Game Nine Notes: Clemson at Maryland |
Game Nine: Clemson at Maryland
Saturday, Nov. 10, 2001 7:00 PM (EST) Byrd Stadium (48,055) College Park, MD In the Rankings Clemson - Unranked Maryland - #13 AP, #11 USA Today/ESPN Television: ESPN2 Play By Play: Dave Barnett * Analysts: Mike Golic and Bill Curry * Sideline: Michele Tafoya Radio: Clemson Tiger Sports Network Play By Play: Jim Phillips * Color: Mike Eppley Sideline: Rodney Williams Series History: Clemson leads 27-20-2 Tickets: Expected Sellout Call 301-314-7070 Clemson Personnel Update * Altroy Bodrick (LB) - Tore his ACL in a preseason scrimmage Aug. 18. Will red-shirt the season. * Tony Elliott (WR) - Suffered broken wrist vs. Georgia Tech, will miss Maryland game. Out 4-6 weeks. * Ben Hall (TE) - Separated shoulder vs. Florida State. Questionable for Maryland. * Marcus Houskin (CB) - Suffered broken neck vs. Wofford and is out for the season. * Jackie Robinson (WR) - Pulled hamstring vs. Florida State. Questionable for Maryland. * Kevin Youngblood (WR) - Suffered broken leg in Aug. 21 scrimmage. Has not played all year. Will not play at Maryland. Could return late in the season. Clemson-Maryland Series Notes * Clemson holds a 27-20-2 advantage in the series with Maryland, but Clemson has had to win 13 of the last 14 to take this significant lead. Maryland held a 19-14-2 lead prior to the 1986 season. Maryland's only victory over Clemson since 1986 took place in 1992 at Maryland, 53-23. Clemson has won each of the last eight games by an average of 19.8 points per game. * In Clemson's eight-game winning streak over the Terps, Clemson has averaged 261.4 yards per game on the ground and has had at least 200 yards rushing in all eight games. The loss in 1992 was the last time Clemson failed to get at least 200 yards on the ground against Maryland. Clemson has had 568 yards on the ground against Maryland in two games under Tommy Bowden, 284 per game. * Clemson has averaged 397.3 yards per game of total offense against Maryland during the eight-game streak. The Tigers have given up just 240 per game and allowed just seven points per game during the eight-game winning streak in the series. * The Tigers have won each of the last nine games and 10 of the last 11 between the two teams at Death Valley. Maryland has not won at Clemson since 1985, by a 34-31 score. * Maryland went nine years without scoring a touchdown against Clemson in Death Valley. That streak was broken last year when the Terps scored two TDs in a 35-14 Clemson win on homecoming. * Maryland won the first three games of the series (1952-54) by shutout, defeating Clemson by a combined 64-0. That is the only time Clemson has been shutout three years in a row by an ACC opponent. Clemson shutout Maryland three years in a row (1993-94-95). * Clemson won the last meeting at Byrd Stadium 42-30 in 1999. Clemson was led by Woodrow Dantzler, who had 435 yards of total offense, 183 rushing and 252 passing. Rod Gardner led the receivers with 5-128, while Travis Zachery added 24-95 and three touchdowns. Bernard Rambert, playing his first career game for the Tigers, scored two touchdowns. Lamont Jordan had four touchdowns and rushed for 177 yards to lead Maryland, who entered the game leading the ACC in scoring and total defense. * Maryland is ranked 13th in AP and 11th by USA Today this week. This is the first time since 1983 that Clemson has faced a top 25 Maryland team. The Terps were ranked 11th in the AP poll entering that contest. Clemson was ranked 17th in the AP poll entering that game. This is the first time since 1977 that an unranked team has faced a ranked Maryland team. The Terps were ranked 10th in the nation entering that game and came away with a victory at Death Valley. * The most memorable game in the series from a Clemson standpoint took place in 1978 when 12th-ranked Clemson defeated 11th-ranked Maryland in College Park by a 28-24 score. Clemson was led that day by future NFL stars Steve Fuller, Jerry Butler and Dwight Clark. * Clemson's eight-game winning streak over Maryland is the longest active winning streak for the Tigers over an ACC opponent. It is the longest winning streak by Clemson over an ACC opponent since the Tigers defeated Wake Forest 15 straight years from 1977-91. The Clemson record for consecutive wins over an opponent is 29. The Tigers defeated Virginia in the first 29 games of the series, a streak that ended in 1990. Clemson's 8-Game Winning Streak vs. Maryland
Score Rushing Total Off.
Last Year vs. Maryland - Clemson 35, Maryland 14
Clemson, SC-Maryland's hopes of delivering the Tigers their first
loss of the 2000 season fell short as Alex Ardley's three
interceptions led Clemson to a 35-14 victory. A homecoming crowd of
83,572 saw Clemson improve to 7-0 for the first time since the
national championship season of 1981.
Travis Zachery's 151 rushing yards surpassed the career-high that he
had set one week earlier against N.C. State. The junior's two rushing
touchdowns gave him 34 for his career. Zachery became Clemson's
all-time record holder for total touchdowns, breaking the record of
32 by Lester Brown from 1976-79.
Rod Gardner had a terrific performance that included 148 receiving
yards and 80 kickoff return yards. His total of 231 all-purpose
running yards was the most by a Tiger since Tony Horne had 267
against Florida St. in 1997. Dantzler completed 10 of 19 passes for
186 yards and had another 87 rushing.
Clemson's offensive attack emphasized the running game. All of the
Tigers' five touchdowns were rushes. Zachery's performance over the
past two games has taken much of the pressure off Dantzler to lead
the Tigers' ground attack.
