Homecoming every year since 1922 with the exception of the 1930 and 1938 seasons. Clemson has a 56-18-3 record on Homecoming over the years, a .747 winning percentage. Clemson has outscored the opposition 1,644-1,010 in those previous 77 games, an average victory of 21-13.

Clemson is 4-1 lifetime against North Carolina on Homecoming. Clemson gained victory in 1960 (24-0), 1962 (17-6), 1995 (17-10) and 1999 (31-20). The only loss came in 1964 by a 29-0 score. The star for the Tigers the last time the two teams met on homecoming was a reserve quarterback named Woodrow Dantzler. Dantzler came off the bench in the second period to lead the Tigers to a 31-20 victory.

Clemson vs. North Carolina Series Clemson holds a 31-17-1 advantage in the series with North Carolina that dates to 1897, the second year of football at Clemson. That 1897 game was just the sixth game in Clemson football history and the Tar Heels won the contest 28-0. It was the first game for the Tigers against a team that is currently in the ACC. Obviously the league was not formed until 1953. Clemson has won 11 of the last 15 games and 15 of the last 20 in the series, but North Carolina has won three of the last five. Clemson won last year in Chapel Hill, 38-24 and at Clemson in 1999, 31-20. Prior to the 1997 17-10 North Carolina victory, the Tar Heels had not won at Clemson since 1980, a 24-19 victory on ABC-TV. Lawrence Taylor provided the key play of that game for North Carolina, a sack of Clemson quarterback Homer Jordan late in the fourth period with Clemson inside the Tar Heel 10. Clemson had won seven in a row over North Carolina in Death Valley by a combined score of 188-69. In 1995, the Tigers were victorious,17-10. It was a classic defensive game. Brian Dawkins, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, provided the big play with a 49-yard interception return for a touchdown. Nealon Greene threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Joe Woods and Anthony Simmons had 19 tackles. Mond Wilson, playing for the injured Andye McCrorey, had 16 tackles for the Clemson defense, which intercepted five North Carolina passes, two by Peter Ford and one by Andy Ford. Clemson has six wins over North Carolina when the Tar Heels enter the game as a ranked team. The most shocking took place in 1992 when a Clemson team that would end the season with a 5-6 record, earned a 40-7 victory over 18th-ranked North Carolina. It is the largest margin of victory for Clemson in the series.

Last Year vs. North Carolina Freshman quarterback Willie Simmons threw four touchdown passes to help Clemson erase a 17-0 first-half deficit and defeat North Carolina, 38-24. Simmons entered the game when Woodrow Dantzler injured his right foot on a 24-yard keeper with 6:32 remaining in the first half. Simmons exceeded all expectations by completing 10 of 18 passes for 228 yards – the highest total by a Clemson quarterback so far this season. The game featured the largest Tiger comeback since 1992, when Clemson rallied from a 28-0 halftime deficit to defeat Virginia.

Simmons entered the game with the luxury of having Rod Gardner in the receiving core. Gardner finished with seven catches for a school record 182 yards. The three-touchdown effort earned him ACC Offensive Back-of-the-Week honors and it tied the Clemson single game touchdown reception record.

Clemson outscored the Tar Heels 38-7 after falling behind early. Clemson’s prime-time players rose to the occasion as the Tigers faced the most urgent situation of the season. Chad Carson had a team-high 16 tackles. Robert Carswell had nine. Adams and Carswell each came up with timely second-half interceptions to help seal the victory. The 34-yard interception return was the first of the year for Carswell, who led Clemson with six picks in 1999. Sophomore defensive end Nick Eason recorded five tackles and two sacks for loss of 11 yards.

Jeff Reed kicked a 26-yard field goal to put the Tar Heels on the board first. Clemson failed to earn a first down on its opening two possessions of the game. Brandon Russell ran for a two-yard touchdown to complete a six-play 81-yard drive that took only 2:12 off the clock. On their next possession, Ronald Curry connected with Sam Aiken for a 57-yard completion as the Tar Heels again drove over 80 yards on six plays. Clemson trailed 17-0 with 12:18 remaining in the second quarter.

Dantzler suffered a bruised foot at the end of a 22-yard in the second quarter, so Simmons came off the bench. His first completion of the game came in the form of a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jackie Robinson with 5:42 left before the half. Robinson finished with four receptions for 76 yards, career highs. On a third-down play on North Carolina’s next possession Keith Adams forced a fumble for a two-yard loss. Joe Don Reames returned the ensuing punt 51 yards to the Tar Heel 26. Simmons connected on all three of his attempts on Clemson’s drive. A 20-yard Gardner reception cut North Carolina’s lead to 17-14 by halftime.

