Game Notes: Clemson at South Carolina |
Saturday, November 22, 2003 7: 00 PM (EST) Williams Brice Stadium (80,250)
Columbia, SC Live Network Television: ESPN-2 Play-by-play: Dave Barnett Color: Bill Curry Sidelines: Heather Cox Clemson Radio Network Play by Play: Pete Yanity Color Commentator: Will Merritt Sideline: Chad Carson Series History: Clemson Leads leads: 60-36-4 at South Carolina: Clemson leads 46-29-3 at Williams Brice Stadium: Clemson leads 27-17-2 At Clemson: Clemson leads 14-7-1 Last Year : Clemson, 27-20 at Clemson Last S. Carolina win : 20-15 in Columbia, 2001 Clemson Personnel Update - Airese Currie (WR)--Missed Duke game due to bruised thigh and sprained ankle. Probable for South Carolina. - Ben Hall (WR)--Missed Duke game due to bruised shoulder. Probable for South Carolina. - J. J. Howard (DE)--Suffered torn ACL in sixth game of the year against Virginia and is out for the season. 1 Offensive Categories 2002 2003 Total Offense/ Game 363.5 411.5 Rushing Offense/ Game 120.7 126.1 Passing Offense/ Game 242.8 285.4 Completion % .580 .613 Passing Efficiency 121.2 133.1 Firstdowns/ Game 19.9 23.2 Turnovers Committed/ G 2.15 1.45 Defensive Categories 2002 2003 Rushing Defense/ G 158.2 138.3 Pass Defense/ G 197.2 191.6 Total Defense/ G 355.4 329.9 Scoring Defense 26.8 19.9 Tackles for Loss/ G 5.76 7.45 Quarterback Press/ G 7.38 10.2 Points off Turn Allowed 4.9 3.1 Special Teams Net Punting 29.7 35.2 Kickoff Returns 24.3 27.8 Avg. Start Kickoff Ret Def. 29 24 Touchbacks 8 19 Clemson National Team of the Week by Football Writers Association When Clemson defeated Florida State on November 8 it was named the National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America. Clemson stopped third ranked Florida State by a 26-10 score. It was the highest ranked team Clemson has defeated in history. It was the first time Clemson has been named National Team of the Week by that organization. Tigers from South Carolina Clemson has 37 players on its active roster who should travel to Columbia for the South Carolina game. An additional 10 players are walk-on natives of the state who probably won't dress for the game. The list of Tigers from South Carolina includes four players from Columbia, Airese Currie, Toure Francis, Todd McClinton and Steven Jackson. Eight Tigers from the state started against Duke, Tony Elliott (WR), Mo Fountain (DE), Derrick Hamilton (WR), William Henry (OT), Tye Hill (CB), Travis Pugh (FS), Gregory Walker (OT), Donnell Washington (DT). Throw out the Record Books? We always here the phrase, "You can throw out he record books when these two teams get together." While there have been some upsets in this series, usually the team with the better record comes away with the victory. The team entering the game with the better overall record has a 16-2-1 record in the series since 1981. That computes to 86.8 percent over a 22-year period. Three times during that era both teams had the same record. The team with the better record entering this game has won every year since and including 1997. The last time that did not happen was 1996 when Clemson was 7-3 and South Carolina was 5-5 and the Gamecocks won at Clemson, 34-31. Current Clemson offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Brad Scott was the head coach for South Carolina in that game. For the history of the series, Clemson has a 38-14-3 record when it enters the contest with the better record, a 72 winning percentage. Clemson has had the better record in 55 of the 100 previous meetings. The teams have had the same winning percentage entering the game nine times and Clemson has a 7-2 record in those situations. Thus, Clemson is 45-16-3 (. 727) against South Carolina over the years when the Tigers enter the game with at least the same record as South Carolina. Clemson is 7-4 and South Carolina 5- 6 entering this year's contest. Clemson vs. South Carolina on ESPN This will be the fifth time in the last seven years that the Clemson vs. South Carolina game will be shown on an ESPN network. The 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2002 contests were all on ESPN 2. The 1987 and 1989 games in Columbia were shown on ESPN. This year's game returns to ESPN-2. Clemson holds a 4-2 lead in games shown live on ESPN in the series. Clemson won the 1989, 1997, 1998 and 2002 contests, while South Carolina won in 1987 and 1996. Clemson has won just seven night games since 1995, but three of the seven wins are over South Carolina. Those are the 1997 (47-21 in Columbia), 1998 (28-19 in Clemson) and last year. Clemson has already won two games at night this season (2-1), the win at Georgia Tech and the Florida State victory on November 8. The first game of the series that was televised was the 1977 game, a 31-27 Clemson victory that was shown on a regional basis by ABC. Top 10 Unusual Facts about the Clemson vs. South Carolina Series 10. Both coaches who have won bowl games for South Carolina will be on the field Saturday on opposing sidelines. Brad Scott was the first South Carolina head coach to win a bowl game when he took the Gamecocks to victory in the 1994 Carquest Bowl over West Virginia. Current South Carolina head coach Lou Holtz has taken South Carolina to bowl victories in 2000 and 2001, both times against Ohio State. 9. The visiting team won seven consecutive years in games played between 1991-97. 8. Josh Cody had a 4-0 record for Clemson against South Carolina between 1927-30. He is the only coach in the series to have a perfect record, given a minimum of three games coached. 7. Paul Williams is the last player to letter for both schools. He lettered for Clemson in 1978 and for South Carolina in 1980. 6. A Clemson captain actually played for South Carolina. Cary Cox lettered for the Gamecocks in 1943. After the war, he enrolled at Clemson and served as captain for the Tigers in 1947. 5. Since 1989, seven different coaches have served both schools. The list includes current Clemson offensive coordinator Brad Scott, Tommy West (now head coach at Memphis) , Miles Aldridge David Bibee, Rich Bisaccia (now an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Bucs), Woody McCorvey and Chuck Reedy. 4. In 1948 and 1981 a blocked punt returned for a touchdown proved to be the pivotal play in a Clemson victory, victories that allowed Clemson to go on to an undefeated season. In both instances, the original line of scrimmage was the South Carolina 28-yard-line. 3. Willie Underwood had two interceptions to lead Clemson to victory over South Carolina in 1980. A starter for four years, the strong safety never had recorded an interception in any of his first 46 games as a Tiger, then had two against the Gamecocks in his 47 th and final game. 2. In a placekicking career that spanned five years, Bob Paulling made 107 of 109 extra points. Both of his misses were at South Carolina, one in 1981 and one in 1983. He had a streak of 70 consecutive made extra points (second longest in Clemson history) in between the two miscues. 1. In the 30 games that Frank Howard coached at Clemson against South Carolina, Clemson scored 411 points and South Carolina scored 411 points. Memorable Clemson Plays in the Series with South Carolina 1948 Phil Prince blocked punt and Oscar Thompson returned the ball for a touchdown that gave Clemson 13-7 win in Columbia and allowed Clemson to keep an undefeated season. Play took place with 4: 15 left in the game. 1959 Harvey White connected with future Super Bowl Champion Bill Mathis for a 26-yard touchdown pass in the third period to put Clemson up 19-0 in the final Big Thursday game in Columbia. White completed 9-10 passes on the day and led the Tigers to the 27- 0 victory. 