The first of Ardley's interceptions occurred with about five minutes
remaining in the opening quarter. A Maryland unsportsmanlike conduct
penalty gave Clemson the ball at the Terrapin 11. Zachery's
three-yard rush gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead.
On the final play of the first quarter Maryland quarterback Calvin
McCall found Moises Cruz for a 54-yard completion that got the Terps
to the Clemson nine. Jason Hatala ran for a touchdown on the
following play. No Maryland team had scored a touchdown in Death
Valley since 1991.
Gardner fielded the Maryland kickoff at the Clemson seven-yard line
and returned it to midfield. Dantzler recovered his own fumble and
rushed around the left end for a first down. Facing a fourth-and-six
situation the Tigers decided to go for the first down. Dantzler kept
the drive going with a 10-yard first down pass to Gardner. Dantzler
then got loose for a 19-yard touchdown run. Clemson scored again on a
1-yard Zachery run to make the score 20-7 at the half.
The Terrapins were forced to punt on the opening possession of the
third quarter. The ball was snapped over the head of punter Brooks
Barnard. The ball sailed into the end zone for a Clemson safety. Clemson made the score 28-7 on a 13-play, 80-yard drive that ended
with an 8-yard Dantzler rush. The Tigers rushed the ball on all but
one of the plays of the drive.
Ardley's third interception set up Clemson's last scoring drive. A
50-yard reception by Gardner put the Tigers in Maryland territory.
Bernard Rambert's touchdown capped off a 10-play, 97-yard drive that
gave the Tigers a 35-7 lead. The Terrapins scored on the ensuing
possession to cut the deficit to 35-14.
Chad Carson joined Ardley as an ACC Player-of-the-Week selection.
Ardley's three interceptions tied a Clemson single-game record.
Carson tallied a game-high 16 tackles. Charles Hafley tied a
career-high with 12 tackles.
Clemson to Face Top 25 Team Three Weeks in Succession
To say Clemson is in the tough part of its schedule is an
understatement. Clemson is in the process of facing three straight
games against top 25 teams. Florida State was ranked 14th in the
nation in both polls heading into last week's game. Maryland is 13th
in AP and 11th in USA Today this week. South Carolina is also in the
top 20 in both polls.
We don't have to go back very far to find the last time Clemson
played three-straight top-25 opponents, but it is a rare occurrence.
Clemson played against a fourth-ranked Florida State, 25th-ranked
South Carolina and sixth ranked Virginia Tech in consecutive games to
end last season. However, that is the only previous time that Clemson
has played a ranked team in three straight games. It almost happened
in 1966. Clemson played a ninth-ranked Georgia Tech, fourth-ranked
Alabama and fifth-ranked Southern Cal during a four-week segment in
the 1966 season. What was Coach Frank Howard thinking when he made
that schedule?
Clemson has played well against ranked teams over the years. The
Tigers already own a win over then ninth-ranked Georgia Tech on the
road this year. Clemson has defeated at least one top 25 team all but
one season (1995) since 1986.
Clemson Wins over Top 25 Teams Since 1990
Opp Year Site Rk Score Opponent 1990 N4 18 30-0 Illinois 1991 H 19 9-7 Georgia Tech H 12 29-19 N.C. State 1992 A 10 29-28 Virginia H 18 40-7 North Carolina 1993 H 16 23-14 Virginia 1994 A 12 28-17 North Carolina 1996 H 22 28-25 Georgia Tech A 15 24-16 Virginia 1997 A 25 19-17 N.C. State 1999 H 19 33-14 Virginia 2000 H 25 16-14 South Carolina 2001 A 9 47-44 Georgia Tech
Bowden 8-1 Week After a Loss
Tommy Bowden continued his ability to bring his team back after a
loss when his team defeated Wake Forest on October 27. Clemson had
lost to North Carolina 38-3 the previous week. Bowden is now 8-1 at
Clemson the game after a loss. He is 11-2 in his coaching career
including his career at Tulane. The only time he has suffered a
two-game losing streak at Clemson took place last year when the
Tigers lost consecutive games to Georgia Tech and Florida State. Obviously that record will be on the line again this week as the
Tigers are coming off a 41-27 loss to Florida State. One of the wins
in that 8-1 record took place at Maryland in 1999. Clemson was coming
off a 35-31 loss at N.C. State prior to its 1999 game at Maryland.
Clemson Undefeated on the Road
Clemson has a 3-0 record on the road so far this year, and all of the
wins have come against ACC teams. The Tigers are 3-0 on the road in
the ACC and 0-3 at home in league play. This is the first time in
Clemson history that the Tigers have been 3-0 on the road and 0-3 at
home. Clemson will attempt to close out its ACC road schedule with a
win at Maryland.
If Clemson defeats the Terps it would mark just the third time in
Clemson history that the Tigers had a perfect 4-0 ACC road record.
Clemson also did it in 1995 and 1978. Clemson was 4-0 on the ACC road
in 1995 and 2-2 at home. The 1978 Clemson team was 4-0 in ACC home
games and 2-0 on the road. Clemson has been undefeated on the ACC
road in 12 different seasons. Seven of those years Clemson was also
undefeated at home. Five times Clemson had home ACC losses and
undefeated league road record.
Clemson is 3-0 overall on the road this year and 2-3 at home. Clemson
had been unbeaten on the road (not including neutral site games) in
six previous seasons. The record for road wins in a season is six.
