Clemson Win Over La Tech a Throwback to Glory Days

Mo Fountain's interception in the second half sealed the game for the Tigers.

by Dan Scott - Correspondent - Sat Sep 07 18:11:37 GMT-04:00 2002

CLEMSON - For one hot, sticky afternoon it was just like old times again at

Death Valley.

Clemson methodically pulled away from Louisiana Tech for a 33-13 win

Saturday, a victory punctuated by the three things that made the Tigers so

dominant in the decade of the 1980s - strong defense, just enough offense and

a solid kicking game.

Clemson shut out the Bulldogs in the second half, twice intercepting

quarterback Luke McCown on important drives. The Tigers secondary proved for

a second consecutive week it indeed may be for real, picking off three passes

total and helping limit McCown - who threw for 448 yards a week ago - to just

213 Saturday (26-of-44).

POST GAME INTERVIEWS

Tommy Bowden

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Offensive Coordinator Brad Scott

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Defensive Coordinator John Lovett

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La Tech Head Coach Jack Bicknell

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McCown got 51 of those yards on a futile final drive that ended with a failed

fourth down conversion.

"We shut them out in the second half and held them to under 300 yards (total

offense), and that's a quality opponent," Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden

said. "I was real, real pleased with our defense. The scheme (defensive

coordinator) John (Lovett) has is presenting us with a lot of opportunities.

"We have a chance to be a good team if we can stay healthy and play with that

intensity for the 10 remaining games."

Clemson recovered a Tech fumble as well Saturday, for a total of four

turnovers. The defense now has forced seven turnovers in the first two games

while losing only two, putting them far ahead of the turnover ratio pace

which saw the team finish No. 101 in the nation in 2001.

The Tigers showed La. Tech a variety of different looks and coverages

Saturday which no doubt helped confuse McCown, but it was in a basic

alignment that true freshman Justin Miller made what may have been the game's

biggest play.

Trailing 26-13 but in possession at Clemson's 14, Miller stepped in front of

intended receiver D.J. Curry in the end zone and wrestled a McCown pass away

for his first career interception.

At the time 7:02 remained to be played.

On other occasions the Tigers incorporated elements of the zone blitz, in

which defensive linemen occasionally dropped into pass coverage in an attempt

to confuse the quarterback.

The strategy paid off at least twice, both times thanks to sophomore

defensive end Mo Fountain. Fountain tipped one pass away over the middle

after dropping nearly 10 yards in coverage, and later intercepted McCown in

the identical situation and returned the ball 43 yards.

The turnover set up Clemson's final score of the day, a two-yard run by Yusef

Kelly that put the exclamation point on the Tigers' first victory of the

season.

"They did a great job of mixing it up and giving us some different

coverages," said Tech coach Jack Bicknell. "They just have very good football

players."

"We feel really good about our defense," Miller said. "Coach Lovett has

brought a great philosophy, and the players have really responded to it. We

just came out and were able to play our game today."

Meanwhile, Clemson's offense moved the ball in spurts and wasn't always as

efficient as Bowden wanted in the red zone.

But when Kelly (97 yards, 25 carries) wasn't punching in one of his three

short touchdown runs, kicker Aaron Hunt rode to the rescue. After missing

both his attempts last week in the loss at Georgia, Hunt kicked a career-high

four field goals Saturday - including a 47-yarder - that helped keep La. Tech

at bay.

He also connected on kicks of 22, 38 and 37 yards.

"The thing that disappointed me on offense was that we had to settle for

field goals," Bowden said. "I knew Aaron Hunt would come back and have a

strong game, but had we gotten touchdowns instead of field goals I think the

outcome would have been more handily in our favor."

Hunt could have had a fifth field goal had it not been for a Bowden gamble on

fourth and 13 from the Bulldogs' 22. Lined up for the kick, Bowden instead

had holder Jeff Scott toss a shovel pass to upback Chad Jasmin. The play

gained only seven yards, however, and Clemson turned the ball over on downs.

Quarterback Willie Simmons threw for 242 yards (25-of-43), and seems to be

finding a comfort zone with receiver Kevin Youngblood. Youngblood had a

career-high 10 catches for 89 yards, while no other Tiger had more than four

receptions.

"We have a lot to improve on," said Youngblood. "We need to come in on Monday

and get back to work in order to get better and better each week."

