Sunday 10/10/1999
Opponent: MarylandDate: October 16, 1999Site: Byrd Stadium (48,055)Tickets: Available Kickoff: 1:00 PM Television: None
Series Notes: Clemson leads 25-20-2at Maryland: Clemson leads 11-10-2At Byrd Stadium: Clemson leads 10-9-1Series Streak: Clemson has won 6 in a row and 11 of 12 and 2 in a row at MarylandLast Year: Clemson 23, Maryland 0Last Time at Md: Clemson won 20-9Last Maryland Win: Maryland 53, Clemson 23 in 1992
Clemson in 1999: 2-3 overall, 2-1 in ACC 20th in Sagarin Ranking
Maryland in 1999: 4-1 overall, 1-1 in ACC 22nd in Sagarin Ranking
Maryland Coach: Ron Vanderlinden (Albion College ’78)at Maryland: 9-18 (.333) 3rd yearvs. Clemson: 0-2 overall (0-1 at Byrd Stadium)Internet Site: www.umterps.com
Clemson Coach: Tommy Bowden (West Virginia ’77) at Clemson: 2-3 (1st year) (0-0 vs. Maryland)Overall: 20-7 (3rd year)Internet Site: www.clemsontigers.com
ACC Satellite Feed Each Wednesday the ACC provides a one-hour highlight and interview package on the upcoming games in ACC football. The feed is from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM on Telstar 5, transponder 6 (C-band). The downlink frequency is 3820 MHZ and the audio is 6.2/6.8
1999 Clemson Schedule/Results
Date Opponent Site Time TVSept. 4 Marshall Clemson, SC 10-13Sept. 11 Virginia Clemson, SC 33-14 ABC Sept. 23 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA 11-31 ESPNOct. 2 North Carolina Clemson, SC 31-20 ABCOct. 9 NC State Raleigh, NC 31-34 ESPN-2Oct. 16 Maryland College Park, MD 1:00 PM noneOct. 23 Florida State Clemson, SC 7:00 PM ESPNOct. 30 Wake Forest Winston-Salem, NC TBA TBANov. 6 Duke Clemson, SC TBA TBANov. 13 Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA TBA TBANov. 21 South Carolina Columbia, SC TBA TBA
+Local back to West Virginia only
Tickets: Call Clemson Ticket office 1-800-CLEMSON
Clemson Personnel Update
Jermyn Chester (OT)–Second-team offensive tackle who tore ACLon first day of August practice, lost for the season. NathanGillespie (OT)–Second-team offensive tackle who had surgery onAug. 27 to repair a torn knee ligament. He injured the knee inscrimmage on Aug. 18, lost for the season. Will Merritt(OG)–Starting offensive guard suffered broken collarbone inpractice on Sept 17. Out until November. Brandon Streeter(QB)–Starting quarterback who suffered broken collarbone in firstquarter of North Carolina game. Will be out the rest of the regularseason. Justin Watts (WR)–Starting wide receiver who sufferedbruised ribs at NC State. Will be evaluated this week.
Clemson Veterans vs. Maryland
Alex Ardley–Had 7 tackles and 2 PBUs in 52 plays as starter in1998 against Maryland Javis Austin–Had 2-11 rushing and 2-9receiving in 1997 at Maryland. Had season high 9-61 rushing and1-17 receiving in Clemson’s victory over Maryland in 1998. TerryBryant–Had four tackles, including a sack in 1998. RobertCarswell-Collected 11 tackles and 3 PBUs in first college start atMaryland in 1997. Had six tackles in 55 plays in win over Marylandlast year. Gary Childress–Had 4 tackles in 36 snaps in 1998.DoMarco Fox-Had 9 tackles in 58 plays as starter in 1997 atMaryland. Had seven tackles a caused fumble and PBU in 1998. TerryJolly–Had five tackles in 1997 at Maryland. Had three tackles in20 plays as reserve last year. Mal Lawyer–Had 2-15 receiving atMaryland in 1997. Had 1-12 in 1998 at Clemson. Brian Wofford–Had5-63 receiving and a touchdown in 1998. Had 1-6 receiving in 1996and 1997 against the Terps. Travis Zachery–Had season high 16-93and a touchdown in 1998. Also had 4-26 in punt returns.
Tommy Bowden Call-in Show Coach Tommy Bowden is joined by Jim Phillips, the voice of the Tigers, every Thursday evening at 7:00 PM for his Tommy Bowden Call-in Show. The one-hour broadcast can be heard on Clemson radio affiliates across the state. Locally, it is heard on WCCP FM, 104.9 in Clemson.
Bowden Press Conference on the Internet Tommy Bowden’s weekly press conference can be seen and heard at www.clemsontigers.com every Tuesday. The first 25 minutes of the question and answer period will be shown live and then put into the internet site’s archives.
Clemson Has 20 on NFL Rosters Clemson has 20 former players on NFL rosters. The list includes two players off of last year’s team, Rahim Abdullah abd Antwan Edwards. A third player, O.J. Childress, is on the practice squad for the New York Giants.
The total of 20 active or practice squad players does not include three players on various injured list. Raymond Priester is on injured reserve with the New York Giants, Jason Gamble is on injured reserve with the Tennessee Titans, and Adrian Dingle is on the injured list with the San Diego Chargers.
Terry Allen, one of the top running backs in the league in the 1990s, is in his 10th NFL season and he has the most NFL experience among former Clemson players in the NFL.
The new Cleveland Browns have the most former Tigers with three. Rahim Abdullah, Jim Bundren and Chris Gardocki are all on the Browns roster. That team has former Clemson wide receiver Dwight Clark as its general manager, while former Clemson All-America wide receiver Jerry Butler is the team’s wide receivers coach.
Fifteen of the former players are defensive players, an example of Clemson’s defensive prowess in recent years. The list includes seven linebackers, Levon Kirkland, Ed McDaniel, Rahim Abdullah, Anthony Simmons, O.J. Childress, Patrick Sapp and Mike Barber.
Tigers in the National Football League
Name Pos Team NFL YrsRahim Abdullah OLB Cleveland Browns RTerry Allen RB New England Patriots 9 Mike Barber LB Indianapolis Colts 4Lorenzo Bromell DE Miami Dolphins 1Brentson Buckner DE San Francisco 49ers 5Jim Bundren C Cleveland Browns 1#O.J. Childress LB New York Giants R Brian Dawkins DB Philadelphia Eagles 3$Adrian Dingle DE San Diego Chargers RAntwan Edwards CB Green Bay Packers RLeomont Evans DB Washington Redskins 3$Jason Gamble C Tennessee Titans RChris Gardocki P Cleveland Browns 8Lamont Hall TE Green Bay Packers RTony Horne WR St. Louis Rams 1Levon Kirkland LB Pittsburgh Steelers 7Dexter McCleon DB St. Louis Rams 2Ed McDaniel LB Minnesota Vikings 7Chester McGlockton DT Kansas City Chiefs 7 $Raymond Priester RB New York Giants 1Trevor Pryce DT Denver Broncos 2Patrick Sapp LB Arizona Cardinals 3Anthony Simmons LB Seattle Seahawks 1James Trapp SS Baltimore Ravens 6
#Practice Squad. $ injured reserve.