The 1948 team was 6-0 on the opposing team's home field. Clemson was
5-0 on an opponent's home field in 1995 and 1981. The Tigers were
5-0-1 in 1977 and 1950. The 1917 team was 4-0 on the road.
You can see by the chart below that Clemson has been more productive
on offense on the road this year. Clemson has averaged 485.7 yards a
game on the road and just 376 at home. The Tigers have scored 113
points at home and 113 on the road this year. Except the Tigers have
played five home games and just three on the road. That translates to
a 37.7 scoring average on the road and a 22.6 scoring figure at home.
Clemson Stats Home and Away
Category Home Away Record 2-3 3-0 First Downs/Game 119/23.8 74/24.7 Points/Game 113/22.6 113/37.7 Rush Yds/Game 798/159.6 659/219.7 Passing Yds/Game 1109/221.8 798/266.0 Total Offense/Game 1880/376.0 1457/485.7 Touchdowns/Game 14/2.8 16/5.33 Turnovers/Game 11/2.2 4/1.3
Clemson Hopes to Add Another Tombstone
Clemson will have a chance to add to its list of road wins over
ranked teams this weekend at Maryland. Maryland, with an 8-1 record,
is ranked 13th in the AP poll and 11th in the USA Today ranking.
Clemson has tombstones at the entrance to its practice field to
commemorate the road wins over ranked teams.
Clemson already has a win over ninth ranked Georgia Tech on the road
this year, a thrilling 47-44 overtime victory. Woodrow Dantzler
scored the winning touchdown in overtime. That was Clemson's first
win over a ranked team on the road since 1997 and its highest ranked
road win since 1981, the year Clemson won the National Championship. Clemson has 17 road wins over ranked teams in its history. Clemson's
highest ranked road win took place at North Carolina in 1981 when the
Tigers defeated an eighth-ranked Tar Heel team. Clemson was ranked
second in the nation heading into that game. In addition to the win
at Tech this year, Clemson has two other road wins over top-10 teams,
a 1983 win over 10th-ranked North Carolina and a 1992 win at
10th-ranked Virginia.
A win at Maryland would be a landmark accomplishment for this Clemson
team. The Tigers have earned two wins over ranked teams on the road
in the same season just once before. The 1950 team won at 17th-ranked
Wake Forest (13-12) and over Miami (FL) in the Orange Bowl, 15-14.
Bowl games are not usually counted on this list, but the Orange Bowl
was Miami (FL) home stadium.
Clemson has two road wins over ranked Maryland teams over the years,
1978, when Clemson defeated an 11th-ranked Maryland team in Byrd
Stadium, and 1982 when Clemson defeated an 18th-ranked Maryland team
at Byrd Stadium.
Clemson Road Wins over Ranked Teams
Year Opponent Rk Score 1948 Wake Forest 19th 21-14 1950 Wake Forest 17th 13-12 Miami (FL) 15th 15-14 1954 Florida 14th 14-7 1959 North Carolina 12th 20-18 1977 Georgia 17th 7-6 1978 Maryland 11th 28-24 1981 North Carolina 8th 10-8 1982 Maryland 18th 24-22 1983 North Carolina 10th 16-3 1986 Georgia 14th 31-28 1989 Florida State 16th 34-23 1992 Virginia 10th 29-28 1994 North Carolina @12th 28-17 1996 Virginia 15th 24-16 1997 N.C. State @25th 19-17 2001 Georgia Tech 9th 47-44 @Coaches poll only
Dantzler Has Been Outstanding vs. Maryland
Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler has played well against Maryland
in his career. This will be his fourth game against the Terps, his
third as a starter. In the previous three games he has gained 723
yards of total offense, 445 passing and 278 rushing. Ironically,
Dantzler has thrown at least one touchdown pass against every team in
the ACC except Maryland.
Dantzler had 435 yards of total offense against Maryland the last
time the Tigers traveled to College Park. At the time his performance
set a Clemson record for total offense in a game, breaking a 52-year
old record that had been set by Bobby Gage. Dantzler has since broken
that mark this year with his 517-yard performance against N.C. State.
Still, his 435 yards at Maryland in 1999 is second in school history. Dantzler has averaged 241.0 yards of total offense against the Terps.
That is just the fifth best average for Dantzler on a per game basis.
He played just a few snaps against Maryland in 1998 and that throws
off his average. As you can see by the chart below, Dantzler averages
232 yards a game in total offense in 25 games against ACC teams in
his career. He has accounted for 44 touchdowns in those 25 games, 24
rushing and 20 passing.
The second chart shows that Dantzler has been on a roll against the
ACC this year, averaging 339 yards a game of total offense. He has
accounted for 17 touchdowns rushing and passing against the ACC in
the six games. He averages 106 yards rushing and 233 passing in his
six games against the league this year. He has had at least 300 yards
of total offense in five of the six ACC games this year. His 1127
career yards against N.C. State are a record for a Clemson player
against one team in a career.
