Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl Notes |
Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl: Clemson vs. Louisiana Tech Monday, Dec. 31, 2001 12:30 PM (EST)/10:30 AM (MST) Bronco Stadium (30,000) Boise, ID Television: ESPN Radio: Clemson Tiger Sports Properties Play By Play: Jim Phillips * Color: Mike Eppley Sideline: Rodney Williams Series History: First Meeting. Teams scheduled to meet again in the second game of 2002 season, Sept. 7, 2002. Tickets: Available 1-800-CLEMSON Clemson's Bowl History Clemson has a rich bowl tradition. The Tigers have a 12-12 record in bowl games and the 12 bowl victories rank in the top-25 in NCAA history. This will be Clemson's 25th bowl appearance. Clemson's first bowl appearance was in the 1940 Cotton Bowl when the Tigers defeated Frank Leahy and Boston College 6-3. This will be Clemson's 14th bowl game since 1985, a 17-year period. Clemson had six bowl victories in the 1985-96 time period but has lost five consecutive bowl games. Clemson's last bowl win was in 1993, a 14-13 win over Kentucky at the Peach Bowl. Clemson has some bowl wins over some of the greatest coaches in college football history: * Frank Leahy, the second winningest coach in college football history on a percentage basis, when Clemson defeated Boston College in the 1940 Cotton Bowl * Joe Paterno of Penn State, the winningest coach in Division I college history on a total wins basis, when Clemson defeated Penn State in 1988 Citrus Bowl, 35-10. * Woody Hayes of Ohio State, the 16th winningest coach in college football history on a total wins basis, when Clemson won 17-15 in the 1978 Gator Bowl, Hayes's last game as coach * Barry Switzer of Oklahoma, the 5th winningest coach in Division I college history on a winning percentage basis, when Clemson defeated Oklahoma in 1989 Citrus Bowl, Switzer's final game as coach. * Tom Osborne of Nebraska, the 13th winningest coach in college football history on a total wins basis, in the 1981 Orange Bowl, which gave Clemson its only National Championship. Dantzler Reaches 2000/1000 Goal Woodrow Dantzler became the first player in Division I history to reach 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in the same regular season when he gained 135 yards rushing against Duke on Dec. 1. Dantzler reached the accomplishment with an 18-yard touchdown run on a fourth-down play in the third period. He played just one more snap the remaining 20 minutes. Dantzler finished the regular season with 2,360 passing and 1,004 rushing. He ranks 41st in the nation in rushing and 34th in passing efficiency, the only player nationally to rank in the top 50 in both areas. He averaged 214.5 yards a game passing and 91.3 rushing over the course of the regular season. His 378 yard total offense performance against Duke gave him an average of 305.8 yards per game in total offense, a Clemson record for a season and eighth best in the nation. He also set Clemson records for passing yards in a season, single season completions, passing yards in a career, touchdown passes in a career and 200-yard total offense games in a season with eight. He also became just the third player in college history to pass for 5,000 and rush for 2,500 in a career. Dantzler had 947 rushing and 1,691 passing in 2000 during the regular season. The closest to achieve the milestone prior to Dantzler was Brian Mitchell of Lousiana-Lafayette, who had 1,311 rushing and 1,966 passing in 1989. Mitchell has been in the NFL many years and is one of the top kick return players in the league. Records/Accomplishments by Clemson Quarterback Woodrow Dantzler in Final Regular Season Game * Became first player in NCAA history to pass for at least 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. He had 243 passing and 135 rushing vs. Duke, giving him 2,360 passing and 1,004 rushing for the season. * Dantzler also became just the third player in NCAA history to reach 5,000 yards passing and 2,500 yards passing in a career. The others to do it are Antwan Randle-El of Indiana, who played his final college game for Indiana on the same day, and Brian Mitchell of Louisiana-Lafayette, who competed from1986-89. Dantzler broke the following records against Duke: * Most touchdown passes in a career-had four vs. Duke to give him 37 for his career, breaking the record of 35 by Nealon Greene in 1994-97. * Most passing yards in a career-had 243 vs. Duke to give him 5819 for his career, ahead of the 5,719 Nealon Greene had from 1994-97. * Set record for passing yards in a single season-had 243 vs. Duke to give him 2360 for the season, ahead of the previous mark of 2,212 by Nealon Greene in 1997. * Broke his own record for touchdown responsibility in a season-had five touchdowns passing (4) and rushing (1) vs. Duke , giving him 27 for the season. He broke own record of 24 he had set last year. * Broke single season touchdown pass record-had four vs. Duke to give him 17 for the season, ahead of the 16 set by Nealon Greene in 1997. * Broke single season record for pass completions-Had 12 vs. Duke to give him 188 for the season. Broke the previous record of 180 held by Nealon Greene in 1997. * Tied Clemson single game record for touchdown passes with four. He tied record he co-owns with teammate Willie Simmons and Nealon Greene. * Had 378 yards of total offense. It was his eighth game of at least 200 yards this year, breaking his own record of seven games of at least 200-yards in a season. It was his seventh game of at least 300 yards this season. He already had the record for 300-yard games in a season. Dantzler Joins 5,000/2,500 Club Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler became the third quarterback in NCAA history to accumulate 5,000 yards passing and 2,500 yards rushing when he had his 21st rushing yard against Duke in his final home game on Dec. 1. He completed the contest with 135 yards to move across the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season. Dantzler has 2,615 rushing yards for his career in regular season contests. Dantzler surpassed the 5,000-yard passing mark against Florida State and finished his regular season career with 5,634. The only other quarterbacks in college football history with at least 5.000 yards passing and 2.500 rushing are Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle-El, whose college career finished this year, and former Louisiana-Lafayette quarterback Brian Mitchell. Randle-El had 7.469 passing and 3.895 rushing for his career at Indiana. Mitchell had 5,447 yards passing and 3,335 yards rushing in his career that spanned 1986-89. Dantzler now ranks 11th in NCAA history in rushing yards by a quarterback. Dantzler is third among active Division I players in quarterback rushing behind Randle-El and Nebraska's Eric Crouch. Battle of Productive Quarterbacks The Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl will feature two of the top-10 quarterbacks in the nation in terms of total offense. Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler is eighth in the nation in total offense, while Louisiana Tech quarterback Luke McCown is fourth in the country in that category. Both players have been very productive, Dantzler averages 305 yards per game and McCown averages 316.5 yards per game. Both are ranked in the top 50 in the nation in passing efficiency. Both quarterbacks account for at least 70 percent of their team's offense. Dantzler has accounted for 72.56 percent and McCown for 74.87 percent.
