Game Notes: Virginia at Clemson |
Personnel Update
Charlie Whitehurst (QB)-Foot injury suffered in Maryland game, questionable for Virginia. If can't play, Chansi Stuckey will start. Khaleed Vaughn (DE)-Knee (cartilage) injury suffered in first half of Maryland game, surgery on Sunday, doubtful for Virginia. If can't play, Mo Fountain will start. Airese Currie (WR)-Ankle injury suffered in first half against Maryland, returned to game, questionable for Virginia. If can't go, Tony Elliott will start. Toure Francis (CB)-Re-injured sprained ankle against Maryland, questionable for Virginia. If can't go, Tye Hill will start. Eric Sampson (LB)-Sprained ankle vs. Maryland, questionable for Virginia. If can't go, Lionel Richardson will start. Clemson Successful on Homecoming Over the years Clemson has had great success on homecoming and Tiger fans hope that continues on Saturday. The first homecoming game at Clemson was in 1922, a 21-0 loss to Centre. Clemson was 0-4-1 through its first five homecoming games, so it is surprising that the tradition continued. Clemson defeated Auburn in 1927 by a 3-0 score for its first homecoming victory. There is no record of a homecoming game in 1930 or 1938, but the event has been held in conjunction with a football game every year since 1939, even through the war years. Clemson has a 57-19-3 overall on homecoming games, a .741 winning percentage. The Tigers are 27-3-2 on homecoming since the 1971 season. The only three losses have been to Georgia Tech in 1989, Virginia in 1997 and 2001 to North Carolina. Clemson defeated Wake Forest 31- 23 in a thrilling homecoming game last year. Clemson has an 8-1-1 record against Virginia on homecoming. The only Cavaliers win took place in 1997, by a 21-7 score. That was the last time Virginia was the opponent on Clemson’s homecoming. Virginia enters this game with a #24 ranking in the USA Today poll and 25th in Associated Press. This is the first time since 1996 and just the third time since 1971 that a ranked team has been Clemson’s opponent on homecoming. Clemson defeated Georgia Tech 28-25 in 1996 when the Yellow Jackets were ranked 22nd entering the game. In 1988 Clemson defeated a 5-0 and 22nd ranked Duke team on homecoming, 49-17. Clemson also defeated a 15 th ranked Virginia Tech team 21-6 on homecoming in 1956. Overall, Clemson is 3-3 against ranked opponents on a Clemson homecoming. Clemson vs. Virginia Series Clemson holds a commanding 34-7-1 lead in the series with Virginia, but the Cavaliers hold 7-5-1 advantage since 1990, including a 22-17 victory at Charlottesville last year, and a 26-24 win at Clemson in 2001. Virginia has never beaten Clemson three years in a row. Clemson has gained at least 400 yards total offense in each of the last two years against Virginia, yet lost both games. Clemson won the first 29 games of the series before Virginia cracked the win column with a 20-7 victory in Charlottesville in 1990. Ironically, Clemson’s first win in the history of the series (in 1955) was also by a 20-7 score. Clemson’s 29-game winning streak between 1955-90 is tied for the fourth longest winning streak in NCAA history for one team over another. The record is 39 in a row held by Notre Dame over Navy, a streak that is still active heading into the meeting between the two schools in South Bend this year on November 8. Virginia has gained its most success against Clemson when the game has been in September, an example of the Cavaliers traditional good start to a season. Virginia has celebrated five of its seven wins over the Tigers in the month of September, including its last trip to Death Valley in 2001, a game it won with just one second left. Virginia is 5-1 against Clemson in the month of September since 1990, but just 2-4-1 in October and November since that year. Overall, Clemson is 24-2-1 against Virginia in October and November all-time, but just 10-5 against the Cavs in September. Clemson is 18-3-1 against Virginia in Death Valley and 15-4 in Charlottesville. Clemson won in Richmond in 1971, 32-15, the only neutral site game in the history of the series. The only tie in the series took place in 1991, a 20-20 