Woodrow Dantzler vs. the ACC, Career Numbers
Opponent Rushing Passing Total Off
GP-S Yds-TD Yds-TD Yds-TD Tot Off/G
Duke 3-1 158-3 214-2 372-5 124.0
Florida State 3-3 153-3 470-1 623-4 207.7
Georgia Tech 3-2 302-4 515-5 817-9 272.3
Maryland 3-2 278-3 445-0 723-3 241.0
N. Carolina 4-3 155-1 290-1 445-2 111.3
N.C. State 3-3 290-4 837-7 1127-11 375.7
Wake Forest 4-3 337-3 600-3 997-6 249.3
Virginia 2-2 287-3 405-1 692-4 346.0
Totals 25-19 1960-24 3776-20 5796-44 231.8
Woodrow Dantzler vs. the ACC in 2001
Opponent Rushing Passing Total Offense
Att-Yds-TD C-Att-Yds-In-TD Plays-Yds-TD
Virginia 23-67-1 25-34-251-2-0 57-318-1
Georgia Tech 25-164-2 18-32-254-0-2 57-418-4
N.C. State 23-184-2 23-27-333-0-4 50-517-6
N. Carolina 12-43-0 10-25-73-1-0 37-116-0
Wake Forest 20-119-1 16-27-211-0-2 47-330-3
Florida St. 22-59-2 22-40-277-1-0 62-336-3
Totals 125-636-8 114-185-1399-4-8 310-2035-17
Averages 21-106-1.3 19-31-233 51.7-339.2-2.8
Dantzler Needs 152 Yards Rushing for 5,000/2,500 Club
Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler needs just 152 yards rushing to
become just the third player in college football history to reach
5,000 yards passing and 2,500 yards rushing (regular season games
only). Dantzler went over the 5,000 yard passing mark against Florida
State last week and now 5,034 in regular season games. He has 2,348
yards rushing for his career and thus needs just 152 to reach the
2,500-yard rushing mark.
The only other quarterbacks in college football history with at least
5,000 yards passing and 2,500 rushing are current Indiana quarterback
Antwaan Randle-El and former Louisiana-Lafayette quarterback Brian
Mitchell. Randle-El has 6,903 passing and 3,496 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 16th in NCAA history in rushing yards by a
quarterback. He needs just 54 yards rushing against Maryland to move
past Bill Deery of William & Mary (1972-74) for 15th on the all-time
list. Dantzler is third among active Division I players in
quarterback rushing. Randle-El has 3,496, and Nebraska's Eric Crouch
has 3,166.
NCAA Career Leaders in Quarterback Rushing Net Yards Rk Name Team Yrs Pass Rush 1. Dee Dowis Air Force 1986-89 2,870 3,612 2. Kareem Wilson Ohio U. 1995-98 2,105 3,597 3. A Randle-El Indiana 1998-01 6,903 3,496 4. Chris McKoy Navy 1995-97 2,486 3,401 5. Beau Morgan Air Force 1994-96 3,248 3,379 6. Brian Mitchell LA-Lafayette 1986-89 5,447 3,335 7. Fred Solomon Tampa 1971-74 2,430 3,299 8. Eric Crouch Nebraska 1998-01 4,223 3,166 9. Stacey Robinson N Illinois 1988-90 1,724 2,727 10. J Holieway Oklahoma 1985-88 2,154 2,699 11. Bill Hurley Syracuse 1975-79 3,398 2,551 12. Michael Carter Hawaii 1990-93 3,504 2,528 13. Corby Jones Missoui 1995-98 3,697 2,533 14. Chad Nelson Rice 1994-97 1,079 2,415 15. Bill Deery William & Mary 1972-74 2,188 2,401 16. W Dantzler Clemson 1998-01 5,034 2,348
Dantzler On Pace for 2,000/1,000 Season
Woodrow Dantzler has gained 737 net yards on the ground for an
average of 92.13 yards per game. He is on pace for 1013 yards rushing
in the regular season. He is on pace for 2,420 passing. No player in
NCAA history has had 1,000 yards rushing and 2,000 yards passing in
the same season.
He had 947 rushing and 1,691 passing last season during the regular
season. If he is to achieve the distinction he will have to do it in
the regular season as NCAA records do not count bowl games. The
closest to achieve the milestone is Brian Mitchell of
Louisiana-Lafayette, who had 1,311 rushing and 1,966 passing in 1989. Dantzler is ranked in the top 36 in the nation in five different
statistical categories through games of Nov. 3. The Tiger signal
caller who now owns 31 school records is sixth in the country in
total offense (312.13), 34th in passing efficiency (135.06) and 36th
in rushing. He is second among all quarterbacks in rushing and is the
only quarterback in the nation with 700 yards rushing and 1,700 yards
passing. Dantzler is also 15th in points responsible for with 15
points a game, and 24th in completions per game with 18.75.
Clemson at Record Rate for First Downs
Clemson has been racking up the first downs this year, at a record
rate in fact. Clemson has 193 first downs so far this year, an
average of 24.12 per game. Clemson had 26 first downs in the 41-27
loss to Florida State. It marked the fifth time this year that
Clemson had accumulated at least 25 first downs in a single game. The
high was 29 in the win over Wofford and the loss to Virginia. Clemson's offense has been strong this year, among the best in school
history if the season ended today. Clemson's 417.1 yards per game
would be third best in school history if the season ended today. The
completions per game figure and the passing yards per game figure
would also be second best if the season ended today.
Here is a list of how this team stacks up on a per game basis with
great Clemson offenses of the past.
Category 2001 Figure Would Rank Record Figure First Downs/Game 24.12 1st 22.75 (2000) Completions/Game 19.88 2nd 21.0 (1999) Pass Attempts/G 33.63 2nd 35.3 (1999) Passing Yds/G 238.4 2nd 251.6 (1999) Completion % .591 4th .605 (1997) Interception Avoid. 2.6 % 5th 1.92 % (1988) Plays/Game 77.6 2nd 78.8 (1978) Total Offense/Game 417.1 3rd 436.8 (2000) 3rd Down Conv. % .491 2nd .516 (1978) Points/Game 28.3 8th 34.7 (2000)
Mance Picks off Two Passes vs. Seminoles
Starting cornerback Brian Mance had two interceptions in Clemson's
loss to Florida State. It marked the second time in the junior's
career that he has had two interceptions in the same game. He also
did it against Missouri in Death Valley in 2000. Mance actually had a
record tying three takeaways in that game.
