Thursday 10/04/2001
Oct. 4, 2001
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Game Five: Clemson at N.C. State
Saturday, Oct. 13, 2001 12:00 Noon (EST) Carter-Finley Stadium (51,500) Raleigh, NC
In the Rankings Clemson – 19 AP, #21 USA Today/ESPN N.C. State – Unranked
Television: JPPlay By Play: Steve Martin * Color: Doc WalkerSideline: Mike Hogewood
Radio: Clemson Tiger Sports NetworkPlay By Play: Jim Phillips* Color: Mike EppleySideline: Rodney Williams
Series History: Clemson leads 43-25-1Tickets: 1-800-310-PACK
www.ClemsonTigers.com
Clemson at N.C. StateThe 21st Annual Textile Bowl Clemson and N.C. State will do battle in the 21st annual Textile Bowl when the two teams meet in Raleigh on October 13th. Clemson has a 14-6 advantage in the series since the game took on the Textile Bowl title in 1981, the year Clemson won the National Championship. The Textile Industry has a very important effect on the economy of North Carolina and South Carolina and the two schools competing in Saturday’s game.
Many of the Textile Bowl contests have been close, including each of the last four, which have been decided by a touchdown or less. Four years ago in Raleigh, Matt Padgett booted a 20-yard field goal with just 19 seconds left to give Clemson a 19-17 victory. The Tigers drove 78 yards in 14 plays to set up the winning score. Nealon Greene hit 20-32 passes for 250 yards and Tony Horne caught eight passes for 112 to key the Clemson offense. Raymond Priester added 89 yards rushing on 24 attempts.
In 1998 at Clemson, Torry Holt completed an incredible day with a nine-yard scoring pass from Jamie Barnette with just 37 seconds left. It was his fourth touchdown reception of the day.
In 1999, N.C. State, behind head coach Mike O’Cain, defeated Clemson 35-31 in an exciting contest in Raleigh that featured 35 first quarter points between the two teams combined. Clemson had five possessions in the fourth period with a chance to take the lead, but could not drive for a winning touchdown.
And, last year was a thriller that came down to the last possession before the Tigers came away with a 34-27 victory. A complete rundown of that game follows.
Another close game took place in 1993. Clemson held a 20-0 lead after three quarters thanks to an offense that gained 250 yards rushing, but had to hang on in the last minute to gain the victory. Tim Jones broke up each of the Wolfpack’s last two pass plays of the game at the Clemson goal line over the last 12 seconds of the contest to preserve the Tiger victory.
The last three games combined the two teams have combined for an average of 70.7 points a game. The point total for the last three games combined has been N.C. State 108 and Clemson 104.
Bowden and Amato Were on Same FSU Staff Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden and N.C. State Head Coach Chuck Amato were both on Bobby Bowden’s Florida State staff in 1982. That Florida State team finished 9-3, ranked 13th in the country and appeared in the Gator Bowl. Bowden was a part-time coach working with the receivers, while Amato was a fulltime coach in charge of the defensive line. Amato worked for Bobby Bowden from 1982-99 before becoming the head coach at N.C. State last year.
Both coaches have had success early in their respective head coaching careers. Bowden took Tulane to an undefeated 11-0 record in the regular season of 1998 and now has Clemson at 18-10 and ranked in the top 20 in the nation just 28 games into his career as Clemson’s head coach. Amato had N.C. State in a bowl game and with an 8-4 record his first year.
O’Cain Faces Former Teams Next Two Weeks Current Clemson quarterbacks coach Mike O’Cain will face a past employer each of the next two games. O’Cain, a 1977 Clemson graduate, served as head coach of N.C. State from 1993-99. He replaced Dick Sheridan at N.C. State in 1993 and took the pack to an 8-4 record, including a Peach Bowl invitation. The next year he had the pack at 9-3 in the regular season, including a victory over Clemson in Death Valley, the first Clemson graduate to defeat the Tigers. He and Lou Holtz are the only two coaches in N.C. State history to take the Pack to a bowl game in their first two years with the program.
His 1998 season included a win at Texas and a triumph over Florida State, one of just three league losses for the Seminoles since they joined the ACC in 1992. He took the pack to another bowl game in 1998, his third as head coach of the Pack.
Ironically, one of O’Cain’s top games as a player at Clemson came against N.C. State. In 1976, he rushed for 140 yards against the Pack, the Clemson quarterback rushing record for a game until 1994. As a Tiger he still ranks 14th in school history in passing efficiency.
In the 2000 season he served as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at North Carolina. The Tigers will face the Tar Heels at Clemson on October 20th.
2000 Meeting at ClemsonClemson 34, N.C. State 27 While Clemson’s 34-27 win over N.C. State was a less than comfortable margin of victory, the win was significant in reestablishing the Tigers’ ability to win a tight game. Clemson (6-0) had lost 13 previous games that were decided by a touchdown or less. Trailing by seven points with 3:30 remaining in the game, N.C. State (4-1) had the ball on the Clemson 18, but the Tigers preserved the victory when a fourth-down pass by Philip Rivers was broken up by Charles Hafley in the endzone.