Early in the third period, Bosley Allen muffed a Jamie Somaini punt and Clemson recovered the ball. After a 27-yard pass to Robinson, Aaron Hunt tied the game with a 22-yard field goal.

Simmons connected with Gardner for touchdowns on two consecutive possessions to complete the 31-0 scoring run. The Tar Heels made it a one-possession game when Saunders rushed for a touchdown with 9:17 remaining in the contest.

With about four minutes left, North Carolina took over the ball down seven points. But, Keith Adams intercepted a Curry pass and retuned the first interception of his career 27 yards to the North Carolina 2. Travis Zachery pushed into the endzone on his second attempt to make the score 38-24.

Reserve Quarterback Has Led Tigers vs. UNC In each of the last two games between Clemson and North Carolina a reserve quarterback has come off the bench to lead Clemson to victory. Woodrow Dantzler turned the trick as a reserve in 1999, then Willie Simmons came off the bench to lead the Tigers to a win in Chapel Hill in 2000.

Brandon Streeter was Clemson’s starting quarterback in 1999 and hit 8-11 passes for 77 yards on the opening drive. However, Julius Peppers intercepted a Streeter pass to stop the drive. Later in the period, Streeter was injured when linebacker Tim Burgess fell on him while scrambling near the Tar Heel bench.

That brought on Dantzler, who had played only sparingly to that point. The sophomore led the Tigers to 31 points over the last three periods and a 31-20 win. Dantzler was 7-15 for 131 yards passing and also picked up 82 yards in 11 rushes, including a 56-yard touchdown run with 8:35 left that iced the game.

Last year Dantzler had the Tigers off to a 7-0 start and a number-five national ranking as the team headed to Chapel Hill. Dantzler gained 90 yards in total offense over the first period, but suffered an injury with 6:32 left in the first half on a 24-yard run. That brought in freshman Willie Simmons. All Simmons did was lead the Tigers to 38 points over the last 36 minutes. He completed 10-18 passes for 288 yards and four touchdowns, tying the Clemson single game record. His 228 yards were high for a Clemson quarterback in 2000. Rod Gardner caught three touchdown passes for the Tigers.

Clemson Offense Proficient in Second Half Clemson has scored at least 45 points and gained at least 500 yards of total offense in each of its last two games, a 47-44 overtime win over Georgia Tech and a 45-37 victory over N.C. State. Clemson’s point total against Tech was its high total against the Yellow Jackets since 1903, a 73-0 win behind coach John Heisman. Clemson’s 45-37 victory against N.C. State was the highest point total Clemson has ever scored against the Pack.

A reason for the high scoring has been proficiency in the second half. Clemson has scored four touchdowns in the second half after halftime in each game. Clemson has had 12 possessions in the second half the last two games combined (not including possessions when trying to run out the clock) and has nine touchdowns. Once Clemson was held on downs and once Clemson kicked a field goal. Clemson has had to punt in the second half just once in the last two games. Some of the touchdown drives have been deliberate and some have been time consuming, as the chart below shows

North Carolina Update North Carolina has been the comeback story of college football within the 2001 season. The Tar Heels, coached by former North Carolina player John Bunting, lost its first three games of the year, all to teams currently in the top 20 of the nation. North Carolina lost away from home to defending National Champion Oklahoma, 41-27, at undefeated Maryland 23-7, and at Texas 44-14.

Since then, North Carolina has defeated Florida State, 41-9, won at N.C. State 17-9, defeated East Carolina 24-21 and last week downed Virginia 30-24. The win over Florida State was just the third ACC loss for the Seminoles since they joined the conference in 1992. The top player on the North Carolina team is on defense. The top

player on the Clemson team is on offense. That will be an interesting matchup in today’s game in Death Valley. North Carolina’s Julius Peppers could be the top selection in the NFL draft this coming spring. He has an incredible 17 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, six passes defensed and two interceptions this year. His pursuit of Dantzler will be worth the price of admission.

But, North Carolina has some other outstanding defensive players, a prime reason opponents have scored just 15.8 points per game over the last four games. David Thornton is the top tackler with 74 stops in seven games, including seven tackles for loss. Quincy Monk, another linebacker, has 65 tackles, while Dexter Reid has 53 stops and two interceptions. Mike Waddell has 10 passes defensed, among the top figures in the ACC.

The offense has picked up the pace of late, including scoring 30 points against Virginia last week. North Carolina uses two quarterbacks. Ronald Curry, along with Peppers a member of the North Carolina basketball team that played at Clemson last year, has throw for 563 yards and three touchdowns. He is North Carolina’s career leader in total offense.

