Clemson vs Virginia Tech Game Notes |
Clemson vs. Virginia Tech Series
Clemson has a 17-10-1 lead in the series with Virginia Tech, including a 6-2 advantage in games played in Blacksburg, and a 4-1 lead in games played in Lane Stadium. Virginia Tech’s only win over Clemson in Lane Stadium took place in 1999. That Virginia Tech team led by Michael Vick went on to the national championship game that year against Florida State. The Hokies have won each of the last three games in the series, one at Clemson, one at Virginia Tech, and one in the 2001 Gator Bowl. Those three consecutive wins all came under Frank Beamer in 1998, 1999 and 2000. The 1998 victory was in Tommy West’s last year and the 1999 and 2000 wins for Virginia Tech took place against Tommy Bowden. The two teams have not met since the 2001 Gator Bowl at the end of the 2000 season. Clemson’s last victory in the series took place in 1989 at Blacksburg, as a seventh-ranked Clemson team that had just won at Florida State, defeated Virginia Tech 27- 7. Virginia Tech’s only score came on a 90- yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Marcus Mickel. Here are some other notes on the series: •The Clemson vs. Virginia Tech series is one of the oldest in the Clemson history books. The two teams first met in 1900 when the Tigers won 17-5 during John Heisman’s first year as head coach. That was Clemson’s fifth straight win in a 6-0 season in Heisman’s first year. That game was played in Charlotte, NC. •Clemson actually had a nine-game winning streak in the series from 1955-89, including a 6-1 record against the Hokies in the decade of the 1980s. •Virginia Tech won in the last game played in Blacksburg, a 31-11 Hokie victory in a Thursday night game on ESPN. Clemson trailed just 17-11 late in the game, but Virginia Tech scored two touchdowns in the last four minutes. Clemson held Michael Vick to 7-16 passing for 88 yards and intercepted three of his passes, the most effective pass defense against Vick during that season. •The 1956 Clemson vs. Virginia Tech game was a battle of top 15 teams at Clemson. The Tigers won that game 21-6. Last Saturday Clemson defeated Georgia Tech 31-7 in a battle of top 13 teams at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Those are the only two games in Clemson history that Clemson has won in Death Valley when both teams were ranked in the top 15 in the nation entering the game. •Virginia Tech upset Clemson in the season opener at Clemson in 1986 by a 20-14 score. That was one of just two season opening losses in Danny Ford’s Clemson career. A blocked punt by Virginia Tech’s Mitch Dove was a key play in the game. Clemson’s punter that day was Bill Spiers, who went on to a 10-year major league baseball career. •Clemson won the 1985 game at Virginia Tech by a 20-17 score on a 36-yard field goal by David Treadwell on the last play of the game. That was the season opener for both teams. •Clemson had a three-game winning streak in the series between 1987-89. Clemson’s defense was prominent, allowing just 24 points and two offensive touchdowns in those three games combined. Last Meeting with Virginia Tech 2001 Gator Bowl Virginia Tech 41, Clemson 20. Michael Vick rebounded from an ankle-injury to lead Virginia Tech to a 41-20 win over Clemson victory in his final college game at the Gator Bowl. The quarterback finished with two touchdowns while completing 10 of 18 passes for 205 yards. The contest was a battle of mobile quarterbacks, as Clemson’s Woodrow Dantzler gained 261 yards of total offense for the afternoon. Both teams were ranked in the top 20 of both polls entering the game. The Hokies capitalized on early costly Tiger mistakes. The uncharacteristic play began on the first drive when snapper Henry Owen bounced his delivery to punter Jaime Somaini, who was tackled for an eight-yard loss by Lee Suggs. Tech scored on its first offensive play of the game when Vick threw to Jarrett Ferguson on a 23-yard touchdown play. Later in the quarter, Terry Jolly jumped off-side to preserve an 11-play, 59-yard drive that ended in a six-yard touchdown run for Vick. Clemson got back into the game, but at a heavy cost. Dantzler found Travis Zachery for a 23-yard touchdown early in the second quarter. However, Zachery’s missed the rest of the game due to a broken foot that occurred as the tailback leaped into the endzone. On the play, Zachery also snapped Lester Brown’s single-season Clemson record of 17 touchdowns in a season. Two possessions later, Keith Adams sacked Vick for 18 yards, forcing a fumble that Terry Bryant recovered on the Hokie 13. Clemson had to settle for an Aaron Hunt field goal, bringing the Tigers to within 14-10. But, that was as close as Clemson could get. Suggs scored his first touchdown of the day on a three-yard rush on the next possession to give the Hokies a 21-10 lead. Hopes of a second-half rally were shattered when Vick found Andre Davis for a 55-yard touchdown on the first drive of the second half. Willie Simmons relieved Dantzler in the final quarter. On his first possession, Simmons led the offense on an 11-play, 71-yard drive that ended in a 23-yard touchdown pass to Rod Gardner. With seven catches, Gardner surpassed Terry Smith’s Clemson record for career receptions, finishing his career with 166. Both quarterbacks were prominent in the much-anticipated match-up between Vick and Dantzler, although the Hokie quarterback left with both a Gator Bowl and a MVP trophy. Vick had the advantage in the passing game, his numbers slightly besting Dantzler’s 15-32 for 180 yards. Tigers from Virginia Clemson has just two players on its roster from the state of Virginia, but both are prominent players. Chris McDuffie is a redshirt junior offensive guard who will make his first college start at Virginia Tech this Thursday. McDuffie is from Danville, VA and will be replacing Roman Fry in the starting lineup at a guard position. Fry suffered a torn ACL against Georgia Tech and is lost for the season. McDuffie will thus be making his first college start in his home state. McDuffie came on in the fourth play of the Georgia Tech game and had an immediate impact as James Davis followed his block for a 17-yard run and a first down. McDuffie played 39 plays in the Georgia Tech game and had an 82 percent grade from the Clemson coaches. He had 10.5 knockdown blocks, the high total in the game among Clemson linemen. Kavell Conner is a red-shirt freshman linebacker from Richmond, VA. He has played in all eight games and has played 104 snaps so far this season. He has 24 tackles to rank 10th on the team, second among non-starters. He had seven of those tackles in the win over Louisiana Tech to lead the team in that category. He had four tackles in 11 snaps in the win over Georgia Tech. Virginia is proving to be a good state for athletic talent for Clemson. The starting point guard on the Tigers basketball team is Vernon Hamilton, a native of Richmond, who was a member of the All-ACC defense team last year. Anniversary Season at Clemson So far the 2006 Clemson football season has the makings of a special year. The Tigers are 7-1 for just the second time since 1987 and are ranked in the top 10 for the first time since 2000. This is an anniversary season for the Clemson program in many ways. First, this is the 25-year anniversary of Clemson’s 1981 national championship, the only national championship in the programs history. That team finished 12-0 under Danny Ford and defeated Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, 22- 15.That anniversary was celebrated on September 23 at the North Carolina game. That team was inducted as a team into the Clemson Ring of Honor at Memorial Stadium. This is also the 50-year anniversary of Clemson’s 1956 team that went to the Orange Bowl. The last two seasons Clemson has been to the Orange Bowl have been the 1981 and 1956 teams, squads celebrating their 25th and 50th anniversaries, respectively. The 1956 team will be honored at the Maryland game on November 4. As far as Clemson tradition, this is