Quarterback Comparison
Category Dantzler McCown
Dantzler Carries Olympic Torch
Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler had the honor of carrying the
Olympic Torch through the Clemson campus on Dec. 4, 2001. It was just
the second day of the Olympic Torch run and Dantzler's route took him
by Clemson Memorial Stadium, where he had led Clemson to victory over
Duke in his final home game, just three days previously. Many
students and Clemson fans were on hand as Dantzler made his run by
the stadium at 9:30 PM.
Coaching Sons Do Battle in Boise
Louisiana Tech Head Coach Jack Bicknell is the second member of his
family to coach against the Tigers.
Bicknell is the son of Jack Bicknell, who coached at Boston College
against Clemson in 1982 and 1983. Most recently, the older Bicknell
has been coaching NFL Europe with the Barcelona Dragons. Of course,
Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden is the son of Florida State Head
Coach Bobby Bowden.
The older Bicknell was 1-0-1 against Clemson during the 1982-83
seasons. That is saying something, considering Clemson was 18-2-2
combined in those two years. Bicknell's Boston College Eagles tied
the Tigers 17-17 during the 1982 season at Clemson in a game that was
televised nationally by CBS. The next year, at Boston, Clemson took a
16-3 lead. But, Boston College went on a 28-0 run behind quarterback
Doug Flutie to come away with a 31-16 victory. That was Clemson's
only loss in the 1983 season.
The starting center for Boston College in the 1983 contest was Jack
Bicknell, the current head coach of Louisiana Tech. He was the
starting center for Boston College in 1983 and 1984 and was a member
of the 1982 team that played in Death Valley.
Bicknell became the head coach at Louisiana Tech in 1999, the same
year Bowden became the head coach at Clemson. Bicknell was the
offensive line coach at Louisiana Tech in 1997-98 prior to become
head coach.
Bowden Has Faced Louisiana Tech
This will not be the first time Jack Bicknell and Tommy Bowden have
been across the field from one another. In 1998, when Bowden was head
coach at Tulane and Bicknell was offensive line coach at Louisiana
Tech, Tulane defeated Louisiana Tech 63-30. That was Bowden's last
game prior to coming to Clemson.
Tulane used a balanced attack to gain the victory. Tulane had 303
yards rushing and 330 passing in what was Tommy Bowden's final game
as Tulane head coach. The Greene Wave scored nine touchdowns on its
first 10 possessions behind quarterback Shaun King. King completed
19-26 passes for 330 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for
92 yards. Tulane scored 21 points in the second quarter and the third
period to put the game out of reach and clinch and undefeated regular
season.
Louisiana Tech, with Bicknell serving as offensive line coach, was
productive also, gaining 525 yards of total offense, including 471
passing. Tech threw 57 passes in the contest.
Bowden To Coach in 11th Bowl
Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden will coach in the 11th bowl game of
his career, his third at Clemson and his third as a head coach. He is
the first coach to lead Clemson to a bowl game in each of his first
three years with the program.
Bowden is 0-2 as a head coach in bowl games. Last year the Tigers
lost to Virginia Tech, 41-20 in the Gator Bowl. In 1999 the Tigers
lost to Mississippi State in the Peach Bowl, 17-7.
Bowden guided Tulane to a perfect 11-0 regular season in 1998, but
resigned shortly after the regular season in order to start his
Clemson career. He did not coach Tulane in its Liberty Bowl victory
over Brigham Young that year. However, current assistant coaches ,
Ron West, Thielen Smith and Burton Burns all were on the sidelines
for Tulane in that game.
Bowden coached in three bowls as an assistant at Florida State, three
as an assistant at Alabama and two as an assistant at Auburn for a
total of eight previous bowls. His teams were 4-4 in those games.