Backup Darian Durant has been more productive statistically, completing .593 of his passes for 852 yards and eight scores. He also has 116 yards rushing, ahead of Curry’s 100 yards. Regardless, both quarterbacks can run and throw. Andre Williams is the top ball carrier with 402 yards and three touchdowns. Kory Bailey has 23 receptions, the same total as Bosley Allen, a gifted 6-3 junior. Allen is also among the best kick returners in the ACC.

Offense Superb Against Top Defenses Clemson’s offense has been performing at a high level of efficiency over the last two games, in fact an unparalleled level for consecutive games. Add to that the fact that both games have been on the road make the production especially remarkable.

Over the last two weeks Clemson has averaged 27.5 first downs, 293.5 yards passing and 241 yards rushing. The Tigers have averaged 534.5 yards of total offense and 6.56 yards per game, not to mention scoring 46 points per game.

Clemson has not achieved these stats against inferior defenses. N.C. State and Georgia Tech were both ranked in the top 20 in the nation in scoring defense and many other categories heading into their games with Clemson. In six games this year Georgia Tech has given up 98 points and 47 of them are to Clemson.

Clemson scored three times as many points as N.C. State has given up this year against its other four opponents, four times as many points as Tech has given up. N.C. State had given up just 313.8 yards of total offense per game prior to the Clemson game, then the Tigers got 567. Tech has given up just 253.2 per game when not playing Clemson, but the Tigers gained 502 against the Yellow Jackets.

Clemson Gains 500 Yards In Consecutive Road Wins Clemson has had at least 500 yards in each of its last two games. That 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.

Zachery Approaching 3,000/1,000 Club Clemson senior running back Travis Zachery 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 310 yards rushing and 242 yards receiving, giving him 552 yards from scrimmage. It ranks him fifth in the ACC in all-purpose running. He has had five touchdowns rushing and got his second receiving at N.C. State last Saturday.

Zachery now has 2792 yards rushing in his career and 885 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 208 yards rushing and 115 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 29 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 North Carolina game with 2792 career rushing yards, third best in school history. He moved ahead of Terry Allen (now with Baltimore Ravens) on the all-time list. Now, only Kenny Flowers and Raymond Priester have more rushing yards than Zachery. Zachery had 125 all-purpose yards at Georgia Tech and 124 more at N.C. State. He now has 3953 for his career, second best in school history. Raymond Priester is the career leader in all-purpose running with 4282. Zachery needs just 47 yards against the Tar Heels to reach 4000 for his career. He is 329 behind Raymond Priester.

Hamilton Approaching Freshman Record Freshman wide receiver Derrick Hamilton continued his outstanding rookie season with eight catches for 106 yards at N.C. State. The red-shirt freshman from Mullins, SC now has 31 receptions for 339 yards and a touchdown. He needs just three catches against North Carolina to break Terry Smith’s freshman record. Smith had 34 catches in 1990. He needs 142 yards to break Smith’s freshman receiving yardage mark.

Hamilton’s 106 yards receiving at 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 21st in the nation in receptions per game with 6.2 and is second among freshmen. Hamilton is third in the ACC in receptions per game and is sixth in yardage.

It was a big day for Clemson freshman receivers at N.C. State. In addition to Hamilton’s heroics, freshman tight end Ben Hall had three catches for 39 yards and his first college touchdown. Airese Currie had a 79-yard reception in the fourth period from Woodrow Dantzler to put the quarterback over the 300-yard mark for the first time in his career.

Clemson freshman receivers caught 12 passes for 224 yards and two scores on the day.

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 25 tackles for the season, more than any other defensive tackle. He also has nine quarterback pressures in his 305 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.

Young Defenders Make Contribution at N.C. State Many young players made a significant contribution to Clemson’s defensive effort at N.C. State. With injuries sidelining Kevin Johnson and Nick Eason much of the day, Tommy Bowden had to turn to some inexperienced players to help the Tigers hold off the talented Wolfpack offense.

One of the players who made a big contribution was freshman defensive tackle Donnell Washington. He came off the bench to record five tackles, but two were sacks and each thwarted a Wolfpack drive. Washington had a pair of quarterback pressures and a pass broken up in his 50 plays. He had 41 points in the coaching staff’s grading system, more than any other Clemson defensive player in the game. Toure Francis was at a cornerback in place of the injured Kevin Johnson. The original walk-on came up big with five tackles and two passes broken up in his 54 plays. He had played just 49 snaps all year prior to Saturday’s game.

Freshman cornerback Ryan Hemby also made a contribution with an interception and a pass broken up in his 27 snaps.

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 64, more than halfway to his team best 120 set last year. T.J. Watkins is second with 60, while Merritt has 50. Gary Byrd has picked up 48, while Akil Smith has 41. Smith leads the team in intimidation blocks with 11.

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.