Wofford Top 10 in All Three Areas Lawyer Goes over 1000 yards receiving Clemson senior wide receivers Brian Wofford and Mal Lawyer are now both ranked in the top 10 in Clemson history in receptions. Wofford moved into the top five at NC State when he caught six and now has 107 for his career. Only Tony Horne, Jerry Butler, Perry Tuttle and Terry Smith have more receptions than Wofford. Lawyer also had six catches at NC State and jumped all the way from 13th to 10th. The senior from Moncks Corner, SC now has 80 receptions for his career. The highlight of the night for Lawyer was a 30-yard touchdown catch. That reception moved him over the 1000-yard mark in reception yardage. He now has 1049 for his career.
Wofford, a native of Spartanburg, SC had his best game as a Tiger, when he had 8-143 and a score in Clemson’s 33-14 win over Virginia this year. Wofford had 100 yards at NC State and now has 1419 for his career, ninth best in school history. He also had a touchdown catch and now has 12 for his career, tied for sixth in school history.
Lawyer and Wofford have now combined for 187 receptions in their career. They need just 29 receptions between them to become Clemson’s greatest receiving duo (same class) in history. Perry Tuttle (150) and Jerry Gaillard (66) have the record with 216 receptions between them.
They had their best game as a duo against NC State last year. Wofford had 9-128 and one touchdown, while Lawyer had 8-100 and two touchdowns. It marked the first time in Clemson history that two different players had at least 100 yards receiving in the same game. They combined for 12 receptions for 168 this year at NC State.
Clemson Career Reception Leaders
Rk. Player Years Rec 1. Terry Smith, WR 1990-93 162 2. Perry Tuttle, WR 1978-81 150 3. Jerry Butler, WR 1975-78 139 4. Tony Horne, WR 1994-97 120 5. Brian Wofford, WR 1996-99 107 6. Phil Rogers, WR 1965-67 106 7. John McMakin, TE 1969-71 93 8. Terrance Roulhac, WR 1983-86 92 9. Glenn Smith, TE 1949-51 8810. Mal Lawyer, WR 1996-99 8011. Gary Cooper, WR 1985-89 7912. Keith Jennings, WR 1985-88 7813. Antwuan Wyatt, WR 1993-95 76
Clemson Career Reception Yardage Leaders
Rk Player Years Yards 1. Terry Smith, WR 1990-93 2681 2. Perry Tuttle, WR 1978-81 2534 3. Jerry Butler, WR 1975-78 2223 4. Tony Horne, WR 1994-97 1750 5. Gary Cooper, WR 1985-89 1592 6. Glenn Smith, TE 1949-51 1576 7. Terrance Roulhac, WR 1983-86 1487 8. Phil Rogers, WR 1965-67 1469 9. Brian Wofford, WR 1996-99 141910. Ray Williams, WR 1983-86 129011. John McMakin, TE 1969-71 125512. Charlie Waters, WR 1967-69 116613. Keith Jennings, WR 1985-88 111714. Mal Lawyer, WR 1996-99 104915. Bennie Cunningham, TE 1972-75 1044
Clemson Career Touchdown Leaders
Rk Player Years TDs1. Glenn Smith, TE 1949-51 182. Perry Tuttle, WR 1978-81 173. Terrance Roulhac, WR 1983-86 164. Terry Smith, WR 1990-93 155. Tony Horne, WR 1994-97 136. John McMakin, TE 1969-71 12 Brian Wofford, WR 1996-99 128. Jerry Butler, WR 1975-78 11 Joe Blalock, WR 1939-41 11 Gary Cooper, WR 1985-89 11
Clemson Defense Outstanding Since 1993 Clemson has a perfect 6-0 record against Maryland since the 1993 season. Maryland last defeated the Tigers, 53-23 in 1992 in College Park. Since that blowout by the Terps, Clemson has outscored Maryland 137-12, or an average of 23-2 per game over the last six years. Clemson has shutout Maryland four of the last six years and has allowed the Terps just one touchdown in the last six games.
When Clemson shut out Maryland three straight times between 1993-95, it was the first time since the 1959-62 era that Clemson recorded three straight shutouts against an ACC team. Clemson shut out N.C. State in 1959 by a 23-0 score, by 20-0 in 1961 and 7-0 in 1962. Maryland ended a streak of four straight games without a touchdown against Clemson when current star running back Lamont Jordan scored on a four-yard run in the second period in 1997.
Obviously, defense has been the key in Clemson outscoring Maryland the last six years. In that time, Clemson has allowed Maryland just 61.7 yards rushing per game on 34 attempts per game. The Terps have averaged just 150 yards a game passing and just 212 yards of total offense per game. The Clemson pass rush has been outstanding, averaging six sacks for -40 yards over the last six contests.
Clemson Defense summary vs. Maryland 1993-98 Category FD Rushing Passing Total Off 1993 18 41-86 19-31-223 72-309 1994 16 19-21 24-41-208 60-229 1995 10 29-36 15-35-135 64-171 1996 9 45-65 5-13-48 58-118 1997 15 38-70 20-32-204 70-274 1998 10 33-92 9-24-80 57-172 Totals 78 205-370 92-176-898 381-1273
Category Yds/Pl Turn Sacks Score 1993 4.3 3 7-27 29-0 1994 3.8 4 4-29 13-0 1995 2.7 3 6-41 17-0 1996 2.0 3 8-66 35-3 1997 3.9 2 5-38 20-9 1998 3.0 1 6-37 23-0 Totals 3.34 16 36-238 137-12
Clemson-Maryland Series Notes
Clemson holds a 25-20-2 advantage in the series with Maryland,but Clemson has had to win 11 of the last 12 to take thissignificant lead. Maryland’s only victory over Clemson since 1985took place in 1992 at Maryland, 53-23. The Tigers won each of thelast seven games and nine of the last 10 between the two teams atDeath Valley. Maryland has not won at Clemson since 1985, by a34-31 score. Clemson is 10-1 against Maryland over the last 11years. Maryland has not scored a touchdown against Clemson in DeathValley since 1991, a 40-7 Clemson victory that clinched the Tigerslast ACC championship. In fact, Maryland has scored just twotouchdowns in Death Valley since 1988. Maryland won the first threegames of the series (1952-54) by shutout, defeating Clemson by acombined 64-0. That is the only time Clemson has been shutout threeyears in a row by an ACC opponent.
Last Year Clemson 23, Maryland 0
Clemson broke its longest losing streak in 23 years with a convincing 23-0 win over Maryland at Homecoming in Death Valley. Although one streak ended, Clemson kept alive its streak of four consecutive home games without allowing a touchdown to the Terrapins.
The Tiger offense unveiled a three-receiver offense for the first time since 1995. The scheme resulted in a balanced attack of 201 yards rushing and 198 yards passing. Clemson was also effective out of the shotgun. In 18 plays out of the gun, the Tigers had 154 yards.
But the Tiger defense stole the show, holding Maryland to under 100 yards rushing and 100 yards passing. Maryland could not advance the ball past the Tiger 30-yard line all game and only passed midfield twice, both coming in the first half. Clemson registered a season-high six sacks and held Maryland to just 2 of 13 on third down en route to its second shutout of 1998.
The Tigers were led by signal caller Brandon Streeter, who completed 13 of 22 passes for 191 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Streeter’s favorite target against the Terps, Marcus Martin, had a career high six catches for 97 yards and his first career touchdown. Tailback Travis Zachery also had his best game with 93 yards rushing in 16 carries and a touchdown, resulting in him receiving ACC Rookie-of-the-Week honors.