1962 Don Chuy and Billy Weaver combined to sack Dan Reeves for a 13-yard loss with just 33 seconds left, preserving Clemson's 20-17 victory. South Carolina had driven to the Clemson 25 for that last play. 1966 Harry Olszewski, an All-America offensive guard, picked off a fumbled snap in mid-air and ran 12-yards for a touchdown. The 35-10 victory allowed Clemson to win the ACC title. No Clemson offensive lineman has scored a touchdown since. 1967 Buddy Gore's 43-yard run in the third period that led to a Tiger touchdown was a momentum swaying play in Clemson's victory over the Gamecocks, a win that allowed Clemson to clinch a tie for the ACC championship. That was the key run on this day that saw Gore become the first Clemson back in history to go over 1000 yards in a season and break Brian Piccolo's ACC single season rushing record. 1971 Eddie Seigler kicked a 52-yard field goal to lead Clemson to a 17-7 win over the Gamecocks. It was the first field goal of at least 50 yards in Clemson history. 1972 With Clemson leading 7-6 in the fourth period, Jimmy Williamson batted down a Dobby Grossman two-point conversion pass to preserve the victory for the Tigers. 1977 Jerry Butler made a 20-yard catch of a Steve Fuller pass with 49 seconds left to give Clemson 31-27 win in Columbia. It clinched Gator Bowl bid for the Tigers, Clemson's first bowl bid in 18 years. It was a backwards diving reception. 1980 Willie Underwood had a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown that clinched Clemson's upset of South Carolina in 1980. Underwood was named Sports Illustrated Player of the Week for his performance in that game. 1981 Just as it had happed 33 years previously, a blocked punt played a big part in a Clemson victory over South Carolina that allowed the Tigers to have an undefeated season. Rod McSwain blocked a South Carolina punt and Johnny Rembert recovered in the endzone for the touchdown. Just as it had been 33 years previous, the line of scrimmage was the South Carolina 28. 1990 Chris Gardocki made his final punt in Death Valley memorable when he had a 78-yard boot in the fourth quarter to give South Carolina bad field position and clinch Clemson's 24-15 victory over the Gamecocks. It remains the second longest punt in Clemson history. 1995 Emory Smith carried South Carolina tacklers 20 yards on the way to a 54-yard run that led to the game clinching touchdown in Columbia. Smith ended the game with 101 yards rushing. 1999 Rod Gardner's 29-yard scoring catch on a fourth-down play from Woody Dantzler clinched Clemson's 31-20 victory in Columbia. 2000 Rod Gardner's 50-yard reception from Dantzler with 10 seconds left led to Aaron Hunt's game winning field goal with three seconds left. The 101st Meeting This will be meeting 101 between Clemson and South Carolina. The series dates to 1896 and the first year of football at Clemson, the fourth season for South Carolina. Clemson holds the advantage 60-36-4 since that first meeting in Columbia. Clemson has more wins over South Carolina than any other school and those victories represent over 10 percent of Clemson's all-time total (592-408-45). Clemson won the 100 th meeting last year at Clemson by a 27- 20 score. The Gamecocks won the last meeting in Columbia by a 20-15 score in 2001. That Gamecock victory ended a four-game winning streak for the Tigers, who have now won five of the last six. South Carolina has not beaten Clemson in consecutive years since the 1968-70 era. The Clemson vs. South Carolina series ranks in a tie for 14 th in college football history in terms of most played rivalries. The most played rivalry is the Minnesota vs. Wisconsin series, which is now at 113 since the two teams played last week. The Clemson and South Carolina series will tie the Kansas vs. Kansas State series when the two teams meet Saturday night. This will be the 95th consecutive year that Clemson and South Carolina have met on the gridiron, every year since 1909. It ranks as the fourth longest uninterrupted rivalry in college football history, third among active rivalries. The only active rivalries that are longer are the Kansas vs. Nebraska rivalry (active since 1906) and the Minnesota vs. Wisconsin rivalry (active since 1907). The Kansas vs. Oklahoma rivalry ran 96 consecutive games before it was interrupted after the 1997 game. Longest Uninterrupted Series in College Football History (Entering 2003 season) Games matchup Series Span 2003 Game 97 Kansas vs. Nebraska 1906-Pres. Nov. 8 96 Kansas vs. Oklahoma 1903-97 DNP 96 Minnesota vs. Wisconsin 1907-Pres. Nov. 8 94 Clemson vs. South Carolina 1909-Pres. Nov. 22 93 Wake Forest vs. NC State 1910-Pres. Sept. 6 92 Kansas vs. Kansas State 1911-Pres. Oct. 25 91 North Carolina vs. Virginia 1910-Pres. Oct. 4 89 Ohio State vs. Illinois 1914-Pres. DNP 88 Texas vs. Texas A& M 1915-Pre. Nov. 28 Most Played Rivalries in Division I College Football History (Entering this season) Gms Matchup First Game 2003 Game 112 Minnesota vs. Wisconsin 1890 Nov. 8 111 Missouri vs. Kansas 1891 Sept. 27 109 Nebraska vs. Kansas 1892 Nov. 8 109 Texas vs. Texas A& M 1894 Nov. 28 107 Miami (OH) vs. Cincinnati 1888 Sept. 27 107 North Carolina vs. Virginia 1892 Oct. 4 106 Auburn vs. Georgia 1892 Nov. 15 106 Oregon vs. Oregon State 1894 Nov. 22 105 Purdue vs. Indiana 1891 Nov. 22 105 Stanford vs. California 1892 Nov. 22 103 Baylor vs. TCU 1899 DNP 103 Army vs. Navy 1890 Dec. 6 102 Utah vs. Utah State 1892 Aug. 28 100 Kansas vs. Kansas State 1902 Oct. 25 100 Clemson vs. South Carolina 1896 Nov. 22 Elliott Named to CoSida Academic All-District Team Clemson graduate student Tony Elliott has been named to the CoSida Academic District III team. Elliott is now a candidate for Academic All-America honors. That team will be announced on December 1. Elliott is the first Clemson player named to the team since Chad Carson and Kyle Young both made the team from 1999-01. Both made first-team Academic All-American that year. Elliott received his undergraduate degree in engineering last May. The Charleston, SC native earned a 3.55 GPA for his career. He is now in graduate school taking courses in international trade. So far this year Elliott has 22 receptions for 261 yards and a touchdown. He is a major reason Clemson has averaged 285 yards per game, a school record pace. He is fourth among Clemson's wide receivers in receptions and yardage this season. He has had at least one reception in eight of the 11 games this year, including a season high five catches for 31 yards and a touchdown at Georgia Tech. Elliott has overcome much hardship in his life. He suffered multiple fractures when he was injured in an auto accident as a youth. His mother died in an auto accident he witnessed as a youth and he has raised his younger sister, who is presently a University of South Carolina student. Miller Joins Gage in Record Books Clemson sophomore defensive back and return specialist Justin Miller returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown in the win over Duke on November 15. That was his first punt return for a touchdown in his career. Last year Miller had an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against NC State on his first career kick return of any kind. With his return against Duke, Miller became the second player in Clemson history to have a punt return and a kickoff return for a touchdown in a career. Bobby Gage, an All-American for Clemson in 1948, had an 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Duquesne on November 15, 1947 (ironically the same date as Miller's punt return) and had a 90-yard punt return against NC State on October 2, 1948. That punt return by Gage was Clemson's only score in a 6-0 victory. Clemson Reaches 200 Wins Clemson won its 200 th Atlantic Coast Conference game in its history on October 11 with a 30-27 victory over Virginia. It was one of the most exciting ACC victories for the Tigers, who scored the game winner on the last possession in overtime on a touchdown pass from Charlie Whitehurst to Kevin Youngblood. Clemson was a charter member of the ACC in 1953 and is now in its 51 st season in the conference. Clemson has a record of 203-110-6 (. 