Clemson Offense Runs Rampant In Raleigh |
RALEIGH, N.C. - Leading by 13 at halftime, Tommy Bowden challenged his players. By the time the final two quarters at N.C. State were done, would Clemson be contenders or pretenders?
While it's still too soon to officially label the Tigers ready to challenge for the ACC title, Bowden's team passed another early test Saturday afternoon. Clemson rolled up over 600 yards of total offense in an easy 42-20 win over the homestanding Wolfpack.
The win improves the No. 15 Tigers to 4-0 overall, 2-0 inside the conference. More importantly, both conference wins have been inside the Atlantic Division.
"I think (Sports Information Director) Tim Bourret told me this was the most ever yards vs. an N.C. State team in the history of this rivalry," Bowden said. "The defense has to get you the ball, which they did. (Defensive Coordinator) Vic Koening and his staff did a good job with a good plan."
The Tigers' rushing attack, which had been almost dormant the last two weeks, came to life in a big way behind the duo of James Davis and C.J. Spiller. The tandem combined for four touchdowns Saturday, each getting one via rush and one via reception.
Davis finished the day with 168 yards on 24 carries. Spiller added 21 carries for 117 yards.
Jacoby Ford had two carries for 60 yards. The first was a 53-yard scamper, a reverse which originally went for a 62 yard touchdown. The score was nullified on a personal foul penalty called on Davis, who made a crushing block on a State defender who officials determined was out of the play.
Davis got some measure of revenge moments later, catching a short touchdown pass in the right flat from Cullen Harper.
"Today we just came out to show we can throw the ball and run the ball," said Davis. "Today we showed we can do both things."
Meanwhile, Harper kept up his sterling early-season play.
The redshirt junior finished the day 25-for-39 for 268 yards and two touchdowns, the short throw to Davis and a beautiful eight-yard pass lofted to Spiller on a wheel route over the head of a Wolfpack defender. Harper finished the day without an interception, and still hasn't thrown one in 130 career attempts.
"We came out and ran the ball really well. We threw it really well," Harper said. "It started up front with the offensive line. And the defense gave us the ball."
The defense did more than that.
Clemson held the Wolfpack (1-4, 0-2) to just 202 total yards. State's only offensive touchdown of the first half came on a surprise two minute-type drill that Bowden said caught his team by surprise a bit. The other score came on Darrell Blackman's 99-yard kickoff return.
The only second half score came in the fourth quarter after the game was well in hand for the Tigers.
Clemson forced three more turnovers, all interceptions. Michael Hamlin also picked off a 2-point conversion attempt and returned in 100 yards for two points for the Tigers.
"In Koening's history he's always done a good job with interceptions," Bowden said. "They work really hard and he's done a good job with them. And I think they're all back next year."
Clemson is on the road again next Saturday, visiting Georgia Tech.
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score
----------------- -- -- -- -- -----
Clemson............. 17 10 10 5 - 42
NC State............ 7 7 0 6 - 20
Scoring Summary:
1st 11:32 CU - Spiller, C 11 yd pass from Harper, C (Buchholz, M kick)
8 plays, 58 yards, TOP 2:36, CU 7 - NCS 0
11:18 NCS - Blackman, D. 99 yd kickoff return (Hauschka, S. kick)
CU 7 - NCS 7
07:52 CU - Buchholz, M 28 yd field goal
9 plays, 66 yards, TOP 3:26, CU 10 - NCS 7
01:26 CU - Spiller, C 44 yd run (Buchholz, M kick)
1 play, 44 yards, TOP 0:09, CU 17 - NCS 7
2nd 09:13 CU - Davis, J 3 yd pass from Harper, C (Buchholz, M kick)
8 plays, 87 yards, TOP 3:21, CU 24 - NCS 7
05:27 NCS - Brown, A. 17 yd run (Hauschka, S. kick)
10 plays, 81 yards, TOP 3:46, CU 24 - NCS 14
00:00 CU - Buchholz, M 46 yd field goal
10 plays, 44 yards, TOP 2:50, CU 27 - NCS 14
3rd 11:26 CU - Buchholz, M 29 yd field goal
8 plays, 69 yards, TOP 3:34, CU 30 - NCS 14
04:06 CU - Davis, J 1 yd run (Buchholz, M kick)
16 plays, 80 yards, TOP 5:50, CU 37 - NCS 14
4th 08:29 NCS - Blackman, D. 9 yd pass from Evans, D. (Evans, D. pass intcpt)
12 plays, 66 yards, TOP 4:59, CU 37 - NCS 20
08:29 CU - Hamlin, M PAT return
CU 39 - NCS 20
01:18 CU - Buchholz, M 25 yd field goal
14 plays, 72 yards, TOP 7:11, CU 42 - NCS 20
Kickoff time: 12:00 End of Game: 3:40 Total elapsed time: 3:40
Officials: Referee: Jeff Flanagan; Umpire: George Burton; Linesman: Tyrone Davis;
Line judge: Todd LaPenta; Back judge: Virgil Valdez; Field judge: Frank Overcash;
Side judge: Angie Bartis; Scorer: Roger Warren;
Temperature: 79 Wind: NW 4 Weather: Partly sunny, muggy
Team Statistics
CU NCS
FIRST DOWNS................... 32 15