Thus, combined with his head coaching career, he is 4-6 in bowl games
as a Division I coach. Bowden's last win was as an assistant at
Auburn in 1996 as an assistant under Terry Bowden. Auburn defeated
Army in the Independence Bowl that year, 33-29.
Tommy Bowden's Bowl History
Year School Bowl Opponent Result 1979 Florida State Orange Oklahoma L, 7-24 1982 Florida State Gator West Virginia W, 31-12 1983 Florida State Peach North Carolina W, 28-3 1987 Alabama HOF Michigan L, 24-28 1988 Alabama Sun Army W, 29-28 1989 Alabama Sugar Miami (FL) L, 25-33 1995 Auburn Outback Penn State L, 14-43 1996 Auburn Indep Army W, 33-29 1999 Clemson Peach Mississippi St L, 7-17 2000 Clemson Gator Virginia Tech L, 20-41
Clemson in Boise Again
Clemson athletic teams have been to Boise, ID, previously. In fact,
five different Clemson athletic teams have played in Boise
previously, all within the last 13 years.
The Clemson men's basketball team has a 1-1 record in Boise. Both
games took place in the 1989 NCAA Tournament. First, Clemson defeated
St. Mary's (CA) by an 83-70 score, then lost to number-one ranked
Arizona 94-68.
The Lady Tigers have also played in Boise in a regular season
tournament, but not against Boise State. Clemson won the Boise State
Tournament Dec. 21-22, 1996 with wins over Washington State and
Florida.
Clemson's men's tennis team lost at Boise State during the spring of
1997 by a 4-3 score. Clemson's men's and women's track teams competed
in the 1999 NCAA Outdoor Championships at Boise State. The men
finished 19th, while the Lady Tigers were 41st.
Thus, the five teams who have played in Boise are a combined 3-2 in
game competition, but only the men's tennis team has actually played
Boise State in Boise.
Weather Could be Chilly in Boise
It could be a bit chilly in Boise on Dec. 31 for the Crucial.com
Humanitarian Bowl. Clemson and Louisiana Tech are both not used to
playing in cold temperatures. This year Clemson has had great weather
for its games. For the 11 regular season games the average
temperature was 69.7 degrees. Seven of the games the temperature was
70 degrees or better with a high of 81 degrees at kickoff for the
Virginia game. The coldest game of the year was a 47-degree day at
Wake Forest. The temperature for the Dec. 1 game with Duke was 61
degrees.
But, with an average temperature in the 30s in the month of December
in Boise, chances are it will be a cold temperature when the two
teams kick off at 10:30 AM on Dec. 31.
Clemson scoring summaries have kickoff temperatures back to the 1968
season. Since then, only one Clemson game has been played in the 30s
and that was a Nov. 9, 1991 contest at Chapel Hill against North
Carolina. Clemson defeated the Tar Heels 21-6 in 38-degree
temperatures that night.
The temperature at kickoff for the 1996 Clemson at Virginia game was
51 degrees, but there were flurries on the field by the end of that
Clemson 24-16 victory.
The only other recorded instances of snow at Clemson football games
came in 1936 and 1903. Clemson lost to Furman in 1936 in Clemson by a
score of 12-0 in a game that accounts list as played in snow. The
Nov. 27, 1902 Clemson vs. Tennessee game in Knoxville was also played
in the snow. Clemson won that game, 11-0.
Clemson's Coldest Temperature Games on Record
(Since 1968) Date Site Opponent Result Temp 11-9-1991 A North Carolina W, 21-6 38 11-16-1996 H N C State W, 40-17 41 11-14-1992 A Maryland L, 23-53 41 11-15-1986 N1 Maryland T, 17-17 42 11-18-2000 H South Carolina W, 16-14 43 10-13-1979 A Virginia Tech W, 21-0 43 12-31-1979 N2 Baylor L, 19-24 43 12-21-1985 N3 Minnesota L, 13-20 44 11-21-1987 A South Carolina L, 7-20 44 N1-at Baltimore, MD, N2 at Atlanta, GA, N3 at Shreveport, LA
Tigers from Louisiana
Clemson has just two players on its roster from Louisiana, fullback
Chad Jasmin and defensive back Curtis Baham. Jasmin is the team's top
fullback, while Baham is red-shirting this year as a defensive back. Jasmin has been productive this year with 25 carries for 121 yards, a
4.8 per carry average that is second best on the team behind Woodrow
Dantzler. He has two pass receptions for 12 yards. His top game this
year came against Wofford when he had 8-47 rushing, but he also had
5-25 against Florida State and 5-34 against Maryland. For his career
he now has 36 carries for 181 yards, a five-yard average. Jasmin came to Clemson from St. James High School in Vacherie, LA. He
rushed for 2018 yards in 210 attempts his senior year, a 9.6 average,
and scored 33 touchdowns. He was an all-state performer in high
school.
Baham is being red-shirted this season. A defensive back from
Christian High School in New Orleans, Baham was a 4A All-State player
as a junior and senior. He is the son of Curtis Baham, who played
collegiately at Tulane and with Seattle in the NFL.