score at Clemson that was also played on homecoming. The Tigers had 511 yards of total offense in that game and did not win, the only game in Clemson history in which Clemson picked up at least 500 yards, yet did not win the game. Clemson is 2-2 against Virginia under Tommy Bowden. Bowden picked up his first win as a Clemson head coach in 1999 against George Welsh and the Cavaliers, 33-14 in a game at Clemson. Clemson led that game 33- 0, 35 minutes into the game. In 2000, Woody Dantzler led the Tigers to victory with a dazzling performance. Dantzler rushed for 220 yards and passed for 154 leading Clemson to a 31-10 victory. The two teams have been ACC rivals since that first meeting in 1955, but the two teams have not played every year since the league was formed in 1953. The two teams did not play in 1961, 1962, 1967, 1968, 1975, and 1976. Clemson Veterans versus Virginia Eric Coleman (DT) - Had two tackles in 21 snaps in 2002. Airese Currie (WR) - Had two catches for 14 yards in the 2002 contest; played 23 snaps in 2001, but did not catch a pass. Maurice Fountain (DE) - Had three tackles in 17 snaps in 2002; had two tackles, including one for loss, in 2001. Toure Francis (CB) - Had one tackle in the 2001 game. Jamaal Fudge (ROV) - Had one tackle and a pass deflection in last year’s game. Ben Hall (TE) - Played just four snaps in 2002 due to injury; was in on 30 snaps in 2001, but did not catch a pass. Derrick Hamilton (WR) - Had eight catches for 81 yards and 206 all-purpose yards in 2002; had nine catches for 90 yards in 2001. Leroy Hill (LB) - Had one tackle in three snaps in 2002; had three tackles in eight snaps in 2001 game. Tye Hill (RB) - Had three carries for 43 yards at tailback in 2002 game; had 32-yard touchdown run just before halftime. J.J. Howard (DE) - Had four tackles in 15 snaps in 2002. Aaron Hunt (PK) - Had a 19-yard field goal in the 2002 game; made 1-2 in the 2001 game, a 45-yarder; was also 1-2 in the 2000 contest. Chad Jasmin (RB) - Had four carries for 10 yards in last year’s game; had one carry for three yards in 2001. Cedric Johnson (OG) - Led the team in knockdown blocks in 2002. Yusef Kelly (RB) - Had 17 carries for 72 yards and three receptions in the 2002 contest; did not play in the 2000 of 2001 games. John Leake (LB) - Had 11 tackles in the 2002 game; posted 10 tackles and one for loss in 2001. Justin Miller (CB) - Had three tackles and a pass deflection last year. Dejuan Polk (DT) - Had four tackles in 23 snaps in 2002. Travis Pugh (FS) - Had three tackles in 20 snaps in 2002. Eric Sampson (WHIP) - Posted seven tackles in 2002 and two in the 2001 game. Khaleed Vaughn (DE) - Had six tackles, including a sack, in 2002; had one tackle in 2001; had one sack in the 2000 game. Donnell Washington (DT) - Had seven tackles, including one for loss, last year; Had a sack and two quarterback pressures in the 2001 game. Charlie Whitehurst (QB) - Came in on the final scoring drive of the game for Clemson and completed all seven pass attempts for 92 yards last year. Kevin Youngblood (WR) - Had five catches for 42 yards in 2002. Ranked Virginia Team Comes to Death Valley A 24th ranked (USA Today) Virginia team on three-game winning streak will come into Clemson Memorial Stadium on Saturday for a contest that will kickoff at high noon and will be televised by the Jefferson Pilot television network. Clemson hopes history repeats itself on Saturday. Each of the last two meetings between Clemson and Virginia at Death Valley have featured an unranked team upsetting a top 25 team. In 1999, Tommy Bowden’s first year at Clemson, the Tigers upset a 19th ranked Virginia team coached by George Welsh by a 33-14 score. That was Bowden’s first win as Clemson head coach. Two years later, Clemson was ranked 19th in the nation, but was upset by the Cavaliers 26-24 on a touchdown pass with just one second remaining in the game. Virginia has won four of five games this year with the only loss coming in the state of South Carolina to the University of South Carolina on September 6 in Williams Brice Stadium by a 31-7 score. Virginia was without the services of starting quarterback and reigning