Saturday 11/28/2009
Nov. 28, 2009
Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery 1 | Photo Gallery 2 | Photo Gallery 3
Team Notes
Clemson’s DaQuan Bowers blocked a Spencer Lanning field goalattempt in the third period. It was Clemson’s first block of anykind this year. Over the last three years Clemson has five blockedkicks and four are against South Carolina. Clemson established aschool record for receptions, reception yards and touchdowns by thetight end position in a season today. Clemson tight ends had acombined nine catches for 118 yards and a touchdown today. Thatgives Clemson tight ends 55 catches for 583 yards and eighttouchdowns this year. The previous records for catches and yardswere 46 for 582 in 1970. The previous touchdown record was sevenset by the 1974 Clemson team. South Carolina rushed for 223 netyards today, the second highest total against Clemson this year.Georgia Tech, Clemson’s opponent next week in the ACC Championshipgame, has the most with 301 back on Sept. 10. Today marked thefifth time in the last six years that the team with the betteroverall record entering this rivalry game, lost. Today was just thesecond time since 1988 that Clemson had lost at South Carolina. Theonly other loss was in 2001, a 20-15 South Carolina victory. Thatwas also the last time the game was a day game in Columbia. Todayended a three-game losing streak for the team with two weeks toprepare. Each of the last three years the team with an extra weekto prepare lost the game. South Carolina had an extra week toprepare this year but won. Today Clemson scored just 17 points,ending the Tigers school record streak of six straight gamesscoring at least 34 points. Today ended Clemson’s six-game winningstreak in games played in the month of November. The last Novemberloss was at Florida State on Nov. 8, 2008 by a 41-27 score.
Player Notes
Spiller’s kickoff return for a score to open the game was hiseighth total kick return for a score in his career. He has sevenkickoffs and one punt return. That ties an NCAA record held by manyfor total kick returns for touchdown in a career. This wasSpiller’s fourth kickoff return for a touchdown this year. Healready had the ACC record. The national record is five by AshlanDavis of Tulsa in 2004. Spiller also went over the 7000 all-purposeyardage mark on the play. He needed just 26 all-purpose yardsentering today’s game to become the fifth player in NCAA history toreach that milestone. He finished the day with 141 all-purposeyards and now has 7115 entering the ACC Championship game, fifthbest in NCAA history. The record is now 7764 by Brandon West ofWestern Michigan, who completed his career this past Tuesdayevening. Spiller’s kickoff return for a score was the second timethis year he has taken the opening kickoff for a touchdown. He alsodid it against Middle Tennessee State in the season opener. Whilekickoff returns for a touchdown would be considered a good thing,Clemson is just 4-3 in Spiller’s career when he has a kickoffreturn for a touchdown. The losses were to Alabama, Maryland andtoday against South Carolina. The kickoff return for a touchdownwas Spiller’s ninth touchdown play of at least 50 yards this yearand the 21st of his career. It was the eighth different game he hashad a touchdown of at least 50 yards this year. He had two againstMiami. Spiller’s touchdown on the kickoff return gives him at leaston touchdown in every game this year. He is the only player in thenation to score a touchdown in every game this year. His streak isthe second longest in Clemson history. Travis Zachery scored in 13straight games over the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Spiller had 19 yardsreceiving today and now has 440 for the season. He broke his ownClemson single season record for reception yardage in today’s game.He had the previous record with 436 last year. When Kyle Parkerthrew an interception in the first half, it was his firstinterception since the Florida State game. He had gone 69 straightpasses without throwing an interception. Parker did establish aClemson record for consecutive games throwing a touchdown passtoday when he threw the 22-yard scoring pass to Michael Palmer inthe second half. He has now thrown at least one touchdown pass inseven straight games. The previous record was six games in a row byWoody Dantzler in 2000 and Mike Eppley in 1984. Justin Miller hadeight. Michael Palmer had eight catches for 106 yards today. It isthe first 100-yard receiving game by a Clemson tight end sinceSeptember 12, 1970 when John McMakin had five catches for 107 yardsagainst The Citadel. Palmer’s game today was just the second100-yard receiving game by a Clemson tight end. Yes, BennieCunningham never had a 100-yard receiving game in his All-Americacareer at Clemson. Palmer’s eight catches are the second most in agame by a Clemson tight end. John McMakin had nine catches againstFlorida State in 1970.
December 8, 2024
