15 Years Ago Today: Clemson-47 Georgia Tech- 44 OT (2001)

Sep 29, 2016, 3:04 PM

(25)Clemson-47 (9)Georgia Tech- 44 F-OT

Atlanta, GA September 29, 2001 was the scene for one of the most exciting Clemson Football games of the last 20 years. 2 plays defined the game for Clemson fans, and those 2 plays have gone down as two of the most iconic CUFB plays of the 21st century.

A wild back-and-forth second half was merely an appetizer for the final two minutes of the game. Georgia Tech had a 38-34 lead with the clock ticking down to two minutes remaining. Facing fourth-and-13 from their own 37-yard line, Dantzler heaved a beautiful pass that fell in the arms of J.J. McKelvey who trotted into the end zone to put the Tigers up 41-38 with 1:58 remaining in the game:

After a Georgia Tech field goal, Dantzler saved his best trick for last. On third-and-six at the Georgia Tech 11-yard line, ABC announcer Sean McDonough described it like only he could. “Dantzler…keeps it….Dantzler…Touchdown! Clemson wins.” The Dantzler touchdown-run gave Clemson the 47-44 win in overtime. Dantzler was a magician, passing for 254 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 164 yards and two touchdowns.

Tigers Shock No. 9 Yellow Jackets
USA TODAY

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Quarterback Woodrow Dantzler's 11-yard
touchdown run on the second possession of the first overtime
lifted 25th-ranked Clemson to a wild 47-44 Atlantic Coast
Conference victory over No. 11 Georgia Tech.

After Luke Manget booted a 33-yard field goal to open overtime,
Dantzler called his own number and went straight up the middle
to give Tommy Bowden one of his biggest wins in three years
at Clemson (3-1, 1-1 ACC).

"It was a big win," Bowden said. "A win in the conference is
always a big win. But the people back home will get a blast out
of this."

At the very least, it was the Tigers biggest road victory since
topping then-No. 8 North Carolina, 10-8, in 1981.

"Let me say that it is probably the biggest road win for Clemson
in 20 years," added Bowden, whose team lost to Virginia last
week. "That was a big win for this team as far as making
a statement."

It was the fourth touchdown of the day for Dantzler, who also
scored on a 38-yard run on the last play of the first half while
throwing for scores of 55 and 63 yards, respectively, after the
intermission.

Travis Zachery rushed for a pair of TDs for Clemson, which
trailed, 19-7, with 2:28 remaining in the opening half following
a one-yard TD run by Georgia Tech's Joe Burns and a two-point
conversion.

Burns rushed 30 times for 126 yards.

However, Dantzler's 38-yard TD scamper cut the deficit to five
points entering the locker room, giving the visitors a chance to
complete the comeback over the final 30-plus minutes.

Dantzler comleted 18-of-32 passes for 254 yards. Although he
was sacked six times, he still led the Yellow Jackets in rushing
with 164 yards on 25 carries. Zachery added 79 yards on 22
attempts.

"I wasn't sure how this team would respond after losing last
week," said Bowden. "This is a defining game that makes a
statement about this team and your ability to draw some strength
from within."

Manget connected on four field goals, but it was not enough for
the Yellow Jackets (3-1, 0-1), who had won four in a row over
the Tigers but lost on Saturday despite scoring 15
fourth-quarter points.

"Another great Clemson-Georgia Tech game," Yellow Jackets coach
George O'Leary said. "Give credit to Clemson, especially
Woodrow Dantzler, because they played exceptionally. They made
the plays when they had to make them."

Clemson grabbed the lead early in the second half when Dantzler
hit Matt Bailey for a 55-yard score, but Georgia Tech regained a
26-21 advantage as George Godsey hit Kelly Campbell for a
35-yard TD.

Godsey was 17-of-27 for 216 yards and a pair of scores. He
threw one interception.

"I think there was a period during this game when we started
dragging a bit," said Godsey. "But there is next week. The sun
will come up tomorrow. You have to give the Clemson players a
lot of credit."

Zachery capped drives of 13 and 18 plays -- each covering 80
yards -- with two short touchdown runs in a seven-minute span
bridging the final two quarters as Clemson grabbed a 34-26
advantage with just over 12 minutes left.

Scoring runs, however, by Burns (one yard) and Sidney Ford (10)
again swung the momentum in favor of the Yellow Jackets, before
Dantzler's 63-yard TD strike to J.J. McKelvey gave Clemson back
the lead at 41-38.

Manget's 20-yard field goal with six seconds left in regulation
forced overtime.

It marked the sixth straight year the Georgia Tech-Clemson game
was decided by three points.

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Best Is The Standard

I'm pretty sure I got my acceptance letter to Clemson that Saturday morning. It was my dream school and where I wanted to go since 2nd grade, so I was pretty stoked to say the least.

The letter was kinda anticlimactic, though. Above my name and address on the envelope was the following message: "You're Accepted!"

The suspense would have killed me anyway, so I guess it was a good thing!

The play that will always stand out in my mind is Woody's TD run before half. I would think that the OT TD run to win the game would be #1, but it's not. That something like 45-50 yard? TD is still hard to comprehend. He gets tackled and that's the half. No points. How did no one in the prevent stop him? But he scored, and I just had the belief that we could win that game. Somehow... some way.

Boy, how times have changed!

GT use to be good and throw forward passes...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

~JKB

15 Years Ago Today: Clemson-47 Georgia Tech- 44 OT (2001)

One of my favorite games of all time!

Sean McDonough has moved up - does MNF now.***

Still love finding replays of the game

woody became my alltime favorite tiger that game***

I was there! +1

Was there. Good time. Yea for me.***

That was a very special weekend for me...

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