the 40-year anniversary of Howard’s Rock and its placement at the top of the hill at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Clemson players rub Howard’s Rock before they run down the hill prior to each game. It was first place on the pedestal for the Virginia game in 1966. From a campus standpoint, this is the 100th year of The Tiger student newspaper, the 40-year anniversary of the Cooper Library, and the 200-year anniversary of the birth of Thomas Green Clemson, the university’s founder. Clemson just had its 50th Tigerama, the homecoming celebration prior to the homecoming game. That homecoming contest was October 21 against Georgia Tech. Reliving 1989 There are many similarities between this Clemson team and the 2006 Tigers. First, Clemson is starting a fifth-year senior quarterback in his first year as the starter. Will Proctor was a backup to Charlie Whitehurst before finally getting his shot this year. Whitehurst won 25 games as the Clemson starting signal caller, the second most wins in Clemson history. In 1989, Chris Morocco was a fifth-year senior in his first year as the starter after serving behind Rodney Williams for four years. Williams is Clemson’s winningest quarterback with 32 career victories. This season Clemson won in Tallahassee by a 27-20 score on a one-yard touchdown run by James Davis with eight seconds left. The last time Clemson had won in Tallahassee was in 1989, a 34-23 victory engineered by Chris Morocco. Thursday night Clemson will travel to Blacksburg, VA to take on Virginia Tech. The last time Clemson defeated the Hokies was in 1989 in Blacksburg, a 27-7 Clemson victory. In that game Clemson used a strong running back tandem to gain the victory. Wesley McFadden had 20 rushes for 93 yards and Terry Allen added 17-74 and a touchdown to key the victory. Allen had a key play in the game when he completed a 66-yard halfback option pass to Gary Cooper to give Clemson a 20-0 lead. Of course, the 2006 Clemson team features a dynamic pair at running back in James Davis and C.J. Spiller. Clemson held Virginia Tech to 243 yards of total offense behind top tackler Levon Kirkland, who also had a 47-yard interception return for a touchdown. Clemson working on quick Turnaround Clemson has a quick turnaround in playing at Virginia Tech on Thursday night. The Tigers defeated Georgia Tech this past Saturday and will attempt to sweep the ACC Tech’s within a five-day period. Clemson also defeated Louisiana Tech earlier this year. This is the second time this year Clemson has had a quick turnaround. Clemson defeated Wake Forest on October 7, a Saturday, then defeated Temple on Thursday night October 12 in Charlotte. That marked the first time since 1929 that Clemson has won two games in five days. That year Clemson defeated The Citadel at Clemson by a 13-0 score on November 23, then defeated Furman five days later (Nov. 28) by a 7-6 score at Clemson. Overall, this is just the fifth time since 1933 that Clemson has played two games within five days. The other occurrences took place in 1982, 2002, 2003. The 2002 and 2003 occurrences were ESPN Thursday night games, while the 1982 schedule was a Monday night game at Georgia followed by a home game against Western Carolina. Playing games in short periods of time were commonplace in the early days of football. Clemson played three games in seven days twice, once in 1907 an again in 1911. In 1907 Clemson lost to Auburn on Nov. 4, to Georgia on Nov. 7 and to Davidson on Nov. 9. In 1911, the Tigers defeated South Carolina on Nov. 2, defeated The Citadel on Nov. 4 and lost to Georgia on Nov. 9. Clemson on ESPN Thursday Night This will be Clemson’s eighth appearance on ESPN’s Thursday Night College Football Package. Clemson is 1-6 in its previous appearances, including a 1-5 under Tommy Bowden. That one win, however, took place in Clemson’s last appearance, a 31-10 win last season at NC State. Clemson lost to Georgia Tech in the 1998 season under Tommy West, then lost at Virginia Tech and Michael Vick on a Thursday night in 1999, Tommy Bowden’s first year. The Tigers lost a pair of Thursday night games in 2002, at Florida State and at home against NC State. In 2003 Clemson lost at NC State, 17- 15, in a battle of current San Diego Charger quarterbacks (Phillip Rivers and Charlie Whitehurst). The Tigers dropped a 30-10 decision to a #12 Virginia team in 2004. While Clemson has a 1-6 mark on Thursday night, it should be noted that five of the six losses have been to top 25 teams and four of the six have been on the road. Clemson played at home on a Thursday night in the ESPN package against Georgia Tech in 1998 and against NC State in 2002. Georgia Tech entered that 1998 game ranked 22nd in the nation, but finished the season 10-2 and ranked ninth in the nation. The 1999 Virginia Tech team finished 11-1 and ranked second in the country. The 2002 NC State team finished with a school record 11 wins and a top 20 ranking. Playing on Thursday is not new for Clemson historically. Clemson and South Carolina used to play on “Big Thursday” every year between 1909 and 1959. The game was played in Columbia in conjunction with the State Fair. Clemson did not win a Thursday game between 1964 and 2004. The Tigers played on Thanksgiving Day in 1963 due to the death of President Kennedy. Overall, Clemson has played 124 games on Thursdays in its history and the Tigers are 54-60-10 in those games. Clemson has won two in a row on Thursday, including this year’s 63-9 win over Temple in Charlotte on October 12. Clemson on ESPN Thursday Night Package
Year WL Cu-Opp Opponent (Rank)
Top Two ACC Rushers on Display
Thursday evening’s game between Clemson and Virginia Tech
will showcase the top two rushers in the ACC, the only two in the league
averaging at least 100 yards per game. Clemson’s James Davis is
averaging 120.1 yards per game, a record pace for a Tiger running back,
while Virginia Tech’s Brandon Ore stands second in the league at 105.1
yards per game. Davis is ninth in the nation in rushing and Ore is 14th
entering this week’s play.
Davis and ore also rank one-two in the ACC in all-purpose
running. Davis is first at 133 yards per game, while Ore is second at
130.4. The duo is also one-two in scoring and touchdowns. Davis
averages 12.0 points per game, second in the nation and his 16
touchdowns are also first in the ACC and second in the nation. Ore has
10 touchdowns and is averaging 8.6 points per game.
Clemson and Virginia Tech also rank one-two in the ACC in
total defense and pass defense, meaning it will be an interesting battle
throughout. Clemson is giving up 230.4 yards per game, but Virginia
Tech is close behind at 242.7 yards per game. The two teams are also
one-two in scoring defense and scoring offense. Statistically there are
many areas where you can say this is a matchup of the top two teams in
the ACC from a defensive standpoint.
Davis Closing in on 1000 Yards
Clemson sophomore running back James Davis has 961 yards
in 2006 and obviously needs just 39 against Virginia Tech to reach 1000
for the season. He has reached the 961 mark on just 139 carries, giving
him a 6.9 average for the season. He is averaging 17.4 carries for 120.1
yards per game and has scored 16 touchdowns, an average of 2.0
touchdowns per game.
The ACC record for fewest rushing attempt to reach 1,000
rushing yards in a season is held by former Clemson All-American
Terrence Flagler, who reached 1000 yards in 1986 on just 140 rushing
attempts. So, Davis won’t get that record unless he has a 39-yard run on
his first carry of the game. Warrick Dunn of Florida State did in 141
attempts during the 1995 season, a year in which he averaged 7.5
yards per carry, an ACC record for a 1000-yard season. If Davis can
reach 1,000 yards inside his 15th carry he will rank third in ACC history in
terms of fewest carries to reach 1000 yards.
Clemson has had 11 1000-yard rushing seasons by nine
different players over the years. Raymond Priester (1996-97) and
Woodrow Dantzler (2000-01) are the only players to reach it twice.