Rushing..................... 16 2
Passing..................... 14 13
Penalty..................... 2 0
NET YARDS RUSHING............. 340 55
Rushing Attempts............ 50 23
Average Per Rush............ 6.8 2.4
Rushing Touchdowns.......... 2 1
Yards Gained Rushing........ 358 77
Yards Lost Rushing.......... 18 22
NET YARDS PASSING............. 268 147
Completions-Attempts-Int.... 25-39-0 19-34-3
Average Per Attempt......... 6.9 4.3
Average Per Completion...... 10.7 7.7
Passing Touchdowns.......... 2 1
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS........... 608 202
Total offense plays......... 89 57
Average Gain Per Play....... 6.8 3.5
Fumbles: Number-Lost.......... 0-0 0-0
Penalties: Number-Yards....... 8-65 4-26
PUNTS-YARDS................... 2-97 6-219
Average Yards Per Punt...... 48.5 36.5
Net Yards Per Punt.......... 39.5 34.7
Inside 20................... 0 0
50+ Yards................... 0 0
Touchbacks.................. 0 0
Fair catch.................. 0 4
KICKOFFS-YARDS................ 8-528 4-279
Average Yards Per Kickoff... 66.0 69.8
Net Yards Per Kickoff....... 36.0 49.5
Touchbacks.................. 1 2
Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD. 2-11-0 2-18-0
Average Per Return.......... 5.5 9.0
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD 2-41-0 7-220-1
Average Per Return.......... 20.5 31.4
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD.. 3-31-0 0-0-0
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD. 0-0-0 0-0-0
Miscellaneous Yards........... 0 0
Possession Time............... 36:49 23:11
1st Quarter................. 9:00 6:00
2nd Quarter................. 7:51 7:09
3rd Quarter................. 10:59 4:01
4th Quarter................. 8:59 6:01
Third-Down Conversions........ 9 of 18 4 of 12
Fourth-Down Conversions....... 1 of 1 1 of 1
Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... 6-7 2-2
Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 2-19 1-10
PAT Kicks..................... 4-4 2-2
Field Goals................... 4-6 0-0
Individual Statistics
Clemson
Rushing No Gain Loss Net TD Lg Avg
--------------------------------------------
Davis, J 24 168 2 166 1 34 6.9
Spiller, C 21 117 3 114 1 44 5.4
Ford, J 2 60 0 60 0 53 30.0
Harper, C 2 13 10 3 0 13 1.5
TEAM 1 0 3 -3 0 0 -3.0
Totals... 50 358 18 340 2 53 6.8
Passing Att-Cmp-Int Yds TD Long Sack
--------------------------------------------
Harper, C 39-25-0 268 2 35 1
Totals... 39-25-0 268 2 35 1
Receiving No. Yds TD Long
-----------------------------------
Kelly, A 8 95 0 25
Ford, J 4 48 0 16
Davis, J 4 13 1 7
Taylor, R 3 53 0 35
Spiller, C 3 34 1 18
Linthicum, B 2 19 0 15
Palmer, M 1 6 0 6
Totals... 25 268 2 35
Punting No. Yds Avg Long In20 TB
----------------------------------------------
Maners, J 2 97 48.5 49 0 0
Totals... 2 97 48.5 49 0 0
Punts Kickoffs Intercept
All Returns No.Yds.Lg No.Yds.Lg No.Yds.Lg
---------------------------------------------
Ford, J 2 11 8 0 0 0 0 0 0
Spiller, C 0 0 0 2 41 22 0 0 0
Clemons, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 31 31
Hamlin, M 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Chancellor, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Totals... 2 11 8 2 41 22 3 31 31
Field goal attempts
----------------------------------------
Buchholz, M 1st 07:52 28 yds - Good
Buchholz, M 1st 03:12 29 yds - Missed
Buchholz, M 2nd 00:00 46 yds - Good
Buchholz, M 3rd 11:26 29 yds - Good
Buchholz, M 4th 13:28 52 yds - Missed
Buchholz, M 4th 01:18 25 yds - Good
Kickoffs No. Yds TB OB Avg
---------------------------------------
Buchholz, M 8 528 1 0 66.0
NC State
Rushing No Gain Loss Net TD Lg Avg
--------------------------------------------
Brown, A. 19 69 3 66 1 17 3.5
Eugene, J. 2 8 0 8 0 8 4.0
Beck, H. 1 0 6 -6 0 0 -6.0
Evans, D. 1 0 13 -13 0 0 -13.0
Totals... 23 77 22 55 1 17 2.4
Passing Att-Cmp-Int Yds TD Long Sack
--------------------------------------------
Evans, D. 25-16-1 123 1 21 1
Beck, H. 6-1-1 9 0 9 1
Burke, J. 3-2-1 15 0 8 0
Totals... 34-19-3 147 1 21 2
Receiving No. Yds TD Long
-----------------------------------
Stone, M. 5 37 0 9
Blackman, D. 4 39 1 21
Davis, D. 3 20 0 7
Kushner, M. 2 20 0 11
Dunlap, J. 2 16 0 8
Bowens, D. 1 19 0 19
Brown, A. 1 4 0 4
Eugene, J. 1 -8 0 0
Totals... 19 147 1 21
Punting No. Yds Avg Long In20 TB
----------------------------------------------
Pierson, B. 6 219 36.5 46 0 0
Totals... 6 219 36.5 46 0 0
Punts Kickoffs Intercept
All Returns No.Yds.Lg No.Yds.Lg No.Yds.Lg
---------------------------------------------
Blackman, D. 2 18 14 3 143 99 0 0 0
Eugene, J. 0 0 0 3 55 29 0 0 0
Irving, N. 0 0 0 1 22 22 0 0 0
Totals... 2 18 14 7 220 99 0 0 0
Field goal attempts
----------------------------------------
Kickoffs No. Yds TB OB Avg
---------------------------------------
Hauschka, S. 4 279 2 0 69.8
FUMBLES: Clemson-None. NC State-None.
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