Post-Game Notes

Oct. 26, 2003

Clemson North Carolina Notes Death Valley October 25, 2003

*Clemson and North Carolina combined for 1023 yards of total offense in today’s game. That was just the seventh game in Clemson history in which the two teams combined for over 1000 yards. It was the third most combined yards in a Clemson game in history. The record is 1107 by Clemson and Wake Forest in 1981. Clemson and Florida State combined for 1033 yards in the 2000 game in Tallahassee.

*Clemson forced a season high four turnovers in today’s game and did not commit one on offense for a +4 turnover margin. Clemson entered the game 106th in the nation in forcing turnovers with just eight caused in the first seven games. Clemson has now forced 12 turnovers in eight games this year. North Carolina had committed just 13 turnovers all year coming into today’s game. North Carolina had thrown just four interceptions all year, but threw three against Clemson today. Jamaal Fudge and LeRoy Hill both had their first career interceptions, while Justin Miller had his first this season.

*It was ironic that Clemson won this game on a forced fumble. Clemson had forced just four lost opponent fumbles all season entering today’s game.

*Today’s game ended in the reverse of the 1998 Clemson vs. North Carolina game in Chapel Hill. Clemson trailed North Carolina 21-14 in the final minutes before Clemson fumbled the ball into the North Carolina endzone where a North Carolina player recovered for a touchback. The Tar Heels ran out the clock to gain a seven-point win.

*Justin Miller recorded his first interception of the year, a 30-yard return of a Darian Durrant pass. Miller led the ACC in interceptions last year as a freshman with eight. The 30-yard return was the longest of his career.

*Derrick Hamilton had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, in the third period. It was his second 100-yard return of his career. He had one at Maryland in 2001. The kickoff return was the longest by a Clemson player in the history of Death Valley (since 1942). The previous record was a 98-yard return by Hal Davis against Duke in 1962. It was the fifth play of at least 100 yards in Clemson history, the third on a kickoff return.

*Hamilton’s touchdown return ties him Doug Thomas for the Clemson career record for kickoff returns for touchdown in a career with two. Clemson has had five plays of 100 yards or more in its history and Hamilton has two of them.

*Hamilton had 102 yards receiving and 100-yards in kickoff returns. It marked just the second time in Clemson history that a Tiger had 100 yards receiving and 100 yards in kickoff returns in the same game. Tony Horne did it against Florida State in 1997.

*Hamilton had 212 all-purpose running yards in today’s game and now has 4155 for his career. He became the third Clemson player in history to reach the 4000-yard all-purpose running mark with his performance today. He now needs just 237 yards to break Travis Zachery’s record of 4391 set between 1998-2001.

*Chad Jasmin was not a victim of the Clemson football program cover jinx. The senior was on the cover of the game program and responded with 17 carries for 81 yards. It was his most yards ever in a game in Death Valley. The 81 yards were his second most in a game in his Clemson career. He had 83 yards rushing in the Humanitarian Bowl against Louisiana Tech at the end of the 2001 season.

*Duane Coleman had a career high 111 yards rushing in today’s game on 13 carries. He also added 4-48 on receptions, giving him 159 all-purpose yards. He had a 70-yard reception called back in the first quarter when it was ruled he ran out of bounds before catching the ball. No Clemson player in history has had a 100-yard rushing day and 100-yard receiving day in the same game.

*Coleman’s day included a 50-yard run, the longest run of the season by a Clemson running back. Derrick Hamilton had a 52-yard run on a reverse against Virginia two weeks ago. Coleman’s run was the longest by a Clemson back since Travis Zachery had a 52-yard run against Duke in the final regular season game of 2001.

*Coleman’s 111-yard day was the first 100-yard rushing game by a Clemson running back this year. In fact, Clemson has had just three 100-yard rushing games in the last two years and all three have come against North Carolina. Tye Hill and Bernard Rambert both ran for 100 yards against the Tar Heels last year and that was it for the season.

*Clemson had 219 yards rushing and 309 yards passing in today’s game for 528 total. That was a season high for the Tigers and the most for Clemson since the Tigers gained 530 against North Carolina last year.

*Clemson went over the 200 yard mark in both rushing and passing in today’s game, the 42nd time in school history Clemson has had at least 200 of each in the same game. Clemson is now 41-0-1 in those games in its history. It marked the 15th time Clemson has had at least 200 of each under Tommy Bowden. It marked just the fourth game in Clemson history in which Clemson had 300 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in the same game.

*Clemson is now 18-1 under Tommy Bowden in games in which is rushes for at least 200 yards.

*Charlie Whitehurst threw for 309 passing yards in today’s game, his third 300-yard game of the season and fourth of his career. He has tied Brandon Streeter for most career 300-yard passing games in Clemson history. Streeter had four between 1996-99.

*Leroy Hill had two tackles for loss in today’s game and now has 20 for the season. He was leading the nation in that category heading into today’s game. Hill also caused a fumble and had his first career interception.

*Clemson plackicker Aaron Hunt had a 3-3 day on field goals, including a 41-yarder with no time left in the first half. Hunt is now 6 of 6 over his last two games and is 9-14 for the season. Hunt scored 12 points today and now needs just 19 points to become Clemson’s all-time leading scorer. Hunt has 283 for his career and the record is 301 by Nelson Welch (1991-94). He now has 46 career field goals, just one less than David Treadwell had between 1985-87. Hunt is now fifth in Clemson history in career field goals.

*Senior walk-on Joshua Smith made his first appearance ever in a Clemson game today as the snapper. Regular snapper Geoff Rigsby was ill today and only handled the first two extra point snaps. Smith, who is nicknamed “Catfish” by his teammates because his whiskers make him resemble the fish, is from Easley, SC and is a graduate of Easley High School.

*Freshman Sergio Gilliam made his first appearance for the Tigers today. The first-year freshman played about 10 snaps at cornerback and saw action on special teams. Gilliam is from Greer High School in Greer, SC. He is the fifth first-year freshman to play for Clemson this year. The others are Jad Dean, Brandon Pilgrim and Tramaine Billie. All four of those players participated in today’s game.

*Darian Durant had 110 yards rushing in 10 attempts today. It was the first 100-yard rushing game by an opposing quarterback since John Dewberry had 101 yards rushing in 10 attempts against the Tigers at Death Valley on September 24, 1983. It was the first time an opposing quarterback had at least 100 yards rushing and 100 yards passing in the same game since November 22, 1975 when Jeff Grantz of South Carolina had 122 yards rushing and 158 yards passing.

*Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, a sophomore who has played 17 games in his career, now has 3692 yards passing, sixth best in Clemson history. He moved ahead of Homer Jordan (3643) in today’s game. Whitehurst also went over the 300 completion mark and the 500 attempt mark in today’s game. He is now fifth in Clemson history in completions and seventh in attempts. The record holder for passing yardage and completions in Clemson history is Woody Dantzler, who watched the game from the Clemson sidelines today. Dantzler is now with the Atlanta Falcons, who have this weekend off.