ACC Player of the year Matt Schaub, who missed the game with a shoulder injury. Marques Hagans, the backup quarterback, also missed that game with an injury. Schaub has had outstanding statistics over his career and this season. In 2003 he has completed 54-73 passes for 694 yards and four scores. He has completed 74 percent of his passes and has an efficiency rating of 163.7. He would be among the national leaders in those categories, but has not played enough games (must play in 75 percent of your team’s games) to be ranked in the NCAA stats. It won’t be long before he returns to the rankings. Another in a long line of great quarterbacks from the state of Pennsylvania (Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas, etc) Schaub finished the 2002 season sixth in the nation in passing, first in the ACC. He led the ACC in completions, touchdown passes and completion percentage in addition to his first place ranking in efficiency. He completed 19 of 22 passes for 283 yards in a 38-13 win over North Carolina last week. In addition to completing passes at a 65 percent rate, the Cavs lead the league in rushing with 184 yards per game. Wali Lundy leads the ACC and ranks 21st in the nation in rushing with a 102.4 average. He has only six catches this year, but is gifted receiver as shown by his 58 receptions last year. He had four touchdowns, 127 yards rushing and 76 receiving in Virginia’s win over West Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl to conclude 2002, his freshman season. The Cavaliers allow 352 yards of total offense per game, just 55th in the nation, but rank 21st in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 16.8 points per game. Clemson allows just 17 points per game. Virginia’s defense is led by Jermaine Hardy, the team’s top tackler from a linebacker position with 41 stops this year. Ahmad Brooks has 32 stops from a safety position, while Chris Canty, a junior, has 31 tackles. Darryl Blackstock has three sacks to lead the way on the defensive line. The sophomore from Newport News, VA was a thorn in Clemson’s side last year when he had a career high 11 tackles. He led the nation’s freshmen in sacks last year with 10. The sack total was an ACC record for a freshman. Almondo Curry leads the ACC in interceptions with three in just five games and he has returned those for 62 yards and one score. The 5-8 senior from Hampton, VA is one of the captains of the Virginia team along with Schaub. The honorable mention All-ACC cornerback had three sacks to go with his 59 tackles a year ago. Virginia’s last Appearance at Clemson Virginia 26, Clemson 24 Billy McMullen made a leaping reception in the Clemson end zone with one second remaining to give Virginia a 26-24 upset victory in Death Valley on September 22nd. The Cavaliers’ win was their first over the Tigers since 1998. Virginia managed to escape with a win despite a strong offensive performance from Woodrow Dantzler and the Tigers. The Clemson graduate completed 25 of 34 passes for 251 yards. His 25 completions were a new career high, breaking his previous mark of 23 that he set against NC State in 1999. Clemson accumulated 29 first downs in the game, just the second time in school history that Clemson has had that many first downs yet lost the game. The Tigers gained 433 yards of total offense and controlled the clock for over 35 minutes, yet lost. Dantzler helped ignite the Tiger offense in the first quarter, going 4 for 4 for 44 yards on a scoring drive capped off by Terrance Huey’s 16-yard “Panther Play” touchdown run that made the score 7-0 Clemson. Huey took a handoff through his legs from quarterback Woodrow Dantzler stood still for a split second, then raced the 16 yards for the score. It was not only his first career carry, it was his first career offensive play. After Aaron Hunt kicked a 45-yard field goal with 14:09 remaining before halftime to give Clemson a 10-0 lead, Virginia’s David Greene countered with two field goals of 30 and 31 yards. Capping off drives of 14 and 10 plays respectively, Greene’s efforts cut Clemson’s lead to four at the half. The Cavaliers jumped out to a 10- point lead behind