Mance also had four tackles in the game against the Seminoles. It was
his first game in Death Valley since his brother, Kenny, was
tragically killed in an auto accident when he fell asleep at the
wheel just two miles from his home in the early morning hours of Oct.
14. Mance was back in the lineup at Wake Forest on Oct. 27 and helped
the Tigers to victory.
Mance is a valuable member of the Clemson lineup. He has 30 tackles
and four passes broken up plus the two interceptions in seven games,
all as a starter in the secondary. He also is Clemson's top kick
returner. According to this week's NCAA stats, Mance is 28th in the
nation in punt returns with a 11.9 average and is 35th in kickoff
returns with a 24.9 average.
Mance was not the only Clemson cornerback who has had to deal with
tragedy this year. The early morning hours prior to the Wake Forest
game of Oct. 27, starting cornerback Kevin Johnson was called home
due to a stroke suffered by his father. He died the next day. Johnson
missed the Wake Forest game, but returned for the Florida State game
on Nov. 3. The junior from Orangeburg, SC contributed six tackles and
two passes broken up against the Seminoles.
Clemson Offense Establishes High Totals vs. Seminoles
Clemson fell to Florida State 41-27 on Nov. 3, but the Tigers
certainly showed life offensively. The Tigers gained 463 yards of
total offense, picked up 26 first downs and obviously scored 27
points. Clemson had 277 passing and 186 rushing. The total offense
figure was the highest ever by Clemson against Florida State. The
first down total was also the best and the passing yardage figure was
second best.
Individually, Woodrow Dantzler gained 336 yards of total offense,
including 277 yards passing. Those were both individual bests by a
Clemson player against Florida State.
Tigers Win Turnover Margin, Lose Game
Clemson won the turnover margin, but lost the game against Florida
State. It marked just the second time in the last two years that
Clemson has had fewer turnovers than the opposition, but lost the
game. The Tigers forced two interceptions against Florida State, but
committed just one on offense. Clemson is now 6-2 the last two years
when it wins the turnover war. The other loss was to Virginia Tech in
the Gator Bowl last year.
Clemson has not fared well in the turnover margin and points off
turnover stat this year. After outscoring the opposition 209-80 his
first two years when it comes to points off turnover, Bowden's Tigers
have been outscored 48-30 this year when it comes to that stat.
Clemson has won the turnover margin stat each of the last two weeks,
but Clemson is still 92nd in the nation in turnover margin so far
this year.
Turnover margin has been a key for Maryland so far this year and that
has been a key to its 8-1 record and top-15 ranking. The Terps are
second in the nation in turnover margin and have already forced 26
turnovers.
Clemson Getting Contributions from Freshmen
Clemson has had a lot of rookies contribute to its season on both
side of the ball this year. On the defensive side, six first-year
freshmen have seen action and two red-shirt freshmen have been major
contributors. The first-year freshmen who have seen action are Eric
Sampson (LB), LeRoy Hill (LB), Moe Fountain (DE), Travis Pugh (S),
Eric Coleman (DT) and Tavaughn Monts (CB). Red-shirt freshmen Ryan
Hemby (CB) and Donnell Washington (DT) have also played well. Sampson came off the bench for an injured John Leake at Wake Forest
and contributed 14 tackles on six first hits and eight assists in 69
snaps of play. Leake played the first nine plays before suffering a
sprained ankle that shelved him for the game. Sampson had played just
54 plays from scrimmage over the first six games and had eight total
tackles. He also had two quarterback pressures in the impressive
performance. His 14 tackles were the most by a first-year freshman
since Anthony Simmons had 19 in a victory at South Carolina in 1995. Freshman Donnell Washington has seven tackles for loss and 25 total
tackles to lead all freshmen this year. He had another solid game
from the defensive tackle position in the win at Wake Forest. The
320-pounder had four tackles, including a tackle for loss, as he
helped stop Wake Forest's strong running game. The Deacs entered the
contest sixth in the nation in rushing.
He had just one pressure at Wake Forest, but it was huge. He got to
Wake Forest quarterback James MacPherson just as he released the
ball, forcing the ball to flutter into the arms of Chad Carson. It
put a stop to momentum the Deacs had gained after a Clemson fumble.
Clemson had just a seven-point lead at the time.
Offensively, four freshmen receivers have combined for 72 catches for
973 yards and four touchdowns. That is already the most catches and
receiving yards for a Clemson freshman class in history. Leading the
way is Derrick Hamilton, who has 44-518, both all-time Clemson
freshman records. Airese Currie, a first-year freshman, has added
12-227, while Roscoe Crosby has 9-154. Crosby has been injured much
of the year, but has had five catches the last two weeks. Tight end
Ben Hall has 7-74 and two touchdowns.
Clemson Attendance near Record Rate
Clemson has averaged 81,486 fans per game for five contests at Death
Valley so far this year. If the season ended today, that would be the
second highest average season attendance in Clemson history. The
record is 81,750 set during the 1988 season. Clemson still has one
home game left against Duke on Dec. 1.
That 1988 season is the only season Clemson has averaged 80,000 fans
for a complete season. Clemson must draw 72,571 fans for the Duke
game to finish the year with an average of 80,000 or better. Clemson
has averaged more than 78,000 each of the first two years of the
Bowden era.