646) in conference play for its 51 seasons. Clemson ranks first among league teams in conference victories all-time, in fact 24 more than second-place Maryland. Clemson has a winning record against every other ACC team since the league began with the exception of Florida State. Clemson also leads the ACC in conference championships with 13. Florida State is second with 11 (including this year), followed by Maryland with nine (this includes co-championships). NC State and Duke are tied for fourth with seven wins apiece. Every current league member has won the league title at least once. Florida State has clinched at least a tie for the title this year. All-Time Leaders in ACC League Wins Team GP Won Lost Tied Pct Clemson 319 203 110 6 .646 Maryland 326 179 143 4 .555 North Carolina 344 178 162 4 .523 N C State 330 175 151 4 .536 Virginia 315 132 179 4 .425 Duke 329 128 193 8 .401 Wake Forest 344 99 241 4 .292 Florida State 96 90 6 0 .938 Georgia Tech 151 79 70 2 .530 South Carolina 114 52 58 4 .474 4 Hamilton Scores Two Touchdowns in 14 Seconds Clemson wide receiver Derrick Hamilton has the ability to change the course of a game very quickly. He showed that at a record rate in the victory over Duke when he scored two touchdowns just 14 seconds apart in the first quarter. Hamilton scored on a 31-yard scoring pass from quarterback Charlie Whitehurst with 5: 57 left in the first period to give Clemson a 7-0 lead. Duke then lost a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. On Clemson's first play after the fumble, Whitehurst connected with Hamilton on a shovel pass for a 25-yard touchdown at the 5: 43 mark of the period. A review of the available scoring summaries in the Clemson sports information office shows that this is the shortest interval between offensive touchdowns by the same player in Clemson history. The previous best on record was a one-minute interval by Terry Allen in a game at Maryland in 1988. Two different Clemson players (Homer Jordan and Chuck McSwain) scored 27 seconds apart in the third period of Clemson's 82-24 victory over Wake Forest in 1981. Last Trip to Columbia South Carolina 20, Clemson 15 In front of a record crowd of over 85,000 fans, South Carolina snapped a four-game losing skid against archrival Clemson with a 20-15 victory at Williams-Bryce Stadium in Colombia. The win was South Carolina's first over Clemson since 1996 and its first victory at home against the Tigers since 1987. Woody Dantzler completed 15 of his 29 passes for 204 yards to go along with two touchdowns. Dantzler also rushed for 102 yards on 20 carries. Clemson's defeat marked just the second time in Dantzler's career that he had rushed for 100 yards and tallied 300 yards of total offense in a single game, in a Tiger loss. The key play of the game came early in the fourth quarter. From the one-yard line, backup quarterback Corey Jenkins carried the ball across the goal line on fourth-and-goal to give South Carolina a 20-9 lead, which the Gamecocks never surrendered. Cornerback Sheldon Brown kept South Carolina in the game midway through the first half, when on fourth-and-one from the Carolina 43 yard-line, trailing 6-0, Brown intercepted a Dantzler pass intended for Travis Zachery that would have resulted in a Tiger touchdown. Brown intercepted another Dantzler pass at the Carolina goal line as the first half expired, ending another Clemson scoring threat. Brown had not had an interception all year heading into the contest. South Carolina's offense held the ball over 21 minutes and engineered a pair of long (in terms of time) scoring drives that made the difference in the game. Jenkins' one-yard run in the fourth quarter finished off a drive that had lasted 14 plays and 80 yards, and Daniel Weaver's 42-yard field goal in the third quarter capped off a seven-play, 40-yard drive that took over seven minutes off the clock. Clemson had just nine yards and six plays in the third period. Clemson scored first when Dantzler connected with Airese Currie for a 54-yard touchdown reception, but Aaron Hunt's consecutive extra point attempts made was snapped at 44 after he missed a 35-yard extra point attempt. Clemson's Akil Smith was penalized 15 yards for excessive celebration. After Weaver and Hunt exchanged field goals of 29 and 24, respectively, Derek Watson gave the Gamecocks the lead for the first time with a six-yard touchdown run with 2: 26 remaining before halftime. The ensuing Tiger drive lasted 10 plays and covered 40 yards, but was cut short by Brown's second interception of the game. Carolina's opening second-half drive lasted 13 plays while covering 40 yards; most importantly, however, 12 of the 13 plays were running plays, and the Gamecocks managed to keep the ball for 7: 50 before the Tiger defense held them to a field goal. Phil Petty and Corey Jenkins teamed up to lead the South Carolina drive down the field, which covered 80 yards on 14 plays. Petty completed all four of his passes for 39 yards and added the key seven-yard rush to set up Jenkins' one-yard carry on fourth down. The Carolina scoring drive would prove to be the difference in the game. Dantzler's 11-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Hamilton with 2: 38 remaining in regulation provided a spark for the Tiger defense. Clemson got the ball back with 17 seconds left, but a long pass for Derrick Hamilton and Currie fell incomplete and the game ended. Clemson Now Bowl Eligible Clemson has a 7-4 record and became bowl eligible with its 26-10 win over Florida State on November 8. Clemson now has a 7-4 record and hopes to reach eight wins in the regular season for the first time since 2000. This is the 16 th time in the last 19 years Clemson has been eligible for a bowl game. It is the fifth straight year Clemson has been eligible under Head Coach Tommy Bowden. If the Tigers advance to a bowl, it would be the first time since the 1987-91 era that Clemson has gone to a bowl game at least five years in a row. Bowden is already the first Clemson coach in history to take a team to a bowl game in each of his first four years with the program, one of just three ACC coaches to do it. The others are Lou Holtz (NC State) and Bobby Ross (Maryland). If Clemson goes to a bowl game this year Bowden will become the first coach in ACC history to take a team to a bowl game in each of his first five years with an ACC program. Clemson is eligible for selection to the Gator Bowl (Jan. 1), the Peach Bowl (Jan. 2), the Tangerine Bowl (Dec. 22), the Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte (Dec. 27) or the Humitarian Bowl (Jan. 3). Florida State is the ACC champion and will go to a BCS bowl. Clemson Veterans versus South Carolina Eric Coleman (DT) Had two tackles in 21 snaps versus the Gamecocks last year; had a tackle for loss in 29 snaps during the 2001 game. Airese Currie (WR) Had two catches for 29 yards last season; in 2001 game he had three catches for 65 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown strike from Woodrow Dantzler. Maurice Fountain (DE) Has five tackles in 40 career snaps against the Gamecocks. Toure Francis (CB) Had four tackles and an interception in 2001 contest. Jamaal Fudge (ROV) Had four tackles and played 11 defensive snaps in 2002. Derrick Hamilton (WR) Had seven catches