Two current Clemson coaches have ties to Louisiana. Thielen Smith
played at LSU and coached with Tommy Bowden at Tulane. He has also
coached at Southwestern Louisiana, and Northeast Louisiana. Burton
Burns was an assistant coach at St. Augustine High in New Orleans
after he graduated from Nebraska. He also served as an assistant at
Southern University and Tulane.
Clemson Athlete from Boise
While Clemson does not have any football players from Idaho, Clemson
actually has a current student-athlete from Boise, ID. Clarice
Seifert just finished her freshman year as a member of the Clemson
top-20 women's soccer team. She played in four games as a reserve
back as a first-year freshman. A Clemson National Scholar, she
attended Boise High School and majors in biological sciences at
Clemson.
Clemson Out West
Clemson has an 8-10 record in games played West of the Mississippi.
That includes two games played in Japan, 1982 vs. Wake Forest and
1991 vs. Duke. Clemson has played 10 games in Texas, two in Japan,
two in Missouri, two in Oklahoma and two in California. This will be
Clemson's first game in the state of Idaho.
Clemson's last trip west of the Mississippi was in 1996 when the
Tigers went to Missouri and suffered a 38-24 loss. Clemson has made
two trips to California, a 21-7 loss to Pacific in 1951 and a 30-0
loss to Southern Cal in 1966. This will be Clemson's first game in
the Mountain Time Zone.
Clemson Games West of the Mississippi
Date Opponent Site W/L Cu-Opp
1-1-1940 Boston College Dallas, TX W 6-3
2-24-1949 Rice Houston, TX L 7-33
9-30-1950 Missouri Columbia, MO W 34-0
9-29-1951 Rice Houston, TX W 20-14
10-13-1951 Pacific Stockton, CA L 7-21
10-8-1955 Rice Houston, TX L 7-21
11-2-1957 Rice Houston, TX W 20-7
10-31-1959 Rice Houston, TX W 19-0
12-19-1959 TCU Houston, TX W 23-7
9-21-1963 Oklahoma Norman, OK L 14-31
10-24-1964 TCU Fort Worth, TX L 10-14
10-22-1966 Southern Cal Los Angeles, CA L 0-30
9-23-1972 Rice Houston, TX L 10-29
9-30-1972 Oklahoma Norman, OK L 3-52
9-14-1974 Texas A&M College Station, TX L 0-24
11-27-1982 Wake Forest Tokyo, Japan W 21-17
11-30-1991 Duke Tokyo, Japan W 33-21
9-21-1996 Missouri Columbia, MO L 24-38
Teams Will Play Again in 2002
Clemson and Louisiana Tech have never met in football. Now, they will
meet twice in a three-game period. The two schools will meet in the
Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl on Dec. 31, 2001, then will play again
at Clemson on Sept. 7, 2002 in the second game of the season for the
Tigers. Clemson opens its 2002 season at Georgia on Aug. 31, 2002,
then faces Louisiana Tech in the home opener the following Saturday.
Clemson and Louisiana Tech Have Similar Stats
Clemson and Louisiana Tech have similar statistics offensively and
defensively this season. Clemson averages 421.5 yards per game in
total offense, while Louisiana Tech stands at 422.6 yards per game.
Clemson has averaged 5.6 yards per play, while Tech stands at 5.7.
Both teams have committed 23 turnovers on offense.
Defensively, both teams have struggled at times. Clemson has allowed
nearly 390 yards per game, while Louisiana Tech has given up 443.6.
Clemson has allowed 28.6 points a game, while Louisiana Tech has
given up 31.0.
Comparison of Offenses
Category Clemson LaTech Points/Game 29.1 34.7 Rushing/Game 184.3 109.6 Yards/Rush 4.4 3.7 Passing TDs 22 13 Passing Yards/Game 237.2 313.0 Touchdown Passes 18 30 Yards/Pass Att 7.1 7.2 Yards/Comp 12.4 12.2 Passing Efficiency 125.8 133.7 Total Offense/Game 421.5 422.6 Yards/Play 5.6 5.7 Plays/Game 75.4 73.6 Total Touchdowns 42 47 3rd Down Conv. % .460 .340 Turnovers 23 23 Comparison of Defenses Category Clemson LaTech Points/Game 28.6 31.0 Rushing/Game 163.9 205.9 Yards/Rush 3.9 4.5 Passing TDs 18 26 Passing Yards/Game 226.0 237.7 Touchdown Passes 21 14 Yards/Pass Att 7.4 6.8 Yards/Comp 13.4 12.2 Passing Efficiency 131.4 115.3 Total Offense/Game 389.9 443.6 Yards/Play 5.3 5.5 Plays/Game 73.0 80.7 Total Touchdowns 39 43 3rd Down Conv. % .440 .350 Turnovers 16 29
Bowden Offenses Among Best in Clemson History
Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden came to Clemson with the reputation
of producing big numbers on offense. His Tulane team of 1998 averaged
more than 500 yards of total offense per game and was the only squad
in the nation to average at least 300 yards passing and 200 rushing. His offensive numbers have not been quite as striking, but they have
been noteworthy. Here is a list of the Bowden offensive stats as they
relate to Clemson history in his three years at Clemson:
* 3 of the top 4 completion totals in Clemson history
* The top 3 passing yardage single season figures
* The top three seasons in terms of passing yards/game
* 3 of the top four completion percentage figures
* 2 of the top 3 yards per play figures, and top two since 1950
* 3 of the top 5 total offense per game figures
* 3 of the top 4 first downs/game figures
* 2 of the top 7 scoring teams in school history
Bowden Earns Third Straight Bowl Bid
Clemson became bowl eligible with its win over Duke on Dec. 1. With
this bowl bid, Tommy Bowden is now the first coach in Clemson history
to lead the Tigers to a bowl game in each of his first three years
with the program.