Clemson marched 50 yards in eight plays on the game’s opening drive, but could not capitalize as David Richardson missed a 37-yard field goal attempt. Maryland had the ball for six plays on each of its next two drives, but field position and penalties kept the Terrapins from threatening.
The Terrapins threatened to score midway though the second quarter. Randall Jones’ 21-yard pass to Moises Cruz set up Brian Kopka for a 50-yard field goal try, but Kopka’s kick sailed wide right.
The Tigers finally scored a touchdown late in the first half when Streeter connected with Martin on a roll-out pass play. Martin caught the ball near the sidelines, turned, and dove the last few yards for the score, giving the Tigers a 10-0 halftime lead.
The Tiger defense stepped up in the second half, limiting Maryland to just 43 total yards. Streeter’s 17-yard shuttle pass to Javis Austin, who had 61 yards rushing on nine attempts, set up Clemson’s next score. Streeter connected with a backpedaling and leaping Brian Wofford on a 28-yard touchdown pass play with 3:38 remaining in the game.
The Tigers drove the nail in the coffin on its next and final drive of the afternoon. After a five yard penalty set the Tigers back to their own 49, Zachery carried the next two times for 25 and 26 yards, with the latter resulting in six points, providing for the final score of 23-0.
Chris Jones, whose performance resulted in being named ACC Defensive Lineman-of-the-Week, led all Tiger defenders with 13 stops, three tackles-for-loss, and two sacks. O.J. Childress had a career high 12 tackles, and added two tackles-for-loss and a sack. Adrian Dingle upped his ACC leading sack total with two sacks, while Antwan Edwards and Alex Ardley had two pass breakups apiece. Edwards increased his season PBU total to an ACC-best nine and added an interception.
Last Trip to College Park (1997) Clemson 20, Maryland 9
Tailback Raymond Priester helped Clemson re-establish its potent running game by carrying the ball 36 times for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers’ 20-9 win against Maryland in College Park. The durable senior was at his best in the fourth quarter, when he carried the ball 13 times for 92 yards and a score.
Clemson opened the scoring with a touchdown on their first possession of the game. The versatile Tony Horne took the opening kickoff 35 yards to the Tiger 37 and then caught a 13-yard pass from Nealon Greene on the first play of the game. The rest of the drive belonged to Priester. The Allendale, SC native carried the ball for the next seven plays, including the final 11 yards for the score. David Richardson tacked on the extra point to give Clemson a 7-0 lead with 11:34 remaining in the opening quarter.
The two teams traded punts for the rest of the first quarter before Maryland received the first big break of the game early in the second quarter. Cornerback Paul Jackson intercepted a Greene pass, giving the Terrapin offense possession at the Clemson 28. The Terps’ promptly drove to a first-and-goal at the Tiger 8 before the defense stiffened. Aided by a crushing Anthony Simmons blow to running back Buddy Rodgers, Clemson forced Maryland to settle for a 19-yard Brian Kopka field goal which cut the Tiger lead to 7-3.
Following the same storyline, the teams again traded punts before a Greene interception. Linebacker Ken Ogle stepped in front Greene’s errant pass and returned it 12 yards to the Tiger 25. The Terp offense would not settle for a field goal this time, however, as freshman running back LaMont Jordan carried the ball into the endzone from four yards out. The drive took four plays and 1:22, and marked the first time since 1992 that Maryland scored a touchdown against Clemson.
Clemson relied on the running game and defense in the second half, as the offense threw only one pass and the defense did not give up any points after the break. Richardson’s leg provided all of the third quarter scoring, as the junior connected on field goals of 27 and 42 yards, his first field goal attempts of the season. The first field goal came at the 4:07 mark of the third quarter and culminated a 10-play, 41-yard drive that gave Clemson the lead back, 10-9.
Maryland punter Russell Edwards killed a punt at the Clemson six early in the fourth quarter, providing the starting point for a back-breaking Tiger drive. After a Priester gain of two, Greene scrambled 11 yards to the 19. The next 81 yards belonged to Clemson’s all-time leading rusher, as he carried a school record nine consecutive times on the way to the endzone. The PAT put the Tigers up 20-9 with 7:30 left in the game. The Terps only serious threat the rest of the way ended with a 32-yard missed field goal at the two-minute mark.
Anthony Simmons led the team in tackles with 19, an effort that gained him the ACC Defensive Lineman-of-the-Week award. True-freshman Robert Carswell responded to his first career start by making 11 tackles and breaking up three passes.
Clemson’s Improvement on Offense Significant Clemson has made a significant improvement when it comes to offense this year. A comparison between the first five games of last year with the first five games of 1999 proves this point. Clemson has improved its touchdown total by 100 percent, its passing offense by 45.7 percent, its total offense by 32 percent, its first down total by 59 percent, and its scoring by 38 percent. What is especially interesting is that Clemson has done this with two different quarterbacks, Brandon Streeter, who started the first three games, and Woodrow Dantzler, who has played most of the last two contests.
Clemson has been especially productive against its first three ACC teams. The Tigers scored 33 points against Virginia, 31 against North Carolina and 31 against NC State in their first three conference games. This is the first time since 1989 that Clemson has scored at least 30 points against three straight ACC teams. The 1978 team that finished 11-1 had four straight ACC games of at least 30 points and that is the only team to accomplish that. Thus, this Clemson team can become just the second Tiger 11 to score at least 30 points against four straight ACC teams.
Here is a chart of the respective five-game totals that shows Clemson’s Improvement on offense in the last year:
Category 1998 1999 Improve %ImprTotal Offense/G 276.4 365.6 +89.2 +32.3%Points/G 16.8 23.2 +6.4 +38.1%Passing Yds/G 176.2 256.8 +80.6 +45.7%Rush Yds/G 100.2 108.8 +8.6 +8.6%Total TDs 7 14 +7 +100%Completion % .500 .634 +.134 +13.4%Comp/G 14.9 23.6 +8.7 +58.4% Efficiency Rating 103.1 125.6 +22.5 +21.8%Turnovers By Off. 18 11 -7 -38.9%3rd Down Conv.% .224 .329 +8.5%First Downs/G 12.8 20.4 +7.6 +59.4%FD Passing/G 27 57 +30 +111%
Adams Looks to Break McGlockton’s Record Inside linebacker Keith Adams has been a terror on defense so far. Nicknamed ‘The Termite’ by Clemson defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Reggie Herring, Adams had five tackles for loss in the victory over North Carolina on October 2. Adams had two sacks and three other minus yardage plays, tying the record for a single game held by Michael Dean Perry against NC State in 1987 and by Steve Durham against Maryland in 1979.
It was an outstanding game by Adams, but outstanding has been the norm for the sophomore from College Park, GA. He now has 76 tackles this year to lead the team and the ACC. In each of the last four games, Adams has had at least 16 tackles. He had 16 stops and four tackles for loss against Virginia, then had a career high 17 and four tackles for loss against Virginia Tech. He then had 16 stops and five tackles for loss in his significant performance against the Tar Heels. He had another 16 tackle effort at NC State.
Adams has at least one sack in every game so far this year. The Clemson record for consecutive games with a sack is five, set by Chester McGlockton in 1989. Thus, Adams has tied McGlockton’s record with at least one sack and can break the record against Maryland on October 16.
Adams was honored by the league as ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week twice this year, the Virginia and North Carolina contests.