for 76 yards in 2002 game; had two catches for 20 yards in 2001 with a touchdown catch included. William Henry (OT) Played all 79 snaps and graded 82 percent in 2002 win. Leroy Hill (LB) Has just one career tackle in three snaps against the Gamecocks. Aaron Hunt (PK) Has hit 6-7 field goals in his career against South Carolina, including 2000 when he hit the game-winning kick in the final three seconds. Chad Jasmin (RB) Had four carries for 14 yards in 2002 game; played 11 snaps in 2001 game; had a special teams tackle in 2000 contest. Cedric Johnson (OG) Graded at 87 percent to lead the Tiger offensive line in 2002. Yusef Kelly (RB) Had 10 carries for 64 yards, including 48 on the Tigers' game-clinching drive, in 2002; did not play in 2000 game. John Leake (LB) Had 11 tackles in the 2002 game and 17 in 2001, including one for loss. Justin Miller (CB) Had three tackles and a kickoff return for 32 yards in 2002 game. Dejuan Polk (DT) Had five tackles in 2001 game; did not make a tackle last season against USC. Travis Pugh (FS) Played just three snaps at safety last season versus USC. Eric Sampson (WHIP) Has 11 tackles in two games versus the Gamecocks. Tommy Sharpe ( C) Had 12 knockdown blocks against South Carolina last season. Khaleed Vaughn (DE) Had seven tackles and two pressures last season; had career-high 10 tackles and one for loss in 2001 game; played 19 snaps in 2000. Gregory Walker (OT) Had 11 knockdown blocks in 2002 game. Donnell Washington (DT) Had just one tackle last season but had seven as a freshman in the 2001 contest. Charlie Whitehurst (QB) Was solid in 2002 game with 27-for-38 completions for 287 yards; scored a game-tying touchdown in the second half on an elusive 11-yard scamper. Kevin Youngblood (WR) Had three catches for 35 yards last season; had two catches for 42 yards as a freshman in 2000. Clemson vs. South Carolina, 2002 Clemson 27, South Carolina 20 Clemson concluded its 2002 regular season campaign with a thrilling 27-20 victory over archrival South Carolina. The Tigers earned their seventh victory of the season in the 100 th all-time meeting between these schools and avenged a 20-15 defeat to the Gamecocks in 2001. Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst improved his record to 3-1 as Clemson's starter and helped guide the offense to 432 total yards of offense, the highest total against South Carolina in the last 15 games. He completed 27 of his 38 passes for 287 yards, which marked the highest totals in school history for completions and passing yards by a Clemson quarterback against South Carolina. The completion total also tied a Clemson record for a performance in Death Valley. Clemson controlled the ball for over 33 minutes, its high total of the year and had a season best 27 first downs to just 12 for the Gamecocks. Whitehurst also made the key play of the game early in the fourth quarter, when he scampered into the end zone on an 11-yard touchdown run with 13: 42 remaining. That score tied the game 20-20 and gave the Tigers the momentum they eventually carried to victory. Running backs Bernard Rambert and Yusef Kelly provided a balanced rushing attack to compliment Whitehurst's performance. Rambert rushed for 66 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns; and Kelly had 64 yards on 10 carries, which included 48 yards on seven carries on a game clinching drive when Clemson ran out the last 6: 32 of the game. The Tigers held South Carolina to 180 yards passing and did not allow the Gamecocks to score in the final period, which proved to be critical in Clemson's come-from behind victory. Cornerback Brian Mance had his sixth interception of the season and helped lead Clemson's efforts on defense. Linebacker Rodney Thomas led the team with 12 tackles; and Bryant McNeal recorded a sack, the 21 st of his career. After South Carolina kicker Daniel Weaver made a 25-yard field goal, Clemson responded on its next drive and took its first lead of the game. Whitehurst completed all four of his passes on the drive, which lasted 10 plays, covered 80 yards, and was capped off by a four-yard touchdown run by Rambert. Weaver added a 33-yard field goal early in the second period to reduce Clemson's lead to one, but Aaron Hunt added field goals of 26 yards and 28 yards respectively, including the latter with 32 seconds remaining before intermission. The boot, his 12 th consecutive made field goal, gave Clemson the lead 13-6 at halftime. South Carolina's offense exploded very early in the second half. On the second play of the third quarter, quarterback Dondrial Pinkins connected with Troy Williamson for a 70-yard touchdown reception that quickly tied the score 13-13. On Clemson's ensuing drive, the offense came up short after Hunt missed a 47-yard field goal attempt. South Carolina scored again on its next possession. During a nine-play, 70-yard drive that included a 43-yard completion from Pinkins to Williamson, the Gamecocks took the lead for the first time when Andrew Pinnock punched the ball across the goal line from two yards out. His run score gave South Carolina a 20-13 lead with just over thee minutes remaining in the third period. Whitehurst's game-tying 11-yard touchdown run came on third down and capped off a 10-play, 63-yard effort by the offense. After the defense forced South Carolina to punt, Rambert drove again for a score. A Whitehurst to Jackie Robinson 30-yard completion set up Rambert's touchdown with 9: 38 left in regulation. South Carolina's offense drove to Clemson's 30-yard line on its next possession, but failed to convert on fourth down when a fake field goal was broken up by linebacker Eric Sampson. Clemson's offense ran out the remainder of the game, thanks to the blocking of Clemson's offensive line and the running of Kelly. 2003 Seniors Have 30 Wins Clemson's senior class recorded its 30 th victory with the 40-7 win over Duke on November 15. That was the final home game for the seniors and it was a solid all-around performance to go out on. This year's senior class is the first class to reach the 30-win mark since the seniors of 1993 posted a 33-13-1 record. This year's group still has two games left, the final regular season game with South Carolina and a bowl game. This year's seniors are 30-18 for the four years and are headed to a bowl game for the fourth straight year. This group has shown consistency in that it has won at least seven games every year and been to a bowl game every year. The last Clemson class to win at least seven years and go to a bowl game all four years is the senior class of 1991. That class was led by Levon Kirkland, Ed McDaniel and All-America guard Jeb Flesch and current NFL players Brentson Buckner and Chester McGlockton. This senior class includes Kevin Youngblood, who is now seventh in Clemson history in career receptions. His leaping catch against Virginia provided the Tigers with a walk-off game winning touchdown. He is seventh in Clemson history in receptions with 136. Aaron Hunt became Clemson's all-time leading scorer when he had 14 points, including four field goals in the epic victory over Florida State. He now has 311 for his career. Gregory Walker has been a starter for three years and joins William Henry, a two-year starter, as common denominators on three Clemson offenses that have averaged at least 400 yards per game. John Leake and Khaleed Vaughn have been leaders of the Clemson defense for the last three years. Leake, the final signee in this class, is now ranked in the top five in school history in career tackles with 420, while Vaughn has over 20 tackles for loss in his career that already includes three starts in bowl games. All 16 players listed below will graduate by May of 2004. Eight of the players already have earned their degrees. 