Danny Ford had a 26-9 record through his first three full seasons as
Clemson head coach, but his 1980 Tigers had a 6-5 record and were not
selected for a bowl game. Ken Hatfield was 24-10-1 in his first three
years, but his third Tiger team was 5-6 and did not go to a bowl.
Frank Howard was 16-10-2 in his first three years, but he did not
take the Tigers to a bowl game until his ninth season, 1948. Of
course, there were very few bowl games in those days.
With the bowl game remaining, Bowden trails only Ford, Hatfield and
Josh Cody (1927-29) as far as total victories after three seasons.
Cody was 21-9-1 for his first three years. Bowden is 21-14 in his
first three years.
Clemson Offense Averages 421 Yards Under Bowden
Clemson has a 21-14 record under Tommy Bowden and a consistent
balanced offense has been a big reason. Over the nearly three years
he has been the head coach the Tigers have averaged 421 yards per
game in total offense. That is Clemson's per game average this year
in fact.
Clemson has gained 187 rushing and 234 passing over the 35 games. In
an average game under Bowden the Tigers have averaged 30.2 points a
game and scored four touchdowns. On average, the Tigers run the ball
44 times and throw it 32 times. Clemson has scored 139 touchdowns in
the 35 games, nearly four per game. Twenty of the 35 games Clemson
has had at least 400 yards of total offense.
Clemson Offense in the Tommy Bowden Era
(Figures are for 35 games) Category Total Per Game Points 1,058 30.2 Touchdowns 139 3.97 First Downs 789 22.54 Rushing Att 1,551 44.3 Rushing Yards 6,554 187.3 Pass Attempts 1,129 32.3 Pass Comp 642 18.4 Passing Yards 8,181 233.7 Completion % .569 .569 Plays 2,680 76.6 Total Offense 14,735 421.0 Record 21-14 .600
Clemson Freshmen Earn All-America Honors
Clemson had three players named freshman All-Americans by The
Sporting News this year. That is the most freshman All-Americans by
the Tiger program since 1988 when five Tigers were named by the same
publication.
Freshman defensive tackle Donnell Washington and freshman wide
receiver Derrick Hamilton were both named second-team freshman
All-Americans by The Sporting News, while tight end Ben Hall, a
first-year freshman, was named a third-team freshman All-American. Washington had 42 tackles this season to rank 10th on the entire
team. He had seven tackles for loss and three quarterback sacks. He
accomplished that without starting a game, but the 320-pounder did
play 36 snaps per game.
Hamilton led the Tigers in receptions with 49 for 590 yards and three
scores. He set a freshman record for receptions and reception yards
by a freshman at Clemson and his 1,098 all-purpose yards are just 30
yards away from Terry Allen's freshman mark. He ranked third in the
nation in kickoff returns with a Clemson freshman record 31.7 yards
per return.
Hall had seven catches for 74 yards and two scores this year as a
first-year freshman. He was also an outstanding blocker, a key to
Clemson's 421 yards per game in total offense, third best in school
history.
The last time Clemson had this many freshman All-Americans by The
Sporting News was 1988. It was an impressive list. In fact, four of
the five went on to play in the NFL. That group included Levon
Kirkland, Ed McDaniel and Chris Gardocki, all of whom are still
playing in the league. Dexter Davis, who played five years in the NFL
and is now defensive coordinator at Morgan State, was a fourth
freshman on the 1988 team that went on to the pros. The fifth player
was Jeb Flesch, a four-year starter at guard for the Tigers who went
on to become a first-team All-American.
Facts on Clemson's Youth
Clemson has one its youngest teams in years. There is good leadership
from the class of 22 senior players, but 34 of Clemson's 44 players
on the two-deep are slated to return next year. Out of the nine ACC
schools, only Duke has more players expected to return with 35. When it comes to defense, the youth notes are considerable. Nineteen
of Clemson's top-22 are expected to return next season. That can be
confusing because starting defensive tackle Nick Eason is listed as a
graduate student. Most graduate students are in their final year of
eligibility, but not Nick. He graduated in three years and had a
red-shirt year athletically, so he still has another year and is
expected to return. Clemson and Duke are the only players in the ACC
with 19 of its top 22 players on defense expected to return next
season.
Clemson has seven freshmen listed as first or second team on defense.
Clemson and Wake Forest are the only ACC schools to have seven
freshmen on their defensive two-deep. These freshmen, five of whom
are first-year freshmen, see significant playing time.
Donnell Washington is a defensive tackle who has seven tackles for
loss this year, tied for third on the team. His 42 tackles lead all
Clemson freshmen. Moe Fountain has six tackles for loss and is tied
for fourth on the club in that category. Ryan Hemby has started two
games at cornerback and has 11 tackles, while linebacker Eric Sampson
had 14 tackles off the bench to key the defensive effort in the win
over Wake Forest. He has 35 tackles for the season to rank second
among the freshmen.