Tigers Not Nocturnal If you see disappointment on the faces of Clemson coaches and administrators when a Tiger game is moved to a night kickoff due to television you might check Clemson’s record in the decade of the 1990s to see why a frown appears. In the decade of the 1990s Clemson has a 28 percent winning percentage in night games and a 66 percent winning mark in day games. Clemson is just 5-13 in night games in the decade and 60-31-1 in day games. Clemson is 65-44-1 overall.
This year has continued that trend. Clemson is 2-0 in day games and 0-3 in night games in 1999. This Saturday’s game at Maryland is a day game, but the Florida State game on October 23 is a night contest that will be televised by ESPN.
Adams Joining Linebacker Tradition Clemson has a strong tradition of excellence at the linebacker position. Clemson has seven former linebackers on NFL rosters this year, including Pro Bowl players Ed McDaniel (Minnesota) and Levon Kirkland (Pittsburgh) and 1997 first round draft choice Anthony Simmons (Seattle). Clemson also has had first round draft choice Wayne Simmons (1992 by Green Bay) in the 1990s and all-time great Jeff Davis, the captain of the National Championship team.
Current linebacker Keith Adams, only a sophomore, is striving to enhance that linebacker reputation by his play so far this season. He is on a pace to have the finest season in Clemson history for a linebacker, never mind just a sophomore. Through five games, Adams has 76 tackles, an average of 15.2 per game. That is ahead of the 14.8 tackles per game by Anthony Simmons in 1996. Adams also has 17 tackles for loss and six sacks already this year. He is on pace to break the school record for tackles for loss and sacks, regardless of position or class.
The Clemson record for tackles for loss in a season is 27 by William Perry (1984) and Rob Bodine (1991). The sack record is 10.5 by Adrian Dingle, set last season. Adams is on a pace to record an incredible 37 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.
Comparison of Sophomore Seasons
Name Tac/G TFL/G Sacks/GKeith Adams (1999) 15.2 3.4 1.2Anthony Simmons (1996) 14.8 1.3 0.6Jeff Davis (1979) 10.3 0.5 0.0Levon Kirkland (1989) 6.4 0.8 0.5Ed McDaniel (1989) 5.2 0.3 0.0Wayne Simmons (1990) 3.4 0.3 0.1
Carswell Returns to Scene of First Start Playing in Byrd Stadium usually brings a smile to Robert Carswell’s face. It was in this facility two years ago that Carswell’s career and Clemson’s 1997 season took a turn for the better. After playing just 33 snaps over the first six games of the season, Carswell was inserted into the Clemson starting lineup for the Maryland game in College Park. The then first-year freshman responded with 11 tackles and three pass deflections in 68 plays, helping the Tigers to a 20-9 victory.
That was the beginning of a run in which Clemson won four of five games to qualify for the Peach Bowl. Carswell hopes Clemson can make a similar run to become bowl eligible in 1999 and the run must start at Maryland. Clemson was 3-3 entering that 1997 contest at Maryland and the Tigers are 2-3 at this time in 1999.
Carswell has started every game since, 22 in a row entering this weekend’s game in College Park. He has had another outstanding season, a year consistent with the accomplishments of a Thorpe Award winner. He is second on the team in tackles with 63, an average of 12.6 per game. He has three interceptions and ranks 16th in the country in that area.
Carswell Named to Good Works Team On September 21, Robert Carswell was to the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team for 1999. The team honors those student-athletes who show exceptional dedication to community service and to the betterment of the communities in which they live.
Carswell, a native of Lithonia, GA was one of just 11 Division I-A players selected to the team. He is the first Clemson player chosen for the team in its eight-year history. Carswell is one of the leaders of Leadership in Football and Education (LIFE), a group of Clemson football players who mentor and spend recreational time with underprivileged children. He is also a frequent speaker at local churches and elementary schools.
The Stone Mountain High School (GA) product is also an active member of the Clemson Athletes Outreach Program. Last year he received an Atlantic Coast Conference Top Six Award, an honor given to six student-athletes at each ACC school for helping others and volunteering time in the community.
The other 10 Division I-A players chosen to the AFCA Good Works Team were Dan Alexander (Nebraska), Corey Atkins (South Carolina), Wes Counts (Middle Tennessee State), Casey Crawford (Virginia), Haven Fields (Auburn), Curtis Fuller (TCU), Seth Hanson (Kentucky), Grant Irons (Notre Dame), Bill Marsau (Iowa State), and Dulymus McAlister (Mississippi).
Carswell, who ranked ninth in the nation in total tackles by defensive backs last year, now has 218 tackles for his career and is ahead of the pace set by Terry Kinard, who set a school record for tackles by a defensive back when he had 294 between 1978-82. Carswell now has 12 double digit tackle games in his career, including seven in a row. He is among the top five tacklers in the ACC.
Zachery Had Best Game of 1998 vs. Terps Clemson running back Travis Zachery had his best game of 1998 against Maryland. The then freshman had 93 yards rushing against the Terps, his season high. His 26-yard touchdown run iced the 23-0 victory for the Tigers. He also had 24 yards in punt returns, giving him over 100 yards in all-purpose running.
This year Zachery should again be of concern for Maryland defensive coordinators. In four games he has run for 288 yards, an average of 72 yards per game. He is coming off the first double touchdown game of his career. He had 18-82 and two scores in Raleigh. He also had 4-29 receiving, giving him 111 yards from scrimmage in the contest.
Zachery leads Clemson in rushing and ranks fifth in the ACC in that area. His four touchdowns lead the Tiger team. An excellent receiver, Zachery has 10-123 for the season. Zachery had his top game against North Carolina as he carried 28 times for 129 yards and a touchdown against the Tar Heels. He is one of two Tigers averaging over 100 yards per game in all-purpose running. He has 411 yards for the year, 288 rushing and 123 receiving for a 102.8 per game average. He ended last year with 995 all-purpose yards.
Three Wide Receivers Key the Offense Clemson has a much improved offense this year and the play of receivers Rod Gardner, Brian Wofford and Mal Lawyer has a lot to do with it. The trio of wideouts rank in the top 10 in the ACC in receptions per game, the only team in the league with three of the top 10 receivers.
Gardner leads the way with 39 for 461 yards and a touchdown. Wofford has 29-355, a 12.2 average and two scores, while Lawyer has 20-190 and a touchdown. That adds to 88 receptions for 1006 yards and four scores through just five games. That is an average of 17.6 catches for 201 yards per game for this threesome.
They kept up that pace this past Saturday with a balanced effort. All three had exactly six receptions. Wofford had those catches for 100 yards, while Lawyer had 68 yards and Gardner 63. That is 18 catches for 231 yards against the Pack.
All three are on pace to catch at least 40 passes this year. No team in Clemson history has had three players catch at least 30 passes, never mind 40. Gardner is on pace for 85 catches and 1014 yards, while Wofford is on pace for 64 receptions for 781 yards, and Lawyer is on target for 44 catches for 418 yards.
Tigers Drop 35-31 Decision at NC State Clemson suffered a 35-31 defeat at NC State on October 9. Clemson had leads of 14-0 and 21-7 in the first half before the Pack caught fire. The two teams combined for 35 points in the first quarter, as Clemson led 21-14. It was the most points by two teams combined in the first period of a Clemson game in history.
The Tigers took the first drive 65 yards in seven plays, as Mal Lawyer caught a 30-yard scoring pass from Woodrow Dantzler, who was making his first start of the year, his second start as a Clemson quarterback. On the next possession, Braxton Williams broke up a pass over the middle and Alex Ardley picked it off and returned it to the NC State 10. One player later Travis Zachery scored to give Clemson a 14-0 lead just 4:08 into the contest.