2003 Senior Class Name Po. Hometown Steven Creed OG Myrtle Beach, SC Nick DePrimio OT Chesnee, SC Tony Elliott WR Charleston, SC Toure Francis CB Columbia, SC William Henry OT Greenville, SC *J. J. Howard DE Huger, SC Aaron Hunt PK Oak Ridge, TN Chad Jasmin RB Vacherie, LA John Leake LB Plano, TX Tyrone Lee RB Efingham, SC DeJuan Polk DT Wadesboro, NC Joshua Smith SN Easley, SC Kyle Tucker P Cartersville, GA Khaleed Vaughn DE Atlanta, GA Gregory Walker OG Sumter, SC Kevin Youngblood WR Jacksonville, FL *Out for the season with knee injury Significant Accomplishments in Clemson's Win over Florida State °Just the sixth ACC loss for Florida State since the Seminoles began play in the ACC in 1992. They were 89-5 in ACC play heading into the game. °Second worst margin of defeat for Florida State in the month of November since 1987. Only defeat that was worse than Clemson's 16- point victory was a 24-point victory by Florida (37-13) in 2001. Just the 10 th loss in the month of November for the Seminoles since 1987. Florida State is now 47-10-1 in the month since 1987. °Florida State was 155-24-1 as a top 10 team since 1987 heading into the game with Clemson. °Clemson had never beaten Florida State at home in seven previous tries and had lost 11 in a row everywhere to the Seminoles prior to the 16-point victory. °For the first time in college football history, a son defeated his father in a Division I college football game as Clemson's Tommy Bowden defeated his father, Bobby. Bobby Bowden entered the game as the all-time Division I leader in victories with 340. °Held Florida State to 11 yards rushing, fewest rushing yards by the Seminoles since at least 1974. °Florida State and its #3 ranking was the highest ranked team Clemson has ever beaten in its history. °Clemson was the only ACC team to defeat Florida State in 2003. °Aaron Hunt became Clemson's career scoring leader in the game. He had 14 points to give him 302 for his career. °Derrick Hamilton became Clemson's career leader in all-purpose running in the contest. He had 142 yards in the contest and finished the game with 4412. °Clemson shut out Florida State in the first half, the first time Clemson has ever shut out the Seminoles in the first half. Hamilton, Hunt Become Career Record Holders It certainly was quite a night in Death Valley on November 8. Not only did the Tigers defeat #3 ranked Florida State, two Clemson career records were set. Given Clemson's 108-year history of football, rarely do you see any career record broken in a given game. But, on November 8, Derrick Hamilton became Clemson's career leader in all-purpose running yards and Aaron Hunt became the school's all-time leading scorer. Both records were eclipsed within about 20 minutes of each other. Derrick Hamilton had an outstanding game with six catches for 123 yards and a touchdown. He also added 12 yards rushing and seven yards in punt returns, giving him 142 all-purpose yards for the night. On a 58-yard touchdown catch and run from Charlie Whitehurst, Hamilton broke Travis Zachery's career all-purpose yardage record and went over the 2000-yard mark in career receiving. Hamilton, only a junior, now has 4540 all-purpose running yards for his career. He broke the previous record of 4391 set by Zachery from 1998-01. He entered the season in sixth place, but has now risen to first. The native of Dillon is one of the top big play performers in school history. There have been five plays in Clemson history of 100 yards and he owns five of them, 100-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns against Maryland in 2001 and against North Carolina this year. He is already Clemson's career leader in kickoff return yards, a mark he set at Wake Forest and now has 1498 yards in that category. Hamilton was the first Clemson receiver in history to have at least 100 catches through the end of his sophomore season. He enters Saturday's game with 158 career catches for 2172 yards. He is third on the Clemson reception list and fifth in yardage. He recently passed all-time great Jerry Butler on the reception list and needs just nine catches the remainder of this season to break Rod Gardner's record for catches in a career. He also set the Clemson single season touchdown reception mark in the win over Duke. He now has nine, one more than Perry Tuttle (1981), Terrance Roulhac (1984) and Tony Horne (1997). Hunt has been on quite a hot streak of late and has now made 13 of his last 14 field goals. He had a streak of 11 in a row snapped with a miss against Duke, but then made his last two. He had a career best tying 4-4 field goals in the win over Florida State and scored 14 points, giving him 302 for his career, one more than Nelson Welch had in his Clemson career (1991-94). He now has 311 points. Hunt made just 3-8 field goals to open the season, but has now made 13-14 since to stand at 16-22 for the season. For some reason, October 15 is the magic day for Hunt. Over his Clemson career, Hunt is 35-42 on field goal attempts kicked after October 15 and just 18-30 on attempts prior to that date. That is 83 percent vs. 60 percent. Hunt now has 53 field goals, fourth most in Clemson history behind Welch, Chris Gardocki and Obed Ariri. He already has the school record for extra points in a career (152). For a list of Clemson's career scoring leaders see Aaron Hunt's feature article in this program on page seven. Two Tigers, Same last Name, ACC Players of the Week Tye Hill and Leroy Hill (no relation) were named ACC defensive players of the week for Clemson's victory over Florida State. Tye Hill, a cornerback, was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week, while Leroy Hill, a linebacker, was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week. It is believed to be the first time in history two Clemson players with the same last name earned ACC Player of the Week honors for the same game. Tye Hill had four tackles, an interception and a pass deflection against the Seminoles. His interception in the first period set the tone for the game. He went head to head with the Florida State talented wide receivers and held his own the entire night. Leroy Hill also had an interception, had 10 tackles, including a tackle for loss. He was a big reason the Seminoles had just 10 yards rushing, fewest for Florida State since at least 1976. Tigers Have 49 Wins over Top 25 Teams Clemson's victory over third ranked Florida State was the highest ranked win in Clemson history. The previous highest ranked teams Clemson has defeated on the gridiron had number-four rankings. In 1981, Clemson's national championship season, Clemson defeated a fourth-ranked Georgia team in Death Valley, 13-3 and a fourth-ranked Nebraska team, 22-15 in the Orange Bowl. That Nebraska victory won the national championship for the Tigers, who entered that game ranked number-one in the nation. The 26-10 win over the Seminoles gave Clemson two wins over ranked teams this year. Virginia was ranked 24 th in the nation entering the 30-27 Clemson victory in overtime earlier this year. This is the first time since 1996 that Clemson has defeated two ranked teams in the same season. Clemson now has 49 all-time wins over top 25 ranked teams. Regardless of site, Clemson has 10 wins over top 10 teams in its history, four in Death Valley. Clemson has had 23 wins over top 25 teams since 1986 and has had at least one ranked win in 15 of the last 17 seasons. Clemson had been 0-9 all-time in games against teams ranked in the top three in the nation prior to the win over Florida State. That included four losses in games at Death Valley. Clemson's Top 10 Victories Year Opponent Site Rk