Clemson vs. BC Notes and Quotes

by CU Athletic Communications - Sun Oct 18 00:21:38 GMT-04:00 2015

• Clemson has now won a school-record 14 consecutive games at home. The previous mark of 13 was set from 1927-30 and 2011-12.

• Clemson has won nine games in a row over two years. This is the first time Clemson has won nine in a row since the Tigers won the last five of 1988 and the first four of 1989. That streak was broken by Duke and head coach Steve Spurrier on Sept. 30, 1989.

• Clemson has won 15 of its last 16 games dating back to last year. The last time Clemson won 15 of 16 games was in the 1947-49 era.

• With today’s victory, head coach Dabo Swinney has moved into ninth place on the winningest active FBS coaches list. Swinney is 67-26 for his career, all at Clemson, good for a 72.0 winning percentage. Last week at this time, he was 11th. He moved ahead of Steve Spurrier on Monday when the former South Carolina head coach resigned. Swinney would have moved ahead of Spurrier today, even if Spurrier had remained the head coach at South Carolina and even if he had beaten Vanderbilt. Swinney also moved ahead of Bobby Petrino of Louisville today.

• Clemson is 7-1 in Homecoming games under Dabo Swinney. The only loss was to Miami (Fla.) in 2010. The Tigers play at Miami next Saturday.

• Clemson is 7-1 against Boston College since the O’Rourke-McFadden Trophy was first presented to the winner of the game. The tradition began in 2008 and was Swinney’s first win.

• Clemson is 7-4 against Boston College since the Eagles joined the ACC.

• Overall, Clemson is 69-20-3 for its 92 Homecoming games. That includes a 39-4-2 record since 1971.

• Clemson has won 32 games in a row over teams not ranked in both of the two polls (AP, USA Today), and has won 34 in a row over teams not ranked in the AP poll.

• Clemson is 58-5 under Swinney when it wins the total offense statistic, including 44-2 in the last five years. Clemson outgained Boston College 532-246.

• Clemson is 24-1 in the last 25 games when it has at least 300 passing yards. Clemson finished with 420 passing yards.

• Clemson is 53-4, including 43-0 in the last five years, when it has more first downs than the opposition. The Tigers finished with 24 first downs to Boston College’s 11.

• Clemson is 59-3 under Swinney, including 43-0 the last five years, when leading heading into the fourth quarter.

• Boston College came into Saturday’s game allowing 140.3 yards per game. Clemson’s offense put up 139 in the first quarter.

• Clemson’s 10 first-quarter points were the most points given up by the Boston College defense in a quarter this season.

• Clemson’s offense amassed 261 yards in the first half, the most yards Boston College has given up in a game this season. The Eagles gave up 228 total yards in its 9-7 loss to Duke.

• Boston College’s defense came into Saturday giving up 41.7 rushing yards per game and 98.7 passing yards per game. Clemson finished the first half with 70 rushing yards and 191 passing yards.

• Artavis ScottArtavis Scott
So. Wide Receiver
#3 5-10, 191
Oldsmar, FL
View Full Profile surpassed 100 receiving yards on a 33-yard catch in the third quarter, the first time in 2015 that a Tiger notched 100 receiving yards.

• Deon CainDeon Cain
Fr. Wide Receiver
#8 6-1, 197
Tampa, FL
View Full Profile pulled in a 67-yard catch in the fourth quarter, Clemson’s longest play of the season.

• Boston College had only allowed two offensive touchdowns in 2015 coming into Saturday (one rushing, one passing). Clemson’s offense totaled four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing)

• Clemson’s 420 passing yards tied for the seventh-most passing yards in a game by the Tigers in school history.

INDIVIDUAL

• Deshaun WatsonDeshaun Watson
So. Quarterback
#4 6-2, 207
Gainesville, GA
View Full Profile is now 10-1 as a starting quarterback. He is the first Clemson starting quarterback in history to win 10 of his first 11 games.

• Watson finished with 420 yards passing, the second-highest total of his career (435 vs. North Carolina in 2014). It is also tied for fifth most in Clemson history by a Tiger.

• Saturday marked just the sixth game in Clemson history with a 400-yard passer ( Tajh BoydTajh Boyd
Quarterback (2009 - 2013)
#10 6-1, 225
Hampton, VA
View Full Profile , four times; Watson two times; Charlie WhitehurstCharlie Whitehurst
Quarterback (2002 - 2005)
#6 6-4, 225
Duluth, GA
View Full Profile once).

• Deshaun Watson threw three touchdown passes on Saturday, moving him into a tie for seventh on Clemson’s list of career leaders in touchdown passes. Watson now has 28 touchdown passes, tied with Mike Eppley (1980-84).

• Deshaun Watson scored on a four-yard touchdown run with 5:25 remaining in the first quarter to tie the score 7-7. The score was Watson’s second rushing touchdown of the season and seventh of his career.

• Jordan LeggettJordan Leggett
Jr. Tight End
#16 6-5, 252
Navarre, FL
View Full Profile caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Deshaun Watson, his fourth-straight game with a touchdown reception. Leggett is the first tight end to have four-straight games with a touchdown catch since K.D. Dunn in 1983.

• Artavis Scott’s 51-yard reception in the first quarter was his longest catch of the season.

• Scott totaled 10 catches and set a season high with 162 receiving yards, the second highest total of his career. It was his first game of the season with at least 100 yards receiving and fifth of his career.