NC State then returned the favor, driving 80 yards in 10 plays as Jamie Barnette hooked up with Ryan Hamrick from 18 yards out. But, Clemson came right back and scored with 1:56 left in the quarter on a three-yard run by Zachery. State scored just 16 seconds before the end of the period to make it 21-14 after one, a period that took 50 minutes to play.
Clemson held a 24-14 lead after a Tony Lazzara 43-yard field goal, the longest of his career. NC State was trying to run out the clock before the half when the Pack received a gift. On a fourth and 24 from the NC State 44, NC State went into punt formation. But, a Clemson player hit the center after he snapped the ball, a personal foul, giving the Pack new life. They drove the remaining 40 yards in just three plays. Barnette connected with Peterson for a 22-yard score with just 15 seconds left in the half.
The play gave the Pack all the momentum in the world entering halftime and it continued on the first possession of the third period. NC State drove 65 yards in 12 plays, a drive that took 7:06 off the clock. Barnette hit his tight end on a fourth and goal from the Clemson one for the lead score.
Clemson came back to take a 31-28 lead when Dantzler connected with Brian Wofford on a 26-yard score with 3:01 left in the third. The Pack scored the winning touchdown with 14:11 left on another scoring pass from Barnette to Vanderveer. Clemson had four more legitimate possessions, but never penetrated the NC State 35.
Dantzler completed 23-41 for 284 yards and two scores, but he was just 2-12 in the fourth period, as the Pack effectively used a blitz package to stymie the young Clemson signal caller. Brian Wofford led the Clemson receivers with 6-100 and a score, while Travis Zachery had 18-82 rushing and another 29 yards receiving. Keith Adams led Clemson’s tacklers with 16, including three behind the line of scrimmage. Barnette led the Pack with four touchdown passes, the second straight year he has done that against Clemson.
Jolly Leads Defensive Line Clemson junior defensive lineman Terry Jolly had his finest game as a Clemson player when he had nine tackles against NC State. He had seven first hits, including three tackles behind the line of scrimmage. That is the most tackles and most tackles for loss by a Clemson defensive lineman in two years. Jolly now leads the Clemson defensive linemen in tackles with 26, including five tackles for loss.
Dantzler Throws for 284 Woodrow Dantzler shattered all of his career bests in the NC State game in Raleigh on October 9. The sophomore from Orangeburg, SC completed 23-41 for 284 yards and two scores. He also had three yards rushing in 13 attempts (including sacks) and even caught a pass for good measure.
Dantzler made just his second career start in that NC State game, so it was quite a performance considering his lack of experience. For the year, Dantzler is now 34-62 for 472 yards. He has an efficiency rating of 128.3, better than starter Brandon Streeter’s 123.3 recorded in the first four games.
Dantzler moved into the starter’s chair when Streeter suffered a broken collarbone vs. North Carolina on October 2. Streeter, a graduate student, is out for the rest of the regular season. Dantzler threw his first career interception at NC State. It broke a streak of 56 consecutive passes without a theft by the opposition.
Dantzler gained 213 yards of total offense, 131 passing and 82 on the ground against North Carolina. His performance included a 49-yard scoring pass to Rod Gardner and a 56-yard touchdown run. His total offense was the highest total by a Clemson player in relief since Dexter McCleon gained 229 as a reserve quarterback against Virginia in 1993. His 56-yard scoring run was the longest by a Clemson quarterback since Louis Solomon raced 64 yards for a score at Virginia in 1992.
Clemson Schedule Ranked #4 Clemson has the nation’s fourth toughest schedule according to ratings by noted computer analyst Jeff Sagarin. According to his latest data, Clemson’s schedule has a rating of 82.32, trailing only the schedule played so far by Iowa, North Carolina and Michigan.
A look to Clemson’s schedule tells us why the Tigers are ranked in the top four in the nation. Florida State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech are all ranked in the top 10 in the nation by AP, USA Today and the Sagarin ranking. In fact, Florida State, Marshall, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech are all in the top 10 of the Sagarin poll.
Clemson has beaten a top 20 Virginia team (ranked 19th by USA Today at the time of the game with Clemson) and lost to Marshall, now ranked 16th by USA Today and 15h by AP, and to Virginia Tech on the road, a team now 4th in both polls.
Clemson’s current schedule ranking does not include games with Florida State and Georgia Tech, which are forthcoming. The Sagarin ranking only takes into account games that have been played so far.
Clemson has already played two top 20 teams and there are at least two more on the schedule, Georgia Tech and Florida State. Clemson has played five top 25 teams in a season just once, in 1988. Clemson has faced four top 25 teams five previous season, 1956, 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1997. The 1956 season list of opponents actually consisted of all top 20 teams, the only time Clemson has played four top 20 teams in the same season.
Clemson is shown quite a bit of respect by the Sagarin poll. Despite a 2-3 record, Clemson is ranked 20th in the nation by the computer. Clemson and Miami (FL) are the only teams in the top 30 of the Sagarin ranking with a losing record. Clemson is one of just four schools nationally ranked in the top 10 in schedule ranking and in the top 20 in overall team ranking. Michigan, Miami (FL), and Southern Miss are the others.
Here is a list of the teams that have played the most difficult schedules in the nation according to the Sagarin Computer poll:
Rk Team Rating 1. Iowa 83.24 2. North Carolina 82.97 3. Michigan 82.53 4. Clemson 82.32 5. Temple 80.03 6. Miami (FL) 79.84 7. Southern Miss. 79.41 8. Duke 79.37 9. West Virginia 78.7110. Virginia 78.61
Clemson Looks for 3-1 ACC Start If Clemson can defeat Maryland on Saturday it would give the Tigers a 3-1 start in the ACC. The Tigers have not been 3-1 in the ACC since 1993. Clemson has been 3-1 in just two seasons in the decade of the 1990s, 1993 and in 1991 when Clemson opened 3-0-1 on the way to a 6-0-1 ACC championship finish.
The Tigers play their next five games against ACC teams before ending the year with archrival South Carolina of the SEC. The Tigers opened ACC play 2-0 for the first time since 1988 with a 33-14 win over Virginia on September 11, then defeated North Carolina on October 2, 31-20.
The Tigers played three of their first four at home, and now must play five of their last seven on the road. Clemson is attempting to end a six-game road losing streak. Clemson was 0-4 on the road last year and lost its first road game this year, at Virginia Tech. Clemson’s only remaining home games are October 23 against Florida State and November 6 against Duke.
Clemson Has top Three Tacklers in ACC Clemson has not been a balanced team in terms of tackles this year. It has been a three-headed monster, a ‘Lethal Weapon III’ to steal a basketball promotion slogan from our friends at Georgia Tech of 10 years ago. Keith Adams (76), Robert Carswell (63) and Chad Carson (62) should rank 1-2-3 this week among ACC tacklers.
Adams accomplishments are noted previously in this release. Carson has played in his shadow somewhat this year, but has been very active with 62 tackles, including three for losses. Carswell has been a true safety, recording 63 total tackles this year. Like Adams and Carson, Carswell has been in double figures in tackles in evey game this year. Carson has had between 13-15 tackles in four of the five games. Carswell had 16 tackles and two interceptions against Virginia Tech and was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week.
