Sunday 09/21/2003
Sept. 21, 2003
*Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst was 23-38 for 298 yards and three touchdowns in the 39-3 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday evening. Whitehurst has now moved to 15th in the nation in passing efficiency with 153.64 rating points. He is also 21st in the nation in total offense with 273 yards per game.
*Over his last three games Whitehurst has completed exactly 23 passes in each game. For the three games, victories over Furman, Middle Tennessee and Georgia Tech, Whitehurst is 69-97 for 897 yards. He has thrown nine touchdown passes and just two interceptions in those three victories. That is a 71.1 completion percentage and a 175.3 passing efficiency for that time period.
*Whitehurst is now 1st in Clemson history in completion percentage for a career (.613), first in passing efficiency (138.9) and first in touchdown/interception ratio (2.11). Whitehurst is the only quarterback in Clemson history who has twice as many touchdown passes as interceptions (19/9).
*Clemson is now third in the ACC in total offense (385.2 yards per game) and third in the ACC in total defense (310.5 yards allowed per game). Clemson is second in the league in pass efficiency offense behind NC State and first in kickoff returns. In fact, Clemson is now eighth in the nation in kickoff returns. Clemson is second in the ACC in kickoff coverage (17.8).
*Clemson’s wide receiver trio of Airese Currie, Kevin Youngblood and Derrick Hamilton are all ranked in the top 10 in the ACC in receptions per game and reception yards per game. All three are also ranked in the top 70 in the nation in receptions per game and in the top 85 in the nation in reception yards per game. Currie is the leader, ranking 25th in the nation in receptions per game and 39th in reception yards per game.
*Hamilton is the ACC leader in all-purpose running yards per game with a 126.8 figure. He led the conference in that area last season.
*Both Hamilton and Justin Miller are ranked in the top 20 in the nation in kickoff return average. Hamilton is ninth at 31.5 yards per return, while Miller is 16th at 29.4 yards per return.
*Clemson’s offense has done a good job of moving the ball and taking care of the ball in recent games. The opposition has taken over possession of the ball inside their own territory on 26 consecutive possessions dating to the Furman game on September 6. Clemson. Clemson has now allowed a single point off turnover over the last three games. Clemson has scored 21 points off opponent turnovers during this time.
*Head Coach Tommy Bowden earned his 50th career victory in the win over Georgia Tech. That total includes 18 at Tulane and 32 at Clemson.
*The 39-3 victory at Tech was the largest margin of victory by Clemson over Tech in100 years. The last time Clemson had a victory margin of 36 points or more was a 73-0 win at Tech in 1903. John Heisman was the Clemson coach in that game.
*John Leake was Clemson’s top tackler off the coach’s film with 14 tackles in 57 plays. He also had a career high three tackles for loss and his first career interception. LeRoy Hill continued his outstanding play with 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, including his fourth sack of the year. Travis Pugh added eight tackles and two passes broken up. Freshmen Anthony Waters and Tramaine Billie added six tackles apiece. Their totals including special teams tackles. Donnell Washington had three tackles, but was credited with five quarterback pressures, his career high.
*Clemson’s 36-point victory was its best in an ACC road game since a 55-0 win over Virginia in Charlottesville in 1984. The victory margin was the fifth best in Clemson history for an ACC road game.
*Cole Chason averaged 44.3 yards per punt in Saturday’s game. That was the best single game punting average for a Clemson punter, given a minimum of three punts since 2000 when Jamie Somaini averaged 47 yards a boot on seven punts against Georgia Tech.
December 8, 2024