Dantzler is the last Clemson player to reach 1,000 yards, as he had 1061
in his senior season of 2001. The last running back to do it is Travis
Zachery, who had 1027 rushing in 2000. However, Zachery was not
Clemson’s leading rusher that year, as Dantzler gained 1028.
Clemson 1000-yard Rushing Seasons
Rk Player Ps Year Att Avg Yards 1. Raymond Priester RB 1996 257 5.2 1345 2. Raymond Priester RB 1995 238 5.6 1322 3. Terrence Flagler RB 1986 192 6.6 1258 4. Kenny Flowers RB 1985 227 5.3 1200 5. Terry Allen RB 1988 216 5.5 1192 6. Cliff Austin RB 1982 197 5.4 1064 7. Woodrow Dantzler QB 2001 221 4.8 1061 8. Buddy Gore RB 1967 230 4.5 1045 9. Woodrow Dantzler QB 2000 190 5.4 1028 10.Travis Zachery RB 2000 206 5.0 1027 11.Lester Brown RB 1978 202 5.1 1022 James Davis RB 2006 139 6.9 961
Davis Chasing Records
James Davis is one a record pace in a number of areas. His
120.1 rushing yards per game is ahead of the record 112.1 yards per
game set by Raymond Priester in 1996 when he had 1345 yards in 12
games.
Davis’s 16 rushing touchdowns rank second in Clemson history
and just one off the school record. Lester Brown had 17 rushing
touchdowns in 1978. Davis’s 16 total touchdowns are just two off of
Travis Zachery’s record of 18 total touchdowns (13 rushing and five
receiving) in 2000. And, Davis’s 96 total points are just 12 off tying
Zachery’s record of 108 total points set in 2000.
The ACC record for total touchdowns in a season is 21 by Don
McCauley of North Carolina in 1970. The league record for rushing
touchdowns in a season is 19, set by Robert Lavette of Georgia Tech in
1982, and Don McCauley of North Carolina in 1970. Both of those
players did it in 11 games. Kelvin Bryant of North Carolina (1981) is the
only player in ACC history to average at least two rushing touchdowns
per game. He had 17 in just eight games that year.
In terms of yards per carry, Davis has a 6.9 figure at the
moment, a figure that would be third best in Clemson history given a
minimum of 500 yards rushing. Billy Hair had a 7.39 average with 71
attempts for 525 yards in 1950. It is interesting to note that C.J. Spiller
stands at 6.8 yards per carry and is already over the minimum 500 yards
rushing for the season (523).
Clemson Season Total Touchdown Bests
Rk Player Year Rus Rec Ret Tot 1. Travis Zachery 2000 13 5 0 18 2. Lester Brown 1978 17 0 0 17 3. James Davis 2006 16 0 0 16 Travis Zachery 1999 16 0 0 16 5. Fred Cone 1950 14 1 0 15 Emory Smith 1995 14 1 0 15 7. Cliff Austin 1982 14 0 0 14
Davis Named National Player of the Week by Walter Camp
Foundation
Clemson running back James Davis has been named the
national offensive player of the week by the Walter Camp Foundation.
Each week the foundation names and offensive and defensive player of
the week. The defensive player of the week was Ameer Ismail of
Western Michigan.
Davis rushed for a career-best 216 yards and two touchdowns
as 12th-ranked Clemson defeated 13th-ranked Georgia Tech, 31-7 on
Saturday evening at Death Valley. Davis scored on runs of two and five
yards and had a pair of runs over 50 yards in gaining the most yards
rushing by a Clemson running back since Raymond Priester gained a
school record 263 yards against Duke in 1995.
Davis helped the Tigers improve to 7-1 overall, 4-1 in the ACC
with the victory. He is now leading the ACC and ninth in rushing with
120.13 yards per game, and is second in the nation in scoring with 12.0
points per game. He has scored 16 touchdowns so far this year, just two
short of the Clemson single season record.
Thunder and Lightning
Clemson running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller both
went over 100 yards rushing in Clemson’s win over Louisiana Tech, two
of three running backs to go over 100 in that 51-0 Clemson win.
(Demerick Chancellor was the third). Davis had 11-143 and two
touchdowns, while Spiller gained 127 in 15 carries and scored once.
That marked the first time since 1982 that three backs went over 100
yards in a game for the Tigers, the first time since 2002 that two went
over 100 yards in the same game.
That combined 270 yards by Davis and Spiller was trumped in
the win over Georgia Tech when they combined for 332 on 37 carries and
scored a combined four touchdowns. Davis had 216 yards in the
contest, his career high, and had a pair of runs over 50 yards. Spiller
added 116 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown run and added a 50-
yard touchdown reception off a shot pass in the flat from quarterback Will
Proctor. It marked the first time in Clemson history that the Tigers had
had a 200-yard rusher and 100-yard rusher in the same game. The
closest occurrence came in 1974 when Ken Callicutt had 197 and Mark
Fellers had 106 in a victory over South Carolina at Death Valley.
The combined 332 yards rushing ranks by Spiller and Davis
against Georgia Tech ranks second in Clemson history for two Clemson
players in the same game, the most since Raymond Priester and Nealon
Greene had a combined 358 against Duke in 1995. It was quite an
accomplishment considering Georgia Tech was seventh in the nation in
rushing defense entering the game, allowing just 72 yards per game.
During the ESPN broadcast of the Georgia Tech game, color
commentator Todd Blackledge referred to Davis and Spiller as “Thunder
and Lightning” because of their respective running styles. Davis has
more of the power game and Spiller has lightning quick speed. The
players were interviewed on the ESPN Gameday set at Death Valley
immediately after the game.
So far this year, Davis and Spiller have combined for 1484
yards in eight games, an average of 185.5 yards per game. The duo has
those 1484 yards on just 216 attempts, for a per carry average of 6.87
yards per rush. They also have a combined 23 rushing touchdowns.
They are ahead of the Clemson record pace for combined yards rushing
per game by a duo over the course of a season. They are just three
touchdowns short of the rushing touchdown record for two backs
combined.
Top Single Game Combined Rushing Yards, Clemson History
Year Opponent Site Players (total) Yards 1995 Duke H Priester (263), Greene (95) 358 2006 Georgia Tech H Davis (216), Spiller 116) 332 1982 Duke H Austin (260), McSwain (58) 318 1990 Appalachian St. H Williams (183), Witherspoon (123) 306 1974 South Carolina H Callicutt (197), Fellers (106) 303 1987 Virginia H Allen (183), McFadden (119) 302
Top Running Back Duos in Clemson History
(Yards/Game Basis) Year Players GP Att Yds Avg TD Yds/G 2006 Davis-Spiller 8 216 1484 6.87 23 185.5 1995 Priester-Smith 12 383 2069 5.40 20 172.4 2000 Dantzler-Zachery 12 396 2055 5.19 26 171.3 1985 Flowers-Driver 12 408 2031 4.98 15 169.3 1982 Austin-McSwain 11 328 1705 5.20 21 155.0 1986 Flagler-Flowers 12 315 1853 5.88 15 154.4 1967 Gore-J. Jackson 10 331 1495 4.52 12 149.5 1983 Mack-Driver 11 297 1636 5.51 13 148.7 1987 Allen-McFadden 12 320 1760 5.50 14 146.2
Davis and Spiller Both over 6.8 yards per carry
Clemson running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller are both
averaging over 6.8 yards per carry so far this year. If the season ended
today, those yards per carry figures would both be among the top four in
Clemson history, given a minimum of 400 yards rushing. The record is
held by Billy Hair in 1950, one of the oldest records in the Clemson book.