Clemson Has Exceeded 1998 Interception Total One of the most improved areas of the Clemson football team this year is the secondary. Clemson ranks third in the ACC and 28th in the nation this week in pass efficiency defense. So far this year, Clemson has 10 interceptions, including eight in the last three games. The Tigers had just seven interceptions all of last year.
The pass defense was especially effective in back to back games against Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Agile quarterbacks Michael Vick of Virginia Tech and Ronald Curry of North Carolina were a combined 19-46 for 250 yards, no touchdowns and seven interceptions. That is a completion percentage of just 41 percent and just 5.34 yards per attempt. The secondary will be the first to applaud the front seven for their pressure, as the two opposing quarterbacks were sacked 10 times in those two games.
The starting secondary has been led by All-America candidate Robert Carswell, who has three interceptions. Cornerbacks Alex Ardley and Dextra Polite both have five passes broken up and two interceptions. Safety DoMarco Fox has 21 tackles, while reserve Charles Hafley has 16 tackles and an interception.
Clemson was sixth in the ACC and 56th in the nation in pass efficiency defense last year. Clemson gave up 15 touchdown passes and intercepted just seven all year.
Clemson Leads ACC in Sacks Clemson led the ACC in sacks last year with 37 and the Tigers hold the same standing in the league so far this year. It is not a team with a prime pass rusher, like Virginia Tech has in Corey Moore. It is a balanced attack for the Tiger defense. Clemson has 21 sacks in five games and 12 different players have been involved in the sacks. Keith Adams leads the way with 6-48, while Braxton K. Williams has 3-26. Clemson had seven sacks against North Carolina and nimble quarterback Ronald Curry. That was the most sacks by the Tigers in a single game since Trevor Pryce and the Tigers had eight in a victory over Maryland in 1996. Clemson averaged 3.36 sacks a game last year in leading the ACC. Clemson averages 4.2 sacks per game so far this year. The Clemson record for a season is 46, set in 1992 and 1996.
Clemson Records Set in 1999 In just five games so far this year, many Clemson single game or miscellaneous records have been set:
Single Game Passing Yardage: 343 by Brandon Streeter vs. VirginiaSingle Game Completions: *27 by Brandon Streeter vs. Virginia TechSingle Season Completion %: .683 by Brandon Streeter, 1999 Single Game Receptions: *11 by Rod Gardner vs. MarshallMost Completions 3 Consecutive Games: 74 by Brandon StreeterMost Tackles for Loss, single game: *5 by Keith Adams vs. North Carolina Most Consecutive Games with a Sack: *5 by Keith AdamsMost Team First downs by Passing: *19 vs. Virginia
*Denotes tied record
Clemson Featured Balanced Attack against North Carolina Clemson had 236 yards rushing and 208 yards passing in the victory over North Carolina on October 2. It was the first time since the season opener against Furman in 1998 that Clemson had at least 200 yards of both. Having at least 200 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in the same game is an indicator for success for the Clemson offense. The Tigers are now 27-0-1 in their history (9-0 in the decade of the 1990s when having at least 200 yards of each.)
The only time in history Clemson failed to gain victory when recording at least 200 yards rushing and passing took place in 1976 when the Tigers had 248 yards rushing and 234 yards passing in a 24-24 tie with Georgia Tech. The closest Clemson has come to a defeat in this situation took place in 1953 when Clemson lost to Auburn, 45-19. Despite the large margin of defeat, Clemson had 258 yards passing and 198 yards rushing.
Achieving this balance was a hallmark of Tommy Bowden’s teams at Tulane. In fact, last year Tulane averaged 300 yards passing and 200 yards rushing, the only school in the nation to do it. In his two years and 22 games as head coach at Tulane, Tommy Bowden’s Green Wave teams had at least 200 yards of each in nine games, and they were 9-0 in those games.
Young Leads Young Offensive Line Clemson’s young and light offensive line made large improvement against North Carolina. That was obvious by the offensive production. The Tigers gained 444 yards total offense, just three yards away from a season high, and had 236 yards on the ground, most by a Clemson team in 16 games.
Kyle Young is just a sophomore, but is the most experienced of the linemen. The native of Clemson is the brother of former Clemson All-ACC guard Will Young and the grandson of former Tiger Ed McClendon. Young graded 85 percent for his 66 snaps against North Carolina and had seven knockdown blocks. He missed the last 12 snaps of the game with a sprained ankle.
Clemson’s offensive line averages 261 pounds per man, but they are in good physical condition. Many of the starters have gone the distance this season. Young has three complete games and has missed just 13 snaps all year. John McDermott, starting tackle, actually has gone the distance in all five games so far this season, the only Tiger on the entire team who can make that claim. Akil Smith has three complete games (Virginia, North Carolina and NC State) and has missed just three snaps all year. He had a team best eight knockdowns against North Carolina.
Guard Theo Mougros has gone the route in four of the five games. T.J. Watkins, who starts at guard after playing tackle the first three games this year and tight end last year, has played every snap in one game and missed just one snap in another. Will Merritt, who is out for at least five more weeks with a broken collarbone, played every snap in the first two games.
All five starters on the offensive line are underclassmen, three are sophomores (Young, Smith and Watkins). In fact, with Streeter’s injury, Clemson will start nine underclassmen on offense on Saturday. Wide receivers Brian Wofford and Mal Lawyer are the only seniors in the starting lineup.
Two Tigers in Top 30 in Nation in Receiving One of the greatest examples of Clemson’s improvement in the passing games is the existence of two Tiger players among the top 30 pass receivers in the nation. Both Rod Gardner (8th) and Brian Wofford (28th ) are listed in the top 30 in the nation on a receptions per game basis. Clemson has had just five players since 1951 rank in the final top 25 of the nation’s pass receivers.
Gardner is 8th in the nation in receptions with 7.8 per game. He has 39 receptions for 461 yards so far this season. He is also 27th in the nation in reception yards per game with 92.2 per game. Tony Horne, now with the St. Louis Rams, has the school record with 70 catches in 1997.
Wofford has 29 receptions in three games for 355 yards and ranks 28th in the country in total receptions per contest.
Here is a list of Clemson players who have ranked in the final top 25 in the nation in receiving:
Year Player Rec/G Rk1951 Glenn Smith *35 19th1953 Dreher Gaskin *22 21st1978 Jerry Butler 4.9 10th1980 Perry Tuttle 4.8 13th1997 Tony Horne 6.2 14th
*Receivers ranked on total receptions
Gardner Tied Record vs. Marshall Clemson wide receiver Rod Gardner tied one all-time Clemson record and set two others in the season opener against Marshall. The junior from Jacksonville, FL caught 11 passes for 111 yards. That is a lot of ones for his night’s work, and that effort has led to his number-one ranking among the receivers in the ACC. He has had at least six catches in every game this year.
Gardner’s opening day performance tied the Clemson single game mark held by Phil Rogers, who had 11 receptions at North Carolina in 1965. Gardner’s performance was the most ever for a Tiger in Death Valley (58 years) and the most ever by a Clemson player in the opening game of the season.
Six times a Clemson player has had 10 catches in a game. Tony Horne did it twice in his 70-reception season of 1997, while Perry Tuttle had a pair of 10-catch games, one in 1980 and one in 1981. Hank Walker was the first Clemson receiver to have a double-digit reception game, as he had 10 against Auburn in 1947. Charlie Waters, more famous for his exploits as an NFL defensive back, had 10 catches against Alabama in 1969.