Three of Clemson's top five receivers are freshmen. Derrick Hamilton
leads the team with 49 catches for 590 yards. Roscoe Crosby is coming
off his top game, as he had 6-139 and two touchdowns receiving
against Duke. That was a Clemson record for receiving yards in a game
by a freshman. Crosby now has 23 catches for 390 yards, Clemson
records for a first-year freshman in each area. Airese Currie is
fourth on the team in receptions with 17 for 315 yards, but his 18.5
yards per catch figure is a record for any Clemson freshman.
arson Reaches Finals of Rhodes Scholarship Process
Clemson linebacker Chad Carson reached the final stage of the Rhodes
Scholarship selection process, a process that concluded Dec. 8. He
was one of 100 scholars from across the country to advance to the
final stage that selects 20 Rhodes Scholars. Clemson has never had a
Rhodes Scholar and has had a student advance to the final stage just
once previously, so this was a landmark accomplishment in itself. Carson has a 3.94 GPA in biological sciences. He was one of two
students from the state of South Carolina to advance to the final
stage. He is believed to be the only college football player to
advance to that stage this year. He was trying to become the first
ACC football player since 1961 to win a Rhodes Scholarship. Carson is outstanding in the classroom and on the field. He was named
a permanent co-captain of the Clemson team by a vote of his teammates
after the regular season. He led the team in tackles with 130 and
ranks fifth in school history in total tackles with 441. He will play
his final game for Clemson on Dec. 31 against Louisiana Tech in the
Humanitarian Bowl, then will play in the East-West Shrine game on
Jan. 12.
Carson was named a second-team Academic All-American in 1999 and a
first-team selection in 2000. The teams for this year will be
announced Dec.13.
Crosby Closes with a Flourish
Clemson freshman wide receiver Roscoe Crosby finished his freshman
year strong with six catches for 139 yards and two scores against
Duke on Dec. 1. The talented freshman was faced with an injury
plagued rookie year, but once he was healthy he showed everyone his
capabilities.
Crosby finished the regular season with 23 receptions for 396 yards
and three scores. He averaged 17.2 yards a catch, second only to
classmate Airese Currie's 18.5 figure. Crosby was drafted in the
second round by the Kansas City Royals last June and will play minor
league baseball this summer. He was a first-team USA Today
All-American as a football player after his senior year at Union High
in Union, SC.
Clemson Assistant Coaches Have Bowl Experience
Clemson's nine current assistant coaches and head coach Tommy Bowden
have coached in a combined 82 bowl games. Of the current staff, Rick
Stockstill has coached in the most bowl games, as the 2001 Gator Bowl
against Virginia Tech was his ninth as a Clemson assistant. Defensive
Coordinator Reggie Herring has a lot of bowl gifts in his closet. He
has coached in 15 as an assistant coach and played in three more at
Florida State.
Two Clemson assistants have served as head coaches in bowl games.
Brad Scott led South Carolina to its first bowl win in history when
he defeated West Virginia in the 1994 Carquest Bowl. Mike O'Cain,
hired as Clemson's quarterbacks coach on Dec. 4, 2000, served as N.C.
State's head coach in three bowl games.
Name Position Player CU Bowl Overall Tommy Bowden Head Coach 1 2 10 Rodney Allison Defensive Ends 3 2 7 Burton Burns Running Backs 3 2 3 Reggie Herring Inside LBs 3 6 15 Jack Hines Defensive Backs 1 2 7 Mike O'Cain Quarterbacks 0 1 @9 Brad Scott Tight Ends 0 2 *14 Thielen Smith Defensive Line 2 2 4 Rick Stockstill Wide Receivers 3 9 9 Ron West Offensive Line 2 2 4 Totals 18 30 82
*Includes one bowl (win) as head coach of South Carolina
@Includes three games as head coach at N.C. State Overall is total as a coach only
Clemson Bowl Experience
Clemson should have an advantage in terms of bowl experience in this
game. Thirty-six active Tigers have played in a bowl game, including
20 who have played in two bowls. There are 11 active Tigers who have
started a bowl game, including three players who have two starts in
bowls. Those three players are Chad Carson, T.J. Watkins, and Kyle
Young. Two players played in the 1999 Peach Bowl against Mississippi
State, but missed last year's game with Virginia Tech due to injury.
Those two players are Matt Bailey and Nick Eason, starters on this
year's team.
Rambert has Bowl Experience
Clemson running back Bernard Rambert has played 568 snaps in his
career, but 110 have been in bowl games. He has averaged 17.6 plays a
game over the last two years in regular season play, but 55 a game in
two bowl games.
That average will continue in the Humanitarian Bowl as he will
replace Travis Zachery, who has been dismissed from the team. Each of
the last two years, Rambert had replaced an injured Zachery early in
the bowl game.
Rambert had a still career high 70 yards on 18 rushes in the Peach
Bowl against Mississippi State two seasons back. He had four rushes
for seven yards against Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl last year. He
also caught a couple of passes in that game. Now he will be Clemson's
starting running back against Louisiana Tech.