Hair had 525 yards rushing on just 71 attempts in 1950 for a 7.39
average.
Ronald Williams had a 7.13 average in 1991 before he suffered
a torn ACL on October 26, 1991 during pre-game warm-ups for the
Clemson vs. NC State game. Thursday night is the exact 15-year
anniversary of that game.
Davis and Spiller rank three-four on the list at the moment
since both have already reached the 500-yard qualifier. As you can see
by the list below two teams in Clemson history have had a pair of running
backs average at least 6.0 yards per carry, the 1939 team that was 9-1
and won the Cotton Bowl over Boston College, and the 1950 team that
was 9-0-1 and ranked ninth in the final AP poll.
Top Season Yards/Carry Figures in Clemson History
Rk Name Year Att-Yds Avg 1. Billy Hair 1950 71-525 7.39 2. Ronald Williams 1991 82-585 7.13 3. James Davis 2006 139-961 6.91 4. C.J. Spiller 2006 77-523 6.79 5. Terrence Flagler 1986 192-1258 6.55 6. Jackie Calvert 1950 105-663 6.31 7. Ray Mathews 1949 118-728 6.17 8. Hal Davis 1964 87-533 6.13 9. Shad Bryant 1939 84-508 6.05 10. Banks McFadden 1939 78-468 6.01
Clemson Running Back Depth
Clemson ranks fourth in the nation in rushing offense. A
strong senior led offensive line has a lot to do with it, but so does the
depth at running back for the Tigers. Much has been written about the
accomplishments of James Davis, who is ninth in the nation in rushing
with 120.1 yards per game, a Clemson record pace. C.J. Spiller has 523
yards and a 6.8 yards per carry figure and has had three 100-yard games
in his last four contests.
But, Clemson’s third leading rusher, Demerick Chancellor has
been effective also. Chancellor has 276 yards on 45 attempts for a 6.1
average and has a pair of 100-yard rushing games so far this season.
Reggie Merriweather has been injured with an ankle problem,
originally suffered against Louisiana Tech. Merriweather has not carried
the ball in the last four games, but he has a 5.8 average on 25 attempts
and has two scores so far this year. Merriweather has 144 yards this
year and 1585 career rushing yards to rank 23rd in Clemson history. He
has had five career 100-yard rushing performances.
And, there is a fifth player on the Clemson roster who has had
a 100-yard rushing game in his career. Duane Coleman, now starting
cornerback and second leading tackler on the team, played running back
in 2003 and 2004. He had 13-111 against North Carolina in 2003.
This is the first Clemson team in history to have five different
running backs on the roster who have had a 100-yard rushing game.
Spiller Three Time ACC Rookie of the Week
Clemson running back C.J. Spiller certainly must be considered
one of the favorites for ACC Rookie of the Year honors. The native of
Florida has 523 yards rushing and 184 yards receiving and has scored
nine touchdowns. He had a 72-yard run against Wake Forest that
proved to be the winning touchdown. He had an 82-yard pass reception
at Boston College that is the longest reception in Clemson history by a
freshman and by a running back regardless of class. He had a pair of
50-yard touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving, in the win over
Georgia Tech.
The Georgia Tech performance marked the third time this year
that Spiller has been named ACC Rookie of the Week. He is attempting
to duplicate the accomplishment of James Davis, who was named ACC
Rookie of the Year last year.
Spiller has already tied Davis’s freshman touchdown record.
Davis had nine last year, all rushing, and Spiller has nine in eight games
this year, seven rushing and two receiving.
Clemson Defense among Nation’s Best
Clemson’s defense has been outstanding all season. Vic
Koenning’s group leads the ACC in total defense, scoring defense, pass
efficiency defense completion percentage defense, fewest touchdowns
allowed per game and tackles for loss per game.
It has been an amazing accomplishment considering
Clemson’s top two tacklers from last year, Anthony Waters and Tramaine
Billie, have been lost for the season and played a combined one game.
But, many players have stepped up to fill in the void left by those players.
Nick Watkins, a junior linebacker from New Orleans, LA, is the
top tackler with 61 stops, but that does not rank in the top 20 in the ACC
on a per game basis. Duane Coleman has been among the top
defensive backs in the ACC and has 55 tackles and three fumble
recoveries. Antonio Clay, Waters replacement at middle linebacker, is
third on the club in tackles with 52. He is coming off his best game with
13 tackles, including three tackles for loss against Georgia Tech.
Of course, Gaines Adams receives the most notoriety as the
senior leads the ACC and ranks in the top 10 in the nation in sacks with
8.5 and he is also second in the ACC in tackles for loss with 11.5. He
has 18 quarterback pressures, six more than any other Clemson player.
How good has this Clemson defense been this year? The unit
has given up more than 260 yards just once all year and that was in the
double overtime game at Boston College when the Eagles had 322. The
last three opponents have failed to gain over 225 yards. No team has
gained more than 111 yards rushing and five of the eight opponents have
scored in single digits.
Clemson’s top defense in the last 20 years would be the 1990
unit that led the nation in total defense allowing just 219. That team
started seven players who went on to play in the NFL.
Here is a comparison of the numbers for the 1990 Clemson
defense and the 2006 Clemson defense:
Comparison of Clemson Defenses
Category 1990 2006 Total Defense 219.2 230.4 Yards Per Play 3.5 3.7 Rushing Yards/G 70.9 72.0 Yards/Rush Att 2.1 2.2 Passing Yards Allowed 148.5 158.4 Points Per Game 9.9 12.5
Nocturnal Tigers
Clemson will play at Virginia Tech in a 7:45 PM contest on
Thursday, Clemson’s third consecutive night game. Tommy Bowden
used to roll his eyes when he was informed that the Tigers had been
scheduled for night for television, but he must not be as disappointed
lately.
Clemson is 4-0 so far this year in night games, wins over
Florida State, Louisiana Tech, Temple and Georgia Tech. Clemson won
all four of its night games last year, including wins over top 20 teams
from Texas A&M, South Carolina and Colorado. Clemson has won its
last nine night games, including 5-0 against top 25 teams. Clemson’s
last loss at night took place in the state of Virginia, a Thursday night loss
at Virginia in 2004.
The 9-0 run in night games is a total reversal from Bowden’s
first five years at Clemson. Clemson had an 0-5 record in night games
his first year and a 6-1 mark in day games. Clemson was 2-14 at night
under Bowden for his first four years, plus three games. Overall, he is
now 11-14 in night games in his Clemson career.
Clemson Graduate is Virginia Tech QB coach
Virginia Tech quarterback coach Mike O’Cain is a 1977
Clemson graduate. O’Cain was the Tigers team MVP in 1976 when he
played quarterback and served as the punter. He was a member of the
team from 1973-76, then stayed on staff as student assistant coach
in1977. O’Cain served as the head coach at NC State before coming to
Clemson as an assistant coach for the 2001 Gator Bowl. His first game
coaching for Clemson as a full-time assistant came against Virginia Tech.
He replace Rich Rodriquez who left to become the head coach at West
Virginia.
O’Cain served on the Clemson coaching staff for 2001-02-03
and 2004. He was the quarterbacks coach for the first three years, then
the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in 2004. His first year
on the staff (2001) he coached Woody Dantzler who became the first
quarterback in NCAA history to record 2000 yards passing and 1000
yards rushing in the same season.