Score 2003 Florida State Clemson, SC 3 26-10 1981 Georgia Clemson, SC 4 13-3 1981 Nebraska Miami, FL 4 22-15 1959 Texas Christian Houston, TX 7 23-7 1981 North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC 8 10-8 2001 Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA 9 #47-44 ' 1967 NC State Clemson, SC 10 14-6 1983 North Carolina Clemson, SC 10 16-3 1988 Oklahoma Orlando, FL 10 13-6 1992 Virginia Charlottesville, VA 10 29-28 #Overtime Coleman contributing in All Areas Duane Coleman became the first Clemson running back to gain 100 yards in a game when he had 111 in 13 attempts in the victory over North Carolina on October 25. Coleman also picked up 48 yards in receptions on four catches for 159 total yards from scrimmage. The native of Florida had a 50-yard run in the game, the longest rush of the year by a Clemson running back and longest by any Clemson running back since Travis Zachery had a 52-yard run against Duke on December 1, 2001. Coleman has shown improvement as the year has progressed and is Clemson's top rusher with 557 yards in 11 games. He has averaged 4.8 yards per rush for the season. He now ranks eighth in the ACC in rushing yards per game. He has gained 447 yards in 82 attempts over the last seven games, an average of 5.5 yards per rush. Coleman is fourth on the team in receptions with 26 for 255 yards and two scores. He has at two three receptions in his last six games. Clemson Limiting Turnovers Clemson had just one turnover in its victory over Florida State. Clemson is now 5-0 this year when it commits fewer turnovers than the opposing offense. Most coaches will tell you that is a key to victory. Clemson has not allowed the opposition to score a point off turnover in eight of the 11 games this year. That includes a seven-game period from the Furman game through the North Carolina game. For the season, Clemson has scored 44 points off opponents turnovers and the opposition has just 34. Clemson ranks in the top 20 in the nation in fewest turnovers committed. The Tigers averaged just 1.45 turnovers committed per game for the season. If the season ended today, the 1.45 turnovers per game would be the eighth best average for a season in Clemson history. The record is 0.88 turnovers per game committed by the 1940 Clemson team that won the Southern Conference Championship. That 1940 Clemson team had just eight turnovers in nine games. Bowden Comparison °Florida State's record the two years prior to Bobby Bowden's arrival was 4-18. Tulane's record the two years prior to Tommy Bowden's arrival was 4-18. °Bobby Bowden had Florida State in a bowl games and a top 15 final national ranking in his second year with the program. Tommy Bowden had Tulane and Clemson in a bowl game and a top 15 national ranking in his second year with each program. °This is Bobby Bowden's 51 st season in coaching. This is Tommy Bowden's 26th year in coaching (graduate assistant, full time assistant or head coach). °Both Bowden's had perfect seasons as head coaches in the 1990s. Bobby had an 11-0 season at Florida State in 1999 after Tommy had a perfect 11-0 regular season as head coach at Tulane. °Tommy Bowden has a better record than Bobby Bowden at the 82-game mark of his Division I coaching career. Tommy is 54-28 for his first 82 games as a Division I head coach, while Bobby was 49-33 for his first 82 games. That includes his six years at West Virginia and his first three games at Florida State. Here is a comparison of the Bowdens at similar stages of their careers: Category Tommy Bobby First six full Seasons as D-I Head Coach 47-24 42-26 (. 662) (. 618) First 82 Games as a Division I Head Coach 54-28 49-33 (. 659) (. 598) Bowden 11th Among Winningest Active Coaches Tommy Bowden is 11th among the winningest active Division I head coaches with a .659 figure for his seven years, five at Clemson and two at Tulane. According to NCAA policy, coaches must have been a head coach for five years to appear on the list. Bowden is in his seventh year as head coach, two at Tulane and his fifth season at Clemson. It is interesting to note that Bowdens hold down two of the top 15 positions on the list. Tommy's father, Bobby Bowden of Florida State is ranked third with a .774 winning percentage. He became the winningest Division I coach in history when he defeated Wake Forest on October 25. Tommy Bowden has taken the Tigers to a bowl game each of his first four years, the first coach in Clemson history to do that and just the third in ACC history. The only other coaches to achieve that distinction are Lou Holtz (NC State 1973-76) and Bobby Ross (Maryland 1983-86). Chuck Amato can join that group this year if he takes the Wolfpack to a bowl game. They are bowl eligible with seven wins at this point in the season. No coach in ACC history has taken a team to a bowl game each of his first five years with a program. Bowden obviously could be the first to do it this year. Winningest Active Division I Coaches Rk Coach School Yr 2003 Record Pct 1. Bob Pruett Marshall 9 6-4 86-17 .835 2. Phillip Fulmer Tennessee 11 8-2 111-27 .804 3. Bobby Bowden Florida State 38 9-2 341-98-4 .774 4. Lloyd Carr Michigan 8 9-2 85-25 .773 5. Joe Paterno Penn State 37 3-8 339-108-3 .757 6. Frank Solich Nebraska 6 8-3 57-19 .750 7. Bill Snyder Kansas State 14 9-3 125-54-1 .697 8. Nick Saban LSU 10 9-1 78-39-1 .665 9. Paul Pasqualoni Syracuse 17 5-4 135-68-1 .6642 10. Dennis Franchione Texas A& M 20 4-7 159-80-2 .6639 11. Tommy Bowden Clemson 7 7-4 54-28 .659 12. Lou Holtz South Carolina 31 5-6 243-126-7 .656 13. John Robinson UNLV 16 5-5 129-67-4 .655 14. John Smith Michigan State 14 7-4 117-64 .646 15. Sonny Lubick Colorado State 14 6-5 111-62 .642 Clemson Offense Improved Since No-Huddle Invoked Since Clemson went to the no-huddle offense for the most part of its games against Middle Tennessee (third game of the year), the Tigers have averaged 433.6 yards per game in total offense, best in the ACC for this nine-game time period. Clemson averaged just 312 yards per game over the first two games of the season before making the change. The Tigers enhanced that figure with a 486-yard performance against Duke in the most recent home game. Clemson had 528 yards in the win over North Carolina, 219 rushing and 309 passing. Clemson has had at least 405 yards in six of its last eight games. The averaged continued against Florida State with a 425 yard day. That was achieved against a total defense ranked 12th in the nation entering the game. Clemson first used the no-huddle under Tommy Bowden in 1999, his first year at Clemson. The Tigers averaged 402.6 yards per game that year and have exceeded the 400 yard mark for the course of the season three of his first four years at Clemson. The Tigers are at 411.4 per game so far this year, third best in the ACC for the entire season. Clemson averaged at least 400 yards per game just twice in its history prior to Bowden's arrival at Clemson. He is now on pace to accomplish the feat for the fourth time in five years ACC total Offense Leaders last Eight Games (Since Clemson Went to No-Huddle Offense) School Yards Yards/ Game Clemson 3902 433.6 NC State 3859 428.8 Florida State 3667 406.8 North Carolina 3643 404.8 Maryland 3425 380.6 Virginia 3372 374.7 Wake Forest 3149 349.9 Duke 3023 335.9 Georgia Tech 2991 332.3 Note: Games vs. Division I-A opponents only. Clemson's top Total Offense Seasons (Yards/ Game Basis) Rk Year GP Yards Yds/ G Head Coach 1. 2000 12 5242 436.8 Tommy Bowden 2. 2001 12 5184 432.0 Tommy Bowden 3. 1978 12 5134 427.8 Charley Pell 4. 2003 10 4526 411.4 Tommy Bowden 5. 1991 12 4836 403.0 Ken Hatfield 6. 1999 12 4831 402.6 Tommy Bowden 7. 1981 12 4698 391.5 Danny Ford 8. 