Philip Rivers threw for all three Wolfpack touchdowns. The freshman completed 21 of 48 passes for 370 yards, sixth most passing yards in history at Clemson at the time. A 52-yard reception by Bryan Peterson proved to be the shortest N.C. State touchdown of the game. Rivers also threw for scores of 81 and 63 yards. The Wolfpack jumped out to a 7-0 lead just over a minute into the game. Ray Robinson took a short pass from Rivers and won the 81-yard foot race into the endzone. It was the first time all season that Clemson trailed. On Clemson’s next possession, the Tigers had a fourth-and-nine on the N.C. State 21, when Aaron Hunt lined up for the field goal. But, holder Jeff Scott took the snap and ran 9 yards for a first down. Woodrow Dantzler finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Clemson added another touchdown on its next possession as Dantzler hit Travis Zachery for a touchdown from 24 yards out. Then Dantzler added another score with 8:16 left in the half, giving Clemson a commanding 20-7 lead. N.C. State added two field goals in the second quarter, converting two Clemson miscues to make it a 20-13 game at intermission.
N.C. State was forced to punt from deep inside its own territory on the opening possession of the second half. Joe Don Reames returned the kick 12 yards. A personal foul on N.C. State put Clemson on the Wolfpack 17. Zachery made quick results, rushing for a four-yard touchdown. N.C. State responded quickly. Less than three minutes later Rivers found Peterson for a 52-yard touchdown pass that made the score 27-20.
On their opening possession of the fourth quarter the Tigers faced a fourth-and-two situation on the N.C. State 31. Leading by only a touchdown, Tommy Bowden elected to go for the first down. Zachery sustained the drive with a four-yard rush over right tackle. A 16 yard reception by Rod Gardner set up a five-yard Zachery touchdown. That score, his third of the day, tied Zachery for first on Clemson’s all-time touchdown list with Lester Brown (32).
The Wolfpack cut the deficit in half exactly one minute later when Rivers found Koren Robinson for a 63-yard touchdown completion. Clemson failed to extend its lead when the next drive ended with the block of a 35-yard Hunt field goal attempt. N.C. State marched the ball from their own 20 to the Clemson 18. Hafley deflected the last of three straight incompletions by Rivers as Clemson regained possession and preserved the win.
The game marked the first time in Clemson history that the Tigers have had two 100-yard rushers and one 100-yard receiver in the same game. Gardner had his best game of the season with a 10 reception 137-yard effort. Both of those figures were just one unit off of his career high in each area. The Biletnikoff candidate also tallied 64 yards on kickoffs to give him 201 all-purpose yards. Zachery’s 147 rushing yards on 31 carries were both personal bests.
Dantzler completed his fourth straight 300-yard total offense, 100-yard rushing effort. He ran for 103 yards and threw for 220.
Tiger Veterans vs. N.C. State
Chad Carson had six tackles in 83 plays as a starter in the1999 game at Raleigh and seven tackles in 71 snaps as a starter in2000. Woodrow Dantzler has started two games against N.C. State andhas completed 41-71 passes for 504 yards and three touchdowns. Hehas 38-106 rushing in the two games, giving him 610 yards of totaloffense in two games against N.C. State. He had 220 passing and 103rushing in last year’s Clemson win. Nick Eason had one tackle in 50snaps against N.C. State last year. Charles Hafley had threetackles in 53 plays in 1999 and five tackles in 75 snaps in 2000.Aaron Hunt was 4-5 on extra points and 0-1 on field goals againstthe Pack last year. BrianMance had two tackles in nine snaps and 1-14 on punt returns in2000 vs. N.C. State. Bryant McNeal had two tackles, including asack in the win over N.C. State last year. Braxton K. Williams hadseven tackles in 81 snaps in 1999 and four tackles in 64 playsagainst N.C. State in 2000. Travis Zachery had 14-47 rushing and5-51 receiving vs. N.C. State in 1998. He had 18-82 rushing and4-29 receiving in 1999, then had 31-147 and two scores in the 2000game. The 147 yards rushing is the second highest total of hisClemson career.
Tigers win in Overtime Clemson defeated Georgia Tech 47-44 in overtime on Sept. 29, just the second time in history that Clemson has participated in an overtime game. Clemson is now 2-0 since the rule came into effect for the 1996 season. Clemson’s only other overtime game was a 29-20 victory over Duke in 1997. Clemson won by the odd margin when Rahim Abdullah returned an interception 63 yards for a score to end the game. The Tigers had scored three points on their offensive possession when David Richardson kicked a field goal.
Including the two overtime games, Clemson has now won four games in its history on the last play of the game. In addition to the Duke game listed above and Dantzler’s touchdown run to beat Tech, David Treadwell twice booted field goals on the last play of the game to give Clemson a victory. In 1985 he booted a 36-yard field goal on the last play to give Clemson a 20-17 win at Virginia Tech. Then, the following year he kicked a 46-yard field on the final play to give Clemson a 31-28 victory at Georgia.