Adams Semifinalist for Lombardi and Hendricks Awards
Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams was a preseason
candidate for four different awards. He is been named a semifinalist for
two awards within the last week. He is one of 12 semifinalists for the
Lombardi Award, which is presented to the top linemen in college
football, and is one of 28 semifinalists for the Ted Hendricks Award,
which is given to the top defensive end in college football.
Adams has 8.5 quarterback sacks so far this year to lead the
ACC and his 11.5 tackles for loss rank second. He is ranked eighth in
the nation in sacks. Adams has 30 tackles and 18 quarterback
pressures. The senior from Greenwood, SC is a major reason Clemson
is ranked fourth in the nation in total defense, seventh in the nation in
scoring defense, 15th in the nation in sacks, fifth in the nation in pass
efficiency defense, and seventh in the nation in rushing defense.
Clemson leads the ACC in five different defensive cateogories.
Adams recently set a school record for consecutive games with
a sack with six. He now has 24 sacks for his Clemson career, third best
in school history and just four off of Michael Dean Perry’s career record.
Clemson has Won 11 of last 12
Clemson has won six games in a row dating to a September 9
double overtime loss at Boston College. The Tigers won their last four
games of 2005, meaning Tommy Bowden’s team has won 11 of its last
12 with the only loss coming in double overtime.
Each of Clemson’s last six losses have come by six points or
less and the Tigers are 20-6 in the last 26 games, or since a four-game
losing streak in 2004. Clemson has not lost a game by more than six
points in each of the last 26 contests, the second longest streak of its
kind in the nation behind Southern Cal’s 54-game streak.
It is an odd record, but the current 26-game streak without
suffering a loss by more than six points is the longest for the Clemson
program since a 33-game streak between 1899 and 1904. Much of the
streak took place during John Heisman’s 23-game tenure as head coach.
Heisman’s had a 19-3-2 record as Clemson head coach and his largest
defeat was by six points on two occasions.
This is the first time Clemson has won 11 of12 games since the
1990-91 era. The Tigers won 12 of 13 games between September 15,
1990 and September 28, 1991.
The Hunt for a Perfect October
Clemson has a 3-0 record for the month of October, wins away
from home against Wake Forest and Temple and the win over Georgia
Tech at Death Valley on October 21. A victory at Virginia Tech on
Thursday would give Clemson it first perfect month of October since
1984. Clemson actually had four consecutive perfect Octobers during
the William Perry era. The Fridge and company were a perfect 16-0 in
October from 1981-84.
Clemson has had four perfect months since Tommy Bowden
became the head coach in 1999. The Tigers went unblemished in
September of 2000, September of 2002, September of 2003 and
November of 2005.
Chason Having Career Year
Clemson punter Cole Chason is coming off the finest game of
his Clemson career. The Clemson graduate had a 48-yard average on
five punts in the win over Georgia Tech, the ACC school closest to his
hometown of Roswell, GA. His net punting average of 42.2 was also a
career best given a minimum of three punts.
Not only was Chason’s 48.0 average a personal best it was
actually the third best single game performance in the post Chris
Gardocki era. Gardocki punted for the Tigers between 1988-90 and is
Clemson’s career leader with a 44.2 average. He is in his 16th year in the
NFL.
Since the 1991 season, or the first year after he left for the
NFL, only Chris McInally and Jamie Somaini have averaged at least 48
yards a punt given a minimum of three punts. McInally averaged 49.3 on
six punts against Syracuse in the 1996 Gator Bowl and Somaini
averaged 50.3 on three punts against Virginia in 2000.
Chason has improved his punting average from 36.4 last year
to 42.2 this season, an improvement of 5.8 yards per punt. If the season
ended today, that would be the best one season improvement in
Clemson history for someone who served as the starting punter in
consecutive seasons. The existing record is held by Kevin Laird, who
made a 5.6 yard improvement between 1996 and 1997.
Clemson’s Most Improved Punters
First year Second Year Name Year Avg Year Avg. Imp Cole Chason 2005 36.4 2006 42.2 +5.8 Kevin Laird 1996 37.2 1997 42.8 +5.6 Butch Butler 1942 36.7 1943 41.1 +4.4 Eddie Werntz 1960 36.2 1961 40.2 +4.0
Four Clemson Players Earn Player of the Week Honors from ACC
Clemson had four different players honored by the ACC
after the team’s victory over 13th ranked Georgia Tech on October 21.
James Davis gained 216 yards rushing in 21 attempts and
scored two touchdowns in Clemson’s 31-7 victory over 13th ranked
Georgia Tech to earn ACC Offensive Back of the Week honors. Davis
had runs of 54, 53, and 30 yards during his performance. The 216
yards rushing were the most by an ACC player this year and the most
by a Clemson running back in 11 years. Georgia Tech was seventh in
the nation in rushing defense allowing just 72.5 yards per game
entering the contest. Davis’s rushing total was the sixth most in a
single game in Clemson history and the seventh highest total ever
against Georgia Tech.
Nathan Bennett played 52 of Clemson’s 54 offensive snaps
and graded a team best 90 percent in the victory over Georgia Tech
to earn ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors. He had 10
knockdown blocks, including a pair of intimidation blocks. Bennett
was a major reason Clemson gained 321 yards rushing against the
nation’s #7 rushing defense entering the game. Tech had allowed
just 72.5 yards rushing entering the game. Bennett had a key block
on three of Clemson’s four touchdowns against the 13th ranked Yellow
Jackets.
Antonio Clay had a team best 13 tackles in 52 plays in
Clemson’s 31-7 victory over Georgia Tech and was named ACC
Defensive Lineman of the Week. Clay had 11 first hits, the most in a
single game by a Clemson player this year, and had a career high
three tackles for loss, including a quarterback sack. Clay was a big
reason the Tigers held Georgia Tech to 205 yards of total offense and
just seven points, season low figures in both areas for the Yellow
Jackets.
C.J. Spiller gained 116 yards rushing, added 50 yards
receiving and scored a pair of touchdowns in Clemson’s victory over
Georgia Tech and was named ACC Rookie of the Week. It marked
the third time this year he had been named ACC Rookie of the Week.
Spiller had a 50-yard touchdown run in the third period and a 50-yard
touchdown reception in the fourth period to spearhead Clemson’s 24-
point fourth period. He is the first player in Clemson history to have a
50-yard run for a touchdown and a 50-yard pass reception for a
touchdown in the same game. Spiller also returned a punt for four
yards, giving him 170 all-purpose yards on the night. He combined
with James Davis to help the Tigers to 321 yards rushing for the
contest.
Roman Fry Out for the Season
Clemson starting offensive guard and Outland Trophy
Candidate Roman Fry suffered a torn ACL in the first quarter of
Clemson’s victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday night and will be lost
for the season. The native of Ironton, OH has already red-shirted and
thus his Clemson career is complete. He is on track to graduate in
December.
Fry suffered the injury while pass protecting on Clemson’s third
offensive play on Saturday evening in the Tigers 31-7 victory at Death
Valley.
A mid-season first-team All-American by Sports Illustrated.com,
Fry was listed by the Football Writers Association as a preseason All-
America candidate and a candidate for the Outland Trophy. He started
each of the first eight games this year for the 10th ranked and 7-1 Tigers
and completes his career with 18 starts and 43 career games played. He
was leading the Clemson team in knockdown blocks this year entering
Saturday’s game with 62. He finishes with 215 career knockdown blocks
over his four seasons.
