CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Dantzler Runs into History Books with Blowout Win Of Duke
Dantzler and teammates celebrate 2000/1000 in the third quarter.

Dantzler Runs into History Books with Blowout Win Of Duke


by - Correspondent -

CLEMSON - The 30,000 or so Clemson fans who chose not to attend the Tigers' 59-31 win over Duke Saturday missed a chance to witness NCAA history.

Clemson senior quarterback Woody Dantzler rushed for 135 yards on 19 carries against the Blue Devils' defense, becoming the first quarterback in NCAA history to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 in the same season.

Dantzler needed 131 rushing yards to break the record.

"I thing the offensive line wanted it more than I did," Dantzler said. "It was great to have everybody pulling for me. It's not all me...I've had boys fighting and pulling for me the entire season. It was a total team effort."

The third-quarter play which broke the record was vintage Dantzler. On fourth and 6 from the Duke 18, Dantzler rolled around left end, juked a would-be tackler and sprinted into the end zone for a touchdown.

POST GAME INTERVIEWS

Tommy Bowden

- Real | Windows Media

Brad Scott

- Real | Windows Media

Woody Dantzler

- Real | Windows Media

Woody Dantzler's Parents on 2000/1000

- Real | Windows Media

Roscoe Crosby on future plans

- Real | Windows Media

Chad Carson

- Real | Windows Media

Will Merritt

- Real | Windows Media

Duke Head Coach Carl Franks

- Real | Windows Media

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Once the announcement of Dantzler's achievement was announced over the public address system, he was mobbed by his teammates on the sidelines and given a standing ovation by the 55,000 or so fans in attendance.

The fact that Dantzler's score gave Clemson a 52-10 lead seemed not to matter.

On Clemson's next possession, Bowden sent Dantzler into the game for one play, then pulled his senior in favor of Willie Simmons. Bowden got the desired effect - Dantzler getting a final standing ovation before the home fans in Death Valley.

"I was telling the team before the game today that the way offenses change from year to year, and the way defenses adjust to offenses, it might be a while before that record is broken," Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden said.

Dantzler also finished with 243 yards and four touchdowns through the air, helping Clemson (6-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) establish a big early lead it would not relinquish.

Two of the scores went to freshman Roscoe Crosby, deep balls that covered 58 and 47 yards, one to running back Travis Zachery (22) and one to wideout J.J. McKelvey (39). Zachery also added 115 yards rushing and three touchdowns (52, 42, 1), giving him 50 touchdowns for his Clemson career.

In all, the Tigers totaled 608 yards of offense, helping doom Duke (0-11, 0-8) to its 23rd consecutive loss.

"It's frustrating to go through a two-year stretch like this," said Duke head coach Carl Franks. "But I'm proud of the way the seniors came to practice day after day with enthusiasm.

"We've got to be more competitive (next year). Our offseason program will be drastically different than it has been in the past. We'll include much more competition in the offseason."

Meanwhile, Clemson's defense allowed Duke quarterback D. Bryant to complete 23-of-56 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns. But it also intercepted Bryant twice, sacked him four times and hit him hard as he threw on numerous other occasions.

The Blue Devils also lost a fumble, but still finished with 394 total yards.

Clemson now awaits today's 2 p.m. vote by the Tangerine Bowl selection committee, a vote which will determine its postseason future. Tangerine officials are considering both Clemson and N.C. State for the Dec. 20 matchup in Orlando.

The team selected will face the University of Pittsburgh, a 24-6 winner Saturday over the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Should the bowl choose State, Clemson's fortunes would appear to lie with either the Silicon Valley Bowl in San Jose, Calif on Dec. 31, or the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho, the same day.

"It shows you how times have changed," Bowden said, "when you are bowl eligible and sitting there fighting. It used to be, a few years ago, that if you were bowl eligible you could pretty much pick where you wanted to go."

As for Dantzler, he doesn't care where Clemson goes bowling. As long as it goes.

"It's always our dream to get to a bowl game," he said. "That's what we work hard for all summer and fall. We had and up-and-down season and we fought hard.

"Now we'll wait and see what happens."

DRIVE CHART


FIRST QUARTER 

Duke 7, Clemson 0

Scoring Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards in 1:28

Scoring Play: Bryant's 9-yard pass to Sharpe at 13:32

Key Play: Bryant's 70-yard pass to Erdeljac to the Clemson 9.

Clemson 7, Duke 7

Scoring Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:09

Scoring Play: Dantzler's 39-yard pass to McKelvey at 12:23

Key Play: Late hit penalty after Dantzler's 9-yard run, putting ball at Duke 39.

Clemson 14, Duke 7

Scoring Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards in 1:41

Scoring Play: Zachery's 52-yard run at 9:33.

Key Play: Scoring play.

Clemson 14, Duke 10

Scoring Drive: 5 plays, 8 yards in 1:51.

Scoring Play: Garber's 48-yard FG at 4:09.

Key Play: None.

Clemson 17, Duke 10

Scoring Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards in 3:13

Scoring Play: Hunt's 45-yard FG at :56.

Key Play: Dantzler's 24-yard pass to Hamilton to the Duke 45.

Clemson 24, Duke 10

Scoring Drive: 1 play, 22 yards in :10

Scoring Play: Dantzler's 22-yard pass to Zachery at :08.

Key Play: Scoring Play.

SECOND QUARTER

Clemson 31, Duke 10

Scoring Drive: 1 play, 47 yards in :11

Scoring Play: Dantzler's 47-yard pass to Crosby.

Key Play: Scoring Play.

THIRD QUARTER

Clemson 38, Duke 10

Scoring Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards in 1:30.

Scoring Play: Zachery's 42-yard run at 13:30.

Key Play: Scoring play.

Clemson 45, Duke 10

Scoring Drive: 1 play, 58 yards in :10.

Scoring Play: Dantzler's 58-yard pass to Crosby.

Key Play: Scoring play.

Clemson 52, Duke 10

Scoring Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards in 2:52.

Scoring Play: Dantzler's 18-yard run at 5:59.

Key Play: Scoring play, which made Dantzler the first QB in NCAA

history to throw for oer 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000

in the same season.

FOURTH QUARTER

Clemson 52, Duke 17

Scoring Drive: 1 play, 21 yards in :09.

Scoring Play: Bryant's 21-yard pass to Moore at 12:44.

Key Play: Scoring play.

Clemson 52, Duke 24

Scoring Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards in :40.

Scoring Play: Wade's 3-yard run at 11:12.

Key Play: Scoring play.

Clemson 59, Duke 24

Scoring Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards in 4:39.

Scoring Play: Zachery's one-yard run at 6:33.

Key Play: Simmons 5-yard run to the Duke 7 on fourth and 3.

Clemson 59, Duke 31

Scoring Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards in 3:11.

Scoring Play: Wispelwey's 29-yard pass to Sharpe at 3:22.

Key Play: Scoring play.

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