two third-period touchdowns.. Quarterback Bryson Spinner’s six-yard touchdown run following a Dantzler interception made the score 13-10, and Spinner’s 14-yard pass to McMullen with 8:24 remaining in the third quarter finished off an eight play, 52-yard drive that gave Virginia a 20-10 lead. Clemson’s offense responded on its next two possessions. Dantzler led the way on a 16-play, 80-yard scoring drive as he completed 7 of 7 passes for 61 yards on the drive. His one-yard run cut the Virginia lead to 20-17. On the next possession following a Virginia punt, Dantzler would complete two more passes before scrambling for an 18-yard run down to the Virginia 13-yard line. Travis Zachery’s two-yard touchdown run capped off a seven play, 59-yard drive that gave Clemson a 24-20 lead. When Clemson regained possession with 10:05 remaining, the offense seemed poised to put the Cavaliers out of reach. The Tigers were three for three on third-down conversions on the drive, but the march was abruptly stalled at the Virginia 31-yard line. Almondo Curry’s sack of Dantzler forced a fumble that was recovered by defensive end Larry Simmons. The Tiger defensive effort, led by Charles Hafley with 16 tackles and an interception, was able to contain the Cavaliers. A Donnell Washington sack was big in forcing Virginia to punt. The Cavaliers pinned Clemson at their own four. After the Tigers went three and out, Virginia took over the ball at the Clemson 44 with 1:44 remaining. Billy McMullen (eight catches, 88 yards, 2 TD) caught three passes for 29 yards on the Cavalier drive, which included a 17-yard reception off a fullback option pass from Tyree Foreman. Three plays later McMullen made his catch over Brian Mance with just one second left on the clock. Last Year’s Game vs. Virginia The Virginia Cavaliers scored 16 consecutive points in the fourth quarter and overcame a 10-6 halftime deficit to defeat Clemson 22-17 in front of over 54,000 fans at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville in 2002. The win was the Cavaliers’ second straight over Clemson and followed up on their last-second victory over the Tigers in 2001. Clemson out-gained Virginia in virtually every offensive category, including total rushing yards, passing yards and average yards per play, yet still lost. The Tigers racked up 412 yards of total offense, but also committed two turnovers and were forced to punt six times. The play of the Cavaliers’ defense and their ability to prevent Clemson from scoring on big plays was the difference in the game. Although he did not score, Derrick Hamilton led the Clemson individual effort by totaling over 200 all-purpose yards and leading the team in receptions. It was the third time in four games that Hamilton had exceeded 200 yards in all-purpose running.Backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst also had an impressive showing during his late fourth-quarter appearance. While seeing his first significant action of the 2002 season, Whitehurst completed all seven of his passes for 92 yards and a touchdown pass. Brian Mance, who recorded seven tackles and an interception, led Clemson’s defense, which held Virginia to just 80 rushing yards. Defensive ends Bryant McNeal and Khaleed Vaughn each had six tackles and a sack. Roverback Altroy Bodrick had six tackles, two for a loss. The Tigers scored first on their opening drive. After Hamilton was tackled inside the Clemson 10-yard line after bringing the kickoff out of the end zone, the Tigers marched 93 yards down the field and took nearly seven minutes off the clock. The offense finally stalled at the twoyard line, and Aaron Hunt’s 19-yard field goal capped off the 19-play drive. It was the longest drive by Clemson in terms of plays since 1979 when the Tigers had 19 plays against Georgia. The Cavaliers countered early in the second quarter on Kurt Smith’s 42-yard field goal, and Smith gave Virginia its first lead of the game with 5:18 remaining when he kicked a 28-yard field goal. Clemson regained the lead just before halftime. After an outstanding effort by Mance to intercept a pass along the Clemson sideline, running back Tye Hill