Kelly's other scores came on runs of one (first quarter) and six yards

(second quarter). Tech's only touchdown was a one-yard plunge by Joe Smith

(19 carries, 69 yards) in the second quarter.

Josh Scobee kicked two first-half field goals (51, 21) for the Bulldogs.

La Tech - Clemson Drive Chart

First Quarter

Clemson 7, La. Tech 0

Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards in 4:09

Scoring Play: Keith Kelly one-yard run at 10:51

Key Play: Willie Simmons' 2-yard quarterback sneak on fourth and one from the

La. Tech 21.

Clemson 7, La. Tech 3

Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards in 1:58

Scoring Play: Josh Scobee's 21-yard field goal at 5:08.

Key Play: Blocked punt which gave La. Tech possession at CU 13.

Clemson 7, La. Tech 6

Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards in 2:33

Scoring Play: Scobee's 51-yard FG at 1:07

Key Play: Ben Hall fumble giving La. Tech possession at CU 44.

Second Quarter

Clemson 10, La. Tech 6

Drive: 9 plays, 29 yards in 3:00.

Scoring Play: Aaron Hunt's 47-yard field goal at 13:07.

Key Play: Simmons completion of 14 yards to Youngblood to La. Tech 26.

Clemson 17, La. Tech 6

Drive: 4 plays, 17 yards in 1:16.

Scoring Play: Kelly 6-yard run at 9:32.

Key Play: Blocked punt by Ronnie Delusme to give CU possession at La. Tech

17.

Clemson 17, La. Tech 13

Drive 10 plays, 61 yards in 4:53.

Scoring Play: Smith 1-yard run at :55.

Key Play: Personal foul facemask on Clemson that nullified third down sack of

McCown inside the CU 15.

Third Quarter

Clemson 20, La. Tech 13

Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards in 5:44.

Scoring Play: Hunt's 22-yard field goal at 7:39.

Key Play: Keith Kelly's 22-yard run on first play of drive.

Fourth Quarter

Clemson 23, La. Tech 13

Drive: 14 plays, 59 yards in 4:43.

Scoring Play: Hunt's 38-yard field goal at 14:52.

Key Play: Pass interference on La. Tech on a fourth-and-one incompletion.

Clemson 26, La. Tech 13

Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards in 2:18.

Scoring Play: Hunt 37-yard field goal at 11:49.

Key Play: Simmons' 30-yard completion to McKelvey to the La. Tech 15.

Clemson 33, La. Tech 13

Drive: 2 plays, 6 yards in :38.

Scoring Play: Kelly's 2-yard run at 4:09.

Key Play: Mo Fountain's 43-yard interception return setting Tigers up at La.

Tech 6.

Team Statistics

LOUISIANA TECH CLEMSON

First downs 20 20

Rushed-yards 26-80 35-87

Passing yards 213 249

Sacked-yards lost 1-12 3-14

Return yards 30 80

Passes 26-44-3 26-44-0

Punts 3-38.3 2-31.5

Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1

Penalties-yards 5-40 9-79

Time of possession 28:42 31:18

Individual Statistics

Rushing

LOUISIANA TECH

Joe Smith 19-69, Luke McCown 4-9, Freddie King 1-3, Ryan Moats 1-3, DJ Curry 1-MINUS 4.

CLEMSON

Yusef Kelly 25-97, Tye Hill 3-0, - Team 1-MINUS 2, Willie Simmons 6-MINUS 8.

Passing

LOUISIANA TECH

Luke McCown 26-44-213-3.

CLEMSON

Willie Simmons 25-43-242- 0. Jeff Scott 1-1-7- 0.

Receiving

LOUISIANA TECH

Chris Norwood 7-68, DJ Curry 4-39, Julius Cosby 2-27, Aaron Capps 2-24, Shawn Piper 3-19, Erick Franklin 3-16, Ahmad Harris 1-10, Alton Bryant 1-6, Joe Smith 2-3, Freddie King 1-1.

CLEMSON

Kevin Youngblood 10-89, J. J.McKelvey 4-48, Derrick Hamilton 4-37, Ben Hall 2-19, Jackie Robinson 1-14, Yusef Kelly 1-12, Justin Miller 1-9, Buddy WIlliams 1-8, Chad Jasmin 1-7, Tony Elliot 1-6.

Attendance 71,000