Kinard Inducted into College Football Hall of Fame
Former Clemson All-America free safety Terry Kinard was inducted into
the College Football Hall of Fame on Dec. 11 at New York's
Waldrorf-Astoria Hotel.
Kinard, who played for the Tigers from 1978-82 and was named National
Defensive Player of the Year by CBS Sports as a senior, will be just
the second Clemson player in history to be honored by the College
Football Hall of Fame, the first since Banks McFadden in 1959. Kinard attended the ceremonies in New York on Dec. 11 and will also
be honored at the Hall of Fame site in South Bend, IN in August of
2002.
Ironically, Kinard burst on the national scene in South Bend in 1979.
Starting as a freshman, Kinard had two fourth-quarter interceptions
and seven tackles overall to lead Clemson to a 16-10 victory over the
Irish. Now 22 years later, he will be inducted in the College
Football Hall of Fame, which is located just two miles from Notre
Dame Stadium.
A native of Sumter, SC, Kinard was a first-team Associated Press
All-American in 1981 and 1982, the only two-time first-team AP
All-American in school history. He was in fact a unanimous selection
in 1982, the only unanimous first-team All-American in Clemson
history.
Kinard recorded 17 interceptions during his Clemson career, still the
high mark in school history and second in ACC history. He ranked in
the top 15 in the nation in interceptions in 1981 and 1982 and was a
major reason Clemson had a combined record of 21-1-1 over those two
years. Clemson's defense ranked in the top-10 in the nation in
scoring defense each year. He was Clemson's second leading tackler on
the 1981 National Championship team and led the 1982 squad that
finished eighth in the final Associated Press poll.
At the conclusion of his Clemson career, Kinard was chosen in the
first round of the NFL draft by the New York Giants, the 10th overall
pick of the draft. He played seven years for the Giants, including
the team's 1986 Super Bowl Championship season. Kinard was named to
the NFL All-Rookie team in 1983 and the Pro Bowl in 1988.
Since his retirement from the game, Kinard was named to Sports
Illustrated's All-1980s team that was released in conjunction with
the magazine's All-20th Century team of college football. In 2000 he
was named Clemson's top player of the 20th Century by CNNSI.com. He
was also chosen to the USA Today All-Decade team for the 1980s. In
1996 he was named to Clemson's Centennial Team and received more
votes than any other defensive player.
Clemson Has Four Wins over Teams with Winning Records
Clemson has four wins over teams with winning records this season.
The Tigers have defeated a 6-5 Central Florida team, a 6-5 Wake
Forest team, a 7-4 N.C. State team and a 7-5 Georgia Tech team. Three
of the four wins over teams with winning records have come on the
road.
This is the most wins over teams that have finished the year with
winning records since 1990 when Clemson had a school record tying six
wins over teams that finished the year with a winning record. Clemson
also had six wins over teams with a winning record in 1989, Danny
Ford's final season. The chart below includes bowl games, and only
includes wins over Division I-A opponents.
This year marks just the 10th time in school history that Clemson has
defeated as many as four teams with winning records in the same
season. It is just the ninth time Clemson has done it in regular
season play.
Wins over Division I Teams with Winning Record in One Season
Wins Season Teams Beaten 6 1990 Long Beach St, Maryland, N.C. State, N. Carolina, S. Carolina Illinois 6 1989 Florida State, Virginia Tech, Virginia, N.C. State, S. Carolina West Virginia 5 1988 Virginia Tech, Duke, Wake Forest, S. Carolina, Oklahoma 5 1981 Tulane, Georgia, Duke, N. Carolina, Nebraska 5 1939 Presbyterian, George Washington, Furman, Boston College, Wake Forest 4 2001 Central Florida, N.C. State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest 4 1987 Georgia, Virginia, Wake Forest, Penn State 4 1982 Duke, N.C. State, North Carolina, Maryland 4 1979 Georgia, Wake Forest, N. Carolina, Notre Dame 4 1938 Presbyterian, Tulane, S. Carolina, George Washington
Young Named Rimington Award Finalist
Clemson center Kyle Young has been named one of five finalists for
the Dave Rimington Award. The announcement was made Dec. 1 prior to
Young's final home game against Duke.
Young is joined on the list by LeCharles Bentley of Ohio State, Mel
Fowler of Maryland, Seth McKinney of Texas A&M and Brett Romberg of
Miami (FL). Young was one of the finalists for the award last year. Earlier, Young was named a third-team All-American by The Football
News and The Sporting News. It marked the second straight year that
Young had been honored as an All-American by both of those
publications.
Young is perhaps the most honored lineman in Clemson football
history. He was also named the recipient of the ACC's Jim Tatum Award
as the league's top student-athlete football player earlier. On Dec.
11 he was one of eight Division I football players to receive a
National Football Foundation Scholarship. He is a two-time first-team
Academic All-American and is on track to win his third first-team
honor later this month. If he does that he will be just the second
three-time first-team Academic All-American offensive lineman in
college football history.
Young leads the Tigers in knockdown blocks with 145, a figure that
broke his own Tiger record. He has been Clemson's highest rated
blocker in 10 of the 11 games this year, including nine in a row. He
has led the team in knockdown blocks in eight games. The native of
Clemson has started 39 games in a row heading into the bowl game.