Not included in the list are the heroics turned in by lineman Bob Patton in 1950. A top 20 Wake Forest scored a touchdown with five seconds left to come within 13-12 of the Tigers at Winston-Salem. The two-point conversion rule was not in college football at the time, so Wake Forest attempted to kick the extra point and tie the game. Patton broke through the Wake Forest line and blocked the attempt, giving Clemson the victory. The clock ran out on the ensuing kickoff.
Clemson Gains 500 Yards vs. #9 Georgia Tech 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.
It was also the third game under Tommy Bowden that the Tigers have had at least 500 yards of total offense. Clemson is now 39-0-1 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.
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.
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 last week. Here is a listing:
Even Regis Watched! The last five minutes of regulation and the overtime period of Clemson’s victory at Georgia Tech on Sept. 29 were broadcast to most of the nation. ABC switched from the Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M game with five minutes left and at the conclusion of other contests that finished prior to the end of the Clemson vs. Georgia Tech game. Most of the nation saw the Tigers win in overtime. That includes famed television personality Regis Philbin. The Notre Dame graduate and host of “Do You Want to be a Millionaire” and “Live with Regis and Kelly” said he was watching the Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M game when ABC switched, “to a great Southern football game between Clemson and Georgia Tech.” He made the comment on Monday during his “Live with Regis and Kelly,” program and was one of the millions who saw Woodrow Dantzler score the winning touchdown for the Tigers in overtime.
Offensive Line Has Best Game One of the reasons for Clemson’s success against Georgia Tech 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). The 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.
Watkins leads the way for the season with 52, while Young is second with 45. Young had 120 last year to lead the team. Byrd and Merritt are next this season with 37, while Smith has 34. Smith leads the team in intimidation blocks with nine.
Two Tigers Earn ACC Player of the Week Honors Two Clemson players, both on offense, earned ACC Player of the Week honors for the Georgia Tech game. Quarterback Woodrow Dantzler and offensive tackle Akil Smith were both singled out by the league for their play in Atlanta on Sept. 29.
Dantzler completed 18 of 32 passes for 254 yards and a pair of scores. He also rushed 25 times for 164 yards and two more scores. He threw a 63-yard touchdown pass with 1:58 left to give Clemson a three-point lead, then scored the winning touchdown on the last play in overtime on an 11-yard rush. His 418 yards of total offense rank as the second highest in Clemson history. Smith played all 86 snaps on offense for the Tigers and had a 91 percent grade. He also contributed 17 knockdown blocks, including three intimidation blocks in helping he Clemson offense to 502 yards, second most in school history against a ranked opponent.
Bowden 7-1 Week After a Loss Clemson faced an uphill battle when it went to Georgia Tech. The Tigers were trying to defeat a top 10 team on the road after suffering a heart-breaking loss to Virginia with one second left. But, the Tigers have done well coming off a loss under Bowden. In his two and a half years as Clemson head coach the Tigers are now 7-1 in regular season games coming off a loss. The lone loss, and thus the only two-game losing streak of Bowden’s career came last year at Florida State. After a loss to Tech at Clemson, the Tigers dropped a 54-7 decision at Florida State. Clemson broke the streak against South Carolina. Bowden was 3-1 at Tulane coming off a loss. Thus, he is 10-2 in his head coaching career the week after a loss.
Leake Among National Leaders Clemson sophomore linebacker John Leake is among the national leaders in tackles according to the first round of NCAA defensive statistics released Oct. 1. Through games of Sept. 29, Leake ranked 11th in the nation in tackles with 13.5 per game. The native of Plano, TX had 54 tackles through the first four games, including 19 in the win at Georgia Tech. That was his career high and the most by a Clemson player in 2001.
Leake is tie for 11th in the nation with Auburn sophomore Dontarrious Thomas, who also had 54 through four games. Those two players lead all sophomores in the nation.
Leake would get some votes for most improved player in the nation if there was such an award. He did not play a single snap on defense as a first-year freshman, and made all nine of his tackles on special teams. Now he has played 229 plays through four games and ranks 11th in the nation and second in the ACC behind N.C. State’s Levar Fisher in tackles per game. Fisher, who led the nation last year, is currently third at 16.33 tackles per game. Hanik Milligan of Houston, a junior, leads the nation with an average of 21 tackles per game.
Hafley Leader of Clemson Secondary Clemson safety Charles Hafley ranked among the national leaders in three defensive categories through games of Sept. 29. The graduate student from Pompano Beach, FL had 34 solo tackles in the first four games of the season to rank 11th in the nation in solo tackles per game with an 8.5 figure. He ranked second in the ACC in the category.
Hafley has two interceptions through four games and his 0.5 interceptions per game ranks30th in the nation. Finally, Hafley is tied for 26th in passes defended per game. He had five passes broken up and two interceptions for seven total passes defended through the first four games of the season.
Hafley has 44 tackles through the four games, second on the Clemson team behind John Leake. He has had double figures in three consecutive games, including 15 in the loss to Virginia and 14 in the win over Georgia Tech. He has played more snaps than any other Tiger with 289.
Dantzler Sets ACC Rushing Record for QBs Woodrow Dantzler 11-yard scoring run on third down for the winning touchdown at Georgia Tech was big enough by itself. However, he also became the ACC’s career quarterback rushing leader in the process. The 11-yard run gave him 1943 career rushing yards, four more than former Duke quarterback Mike Dunn, who had 1939 between 1975-78.