“This is another big loss for our football team,” said Clemson
Head Coach Tommy Bowden. “He will be difficult to replace on the field
and in terms of senior leadership. When you look at our high national
rankings in rushing, scoring and total offense, Roman has had a lot to do
with it. We will certainly miss him.”
Chris McDuffie, a junior from Danville, VA, will move into the
starting lineup at Fry’s guard position. McDuffie played 39 snaps against
Georgia Tech after Fry’s injury.
Fry is the fifth Clemson player, the fourth starter lost for the
season due to injury. Starting linebacker Tramaine Billie suffered a
broken ankle during the preseason practice in August and will red-shirt
this season. He will return for 2007. Starting linebacker and 2005 top
tackler Anthony Waters suffered a torn ACL in the opener with Florida
Atlantic and is lost for the season.
Starting wide receiver Rendrick Taylor suffered a broken arm in
the win at Wake Forest and is lost for the season. Reserve defensive
tackle Etta Etta Tawo played in the first five games, but will miss the
remainder of the season due to a heart abnormality.
Bowden is optimistic that All-ACC wide receiver Chansi
Stuckey will return to action this Thursday against Virginia Tech after
missing the last three games due to a broken foot suffered in practice on
October 3. Tight end Thomas Hunter suffered an upper body injury
against Georgia Tech and missed the second half of that game, but he is
expected to play against Virginia Tech.
Tigers Dominating Points off Turnover Stat under Current
Coordinators
One area that has been strong for Clemson since coordinators
Rob Spence and Vic Koenning came to Tommy Bowden’s staff in 2005
has been points off turnover. The Clemson offense has done a great job
in terms of scoring after turnovers and the Tiger defense has done a
great job of limiting scoring after the offense commits a miscue.
In 2006, Clemson has a 96-16 advantage in that statistic and
has not been outscored in that area in a game all year. Florida Atlantic
and Wake Forest are the only two schools to score a touchdown after a
Clemson turnover this year.
In 2005, Clemson had a 55-13 advantage in that statistic and
was outscored in that area just once all year, by a 3-0 count in Clemson’s
13-9 win at South Carolina. Thus over the last 19 games Clemson has
outscored the opposition 151-29 in terms of points off turnovers and has
lost the stat just once in the last 19 games.
Four of Last Five at Home
Clemson is off to a 7-1 start, its best since 2000 when Clemson
won its first eight games. The Tigers have four games left and three of
the four are at Clemson Memorial Stadium, where Clemson has a 71.4
winning percentage (235-90-7) over the years. Clemson will face
Virginia Tech on Thursday night in its final road game of the year.
Maryland, NC State and South Carolina in Death Valley in the month of
November.
This year marks the first time since 1998 that the Tigers play
their last three games of the regular season at home. The October 26
date for the final road game is the earliest conclusion to the road
schedule since 1998 when Clemson played its last road game on
October 24.
Clemson Has Dominated the Rushing Game
Clemson has averaged 259.6 rushing yards per game so far
this year, on track to be the fifth best rushing yards per game figure in
Clemson history, the best since 1988 when Clemson averaged 270.1 in a
10-2 season. That is saying something for a program that has featured
coaches Frank Howard, Danny Ford and Ken Hatfield, three coaches
who loved to run the football. The Tigers rank fourth in the nation in
rushing offense.
Clemson has had at least 200 yards rushing in each of the last
five games, the longest streak of 200-yard rushing games since the 2000
season when Tommy Bowden’s team opened the year with seven
straight 200-yard rushing games. Clemson has actually had at least 300
yards rushing four of the last five games, and has averaged 317 yards
per game during those four games.
The Tigers have outrushed all eight opponents so far this year
and have an average rushing margin of 187.4 yards per game. Clemson
is fourth in the nation in rushing offense and seventh in rushing defense.
Fry , Adams on Mid-Season All-America Lists
Clemson offensive guard Roman Fry and defensive end
Gaines Adams were both been named mid-season All-Americans by
Sports Illustrated and collegefootballnews.com. Fry was named to the
first team, while Adams was named to the second team.
A Fry led the Clemson team in knockdown blocks with 62 though
seven games, but unfortunately suffered a season ending injury against
Georgia Tech. Adams leads the ACC in sacks with 8.5 and is a big
reason Clemson ranks 15th in the nation in quarterback sacks, fourth in
total defense and seventh in scoring defense.
Clemson Has had Two Game Changing Plays of the Week
Clemson leads the nation in “Game Changing Plays” so far this
year. Each week ESPN presents the Pontiac Game Changing Play of
the Week. Through the first six weeks of the season, Clemson had two
recipients. With the award comes a $5,000 scholarship for the
university’s general scholarship fund.
James Davis won the first award for his 47-yard run on the final
drive of the Florida State game on September 16. The score was tied at
20-20 and Clemson had the ball with less than a minute left at the
Clemson 49. That run to the Florida State four, set up his game winning
touchdown run of one yard with just eight seconds left, giving Clemson a
27-20 victory. It was the latest game-winning touchdown by a Clemson
player since 1958.
Gaines Adams’s play took place on the first play of the fourth
quarter at Wake Forest on October 7. With Wake Forest leading 17-3
and lining up for a 41-yard field goal, the Demon Deacons holder fumbled
a bad snap, stood up and was hit by Adams. Adams jarred the ball
loose, grabbed it out of the air, and ran 66 yards for a touchdown.
Clemson went on to a 24-0 fourth quarter and won the contest 27-17.
Clemson Offensive Line has Experience
Tigers Second in Nation in Sacks Allowed
Clemson has a veteran offensive line, starting four seniors and
a junior. Barry Richardson is the only non-senior in the group. The five
have started all eight games so far this season and the Tigers have a 7-1
mark to show for it. The group is a big reason Clemson ranks first in the
nation in scoring offense, fourth in the nation in rushing offense, second
in the nation in fewest sacks allowed, and sixth in total offense. No
Clemson team in history has ever ranked in the top 10 in all of those
categories at the end of the season.
The five offensive linemen have started a combined 130 games
in their careers, fourth among Division I programs. They have played a
combined 199 games and 8503 snaps. They have a combined 275
knockdown blocks so far this year and 876 for their careers.
Roman Fry, one of the seniors, suffered a torn ACL against
Georgia Tech and is lost for the season.
Clemson’s Veteran Offensive Line
Name Games Starts Plays Knockdowns ’06-Career ’06-Career ’06-Career ’06-Career Roman Fry 8-43 8-18 313-1387 62-215 Dustin Fry 8-42 8-21 423-1556 50-152.5 Nathan Bennett 8-42 8-33 362-2021 62-225.5 Barry Richardson 8-31 8-27 390-1594 53-119 Marion Dukes 8-41 8-31 359-1945 48-164 Totals 40-199 40-130 1847-8503 275-876
Temple Donates Per Diem to McElrathbey Fund
Clemson defensive back Ray Ray McElrathbey has been in the
national news this fall as the result of his decision to take custody of his
11-year-old brother Fahmarr. His brother lives with McElrathbey in an
off-campus apartment. The story was originally told in an article in the
Charleston Post & Courier by sportswriter Larry Williams in August.
Ray Ray was featured as the Person of the Week by ABC
World News Tonight on September 15 and he has been featured in the
New York Times, Dallas Morning News, ESPN Gameday, and many
other national outlets.