Clemson Single Game Reception Bests
No Yds Player Opponent Year11 111 Rod Gardner Marshall 199911 129 Phil Rogers at North Carolina 196510 110 Tony Horne Appalachian State 199710 131 Tony Horne Florida State 199710 148 Hank Walker Auburn 194710 144 Charlie Waters Alabama 196910 124 Perry Tuttle at Wake Forest 198010 151 Perry Tuttle Maryland 1981
Streeter was at Record Pace Clemson quarterback Brandon Streeter was on a record pace in many areas until he broke his collarbone on his throwing shoulder against North Carolina. Streeter has completed 82 of 120 passes for 802 yards and two touchdowns. He completed at least 23 passes in each of the first three games and his 68.3 percent completion percentage is fifth best in the nation for quarterbacks who have averaged 15 attempts per game.
Streeter tied his own Clemson record for completions when he was 27-43 for 195 yards at Virginia Tech. He also had 27 completions against NC State last year. He was on a Clemson record pace for the season in terms of passing yards/game (200.3) , completion percentage (.683) , and completions per game (20.7).
Streeter earned much national respect this year. Against Virginia he was 24-32 for a Clemson record 343 yards and two scores. He broke the Clemson single game passing yardage mark and was named USA Today National Player of the Week. The publication only selects one player from the 114 Division I teams and he was it. In Clemson’s loss at Virginia Tech he gained respect for his toughness as he took many hits from Hokies defensive lineman Corey Moore, but hung in for the entire contest.
Second Generation Tiger Fourth in Tackles Clemson has had a lot of second generation Tiger players over the years, but few have had as big an impact as Clemson linebacker Braxton K. Williams. The sophomore from Greensboro has 38 tackles over the first five games, fourth best on the team. He also has 4-27 in tackles for loss and 3-26 in terms of sacks. He is second on the team lead in sacks with Keith Adams.
Williams is the son of former Clemson running back Braxton Williams, who played on Clemson’s 1982 ACC Championship team and was a fullback on Clemson’s 9-1-1 Tiger eleven. His son has started all three games this year and has been a model of consistency. He had a career high 10 tackles at Virginia Tech. He had nine tackles against Virginia and was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week.
Williams provided the Clemson team with the two biggest defensive plays of the victory over the Cavs. In the first period he sacked Virginia QB Dan Ellis and forced a fumble in the process. Clemson recovered and drove for a touchdown. In the second period he dove to keep a loose ball in bounds, allowing Clemson to recover at their own 15 and end an almost certain Cavalier scoring drive. It might be the greatest play in Clemson history that receives no statistical credit.
Clemson Football Graduation Rate Cited by AFCA The Clemson football program cited this past summer by the American Football Coaches Association for a graduation rate of over 70 percent. For the class entering in the fall of 1993, Clemson had a 75 percent graduation rate. The national average was 56 percent.
“We congratulate our student-athletes first,” said Athletic Director Bobby Robinson. “We also feel this is a testimony to the efforts of our coaches and Bill D’Andrea’s staff at the Department of Student-Athlete Enrichment Programs.
“We have seen consistent improvement in the academic performance of our football program and all of our athletic teams in recent years since we built Vickery Hall in 1991. We are pleased with these results and our inclusion on this prestigious list.”
Clemson’s program is in good shape to earn future citations from the AFCA. Fourteen of the 18 seniors (78 percent) on Clemson’s 1998 team will have their degrees by August 7. The only four seniors on the 1998 team who have not yet earned their degrees are currently members of NFL teams.
This past spring the Clemson football team had a team GPA of 2.38, its highest on record for a semester, and 24 members of the squad were on the academic honor roll. Thirteen members of the team had a GPA over 3.00 for the year and will be named to the ACC Academic Honor roll in July. That list includes starting center Kyle Young who had a perfect 4.0 for the year. Quarterback Brandon Streeter, who already has his undergraduate degree, is also on that list.
Clemson is one of five ACC schools to make the list of honored schools. The other ACC schools with a graduation rate of at least 70 percent were Duke, Virginia, Wake Forest and North Carolina. Duke was honored as the national champion with a 100 percent rate for the class that entered in 1993. It is the 12th time in the 19 year history of the award that an ACC school has had the highest graduation rate. The ACC had 55 percent of its conference members on the list, the highest percentage in the nation.
Other schools on the list who had a graduation rate of 70 percent or better are Ball State, Baylor, Boston College, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Marshall, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio, Penn State, Rice, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCLA, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.
Offspring of Tiger Coaches 7-0 Three members of the Clemson coaching staff have sons that are starters on the local Daniel High Football team. Daniel is 7-0 so far this year and is the defending state champion. They are ranked number-one in the state in their division. Head Coach Tommy Bowden, assistant head coach Brad Scott and offensive line coach Ron West all have sons starting for the Daniel High team. Coach Bowden’s son Ryan is a defensive lineman, while Brad Scott’s son John is also a starter on the team. Scott has a son, Jeff, who is a wide receiver on the Clemson team. Ron West’s son Brad is a linebacker on the Daniel team.
All three coaches have been able to catch at least part of most of the games so far this year. That family time will be cut drastically over the rest of the season. Clemson plays just two of its last seven games at home.
Clemson Attendance Up Clemson has averaged 75,703 fans for the first three home games of the 1999 season. That is up from an average of 68,312 of last year. If Clemson can average at least 75,000 for the season it would be the highest average figure for a season since 1992 when Clemson had a 76,789 average. The figure will go up when Clemson plays Florida State as a sellout crowd is anticipated. In fact, the record of 85,872 against South Carolina in 1994 could be eclipsed. Clemson drew 79,186 for the opener against Marshall, the third largest opening day crowd in Clemson history. The North Carolina game drew 81,000.
Clemson Has Young Squad Clemson played 53 players in the season opening loss to Marshall and all but 10 were underclassmen. Of the 42 players who played on offense or defense (non-special teams) 33 are slated to return next year. Twenty-one of the 42 players who were on the offense or defensive units are freshmen and sophomores. Twenty-six of the 42 players who played on scrimmage plays saw career highs in plays against Marshall.
Of the 22 players slated to start this Saturday, 17 are underclassmen.
Head Coach Tommy Bowden played nine freshmen against Marshall, including four first-year freshmen. The first-year players who participated were Eric Meekins (DB), J.J. McKelvey (LB), Rodney Thomas (LB) and Marcus Lewis (DE). Since then, first year freshmen David Ellis and Rodney Feaster have also played. There were five other red-shirt freshmen who played in the game, tight ends Pat Cyrgalis and Jason LeMay, defensive end Nick Eason, wide receiver Jackie Robinson and and defensive end Bryant McNeal.
Clemson played 19 players on offensive scrimmage plays and just four were seniors, receivers Brian Wofford and Mal Lawyer, quarterback Brandon Streeter and fullback Terry Witherspoon. Of the 22 defensive players who appeared in the first game, only four of those were seniors: Damonte McKenzie (DT), Dextra Polite (DB), DoMarco Fox (DB) and David Evans (DB).