Dantzler’s total does not include bowl games. Soon Dantzler will become the 35th quarterback in NCAA history to go over the 2000-yard rushing mark. The only active quarterbacks in college football over the 2000-yard mark are Antwaan Randle El of Indiana and Eric Crouch of Nebraska. Both entered the year over 2000. In fact, Randle El is now over 3000 yards rushing. The NCAA career leader for yards rushing by a quarterback is Dee Dowis, who played for Air Force between 1986-89. He had 3612 career rushing yards.
Dantzler has averaged 63 yards a game on the ground over his career. If he continues that pace the rest of the season he would reach 2400 yards. Only 15 quarterbacks in NCAA history have reached that rushing plateau.
Dantzler also set a Clemson record in the Georgia Tech win. He accounted for four touchdowns in the game, two rushing and two passing, giving him 46 in terms of touchdown responsibility for his career. He broke the record of 44 that had been set by Steve Fuller from 1975-78. Dantzler now has 25 passing and 21 rushing in his career. He needs two rushing touchdowns to break Fuller’s record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
Dantzler Ranked Nationally in Many Areas Just as he did at this time last years, Woodrow Dantzler has shown his all-around abilities as a quarterback. That is reflected in the NCAA statistics. Dantzler ranks in the top 50 in the nation in rushing, passing efficiency, total offense and touchdown responsibility. He is currently eighth in the nation in total offense, 33rd in passing efficiency, 24th in touchdown responsibility and 49th in rushing.
He ranked in the top 50 in the nation in all four categories last year through the first seven games of the season. Then, an injured suffered at North Carolina in the eighth came, limited his play. He still ended the 2000 season ranked in the top 50 in the nation in total offense and passing efficiency.
Dantzler’s all-around abilities are also reflected in the latest ACC stats. Through games of Sept. 29 he was second in the league in passing yards per game, first in total offense, fourth in rushing and fourth in passing efficiency. He was also seventh in scoring
Dantzler Nearing 4,000-2,000 Mark Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler enters the N.C. State game with 1,943 yards rushing and 4,140 yards passing in regular season games in his Clemson career. He needs 57 yards rushing to become the first ACC player in history to reach 2,000 yards rushing and 4,000 yards passing in a career. ACC statistics do not include bowl games, thus the above qualifier. Including bowl games, Dantzler has 2,032 rushing and 4,325 passing in his four-year career.
So far this season, Dantzler has 332 yards rushing and 866 passing for 1,198 total, an average of 299.8 yards per game in total offense. He ranks first in the conference in total offense per game and is eighth in the nation in that category.
The graduate student has connected on 65.3 percent of his passes this year, a record pace, and is now at 57.6 percent for his career, also best in school history. Dantzler is now in the top four in Clemson history in every passing and total offense figure. He needs just 429 yards of total offense to become Clemson’s all-time leader.
Dantzler on Clemson career Records Lists
* 1st in quarterback rushing (2,032) has record * 1st in completion percentage (.56) has record * 1st in touchdown responsibility (46) has record * 2nd in total offense (6,357) 429 yards Left for Record * 3rd in passing efficiency (128.1) 131.3 rating Left for Record * 4th in interception avoidance (2.7 percent) 2.55 percent Left for Record * 3rd in total plays (1,032) 127 plays Left for Record * 2nd in completions (336) 122 completions Left for Record * 4th in passing yards (4,325) 1,395 yards Left for Record * 3rd in touchdown passes (25) 11 TD passes Left for Record
Clemson Records Held by Dantzler (23) * Total offense in a season-2,899 (2000) * Completion percentage in career-.576 * Most total offense in a game-435 vs. Maryland, 1999 * Yards rushing by a quarterback in season-1,028 (2000) * Yards rushing by a quarterback in a game-220 vs. Virginia, 2000 * Yards rushing by a quarterback in a career-2,032 * 100-yard rushing games in season by a quarterback-4 (2000) * 100-yard rushing games by quarterback in career-7 * 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/game in career-205.1 * Most 200-yard total offense games in season-9 (2000) * Most 300-yard total offense games in career-8 * Most 100-yard rushing, 300-yard total offense games in a season-4 (2000) * Most 100-yard rushing, 300-yard total offense games in a career-7 * Most consecutive games throwing a touchdown pass-6 (2000) * Most consecutive games with 200 yards total offense-7 (2000) * Most touchdowns rushing and passing in a season-24 (2000) * Most touchdowns rushing and passing in a career-46 * Single game pass completion percentage-.941 vs. The Citadel, 2000 * Single game passing efficiency (Min 15 att)-247.2 vs. The Citadel, 2000 * Most total offense plays in season-434 (2000)
Zachery Nearing 2,000/1,000 Mark For the second straight year, Travis Zachery opened the regular season having to prove himself after suffering a painful injury in a bowl game. The Doak Walker Award candidate suffered a broken ankle on a 23-yard scoring reception from Woodrow Dantzler in the Gator Bowl against Virginia Tech and that kept him out of the rest of the game and Spring practice.