Rambert Has Best Game
Clemson junior running back Bernard Rambert had his first career
start in the Florida State game. He responded with his best rushing
total since his freshman year. Rambert had 67 yards rushing on 11
carries and scored his second touchdown of the season. He had a
61-yard run on a "punt-rooskie" called back by a penalty.
The rushing yardage total was his most since the 1999 Peach Bowl when
he had 70 yards rushing against Mississippi State. That remains his
career high. "Bernard had been doing very well in practice and I
wanted to give him more playing time. That is why I started him. It
was not because Travis did something wrong, I wanted to make myself
put Bernard in the game. He played well."
Rambert will be returning to the scene of his first action as a
Tiger. In 1999 he was slated to red-shirt, but Bowden decided to play
him at Maryland for the first time. He responded with two touchdowns
in Clemson's 42-30 victory.
Dantzler Stats Better on the Road
Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler has been a player who does not
let the visiting crowd bother him, in fact it must motivate him
because his stats on the opponent's home field are considerably
better than they are at home.
Over the last three years, seasons Dantzler has been the starter, or
a factor in the Clemson lineup, Dantzler has averaged 306.8 yards of
total offense per game in 12 contests on the road and has averaged
just 221 yards per game in 16 games played in Death Valley. Dantzler has averaged a 100-yard rushing, 300-yard total offense game
on the road for those 12 games in the opponent's home facility. He
has done that each of his last three road games. He has averaged
204.7 passing and 102.1 rushing. His passing efficiency is 142.4 on
the road and 128.2 in Death Valley. He has averaged 2.33 touchdowns
rushing and passing on the road and 1.75 in Death Valley since 1999. In three road games this year, Dantzler has had 418 yards total
offense at Georgia Tech and 517 at N.C. State, two of the top three
total offense games in Clemson history. He added a 330-yard effort at
Wake Forest. Four of Dantzler's top five total offense games have
come on the road.
Dantzler Stats Breakdown since 1999 Category Home Away Games 16 12 Comp/Att 201-344 182-303 TD/Int 14/9 16/7 Pass yards 2496 2456 Yds/Game 156.0 204.7 Completion % .584 .601 Efficiency 128.2 142.4 Rush-Yds 243-1039 222-1225 Yds/Game 65.0 102.1 Rushing TDs 14 12 Plays 587 525 Yds/Play 6.02 7.01 Total Off/Game 220.9 306.8 TDR 28 28 TDR/Game 1.75 2.33
Dantzler Stats Similar to Ward Heisman Numbers
Woodrow Dantzler received rave reviews for his performance against
N.C. State on Oct. 13.
N.C. State strongside linebacker Brandon Jamison told The State
Newspaper, "He has got to be one of the best athletes in
America...That is why he is up for the Heisman. The man can run. He
can pass. He has moves. He has speed. He can break tackles. There is
nothing bad you can say about him."
During the broadcast on Jefferson Pilot television, guest commentator
and legendary former ACC coach Bill Dooley remarked, "If I had him as
a quarterback, I'd get back into coaching."
Another person who was impressed was N.C. State coach Chuck Amato. "I
had the fortune to be around Charlie Ward (at Florida State, 1992-93)
and Dantzler has more athletic ability. He is their football team.
He's their inspiration.
"He put on a display out there today that I don't know if we'll ever
see again in this stadium. I hope not by an opposing quarterback. I
can't imagine a better player in the country in America. We must have
set a record for missed tackles on him."
Ward, now the starting point guard for the NBA's New York Knicks, won
the Heisman Trophy in 1993 when he led Florida State to the national
championship and a 12-1 record. He did so with an all-around game as
he had the ability to run as well as pass. Dantzler has had similar
success as a runner and passer this year.
A look to the stats shows that Dantzler is ahead of Ward's pace in
total offense/game and rushing yards per game.
Comparison of 2 Quarterbacks Category Ward, 1993 Dantzler, 2001 Passing Yards/Game 275.6 220.0 Rushing Yards/Game 30.8 92.1 Total Offense/Game 306.5 312.1 Touchdowns/Game 2.82 2.50 Passing Efficiency 157.82 135.1 Completion % .695 .625 Yards/Attempt 7.97 7.3
Carson Records 23 Tackles; Moves to Fifth on Tackle List
Chad Carson had the top tackle game of his career and the third best
single game in Clemson history in the victory over Wake Forest on
Oct. 27. Carson had 15 first hits and eight assists in helping the
Tigers hold down Wake Forest's outstanding rushing defense. The Demon
Deacons entered the game averaging 235 yards per game on the ground,
sixth best in the nation.
But, Carson and his teammates held Wake Forest to 193 on the day and
344 yards of total offense. It was the second lowest total offensive
figure this year for Wake Forest. Carson had a lot to do with the run
defense and he also contributed to the pass defense by intercepting a
pass, his first career interception in 42 games as a Tiger. Carson's tackle total was third best in Clemson history. The only
higher are the 27 by former teammate Keith Adams against South
Carolina in 1999 and by Jeff Davis against North Carolina in 1980.
That is pretty good company for Carson as both players were not only
All-Americans, but also won ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Carson now has 403 tackles for his career, fifth best in school
history. He moved ahead of Robert Carswell, Adams and Randy Scott in
his big game at Wake Forest. Carson now trails only Bubba Brown,
Anthony Simmons, Davis and Ed McDaniel. Simmons and McDaniel are
still in the NFL, while Davis played five years with the Tampa Bay
Bucs.