• Scott recorded his 10th catch of the game in the fourth quarter, tying a career high. Scott’s last game with 10 catches was last season against Boston College.

• Zac BrooksZac Brooks
Running Back (2012 - 2015)
#24 6-0, 200
Jonesboro, AR
View Full Profile hauled in a 21-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, the second touchdown catch of his career.

• Hunter RenfrowHunter Renfrow
RS Fr. Wide Receiver
#13 5-10, 176
Myrtle Beach, SC
View Full Profile made the first start of his career. Renfrow finished with three catches for 40 yards.

• Kevin DoddKevin Dodd
RS Jr. Defensive End
#98 6-5, 268
Taylors, SC
View Full Profile recorded a tackle for loss on Boston College’s first play from scrimmage. Dodd now has at least one tackle for loss in five-straight games.

Boston College Head Coach Steve Addazio

Overall thoughts:

“I thought our football team went out and played real hard tonight and battled. A lot of credit to Clemson...they have a really good football team, which we knew going in. They are talented. Dabo’s done a good job with this football team. I thought we came out hard and played hard throughout the game.”

On Jeff Smith:

“I thought that Jeff Smith took a step forward tonight. He played fast and competitively. He hit some runs in that game, which is tough to do against that defense.

“I thought he played confident and fast. He threw some good balls, some deep balls that I thought were overthrown, but he completed. I can see the earmarking of a talented player ahead. He is going to get bigger and stronger. He is still not powerful, but he is fast. He is competing and getting more comfortable.

“There are still some things going on there that is typical of a young quarterback and a young team. It is not going to change overnight. I thought he played a better game, a more confident game, a faster game. He took a step forward and he will continue to improve.”

On his offense:

“When you are playing with as many young players that we are playing with on offense, against the level of the defenses that we are playing right now, we took a step forward today, and that’s a fact. I think you saw a window into the future today, with some talented guys who are going to play a lot of football.

“We felt great at halftime, I felt like we could move the ball against a great defense.”

On his defense:

“We made some good plays. I thought we were pretty good against the run.”

On the third quarter and penalties:

“I thought that the third quarter got away from us. We had some real tough stuff go against us on third down. Penalties really got us, three of them that led to three scores, and that’s where it got away from us.”

On his takeaway message:

“We played really hard and competed at a high level on the field. We are making strides. We are going to go win those games. Right now, we seem to be in a patch, where we are in some real tight games with some real tough situations going on.”

Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney

Overall thoughts:

“This was a great win. Winning 14 games in a row at home is a big deal. I told our guys that they’ve been playing football here for 100+ years and there’s never been a group that’s won 14 in a row at home. I’m so proud of our guys. Boston College is a tough, physical, hard-nosed team. I loved our mentality. We dominated on defense in the first half, but we just missed on the offensive plays.

“We knew the style of play that they were throwing at us, but we just missed the opportunities. Thankfully, we settled down and lit it up in the second half

“Deshaun Watson threw for 420 yards, but we should have thrown for about 600 yards. It was good to see us stick with the plan and make the plays.

“Hats off to whole football team. This is now three weeks in a row with special teams being a big part of the game. Our defense was huge today again. We had nine different receivers catch a pass and Jordan Leggett tied the school record for consecutive games with a touchdown catch by a tight end. That record has been around for a long time, and it’s great to see him having the success that he’s having.

“Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott called a great game. Boston College came in here with the No.1 defense in the nation and we had 532 yards of offense. Hats off to our offensive staff, the offense and the whole team for getting it done.”

On maintaining focus:

“We have a great coaching staff and excellent player leadership. We have guys that ‘get it’ and have bought in to the philosophy that we have in place. It’s not just ‘coach speak.’ We enjoy every win, but on Monday, it’s about what’s in front of us.

“It’s like it says in Proverbs...we fix our eyes straight ahead. Those guys in our locker room believe that we’re the best team. It’s about how we prepare. If we stay disciplined, we can line up and beat anybody. But we’re not cocky. We know anyone can beat us.

“Our guys believe in the process. We talk about practicing and playing to a standard. The juniors and seniors on this team have had a lot of success, but they understand that the margin for error is small. If we lose, we’ll lose because the team was just better than us. We don’t want to lose because we’re unfocused. I give credit to our staff, but a lot of the credit goes to the leaders on the team.”

Clemson Quarterback Deshaun Watson

On taking a lot of shots downfield:

“We knew that we had some shots in the first half and didn’t connect. I overshot some receivers, but in the second half, we connected and it opened up.”

On Boston College’s defense:

“We knew they were the number one defense in the country for a reason. They started off strong and we started a little slow, but we picked it up and got a good win.”

On if this was first time he felt on target with the younger guys:

“I wouldn’t say the first time...it just depends on the situation of the game and what the play calls are and what the defense is doing against us."

Clemson Wide Reciever Artavis Scott

On Deshaun Watson’s rough first half and calming him down:

“He knows we have his back and he just has to relax, and we just told him that we have your back. We are teammates, we have love for each other and we just tell him to relax and that we have this and it’s going to come.

On Watson thinking he was going to overthrow him in the third quarter:

“No, I knew he wasn’t going to overthrow me. It was there the whole time. I just knew if he threw it, I was going to get it.”

On the yards racked up against the nation’s No. 1 defense:

“We know that when we put everything together, we are going to be scary. It is going to happen, and every week we are going to take what everyone gives us. It is going to come together.”