He proved that he is back to full strength against Virginia with a season high 87 yards rushing and 35 yards receiving for a total of 122 yards from scrimmage. He continued the all-around performances at Tech with 22-79 and three touchdowns rushing, plus another 46 yards on seven catches. Zachery tied a Clemson single game record for receptions by a running back. Dick Bukowsky had seven against Florida State in 1970.
Zachery scored three touchdowns at Tech, giving him 45 for his career, already a Clemson record. He has scored 39 touchdowns in his last 28 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 N.C. State game with 2749 career rushing yards, fourth best in school history. He needs just 29 yards at N.C. State to surpass Terry Allen and move into third place on the Clemson career rushing list.
A case could be made that Zachery is the top all-around back in Clemson history. In addition to his 2,749 rushing yards, he now has 804 career reception yards on 79 receptions. No Clemson player in history has had 2,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same career. He is already the first Clemson player with more than 2,000 yards rushing and 800 yards receiving in a career.
Zachery had 125 all-purpose yards at Georgia Tech and now has 3,829 for his career, second best in school history. Raymond Priester is the career leader in all-purpose running with 4,282.
Hamilton Second Nationally Among Freshmen Clemson freshman Derrick Hamilton is the second ranked freshman receiver in the nation with an average of 5.75 receptions per game. He is 30thoverall. Only Kelley Washington of Tennessee, with an average of 6.67 per game is ahead of Hamilton’s figure.
Hamilton has 23-233 for the season, tops on the Clemson team. He had 9-90 receiving against Virginia, tied for the most receptions in a single game by a Clemson freshman. He tied the mark held by Terry Smith, who had 9-84 against Maryland in 1990. Hamilton’s 90 yards receiving were the second highest figure by a Clemson freshman. Ray Williams had 105 yards receiving on four catches against N.C. State in 1983, the only 100-yard receiving game by a Clemson freshman in history.
He came back with 7-75 in the win at Georgia Tech. The Clemson freshman record for receptions is 34 set by Terry Smith in 1990. The freshman reception yardage mark is 480 by Smith the same year.
Five Tigers on Football Writers Association Watch List Five Clemson players were on the Football Writers Association All-American Watch List heading into the season. Four of the players are on offense and one on defense. All five should play at Tech. The list includes quarterback Woodrow Dantzler, running back Travis Zachery, guard Will Merritt, center Kyle Young and linebacker Chad Carson.
Clemson Picks Up 29 First Downs, and Loses Clemson gained 29 first downs against Virginia on Sept. 22, yet lost the game 26-24. That was the most first downs by a Clemson team in a loss since Nov. 6, 1976. The Tigers had 29 first downs in a 27-23 loss to North Carolina at Death Valley. Clemson quarterback coach Mike O’Cain played as a reserve in that game for the Tigers. One other odd common stat, both starting quarterbacks for Clemson in those games had exactly 67 yards rushing. Steve Fuller had 67 in that loss 25 years ago, while Woodrow Dantzler rushed for 67 in the loss to Virginia.
Those are the only two games in Clemson history that the Tigers have had at least 28 first downs, yet lost. Clemson had won 16 in a row when recording at least 28 first downs dating to that 1976 game. In history, Clemson has had an even-50 games in which it has at least 25 first downs. The Tigers are now 44-5-1 in those games, an 89 percent winning mark.
Field Position Important Field position is an important statistic in any football game. That has certainly been the case when evaluating the Clemson defense this year. Clemson has allowed 18 scoring drives in four games, 12 touchdowns and six field goals. Opponents have driven over 66 yards for a touchdown just twice all year, an 81-yard drive for a touchdown by Central Florida in the season opener and a 74-yard touchdown drive by Georgia Tech.
Twenty-five times this year the opposition has taken possession of the ball at its own 30 or worse. They have driven for a touchdown just twice in those 25 possessions. They have added three field goals. On seven of the opposition’s 12 touchdowns, they have had to drive 53 yards or less. That includes a 44-yard drive for the winning drive by Virginia.
Mance In top 15 in Punt and Kickoff Returns Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden said during the preseason that he thought he would have the best special teams since he has been the head coach of the Tigers. That is proving to be a correct prediction, and the leader of the special teams production has been cornerback Brian Mance.
Mance has been a terror for opposing special teams coaches through the first four weeks of the season. His production is reflected in the NCAA Statistics released Sept. 30. The junior was ranked 20th in the nation in kickoff returns with a 28.2-yard average on five returns, and 12 in punt returns with a 14.4-yard average on six returns. He has 338 yards on kickoff returns and 101 on punt returns for a total of 439 yards on 19 total returns.
Mance is the only player in the nation to rank in the top 20 in the country in both categories. One former Tiger, Antwuan Wyatt, ranked in the top 15 in both categories in 1995. That season Wyatt averaged 25.0 on kickoff returns to average 12th in the nation, and his 12.3-yard average on punt returns ranked 15th.