Clemson Career Tackle Leaders Rk Player, Pos Years No 1. Bubba Brown, LB 1976-79 515 2. A Simmons, LB 1995-97 486 3. Jeff Davis, LB 1978-81 469 4. Ed McDaniel, LB 1988-91 489 5. Chad Carson, LB 1998-01 403 6. Randy Scott, LB 1975-78 382 7. Keith Adams, LB 1998-00 379 8. R Carswell, FS 1997-00 374 9. Tim Jones, LB 1991-94 338 10. Henry Walls, LB 1983-85 316 Clemson Single Game Tackle Bests Rk Player Yr/Opponent No 1. Keith Adams 1999 vs. South Carolina 27 2. Jeff Davis 1980 vs. North Carolina 24 3. Chad Carson 2001 vs. Wake Forest 23 4. Chad Carson 2000 vs. Georgia Tech 22 Jeff Davis 1980 vs. Maryland 22 Bubba Brown 1978 vs. Ohio State 22 Bubba Brown 1979 vs. N.C. State 22 8. Henry Walls 1985 vs. Georgia Tech 21 Willie Anderson 1974 vs. South Carolina 21
Hamilton Sets Freshman Receiving Records
Freshman wide receiver Derrick Hamilton continued his outstanding
rookie season with seven catches for 88 yards against Florida State.
The red-shirt freshman from Mullins, SC now has 44 receptions for 518
yards and two touchdowns. He set a Clemson freshman receiving record
with his performance at Wake Forest, breaking the single season mark
of 34 receptions by Terry Smith in 1991. He set the freshman
receiving yardagerecord against Florida State when he had 88 yards.
He broke Smith's record in that category.
Hamilton's 106 yards receiving at N.C. State broke Ray Williams
single game freshman receiving yardage mark. Ironically, Williams
mark had been recorded against N.C. State, a 105 yard effort in 1983.
Hamilton is now 35th in the nation in receptions per game with 5.5
and is second among freshmen. He trails only Kelley Washington of
Tennessee.
It was a big day for Clemson freshman receivers at Wake Forest.
Clemson had 16 completions as a team and 13 were by freshmen. In
addition to Hamilton's six catches for 91, Roscoe Crosby had 3-36,
Ben Hall had 3-17 and a touchdown, and Airese Currie had 1-36.
Clemson Offense Averages 419 Yards Under Bowden
Clemson has a 20-12 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 419.7 yards per
game in total offense. Clemson has gained 186 rushing and 234 passing
over the 32 games. In an average game under Bowden the Tigers have
averaged 30.1 points a game and scored four touchdowns. On average,
the Tigers run the ball 45 times and throw it 32 times. Clemson has
scored 127 touchdowns in the 32 games, nearly four per game. Nineteen
of the 31 games Clemson has had at least 400 yards of total offense.
Clemson Offense in the Tommy Bowden Era Category Total Per Game Points 964 30.13 Touchdowns 127 4.00 First Downs 728 22.75 Rushing Att 1440 45.0 Rushing Yards 5957 186.2 Pass Attempts 1032 32.3 Pass Comp 591 18.5 Passing Yards 7479 233.7 Completion % .573 .573 Plays 2472 77.0 Total Offense 13,410 419.1 Record 20-12 .625
Zachery Closing in on Scoring Record
Clemson running back Travis Zachery is closing in on a number of
milestones. The senior all-purpose running back has scored 46
touchdowns in his Clemson career, already a school record. He has 38
rushing and eight receiving and obviously needs four touchdowns to
become the first Clemson player to reach 50 touchdowns.
Those touchdowns translate into scoring. He now has 276 points in his
Clemson career and needs 26 to break Nelson Welch's career record of
301. Welch was a placekicker for the Tigers from 1991-94. He booted a
school record 72 field goals and added 85 extra points for his 301
total.
As you can see by the chart below, Zachery is already third on the
Clemson scoring list. He recently passes Chris Gardocki, who had 261
points. Gardocki will be inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of
Fame on Feb. 1.
Zachery had his streak of 13 consecutive games with at least one
touchdown rushing or receiving, snapped when he failed to score
against North Carolina. That is the Clemson record for consecutive
games with at least one score. He shattered the mark, as the previous
best was a streak of nine straight games by Lester Brown, 1978-79. Zachery has 45 regular season touchdowns in his career. Only two ACC
players in history have reached 50 touchdowns in regular season play.
Five more TDs in the last five regular season games would give
Zachery an even 50. The others to do it are Ted Brown, who had 51 for
N.C. State between 1975-78, and Leon Johnson, who had 50 at North
Carolina between 1993-96.
Clemson Career Leaders Scoring Rk. Name Years TDs PATs FGs Pts 1. Nelson Welch 1991-94 0 85-92 72-102 301 2. Obed Ariri 1977-80 0 99-103 63-97 288 3. Travis Zachery 1998-01 46 0-0 0-0 276 4. Chris Gardocki 1988-90 0 72-72 63-89 261 5. David Treadwell 1985-87 0 92-93 47-66 233 6. Bob Paulling 1979-83 0 107-109 23-41 209
Zachery Approaching 3,000/1,000 Club
Clemson senior running back Travis Zachery is among the best
all-around ball carriers in the nation. That is one reason he was
listed among the preseason candidates for the Doak Walker Award. So far this year Zachery has 398 yards rushing and 313 yards
receiving, giving him 711 yards from scrimmage. He has had five
touchdowns rushing and got his second receiving at N.C. State for
seven total touchdowns.
Zachery now has 2,880 yards rushing in his career and 960 receiving.