CLEMSON OFFENSE
Pos. # Player Hgt. Wgt. Cl. Exp.LT 61 AKIL SMITH 6-4 270 So. 1VL 77 Brady Washburn 6-5 265 *Fr. RSLG 73 T.J. WATKINS 6-3 252 *So. 1VL 62 Neely Page 6-3 275 *So. 1VLC 59 KYLE YOUNG 6-3 255 *So. 1VL 51 Brian Outlaw 6-2 234 *So. SQRG 60 THEO MOUGROS 6-2 260 *Jr. 2VL 79 Gary Byrd 6-4 280 *Fr. RSRT 67 JOHN McDERMOTT 6-6 270 *Jr. 1VL 74 Nick Black 6-5 251 Fr. HSTE 89 JASON LeMAY 6-4 229 *Fr. RS 13 Pat Cyrgalis 6-1 234 *Fr. RSWR 84 MAL LAWYER 5-11 180 Sr. 3VL 23 ROD GARDNER 6-3 211 *Jr. 2VLQB 1 WOODROW DANTZLER 5-11 200 *So. 1VL 7 Willie Simmons 6-0 180 Fr. HS or 15 Matt Schell 6-2 194 *Fr. RSTB 8 TRAVIS ZACHERY 6-0 190 *So. 1VL 5 Javis Austin 5-11 205 Jr. 2VLFB 26 TERRY WITHERSPOON 5-11 255 Sr. 2VL 36 Vince Ciurciu 6-0 220 So. 1VLWR 25 BRIAN WOFFORD 6-0 165 Sr. 3VL 6 JUSTIN WATTS 6-0 202 *Jr. 3VL
CLEMSON DEFENSE
Pos. # Player Hgt. Wgt. Cl. Exp.DE 35 DAMONTE McKENZIE 6-2 269 *Sr. 3VL 98 Nick Eason 6-4 242 *Fr. RSDT 92 TERRY JOLLY 6-2 285 Jr. 2VL 99 Gary Childress 6-3 265 *Jr. 2VLDT 76 JASON HOLLOMAN 6-3 273 *Jr. 2VL 95 Jovon Bush 6-4 280 *So. 1VLDE 93 TERRY BRYANT 6-4 261 *Jr. 2VL 91 Bryant McNeal 6-4 221 *Fr. RSSLB 48 BRAXTON K. WILLIAMS 6-2 200 So. 1VL 2 Eric Meekins 6-2 190 Fr. HSMLB 46 CHAD CARSON 6-3 221 So. 1VL 41 Rodney Thomas 6-0 215 Fr. HSWLB 43 KEITH ADAMS 5-11 203 So. 1VL 49 Kenzi Ross 6-2 208 Jr. 2VLCB 28 ALEX ARDLEY 5-10 170 *So. 1VL 30 Darrel Crutchfield 6-0 173 Jr. 2VLSS 12 DoMARCO FOX 6-1 175 Sr. 3VL 40 Charles Hafley 6-1 187 *So. 1VLFS 9 ROBERT CARSWELL 6-0 210 Jr. 2VL 31 Chad Speck 6-0 203 Jr. 2VLCB 34 DEXTRA POLITE 5-11 185 *Sr. 2VL 3 Brian Mance 5-11 185 Fr. HS
CLEMSON SPECIALISTS
Pos. # Player Hgt. Wgt. Cl. Exp.PK 39 TONY LAZZARA 5-9 178 *Fr. RS 37 Chris Campbell 6-0 199 *Jr. SQP 38 RYAN ROMANO 5-10 175 *Jr. SQ 24 Jamie Somaini 6-1 230 *Jr. SQKO 24 Jamie Somaini 6-1 230 *Jr. SQLS 63 Henry Owen 5-11 225 So. 1VLHO 18 Tucker Hamrick 5-6 150 *Sr. SQPR 84 Mal Lawyer 5-11 180 Sr. 3VLKOR 25 Brian Wofford 6-0 165 Sr. 3VL
MARYLAND OFFENSE
Pos. # Player Hgt. Wgt. Cl. Exp.LT 75 BRAD MESSINA 6-5 288 *Sr. 2VL 77 Tim Howard 6-4 290 *Jr. SQLG 66 TODD WIKE 6-3 265 *Fr. RS 79 Mike George 6-4 290 *So. 1VLC 67 MELVIN FOWLER, Jr. 6-3 266 *So. 1VL 65 Charles Hill 6-2 282 So. 1VLRG 56 JAMIE WU 6-2 285 *Sr. 2VL 51 Chris Snader 6-5 285 *So. SQRT 78 MATT CRAWFORD 6-6 295 *Fr. RS 64 Bob Krantz 6-5 270 *Fr. RSTE 46 JOHN WAERIG 6-2 267 *Sr. 1VL 80 Eric James 6-2 252 *So. 1VLWR 85 JERMAINE ARRINGTON 5-9 173 *Sr. 1VL 3 Omar Cheeseboro 6-2 189 Jr. 2VLQB 9 CALVIN McCALL 6-3 205 *Fr. RS 5 Trey Evans 6-1 189 *Sr. 1VLTB 15 LaMONT JORDAN 5-11 216 Jr. 2VL 49 Mukala Sikyala, Jr. 5-8 195 Jr. SQFB 45 MATT KALAPINSKI 6-1 223 Jr. 2VL 2 Marc Riley 6-3 220 So. SQWR 89 JASON HATALA 5-10 173 Jr. 2VL 21 Guilian Gary 6-0 177 So. 1VL
MARYLAND DEFENSE
Pos. # Player Hgt. Wgt. Cl. Exp.DE 41 ERWYN LYGHT 6-0 218 *Sr. 3VL 48 Ryan Swift 6-1 224 *So. 1VLDT 57 KRIS JENKINS 6-5 285 Jr. 2VL 95 William Shim 6-4 253 *Fr. RSNT 91 DELBERT COWSETTE 6-1 274 Sr. 3VL 96 Todd Bradley 6-2 260 *Fr. RSDE 47 PETER TIMMINS 6-3 257 *Sr. 3VL 88 Matt Murphy 6-4 253 *So. 1VLOLB 40 AARON THOMPSON 6-1 226 *So. 1VL 58 Corey Smith 5-11 208 So. 1VLILB 39 KEVIN BISHOP 6-2 235 *So. SQ 52 MontGraves 6-0 230 *So. SQILB 35 MARLON MOORE 6-1 220 So. 1VL 42 E.J. Henderson 6-2 233 *Fr. RSCB 20 RENARD COX 6-0 189 Sr. 1VL 11 Tony Okanlawon 5-11 180 So. 1VLSS 33 ROD LITTLES 5-11 195 So. 1VL 12 Randall Jones 6-2 212 So. 1VLFS 13 SHAWN FORTE 6-0 196 *Jr. 1VL 19 Khary Darlington 5-11 193 *Fr. RSCB 37 LEWIS SANDERS 6-1 200 *Jr. 2VL 26 Bryn Boggs 6-0 184 *Sr. SQ
MARYLAND SPECIALISTS
Pos. # Player Hgt. Wgt. Cl. Exp.PK 17 BRIAN KOPKA 5-7 166 Jr. 2VL 16 Brooks Barnard 6-2 190 *Fr. RSP 16 BROOKS BARNARD 6-2 190 *Fr. RS 10 Sean Starner 5-11 185 *Jr. SQKO 17 Brian Kopka 5-7 166 Jr. 2VLLS 87 Scott Rudolph 6-4 232 Jr. 2VLHO 5 Trey Evans 6-1 189 *Sr. 1VLPR 21 Guilian Gary 6-0 177 So. 1VLKOR 37 Lewis Sanders 6-1 200 *Jr. 2VL 21 Guilian Gary 6-0 177 So. 1VL
December 8, 2024