Mance had flashes of brilliance in the return game as a sophomore, so his production this year is really no surprise. Last year he had six kickoff returns for a 26-yard average, and had a Clemson record 32-yard average on six punt returns in 2000. That punt return total included an 88-yard return in Death Valley against Georgia Tech, fifth longest punt return by a Tiger in history.
Mance is off to quite a start overall. He was the ACC Defensive Back of the Week in the first game of the season when he had 10 tackles and a pass broken up against Central Florida. He was then chosen ACC Specialist of the Week for his performance against Wofford.
Clemson 35-0-1 With 200 Yards Passing and Rushing Clemson gained 200 yards rushing and 286 yards passing in the win over Wofford, then had 248 rushing and 254 passing at Georgia Tech. Clemson is now 9-0 under Tommy Bowden when gaining at least 200 yards or each in the same game. The Tigers are now 35-0-1 in history when gaining at least 200 of each. Clemson first turned the trick against Wake Forest in 1953.
The program had just 28 such games in the first 103 years of Clemson football prior to Bowden’s arrival and now has had nine in the 28 games he has been head coach of the Tigers. The streak was nearly snapped at Georgia Tech in 1999. Clemson had 231 yards rushing and 197 passing in the loss at Georgia Tech. The only tie game in which Clemson had at least 200 of each took place in 1976 when Clemson had 248 rushing and 234 passing in a 24-24 tie in Atlanta against Tech.
Clemson in Top 25 Clemson was ranked 21st in the latest USA Today Coach’s poll and 19th by AP on Sept. 30. The Tigers have been ranked in the top 25 in the USA Today poll for 24 consecutive weeks. This is the second longest streak of consecutive weeks ranked in the top 25 in a poll in Clemson history. The record for consecutive top 20 rankings is 41, set between the final poll of the 1986 season and the Oct. 10, 1989 poll. The Tigers were ranked between third and 17th in the nation in all 41 or those polls.
The record for consecutive weeks in the top 25 is 50 in a row between Oct. 24, 1989 and Oct. 19, 1992. The Tigers were ranked between 6 and 25 during that streak. Clemson was ranked between 21-25 in six of those 50 weeks. Clemson has had two other streaks of 14 weeks or more ranked in the top 20. One took place from Sept. 21, 1981 through Sept. 13, 1982, a 15-week streak, while the other took place between Oct.12, 1959 and Oct. 10, 1960, a 14-week streak.
Carson, Leake Top Clemson Tacklers Chad Carson and John Leake are becoming quite a one-two punch on Clemson’s second line of defense. Against Wofford’s run oriented attack numbers 45 and 46 combined for 34 tackles. Carson had 18 and Leake picked up a career high 16. In the win at Tech, Leake had 19 and Carson added 10.
For Carson the 18 tackles against Wofford tied for his second highest single game total as a Tiger. The only performance that is higher is the 22-tackle performance he had against Georgia Tech at Death Valley last year. That is an ironic fact in itself considering that Carson’s father played for Georgia Tech.
Carson now has 353 tackles for his career, eighth best in school history. He moved ahead of Tim Jones with seven tackles against Virginia. Next on the list is former teammate Robert Carswell, who had 374 between 1997-00. If he averages 10 tackles a game over the rest of the season he will finish his career ranked fourth in Clemson history, trailing only Bubba Brown, Anthony Simmons and Jeff Davis. That is impressive company.
Leake has a long way to go to catch Carson, but he is taking a similar path. Carson had just 11 tackles his freshman year as a reserve linebacker in 1998. Leake had nine as a reserve last year.
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. Randy Scott, LB 1975-78 382 6. Keith Adams, LB 1998-00 379 7. Robert Carswell, FS 1997-00 374 8. Chad Carson, LB 1998-01 353 9. Tim Jones, LB 1991-94 338 10. Henry Walls, LB 1983-85 316
Clemson vs. Duke Moved to Dec. 1 The Clemson vs. Duke football game, originally scheduled for Sept. 15 at Clemson, will be played Dec.1 at Clemson Memorial Stadium. The contest was postponed due to the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington last Tuesday. The game will kickoff at 1:00 PM.
This will be the latest Clemson has played a regular season game since 1956 when the Tigers defeated Furman at Death Valley, 28-7 on Dec. 1. It will be just the sixth regular season game in the month of December in Clemson football history. The latest Clemson has had a regular season game is Dec. 8, a 1928 loss to The Citadel in Charleston.
The change in schedule means that Duke and Clemson will meet in the major sports of football and men’s basketball on consecutive days. The two schools will meet in men’s basketball at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 2nd. That will be the earliest conference basketball game for the Tigers since 1966. Clemson played at North Carolina to open the 1966-67 season on December 1.
Clemson to Play 92-day Regular season As a result of the terrorist attacks on the East Coast on Sept. 11, and the subsequent schedule change, Clemson’s 2001 regular season will stretch 92 days, longest in school history. The Clemson vs. Duke game originally scheduled for Sept. 15 was moved to Dec. 1st, two weeks after the original season finale at South Carolina on Nov. 17. The previous longest season in Clemson history was 87 days, set in 1991 when Clemson began the season on Sept. 7, then concluded the regular season on Nov. 30 in Tokyo. That season also finished with a game against Duke. Clemson had 85-day regular seasons in 1984 and 1996. Fifteen consecutive Clemson seasons have lasted at least 78 days dating to the 1986 season that lasted 71 days.