A waiver was granted by the NCAA in September to give
McElrathbey some relief in terms of having family members of Clemson
coaches and staff care for Fahmarr when Ray Ray is out of town with the
football team and in terms of transportation to and from school.
The NCAA also has allowed the establishment of a trust fund to
benefit Fahmarr to help him in his basic needs in terms of food and
clothing.
On October 12, prior to the Temple game, Owls Head Coach Al
Golden presented Tommy Bowden with a letter. The letter stated that the
Temple football team had voted unanimously to contribute the team’s per
diem money for that day to the Fahmarr McElrathbey Trust Fund. The
contribution will be $1500.
The general public may contribute to the fund by sending a
check made payable to the First Citizen F/B/O Fahmarr McElrathbey
fund. The check can be sent to:
Fahmarr McElrathbey Fund
C/O First Citizens and Olson Smith Jordan and Cox Attorney’s at Law
PO Box 1627
Clemson, SC 29633
Dean Goes Over 200 Points
Clemson placekicker Jad Dean made a career best 9-9 extra
points in the victory over Wake Forest and is now over the 200-mark for
career scoring. The senior from Greenwood, SC has now scored 225
points in his Clemson career, seventh on the Tiger scoring list and sixth
among kickers. Dean went past Bob Paulling with his nine extra points
against Temple.
Dean now has 45 career field goals in 59 attempts and has
made 90 career extra points in 96 attempts. He is sixth in career field
goals made and needs just three to move ahead of former first-team All-
American David Treadwell on the all-time list. His 90 career extra points
rank fifth in school history, as he just went ahead of Nelson Welch.
Former teammate Aaron Hunt owns the record for extra points with 164
and Welch has the record for field goals with 72.
Dean has made 5-6 field goals and made 29 of his last 30 extra
points. Thus he has missed just two of his last 36 kick attempts. He has
made 18 consecutive extra points.
Clemson Career Scoring List
Rk Name Years TD PAT FG TPS 1. Aaron Hunt, PK 2000-03 0 164-172 55-76 329 2. Nelson Welch, PK 1991-94 0 85-92 72-102 301 3. Travis Zachery, RB 1998-01 50 300 4. Obed Ariri, PK 1977-80 0 99-103 63-97 288 5. Chris Gardocki, PK 1988-90 0 72-72 63-89 261 6. David Treadwell, PK 1985-87 0 92-93 47-66 233 7. Jad Dean, PK 2003-06 0 90-96 45-59 225 8. Bob Paulling, PK 1979-83 0 107-109 23-41 209 9. Lester Brown, TB 1976-79 32 192 10. Fred Cone, RB 1948-50 31 3-4 189
Tigers Have Two Top 15 Wins in 2006
Clemson defeated Georgia Tech on October 21 for its second
top 15 win of the season. Earlier Clemson defeated a ninth ranked
Florida State team in Tallahassee by a 27-20 score.
Tommy Bowden has 12 wins over top 25 teams since he has
been the head coach at Clemson in 1999. He had three top 20 wins in
2005, so he has five top 20 wins over his last 20 games. In 2005 the
Tigers defeated ranked reams from Texas A&M (17), Florida State (17)
and South Carolina (19).
Bowden’s 12 top 25 wins are second in Clemson history among
coaches. He moved ahead of Hall of Fame Coach Frank Howard with
the win over Georgia Tech. Howard had 11 between 1940-69. Danny
Ford has the all-time Clemson coaching record with 20 top 25 wins.
This year’s senior class has nine top 25 wins under their belts,
including the two wins this year.The Clemson record for wins by one
class is 10 set by many classes over the year.
Tommy Bowden Top 25 Wins at Clemson
Year Opponent Site AP-USA CU-Opp 1999 Virginia H 22-19 33-14 2000 South Carolina H 25-NR 16-14 2001 Georgia Tech A 9-11 #47-44 2003 Virginia H 25-24 #30-27 2003 Florida State H 3-3 26-10 2003 Tennessee N 6-7 27-14 2004 Miami (FL) A 11-10 #24-17 2005 Texas A&M H 17-17 25-24 2005 Florida State H 17-16 35-14 2005 South Carolina A 19-21 13-9 2006 Florida State A 9-10 27-20 2006 Georgia Tech H 13-13 31-7 # Overtime
Adams Sets Sack Record
Clemson All-America candidate Gaines Adams has recorded
at least one sack in six consecutive games, setting the school record for
consecutive games with at least one sack. The streak started when he
had 2.5 sacks at Florida State in the third game of the year, and it
includes the Wake Forest game where he had a pair of sacks. He
played just 12 snaps against Temple on October 12, but did record a
sack to advance the streak to five games. He set the record with a fourth
quarter sack of Reggie Ball on October 21. Adams now has 8.5 sacks
for the season to lead the ACC and rank eighth in the nation.
The previous record for consecutive games with a sack was
five held by Chester McGlockton, Keith Adams (no relation to Gaines)
and Leroy Hill for the consecutive games with a sack record.
McGlockton did it over the 1989-90 seasons, Adams accomplished the
feat in 1999 and Hill did it in 2004. McGlockton was a four-time Pro
Bowl selection, Adams is currently in the NFL with Miami and Hill is a
starting linebacker with Seattle who started in the Super Bowl last year.
Adams is now third in Clemson history in career sacks with 24.
He trails only the Perry Brothers, Michael Dean and William, who had 28
and 27, respectively.
Clemson Career Sack Leaders
Rk Player, Pos Years Sacks 1. Michael Dean Perry, DT 1984-87 28 2. William Perry, MG 1981-84 27 3. Gaines Adams, BAN 2003-06 24 4. Adrian Dingle, DT 1995-98 23 Keith Adams, LB 1998-00 23 6. Brentson Buckner, DT 1990-93 22 Bryant McNeal, DE 1999-02 22 8. Chester McGlockton, DT 1989-91 20.5 9. Levon Kirkland, OLB 1988-91 19 Wayne Simmons, OLB 1995-97 19
Clemson Has +224.5 Total Offense Differential
Clemson ranks in the top 10 in the nation in both total offense
and total defense, the only team to have that distinction. The Tigers are
sixth in total offense and fourth in total defense. Clemson has out-gained
the opposition by 224.5 yards per game so far this year. If the season
ended today that would be a record for yardage differential in a season
by nearly 60 yards per game. The existing record for a complete season
is +165.2 yards per game set by the 1978 Clemson team that finished
the year sixth in the nation in the final polls with an 11-1 record.
Clemson has out-gained each of its first eight opponents by at
least 100 yards per game. The streak continued when the Tigers outgained
previously 13th ranked Georgia Tech 426-205, a +221 total
offense margin.
The last Clemson team to out-gain the opposition by at least
100 yards per game is the 1991 Clemson team that won the ACC
Championship. That Clemson team had 403 yards of total offense per
game and gave up just 272.6 for a +130.4 margin. The best total offense
margin under Tommy Bowden took place in 2000 when Clemson had a
total offense margin of 90 yards per game.
Clemson’s Top Total Offense Margin Seasons
Year Offense Defense Margin 2006 454.9 230.4 +224.5 1978 427.8 262.6 +165.2 1950 388.1 225.5 +162.6 1981 391.5 251.9 +139.6 1948 315.1 1772. +137.9 1990 355.4 219.2 +136.2 1987 378.5 245.4 +133.1 1991 403.0 272.6 +130.4 1939 282.0 157.5 +129.5 1963 313.9 184.7 +129.2
Tigers Off to Best Start since 2000
Clemson is off to a 7-1 start in 2006, its best start to the season
since 2000. That year Clemson opened with an 8-0 record, a streak that
brought Clemson to a #3 national ranking by USA Today. That
undefeated start ended when Georgia Tech won at Clemson by a 31-28
score on a touchdown 16-yard pass from Gary Godsey to Kerry Watkins
with just seven seconds left.