No Clemson player in history has had at least 3,000 yards rushing and
1,000 receiving. It is quite a difficult accomplishment, something
only three players in ACC history have accomplished. The others to do
it are Leon Johnson, a former running back from North Carolina
(1993-96), Warrick Dunn of Florida State (1993-96), and Terry Kirby
of Virginia (1989-92). Zachery needs 120 yards rushing and 40
receiving to pull off the 3,000/1,000 double.
Zachery scored three touchdowns at Tech and one more at N.C. State,
giving him 46 for his career, already a Clemson record. He has scored
40 touchdowns in his last 32 games. His three scores at Tech gave him
eight for his career against the Yellow Jackets, including six at
Grant Field in Atlanta. Zachery is from nearby Marietta, GA. Zachery enters the Florida State game with 2,880 career rushing
yards, third best in school history. He moved ahead of Terry Allen
(now with Baltimore Ravens) on the all-time list in the win over N.C.
State. Now, only Kenny Flowers and Raymond Priester have more rushing
yards than Zachery.
Zachery went over the 4,000-yard mark in all-purpose running in the
loss to North Carolina. He now has 4,116 for his career, just the
second Clemson runner to reach 4,000 yards. Raymond Priester is the
career leader in all-purpose running with 4282.
Clemson Career Rushing Leaders Rk. Name Years Att Avg TD Total 1. R Priester 94-97 805 4.93 21 3966 2. Kenny Flowers 83-86 590 4.94 26 2914 3. Travis Zachery 98-01 662 4.36 38 2880 4. Terry Allen 87-89 523 5.31 28 2778 5. Buddy Gore 66-68 600 4.29 15 2571 Clemson Career All-Purpose running Leaders Rk. Name Years Rush Rec KR-PR Total 1. R Priester 94-97 3966 316 4282 2. Travis Zachery 98-01 2880 960 0-276 4116 3. Buddy Gore 66-68 2571 65 637-0 3273 4. Kenny Flowers 83-86 2914 192 40-0 3146 5. Ray Mathews 47-50 1886 650 294-298 3128
Dantzler Reaches 4,000/2,000 Mark; Now Owns 31 Clemson Records
Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler became the first quarterback in
ACC history to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 2,000 when he had
his 517 yard total offense game at N.C. State.
Including bowl games, Dantzler has 2,437 rushing and 5,219 passing in
his four-year career. So far this season, Dantzler has 737 yards
rushing and 1,760 passing for 2,497 total, an average of 312 yards
per game in total offense. He ranks first in the conference in total
offense per game and is sixth in the nation. He is fourth in the ACC
in rushing and fourth in passing efficiency.
The graduate student has connected on 62.5 percent of his passes this
year, a record pace, and is now at 58.2 percent for his career, also
best in school history.
Dantzler became Clemson's all-time leader in total offense with his
performance at Tech and now has 7,656 career yards, ahead of the
previous record held by Nealon Greene. He is also second in school
history in passing efficiency and interception avoidance. He has 2497
total offense for the season, and needs 403 to break his own record.
Dantzler on Clemson career Records Lists
Rank/Category/Figure Left for Record
* 1st, quarterback rushing (2437) has record
* 1st, completion percentage (.581) has record
* 1st in touchdown responsibility (57) has record
* 1st in total offense (7656) has record
* 1st in total plays (1228) has record
* 2nd in passing efficiency (130.2) 131.30 rating points
* 2nd in interception avoidance (2.62) 2.55 percent
* 2nd in completions (407) 52 completions
* 2nd in passing yards (5219) 503 yards
* 3rd in touchdown passes (31) 5 TD passes
Clemson Records Held by Dantzler (31)
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, 2001
Season (13)
* Total offense-2899, (2000)
* Quarterback rushing-1,028, (2000)
* 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback-4 (2000)
* Touchdowns rushing and passing-24 (2000)
* 200-yard total offense games-9 (2000)
* 300-yard total offense games-5 (2001)
* Consecutive 200-yard total offense games-7 (2000)
* Consecutive games throwing a TD pass-6 (2000)
* 100-yard rushing, 300-yard total offense games-4 (2000)
* Most yards rushing in series of 3 games-520 (2000)
* Most yards rushing in series of 4 games-623 (2000)
* Most total offense/game in season-241.6 (2000)
* Most total offense plays in season-434 (2000)
Career (10)
* Completion percentage in career-.580
* Total offense-7,656
* Yards rushing by a quarterback in a career-2,437
* 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback-9
* Most total offense/game in career-219.0
* Most 300-yard total offense games in career-11
* Most 100-yard rushing, 300-yard total offense games in a career-9
* Most touchdowns rushing and passing in a career-57
* Most total offense plays in a career (1,228)
* #Most 200-yard passing games (10)
#tied record
Clemson Career total Offense leaders Rk. Name Years Plays Rush Pass Total 1. W Dantzler 98-01 1,228 2,437 5,219 7,656 2. Nealon Greene 94-97 1,158 1,067 5,719 6,786 3. Steve Fuller 75-78 1,089 1,737 4,359 6,096 4. Rodney Williams 85-88 1,024 863 4,647 5,510 5. Homer Jordan 79-82 859 971 3,643 4,614 6. DeChane Cameron 88-91 765 926 3,300 4,226 Clemson Career Leaders in Completion Percentage Rk. Name Years Com Att Pct 1. W Dantzler 98-01 407 702 .580 2. Nealon Greene 94-87 458 805 .569 3. Chris Morocco 86-89 89 157 .567 4. B Streeter 96-99 294 519 .566 5. Mike Eppley 80-84 252 449 .561
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