1950 10 3881 388.1 Frank Howard Clemson Has Six-Game Home winning Streak Clemson closed the season with a six-game home winning streak since the Tigers were shutout at home in the opener by Georgia. Since then, Clemson averaged 33 points per game in six victories over Furman, Middle Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida State and Duke. During those six games Clemson averaged 472 yards per game and gained 6.13 yards per play. The passing attack has been especially proficient, as Clemson quarterbacks completed 67 percent of their passes for 303 yards per game. Clemson has also done a good job holding onto the ball. Clemson just five turnovers in the last six home games . Clemson has also averaged 25.5 first downs per game during the last six home games. Jasmin Has Best Day of Season Clemson gained 219 yards on the ground in the win over North Carolina and the play of senior Chad Jasmin had a lot to do with it. Seeing his most playing time of the season as a result of a sprained ankle suffered by Yusef Kelly in the NC State game, Jasmin had 17 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown to help Clemson to the victory. He was Clemson's second leading rusher on the day behind Duane Coleman's 111 yards. It was the second highest single game total for Jasmin, who had 83 yards rushing in the 2001 Humanitarian Bowl victory over Louisiana Tech in 2001. But, it was Jasmin's best performance in a home game. Ironically, he was on the cover of the program that day. For the season, Jasmin is Clemson's second leading rusher with 332 yards on 83 attempts, but he leads the team in rushing touchdowns with four. He had 50 yards in 14 rushes in the win over Florida State and followed that with 66 yards in 15 attempts in the win over Duke, his final home game. Clemson Perfect with 200 Yards of Each Clemson gained 219 yards rushing and 309 passing in the victory over North Carolina. It marked the first time Clemson had at least 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing in the same game this year, but it was the 15 th time it has taken place since Tommy Bowden has been Clemson's head coach. Why do we keep track of such a stat? That level of balance always means a victory for the Tigers, not just under Bowden, but in history. In the history of Clemson football, the Tigers have had at least 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing in the same game 42 times. Clemson is 41-0-1 in those 42 games. The North Carolina game was the fourth time in history Clemson had 300 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in the same game. The victory also marked the 45 th time Clemson has gained at least 500 yards of total offense in a game. Clemson is also undefeated when reaching that mark, as Clemson is now 44-0-1 when accumulating at least 500 yards total offense in a game. The only non-victory took place in 1991 when Clemson had 511 yards, but tied Virginia, in a game at Death Valley. Leroy Hill Second in Nation in Tackles for Loss Clemson junior linebacker Leroy Hill might be one of the most improved players in the nation. The linebacker from Haddock, GA ranked second in the nation in tackles for loss and solo tackles entering the Duke game. He has 21 in 11 games to rank among the national leaders. He has 92 solo tackles and 118 total tackles to lead the Tigers so far this season. Hill had 10 tackles to lead the Clemson defense against Florida State and was a big reason Clemson held Florida State to 11 yards rushing, lowest by the Seminoles since at least 1974. He was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week for that performance. For the season, Hill has 118 tackles, including 92 first hits and 26 assists. He has 65 yards on his tackles for loss, also best on the team by nearly three times any other Clemson player. He has had at least double figures in tackles in eight of the 11 games this year, including 16 in the opener against Georgia. Hill is trying to become the fourth Clemson player to lead the nation in tackles for loss per game over the course of a season. William Perry was the first to do it when he had 27 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in 11 games in 1984. Rob Bodine, originally a walk-on had 27 in 12 games in 1991 to lead the nation. Then, Keith Adams did it in 1999 when he had 35 tackles for loss in 12 games. Hill's current pace of 1.91 tackles for loss per game is seventh best in Clemson history. Adams averaged 2.92 tackles for loss per game in 1999 when he led the nation. Hill played in all 13 games last year, all in reserve. He was the top special teams tackler on the squad with 21, but played just 47 snaps from scrimmage at linebacker. He spent the 2002 season as a backup behind Eric Sampson. He has moved to middle linebacker and has flourished. He had just one tackle for loss last year and now has 21 this year. Hill is carrying on the tradition of the number-43 at Clemson. Terry Kinard, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001, wore that number between 1978-82. Kinard was a first-team AP All-American in 1981 and 1982 and was named one of the top 50 male athletes in ACC history. Adams was an All-American at Clemson in 2000 when he wore that number. Clemson Record by Uniform Clemson has used many uniform combinations over the last five years. The Tigers broke out purple jerseys for the Georgia Tech game in Atlanta on September 20 and the Tigers gained a 39-3 victory. It was the first time Clemson had worn purple jerseys since the 1991 season when Clemson wore them in a regular season game against NC State and for a bowl game against California. Clemson wore purple jerseys again in the win over Duke and had orange pants, the first time that combination has ever been used. Clemson has had seven jersey/ pant combinations since Tommy Bowden came to Clemson. The Tigers were in all orange for the homecoming game against Virginia, a 30-27 overtime victory and the win over Florida State. Here is a list of Clemson's record by color combination. Clemson Record by Uniform Combination Under Bowden Jersey Pant Record Pct Orange White 18-6 .750 White Orange 7-7 .500 Orange Orange 5-5 .500 White Purple 2-4 .333 Purple White 1-0 1.000 Purple Orange 1-0 1.000 White White 2-2 .500 36-24 .600 Leake Reaches 400 Tackles John Leake is second on the Clemson team in tackles with 108 on 74 first hits and 34 assists. He had a 13-tackle effort against North Carolina, best on the team and had eight more in the win over Florida State. Leake was the ACC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Georgia Tech when he had 14 tackles, including three tackles for loss. The native of Texas went over the 400 mark for his career at Wake Forest and now has 420 for his four years. He moved ahead of Ed McDaniels when he had 13 tackles against North Carolina. Next on the list is Chad Carson at 448, who will be Clemson's sideline reporter on the Clemson radio network for the South Carolina game this weekend. Clemson Career Tackle Leaders Rk Player Years Tac 1. Bubba Brown 1976-79 515 2. Anthony Simmons 1995-97 486 3. Jeff Davis 1978-81 469 4. Chad Carson 1998-01 448 5. John Leake 2000-03 420 6. Ed McDaniel 1988-91 389 7. Randy Scott 1975-78 382 8. Keith Adams 1998-00 379 9. Robert Carswell 1997-00 374 Tigers win in Overtime over Virginia Clemson defeated Virginia 30-27 in overtime on October 11 in Death Valley. That gave Clemson a 3-0 all-time record in overtime games. The rule came into affect for the 1996 season. The Tigers defeated Duke 29-20 in overtime in the 1997 season at Clemson. Clemson won by the odd margin when Rahim Abdullah returned an interception 63 yards for a score to end the game. The Tigers had scored three points on their offensive