This is just the 10th time in school history Clemson has been
7-1 or better to start a season. Since 1950 Clemson has been 7-1 or
better in 1977 (7-1), 1978 (7-1), 1981 (8-0), 1987 (7-1) and 2000 (8-0).
Proctor Productive as Starter
Because he had started just one game in his career entering
this season, some might have wondered how productive Will Proctor
would be as Clemson’s starting quarterback in 2006. So far he has
answered the questions with a passing efficiency of 147 that ranks 27th
in the nation and second inthe ACC.
In fact, Proctor has better numbers than his predecessor,
Charlie Whitehurst had last year in terms of yards per attempt, yards per
completion, passing efficiency, and touchdown/interception ratio. That is
pretty good company for Proctor because Whitehurst is now in the NFL
with the San Diego Chargers and is the holder of 46 Clemson records.
Based on the NCAA minimum standard of 15 attempts per
game, Proctor’s 147 passing efficiency is ahead of the Clemson record
pace of 146.0 by Mike Eppley in 1983. Eppley was third in the nation in
passing efficiency that year in leading Clemson to a 9-1-1 record. That is
the highest national ranking by a Clemson player in history.
Clemson has been very productive under Proctor. Dating to his
one start last year against Duke, the Tigers have an 8-1 record with the
native of Winter Park, FL as the starting quarterback. Proctor is the
first Clemson quarterback to win at least eight of his first nine
games as the starter since the 1950-51 era. Billy Hair was 8-1 in his
first nine games as a starter over the last five games of 1950 and the first
four games of 1951.
Clemson has been very productive under Proctor in his eight
games as a starter. Including that start against Duke last year, Clemson
has averaged 455 yards per game in total offense and 43 points per
game with Proctor manning the controls. The Tigers have averaged 5.2
touchdowns per game and gained 6.95 yards per play.
Whitehurst Proctor
Category 2005 2006
Completion % .674 .617
Yards/Att 7.30 8.43
Yards/Comp. 10.8 13.7
Passing Efficiency 133.5 147.0
TD/Int Ratio 11/10 11/6
Yards/Game 225.7 176
Clemson Offensive Production under Proctor
Category Total Per Game
Record 8-1
Scoring 387 43.0
Total Touchdowns 47 5.2
Total Offense 4089 454.4
Passing Offense 1780 197.8
Rushing Offense 2309 256.6
Clemson Scoring 42.3 Points Per Game
Clemson has scored 42.3 points per game so far this season,
best in the nation. The Tigers have already reached the 50-point mark
four times, a first in Clemson history for one season. Clemson opened
the season with a 54-6 win over Louisiana Tech, then defeated North
Carolina in the ACC opener by a 52-7 score. The Tigers downed
Louisiana Tech 51-0 the very next game, then scored a season high 63
points in a 63-9 win over Temple in Charlotte.
The previous record for 50-point scoring games in a season
was three, set by the 1950 Tigers who finished the year with a 9-0-1
record and top 10 ranking, and the 2000 Clemson team under Tommy
Bowden, who finished 9-3 with a #14 national ranking. That was a 50-
year time span for the 50-point scoring record until this year.
Clemson is far ahead of the record pace for a season in terms
of scoring with its 42.3 average. The existing mark is a 34.7 average set
in 2000. Clemson’s best national finish in scoring offense in #5, a ranking
the 1978 Tigers had when they averaged 31.9 points per game.
Clemson’s Highest Scoring Teams
Rk Year PPG 2006 42.3 1. 2000 34.7 2. 1950 34.4 3. 1984 31.5 4. 2001 30.8 5. 1983 30.7 6. 1978 30.7 7. 1989 30.7 8. 1988 28.5 9. 1981 28.2
Clemson on Record pace in Many Areas
Clemson is at or near a record pace in many areas so far this
season. It is especially striking in total offense margin. Clemson has
out-gained the opposition by 225 yards per game so far this year, ahead
of the existing record by 60 yards per game. Here is a rundown of some
of the categories:
Category 2006 Existing Record Passing Efficiency 147.5 148.0 in 1950 Yards/Play 7.0 6.16 in 1950 Yards/Game 454.9 436.8 in 2000 Touchdowns/G 5.63 4.58 in 2000 Points/Game 42.3 34.7 in 2000 3rd Down Conv. .474 .516 in 1978 Total Offense Mar +224.5 +165 in 1978
Clemson #10 Ranking Best since 2000
Clemson is ranked 10th in AP, 11th USA Today, 12th by The
Harris Poll and the BCS Poll. This was the second week for a BCS
ranking. It is Clemson’s highest ranking in a BCS poll since the 2000
season.
This is the fourth consecutive week Clemson has been the
highest ranked ACC team in each poll. Prior to that you have to go
back to the October 22, 2000 poll to find the last time Clemson was the
top ranked team from the league. Clemson actually was the highest
ranked team among ACC schools for three consecutive weeks in
October of 2000. Then Georgia Tech ended that streak with a 31-28 win
at Clemson. Clemson’s top 10 ranking is its first first since October 29,
2000 when Clemson was 10th in the AP poll.
The win on September 16 over ninth-ranked Florida State was
the second highest ranked team Clemson has defeated on the road in its
history. The only win that is ranked higher is the 10-8 victory over
eighth-ranked North Carolina in 1981.
Clemson has been ranked in the top 25 of both polls in eight
of the nine polls so far this year and for 12 of the last 13 over two years.
Clemson was 21st in the final polls last year.
Clemson in the Polls in 2006
Week AP USA Preseason 18 18 Sept. 3 18 18 Sept. 10 26 27 Sept. 17 19 23 Sept. 24 18 19 Oct. 1 15 15 Oct. 8 12 12 Oct. 15 12 12 Oct. 22 10 11
Tigers in the Top 10 in 10 Categories
Clemson ranks in the top 10 in the nation in 10 different
statistical categories, four on offense, five on defense and one special
teams. Clemson has never finished a season ranked in the top 10 in 10
different categories.
Clemson’s highest national ranking is actually scoring offense,
where Clemson is first with an average of 42.4 points per game. That is
a Clemson record pace by nearly 10 points per game.
Clemson leads the ACC in rushing offense, total offense,
scoring offense, rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, total defense,
turnover margin and fewest sacks allowed.
Individually, Clemson has four players ranked in the top 25 in
six total categories. James Davis has the highest individual ranking with
a #2 rating in scoring with an 12.0 average. He has scored 16
touchdowns to rank second in the nation in scoring and touchdowns.
Clemson’s Top 15 National Team Rankings
•1st, scoring offense (42.4 PPG)
•2nd, fewest sacks allowed (5)
•4th in rushing offense (259.4)
•6th in total offense (454.9)
•7th in rushing defense (72.0)
•5th in pass efficiency defense (95.8)
•4th in total defense (230.4)
•7th in scoring defense (12.5)
•6th in kickoff returns (28.0)
•9th in tackles for loss (7.88)
•15th in sacks (3.25)
Upgrade Your Account
Unlock premium boards and exclusive features (e.g. ad-free) by upgrading your account today.
Upgrade Now