The shortest 11-game regular season took place in 1977 and 1980 when the season spanned 70 days. Six other 11-game seasons went across 71 days.
West Puts in Extra Effort Some Clemson fans might have seen a strange sight during post-game traffic of Clemson’s 21-13 win over Central Florida on Sept. 1. Some fans caught in the traffic on College Avenue might have noted Assistant Coach Ron West riding a green bicycle, beating the considerable traffic as the result of a crowd of 79,500 people. West borrowed the bike owned by one of his players, offensive lineman Nick DiPrimio to get across Route 123 in a timely fashion. The reason for his haste? West was in a hurry to get to Boone, NC to see his son, Brad, play for Appalachian State in its season opening game against Liberty.
The use of the bike enabled West to save considerable time. He then took a back route to Boone and he arrived with eight minutes to go in the half. His son, a freshman, did not play in the game, but it certainly meant a lot to Brad to have his father at his first college football game.
West is one of three Clemson assistant coaches with a son who plays college football. Offensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach Brad Scott is the father of Clemson wide receiver Jeff Scott. The younger Scott scored a touchdown on a 22-yard run in the first game of the season against UCF, the eventual game winner. He had a reception for five yards against Wofford. Jack Hines’ son Robert is the starting quarterback at Tennessee-Martin.
Tigers Only Division I Team With Two Academic All-Americans Clemson is the only school in the nation with two returning first-team Academic All-Americans on its roster. Linebacker Chad Carson and center Kyle Young were both named first-team Academic All-Americans in 2000. That was the first time in Clemson history the Tigers had two first-team selections in the same year.
Carson is a senior with a 3.94 career GPA in biological sciences. He led the Tigers in tackles last year and ranked fourth in the nation. Young led the Tigers in knockdown blocks last year with 120. He graduated from Clemson with a 3.98 career GPA last year and is now taking postgraduate courses. He was also a first-team Academic All-American in 1999 and is trying to become just the second ACC player in history to be a three time first-team selection. Mike Diminick, who played for Duke in the 1980s, is the only other ACC player to be a three-time first-team selection.
Young Looks for Landmark Accomplishment Clemson center Kyle Young has been named a first-team Academic All-American each of the last two years. If he is chosen for a third time at the end of the 2001 season he will become just the second offensive lineman in college football history to be chosen a first-team Academic All-American in three different seasons. He would also become just the second ACC player in history to be chosen three times.
The College Sports Information Directors of America have chosen the academic All-America team every year since 1952, so the 2001 team will be the 50th team selected. Players chosen to the team must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA. Young had a 3.98 career GPA and graduated in May, Summa Cum Laude.
Young will try to join former Colorado offensive lineman Jim Hansen as the only three-time first-team selections. Hansen was named in 1990, 1991 and 1992. The only other ACC player to be a three-time first-team selection, regardless of position, is Mike Diminick, a defensive back from Duke, who was named first team in 1986, 1987 and 1988.
Overall, 12 different football players have been named first-team academic All-American three times. Clemson’s Kyle Young will attempt to join that group in 2001.
Seven First-Year Freshmen Have Seen Action Clemson played five first-year freshmen in the season opener against UCF. The list included three receivers in Roscoe Crosby, Airese Currie and tight end Ben Hall. On defense, Moe Fountain and Eric Sampson were first-year freshmen who saw action.
Crosby started the game, the first first-year freshman to start at wide receiver in the season opener 1944 when Arthur Hagan started every game as a first-year freshman. That was during WWII when the United States Armed Services drafted most of Clemson’s upperclassmen. It didn’t take Crosby much time to have an impact. He caught a Utah pass from quarterback Woodrow Dantzler on the first play of the season and he turned it into a 12-yard gain. He also caught 33-yard pass for Clemson’s longest play of the day from scrimmage. Crosby finished the day with three catches for 64 yards. The yardage total led the Tigers against UCF. Hall also made his first career catch in the contest.
LeRoy Hill became the sixth first year freshman to play in a game when he played linebacker against Wofford. Hill had four tackles in 10 plays of action in the Clemson win. Eric Coleman became the seventh Clemson first-year freshman to see action when he played on the defensive line at Georgia Tech.
Clemson’s Eason Named to AFCA Goodworks Team Clemson defensive tackle Nick Eason was named to the 2001 American Football Coaches Association Good Works team on Wednesday. The AFCA recognizes 11 Division I players every year for their community service involvement. Eason was the only ACC player named to the team. Eason has been active in community service since he first came to Clemson in 1998. Each year the ACC honors six student-athletes at each of its member institutions for their time spent on community service projects. Eason is the only Clemson student-athlete to be chosen for this award three times.
Eason, a graduate student from Lyons, GA, has traveled abroad with the Athletes in Action to speak with students about the positives of athletics and to teach youngsters about sports. He also is a frequent visitor to elementary schools in he area.
