On This Date: 1981 (2)Clemson- 10 (8)North Carolina- 8

Nov 7, 2021, 2:38 PM

11/7/1981
Chapel Hill, NC

CLEMSON 10-8'CIOUS, TAR HELLS FALL

NY TIMES
Neil Amdur
November 8, 1981

Clemson's defense, which shut down Herschel Walker earlier in the season, protected the Tigers' unbeaten record again today in a 10-8 victory over North Carolina.

The Tar Heels, beaten only once in eight previous starts and averaging 36 points a game, reached the Clemson 7- and 4-yard lines on first down in separate drives but had to settle for two field goals by Brooks Barwick, of 22 and 26 yards, instead of getting touchdowns. Carolina's only other points came on a safety late in the first half, after Danny Barlow blocked Dale Hatcher's punt and the ball bounced through and out of the end zone.

Clemson's triumph was the Tigers' ninth in a row this season and 10th over all. The Tigers have games remaining against Maryland and South Carolina. Representatives from eight bowls were among the record Kenan Stadium homecoming crowd of 53,611, but Coach Danny Ford was not worried about No.1 rankings or a possible post-season pairing with Pittsburgh for a national title.

Clemson has been ranked as high as second in some polls. With Pittsburgh still facing a difficult assignment against Penn State, the Tigers have never seemed so attractive, particularly to bowls not bound by contracts to various conferences and eager to upstage the major bowls with a Pitt-Clemson pairing.

''We don't deserve No.1 because we didn't play well today and we had way too many turnovers,'' Ford said afterward, attributing the Tigers' tentative offense to his players' being too keyed up emotionally. ''We are not ready for No.1.''

With the Penn State-North Carolina State game being played only 28 miles away in Raleigh, this Atlantic Coast Conference showdown, which was regionally televised, contributed to an exciting football weekend in this area.

Ford's faith in his defense remained as strong as ever. ''I didn't think they'd get into the end zone against our defense,'' he said. Not even the return of Kelvin Bryant to the Tar Heel backfield for the first time in four games or a surprising Carolina passing attack could dent a defense that had stopped Georgia, 13-3, earlier in the year and was ranked third nationally in scoring defense. Carolina netted only 84 rushing yards in 42 attempts, well below its 280-yard average, and Bryant, who had scored 15 touchdowns in his first three games before suffering a knee injury, was limited to only 31 yards in 13 carries.

The big defensive plays began early in the second quarter when Dan Benish and William Devane sacked Rod Elkins of North Carolina for a 7-yard loss on an attempted first-down pass from the Tiger 7.

Carolina got the lead, 3-0, but Clemson took the kickoff and drove 81 yards in 14 plays for a touchdown with 6 minutes 54 seconds left in the quarter. Jeff McCall ran the last 7 inside right tackle.

The Tar Heels closed to 7-5 on the safety in the final 14 seconds of the half. But The Tigers moved 50 yards in 13 plays on their opening series of the second half that was capped by Donald Igwebuike's 39-yard field goal.

''That was the key to the game,'' Ford said. ''Coming out on the first drive and getting three points meant that a field goal couldn't beat us.''

North Carolina consumed 6 minutes 14 seconds of the third period with a 13-play march from its 12-yard line to the Clemson 4. But on first down, Bryant was trapped for a 5-yard loss by Jeff Davis, an aggressive senior linebacker, who has arms as broad as Popeye's and is known as The Judge for taking control of situations. Two passing attempts by Scott Stankavage then went incomplete, and Barwick kicked the 26-yard field goal with 34 seconds left in the quarter.'

''When I saw Bryant going that way, I thought it'd be a sweep,'' Davis said. ''I just went after him.'' Carolina had three more possessions in the final quarter. Each time, the Clemson defense dominated. On third-and-6 from the Tiger 33 with 10 minutes left, William Perry, the mammoth 285-pound Clemson freshman, sacked Stankavage for a 10-yard loss. Another Carolina series, with 3:30 left, ended at the Clemson 41, with incomplete passes.

The Tar Heels got the ball one last time at their 2-yard line, with 2:19 left. Two first downs carried to the 40. But pressure from Perry and Jeff Bryant hurried Stankavage, and he threw the ball laterally for Alan Burrus only to have Jeff Bryant fall on the ball.

''That's the closest we've been to a loss this year,'' said Ford, whose team routed Wake Forest, 82-24, last week. ''It was good to see our defense handle it.''

North Carolina's coach, #### Crum, could not hide his disappointment at losing a share of the conference lead. Although Bryant was available, Elkins, the No. 1 quarterback, who had missed last week because of an ankle injury, returned today only to limp off again for good in the second quarter.

''It was a tough loss,'' Crum said. ''We had our opportunities to win. We just didn't take advantage of them. I thought we played hard. We got a good effort considering some of the problems we've had recently with injuries.''