possession when David Richardson kicked a field goal. Clemson won at Georgia Tech 47-44 in overtime in 2001. Clemson allowed a field goal on defense, then Woody Dantzler won it with an 11-yard score on a quarterback draw. Clemson won the toss for the overtime against Virginia and elected to play defense. Clemson held the Cavaliers to a field goal, then scored a touchdown on its possession when Charlie Whitehurst completed a four-yard scoring pass to Kevin Youngblood. Clemson is now one of seven Division I schools to have a perfect record in overtime games, given a minimum of three overtime games played. Louisiana-Monroe has the highest perfect record in extra session games with a 4-0 mark. Clemson, Ball State, BYU, Nebraska, Northwestern and Ohio State are all 3-0. Northwestern joined the 3-0 ranks on the same day Clemson beat Virginia. The Wildcats defeated Indiana, 37-31 in overtime. Kansas and Maryland were both 2-0 in overtime games heading into this year, but both have suffered overtime setbacks this season. Clemson Walk-Off Victories Including its three overtime games, Clemson has now won five games in its history on the last play of the game. In addition to the three overtime games listed above, David Treadwell twice booted field goals on the last play of the game to give Clemson a victory. In 1985 he booted a 36-yard field goal on the last play to give Clemson a 20-17 win at Virginia Tech. Then, the following year he kicked a 46-yard field on the final play to give Clemson a 31-28 victory at Georgia. These would be comparable to "Walk-off" home runs in baseball. Clemson "Walk-off" Football Victories Year Opponent Score Clinching Play 1985 Virginia Tech 20-17 Treadwell 36-yard field goal 1986 Georgia 31-28 Treadwell 46-yard field goal 1997 Duke 29-20 (OT) Abdullah 63-yard interception return 2001 Georgia Tech 47-44 (OT) Dantzler 11-yard run 2003 Virginia 30-27 (OT) Youngblood 4 pass from Whitehurst Whitehurst, Baham Offspring of NFL Players Curtis Baham had a career high four catches for 37 yards in the victory over Virginia on October 11. All the receptions came from quarterback Charlie Whitehurst. He was the object of more throws due to the injury to starter Airese Currie. He added three catches for 27 yards at NC State and a career best 6-50 against Wake Forest, and caught his first touchdown in he win over Duke. He now has 19 catches for 199 yards for the year. He is sixth on the team in receptions. The sophomores could be a successful combination for the Tigers in the coming years. They both have the heritage to be successful football players as they are both the sons of former NFL players. Baham's father Curtis played in three games for the Seattle Seahawks in 1987. He was a star player at Tulane prior to his year in the NFL. Whitehurst is the son of former Green Bay Packers quarterback David Whitehurst. The elder Whitehurst played seven years in the NFL. During that time he played in 54 games, completed 51.4 percent of his passes for 6205 yards and 28 scores. He was the Green Bay starter for most of the 1978 and 1979 seasons when he passed for over 2000 yards each season. Fudge Factor Jamaal Fudge, a sophomore from White High School in Jacksonville, FL is challenging Leroy Hill for most improved honors on the Clemson football team this year. Clemson's starting roverback has 103 tackles for the season, 69 first hits and 34 assists. That ranks third on the team in each area. He combined with Travis Pugh to knock the ball away from North Carolina Darian Durrant with under a minute left. The ball went into the endzone where David Dunham recovered for the Tigers to give Clemson a 36-28 victory. Fudge had 20 tackles against Virginia and was named the defensive's player of the week by the
Bowden Looks for Second Win over 200-Win Coach Has any head coach in Division I history defeated two coaches with 200 wins in the same year? How about the same month? That is the opportunity Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden has this week when the Tigers take on Lou Holtz and the South Carolina Gamecocks. On November 8, Tommy Bowden defeated his father, Bobby Bowden of Florida State, by a 26-10 score. Bobby is the winningest coach in Division I history with 341 victories. Holtz is now eighth on the list with 243 entering Saturday's game with Clemson. Tigers Look to Finish Strong A victory for Clemson at South Carolina on Saturday would give the Tigers three straight victories to close the regular season. Clemson has not closed the regular season with three straight wins since the 1995 season when the Tigers won their last five games, including a 38-17 victory at South Carolina. Clemson has a 21-8-2 record against South Carolina when it enters the rivalry game with at least a two-game winning streak. Clemson has lost just twice in that situation since 1987. Ironically, the only South Carolina coach to defeat Clemson when it enters the South Carolina game on a two-game winning streak is current Clemson offensive coordinator Brad Scott. Clemson entered the 1994 game on a three-game winning streak, but fell to Scott's Gamecocks 33-7 in Death Valley. In 1996 Clemson entered the South Carolina game on a five-game winning streak, but Scott and the Gamecocks won that game 34-31 at Death Valley. Clemson has a 12-4-1 record against South Carolina when the Tigers enter the game with at least seven wins. The only time since 1987 that Clemson has had seven wins entering the South Carolina game, then lost to the Gamecocks was in 1996 when a 7-3 Clemson team lost at home to South Carolina, 34-31. Clemson Areas of Improvement in 2003 Clemson has been an improved football team in just about every area in 2003. That is shown in overall record (7-6 to 7-4), ranking in the ACC standings (fifth to third), and various offensive, defensive and special teams categories. Clemson has improved its total offense from 363.5 to 411.5 yards per game and its total defense from 355.4 to 329.9 yards per game. Clemson has improved by six yards per punt in terms of net punting, increased average starting position on defense from the 29 to the 24-yard-line, and its scoring margin from -1.46 to +5.1 points per game. Below is a chart that shows the statistical improvement. Category 2002 2003 Team Areas Winning Percentage 7-6 (. 538) 7-4 (. 636) Conference Record 4-4 (. 500) 5-3 (. 625) Top 25 Wins 0 2 ACC standing 5 th 3 rd Scoring margin/ Game -1.46 +5.1 Total Offense Mar/ Game +8.1 +81.6
Clemson Defense Has Had Standout Performances Clemson has had some outstanding performances on defense this season. Overall, Clemson ranks in the top 25 in the nation in pass defense and has improved its total defense by 26 yards per game over last year. Here are some quick facts on the defense's accomplishments this year. °Held Florida State to 11 yards rushing, fewest rushing yards in a game since Bobby Bowden became head coach in 1976. °Held Florida State to just 10 points, fewest in a game all season. °Held NC State to 283 yards of total offense, fewest for the ACC's total offense leader all season. °Held Phillip Rivers to just 213 yards passing, fewest Rivers has thrown for in a game all year. °Held Duke to 174 yards of total offense, fewest by the Blue Devils all year and the best total defense for any ACC team against another conference opponent all year. °Six of the eight ACC teams failed to reach their season average in terms of total offense and scoring offense against the Clemson defense this year. °Clemson has given up just two touchdown passes over the last four games. °Clemson's defense has not allowed a point after a Clemson turnover in eight of the 11 games so far this season.
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