Clemson Seniors Close Out Season in a Bowl Game
Clemson's 22 seniors will make their final appearance in a bowl game.
The class includes some of Clemson's top players in history. Woodrow
Dantzler already holds 50 Clemson records. Kyle Young has started 39
straight games and is a two-time All-American at center. Will Merritt
and T.J. Watkins are three-year starters on three of the five Clemson
offenses in history to average at least 400 yards per game.
The defense has been led by Chad Carson, a two-time academic
All-American who ranks fifth in school history in tackles, and
Charles Hafley, one of just two defensive backs in school history to
have two different seasons of at least 100 tackles.
The class has been to three bowl games, a bowl invite each of the
last three years. The class won three out of four games against South
Carolina and defeated every other ACC team except Florida State. The
win over a #9 Georgia Tech team in Atlanta was the highest ranked
Clemson victory in 20 years, the second highest ranked road win in
school history. Six of the members of the class already have earned
their undergraduate degrees and others will be receiving their degree
in December and May.
Clemson Senior Class of 2001 No Name Pos Hometown 80 *Matt Bailey WR Stone Mountain, GA 95 *Jovon Bush DL Hardeeville, SC 46 *Chad Carson LB Newnan, GA 57 Bo Charpia P Summerville, SC 1 *W Dantzler QB Orangeburg, SC 81 Joel Gardner WR Lancaster, SC 40 *Charles Hafley FS Pompano Beach, FL 39 Tony Lazzara PK St. Petersburg, FL 62 Micah Lewis OG Inman, SC 50 *Will Merritt OG Easley, SC 93 Tif Miller P Charleston, SC 91 Matt Moler LB Atlanta, GA 51 Brian Outlaw C Gaffney, SC 63 Henry Owen SN Clover, SC 15 Matt Schell QB Covington, GA 69 R Stuermann DT Moore, SC 46 B Vaughan CB Greenville, SC 73 *T.J. Watkins OT North Augusta, SC 13 Tore White RB Andrews, SC 48 Braxton K. Williams SS Greensboro, NC 83 *Morgan Woodward TE Florence, SC 59 *Kyle Young OG Clemson, SC *Denotes starters
Dantzler Now Owns 50 Clemson Records
Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler holds more records than any
other football player in Clemson history. The graduate student holds
50 records entering the bowl game with Louisiana Tech. He holds eight
single game, 23 season and 19 career marks. He is Clemson's career
leader in total offense, passing yards and touchdown responsibility
and set single season marks this year for total offense, passing
yards, touchdown passes and 300-yard total offense games, just to
name a few.
Clemson Records Held by Dantzler (50)
Single Game (8)
* Touchdown Responsibility-6 vs. N.C. State, 2001
* Total Offense-517 vs. N.C. State, 2001
* Completion % (Min 20 attempts)-.851 vs. N.C. State, 2001
* Completion % (Min 15 attempts)-.941 vs. The Citadel 2000
* Yards rushing by a quarterback-220 vs. Virginia, 2000
* Passing Efficiency (Min 15 attempts)-247.2 vs. The Citadel, 2000
* Passing Efficiency (Min 20 attempts)-237.6 vs. N.C. State, 2001
* Touchdown Passes-#4 vs. N.C. State, Duke, 2001
Season (23)
* Total offense-3,364, (2001)
* Total offense/game-305.8 (2001)
* Total offense plays-517 (2001)
* 200-yard total offense games-9 (2000, 2001)
* 300-yard total offense games-7 (2001)
* Consecutive 200-yard total offense games-7 (2000)
* 100-yard rushing, 300-yard total offense games-5 (2001)
* Passing Yards-2,360 (2001)
* Passing yards/game-214.5 (2001)
* 200-yard passing games-8 (2001)
* Pass Completions-188 (2001)
* Completions/game-17.1 (2001)
* Pass attempts-311 (2001)
* Touchdown Passes-17 (2001)
* Touchdown passes/game-1.55 (2001)
* Quarterback rushing-1,028, (2000)
* Consecutive 100-yard rushing games by QB-4 (2000)
* Yards rushing/game by a QB-91.3 (2001)
* 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback-5 (2001)
* Touchdowns rushing and passing-27 (2001)
* Consecutive games throwing a TD pass-6 (2000)
* Yards rushing in series of 3 games-520 (2000)
* Yards rushing in series of 4 games-623 (2000)
Career (19)
* Total offense-8,523
* Total offense/game-224.3
* Total offense plays-1,349
* Total Offense Plays/Game-35.5
* 200-yard total offense games-24
* 300-yard total offense games-13
* Total offense in career vs. one opponent-1,127 vs. N.C. State, 1999-01
* Passing Yardage-5,819
* Passing Yards/Game-153.1
* 200-yard passing games-13
* Pass attempts/game-20.3
* Completions/Game-11.7
* Completion percentage-.576
* Touchdown Passes-37
* Touchdown Passes/Game-0.97
* Yards rushing by a quarterback-2,704
* 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback-12
* 100-yard rushing, 300-yard total offense games in a career-11
* Touchdowns rushing and passing in a
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