Clemson’s defensive MVP last year earned his degree from Clemson in August and still has two years of eligibility remaining (including he 2001 season). He is the first Tiger gridder to earn his degree (sociology) with two years of eligibility remaining.
Eason is the second Clemson football player to be named to the Good Works team. Robert Carswell, now with the San Diego Chargers, was named to the team in 1999.
Changes from the Press Guide There have been some changes as far as personnel is concerned since the 2001 Clemson media guide was published in July. Three players on the press guide roster are no longer on the team. Freshman Micheaux Hollingsworth has decided to attend a junior college. Freshman Grant Oliver decided to leave Clemson a week into practice and has left school. David Ellis, a two-year letterman at defensive end, decided to leave the team a week into practice.
Five players have changed positions since the beginning of practice. Braxton K. Williams has moved from star safety to strongside linebacker. Tyrone Lee, a letterman as a reserve tight end last year, has moved to fullback. Eric Sampson, who came to Clemson as a linebacker this year, is now the backup weakside linebacker. Brian Carr has moved from quarterback to free safety and freshman Eric Coleman has moved from tight end to defensive tackle and is now. Seven players have changed uniform numbers:
Seven Graduate Students to Start for Tigers Clemson has seven graduate students slated to hold starting positions for today’s game with Wofford. That is an all-time record for graduate students on the Clemson football team.
The list is led by Heisman Trophy candidate Woodrow Dantzler, who received his degree in marketing from Clemson in August. Dantzler hugged Clemson President Jim Barker when he was presented his diploma on the stage at Littlejohn Coliseum.
Starting defensive back Charles Hafley and starting defensive tackle Nick Eason both earned their degrees in sociology that same day. Eason’s graduation was especially impressive because he still has two years of eligibility. He earned the degree in three years and three summer sessions and plans to earn a masters before his eligibility is up. He is the first Clemson football player to earn an undergraduate degree with two years of eligibility remaining.
Four other Clemson players received their degrees prior to this past August, and all four of them are starters on offense. Kyle Young, starting center, and T.J. Watkins, starting guard, earned their degrees in May. Young graduated Summa Cum Laude and is a two-time first-team Academic All-American. Wide receiver Matt Bailey also received his degree that day. Starting offensive guard Will Merritt received his degree in December of 2000, just a few days prior to the Gator Bowl.
Six Tigers on Preseason Award Lists Six Clemson players have been named to various preseason award lists for the 2001 season. Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler is on the preseason list for the Davey O’Brien Award, which is given to the top quarterback in college football and the Unitus Award, which is given to the top senior quarterback. Running back Travis Zachery is on the Doak Walker Award list, which is given to the top running back in college football. Zachery is one of just two ACC players on the list.
Clemson has two offensive linemen on the preseason Lombardi Award list. Center Will Merritt are both listed for the award that goes to the top lineman in college football. Clemson and Miami (FL) are the only two schools with two offensive linemen on the list. Defensive linemen and linebackers are also eligible. Young is also on the list for the Outland Trophy and the Rimington Award.
Chad Carson is the only Clemson defensive player on a preseason award list. Clemson’s top tackler from 2000 is on the preseason Butkus Award Watch List. Carson ranked fourth in the nation in tackles a year ago. Clemson linebacker Keith Adams was a finalist for the award last year.
Punter Wynn Kopp, who had a near 44-yard average in the season opener, is on the preseason list for the Ray Guy Award, which is given to the top punter in college football.
The only Clemson player to win a national award is Terry Kinard. The two-time first-team AP All-American was named the national defensive player of the year by CBS Sports in 1982. Kinard will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December and will be inducted into the Clemson Ring of Honor prior to the Clemson vs. Florida State game on Nov. 3.
20 Tigers on NFL Rosters Twenty former Clemson football players, including four from last year’s 9-3 team that finished 14th in the final poll were named to NFL teams earlier this month. The list also included former Tiger lineman Corey Hulsey, who had not played since the 1998 season with the Tigers. Hulsey made the Buffalo Bills roster as a guard. Rod Gardner (WR, Washington Redskins), Robert Carswell (FS, San Diego Chargers) and Darrel Crutchfield (DB, Philadelphia Eagles) were members of Clemson’s 2000 team that stuck with NFL teams as rookies. Terry Witherspoon was named to the San Diego Chargers practice squad. Gardner was a first-round pick and was a lock to make the Redskins. In fact, he is slated to start their season opener. Carswell was a seventh-round pick, while Crutchfield was a free agent.
Five of the 20 players on the list are in at least their 10th year in the NFL. That list includes Chris Gardocki, in his 11th year in the league as a punter. He will play for the Cleveland Browns this year. Terry Allen is a running back with the World Champion Baltimore Ravens, while Levon Kirkland, Ed McDaniel and Chester McGlockton are all former Tigers in their 10th year in the NFL.
The Seattle Seahawks will start two former Tiger linebackers in Anthony Simmons and Kirkland, while the Denver Broncos will start two former Tigers at defensive tackle in former All-Pros McGlockton and Trevor Pryce. The Seahawks, Broncos, Ravens, Chargers and Eagles all have two former Tigers apiece.
December 8, 2024
