Clemson Game Notes vs Miami |
Clemson Game Notes vs. Miami
TEAM Clemson has won 10 consecutive games for the first time since the 1983-84 seasons. Clemson has won 16 of its last 17 games. The last time Clemson did that was during the 1947-49 era. Clemson has won 33 consecutive games over teams not ranked in either the AP or USA Today polls, 35 in a row over teams not ranked by the Associated Press. The last time Clemson lost to an unranked team was in 2011 at NC State. Clemson has started 7-0 for the first time since the 2011 season when the Tigers started 8-0. This is just the fifth time Clemson has started 7-0 or better in a season. The other seasons are 1948, 1981, 2000 and 2011. The visiting team has won five straight games in the Clemson vs. Miami series. Clemson has won four straight games played in NFL stadiums. The streak includes two wins in the Georgia Dome in 2012, and two straight wins in Sun Life Stadium, today’s game and the 2014 Orange Bowl win over Ohio State. Miami is the ninth different team ranked among the top 20 winningest teams (percentage) in the history of college football that Clemson has defeated over the last five years. Miami ranked 15th with a .6338 winning percentage entering today. The other teams ranked in the top 20 Clemson has defeated since 2011 are Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida State, LSU, Georgia, Auburn and Virginia Tech. Dabo Swinney is 68-26 as Clemson’s head coach. His .723 winning percentage is fourth best in ACC history (min 4 years). The only coaches ahead of him are Jimbo Fisher, Bobby Bowden and Danny Ford. Clemson’s 58-point victory margin tied the most in an ACC game (82-24 vs. Wake Forest in 1981). The Tigers’ 58 points were the program’s second-most in an ACC road game, trailing only the 59 scored at Virginia in 2013. The shutout was Clemson’s first in any road game since 1995 at Maryland. The Tigers’ 42 points in the opening half were the most by Clemson in an ACC game since 2012 at Duke, which also came in the first 30 minutes. Clemson’s 42-0 halftime lead was the program’s biggest margin in an ACC game since at least 1977. The Tigers led Duke 41-0 at halftime in 1984, the most lopsided margin on record. Clemson posted 21 points in the first quarter. It was the most points by the Tigers in a quarter against an ACC team since also scoring 21 in the opening quarter versus NC State in 2014. The Tigers rushed for 230 yards in the first half, more than it had in any of the previous six games this season. Clemson finished the contest with a season-best 416, most by the program since 2000 against Wake Forest. Clemson has now had a 400-yard passing game and 400-yard rushing game in its last two contests. That is the first time in history a Tiger team has done both in the same season. The Tigers have now scored 11 touchdowns defensively under coordinator Brent Venables since 2012, including two this season. INDIVIDUAL Deshaun Watson is now 11-1 as a starting quarterback the first Clemson starting quarterback to win 11 of his first 12 games. Watson moved to sole possession of seventh place in Clemson’s record book for career touchdown passes, moving ahead of Mike Eppley who had 28. Watson’s 63-yard carry in the opening quarter was the longest of his career. Wayne Gallman produced his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season. The sophomore ended the game with 118 yards and a touchdown. Gallman’s four 100-yard efforts are the most by a Tiger since Roderick McDowell also had four in 2013. Cordrea Tankersley returned an interception for a touchdown in the second quarter, his first career score and the Tigers’ second defensive touchdown in 2015. Shaq Lawson had two sacks, both in the first 16 minutes of Saturday’s game, increasing his career total to 13. Jordan Leggett has a touchdown reception in five straight games following his 34-yard catch from Watson on the game’s opening drive. That is a Clemson record for consecutive games with a touchdown by a tight end, breaking the tie he held with K.D. Dunn (1982). Kelly Bryant scored on a 59-yard touchdown rush, the longest carry of his young career. Bryant’s run was his first of two touchdowns on the day, the first two of his career. Artavis Scott’s three-yard rush in the second quarter was the first rushing touchdown of his career. Greg Huegel’s 30-yard field goal in the third quarter was his ninth make in 11 attempts this season. Freshman defensive back Van Smith recorded his first career interception in the fourth quarter. Austin Bryant and Richard Yeargin recorded their first career sacks in the third quarter, on back to back plays.
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