ran for 32 yards and a touchdown on the next play to give the Tigers a 10-6 advantage with one minute remaining before the intermission. It was his first career touchdown and the fifth time in six games that Clemson has scored a touchdown inside the last 80 seconds of the first half. The Cavaliers began their comeback after a scoreless third quarter. On the second play of the fourth quarter, facing fourth-downand- goal from the Clemson one-yard line, Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub handed the ball off to All-ACC receiver Billy McMullen on a reverse play; McMullen stumbled, but kept his balance and stretched across the goal line, giving the Cavaliers a 13-10 lead. After the Cavalier defense forced Wynn Kopp to punt, the Virginia offense organized a 17-play, 85-yard drive that erased over six minutes off the clock. Smith tallied his third field goal of the day when he nailed a 21-yard attempt that finished off the Cavaliers’ drive. Following the ensuing kickoff, quarterback Willie Simmons’ pass was intercepted by Rich Bedesem and returned to the Clemson 17-yard line. Three plays later, Schaub found tight end Heath Miller in the end zone on a 15-yard touchdown reception. Simmons entered the game once more and fumble the football, which was recovered by the Cavaliers but did not yield any points. Whitehurst entered the game on the next possession and guided the Tigers’ offense downfield on seven consecutive passes. His nine-yard touchdown pass to J.J. McKelvey with 1:31 remaining reduced the lead to five, but Clemson could not recover the on-side kick and Virginia came away with its fifth straight win. Clemson Has Come Back Against Virginia Clemson has come back from a deficit of 13 points or more to win seven times in its history and four of the victories have come against Virginia. Two of those wins have taken place in Charlottesville and two in Clemson. Clemson’s greatest comeback in history took place at Virginia in 1992 when it overcame a 28-0 deficit with 32 minutes left to win 29-28. Louis Solomon, now a high school coach in New Jersey, led that comeback with an option offense. His 64-yard run just before halftime gave Clemson some momentum going into the locker room at halftime. Nelson Welch booted a 32-yard field goal with 55 seconds left to provide the winning margin. Virginia was undefeated and ranked 10th in the nation heading into that game. That remains the greatest comeback in ACC history involving two conference teams. Clemson’s greatest comeback in Death Valley also took place against Virginia. Clemson trailed Virginia by 17 points at home in 1966, but came back to win 40-35. That was the first game that Howard’s Rock was present in Death Valley. Coincidence? Clemson also overcame a 14-point deficit to Virginia in 1980 to win 27-24 in Charlottesville. Bill Smith, now on the Clemson Board of Trustees, returned a block punt for a touchdown to provide a key play in the victory. Obed Ariri then booted a 52-yard field goal with six seconds left to win the game.Clemson also overcame a 13-point deficit in 1973 to win 32-27. Clemson’s Greatest Comebacks to win or Tie
Date Opponent Site Down Deficit Final
Clemson Improved on Defense
Clemson continued to show improvement on defense in the
game at Maryland. The Tigers allowed the Terps just 134 yards rushing
and 338 yards total, well below their averages entering the game and
under Ralph Friedgen. In the three years Friedgen has been the head
coach at Maryland the Terps have averaged 34 points and 447 yards per
game.
Clemson’s defense has made a steady improvement since
John Lovett became the defensive coordinator at the beginning of the
2002 season. The Tigers allowed 395 yards and 28 points per game in
2001, then Lovett improved those numbers to 355.4 yards per game and
27 points per game in 2002. This year the numbers have dropped again
to 316 yards per game and 17.0 points per game.
Clemson is now getting near the top 25 in the nation in various
statistical categories. According to this week’s NCAA stats the Tigers are
28th in the nation in total defense, 23rd in scoring defense and 27th in
pass defense. On the conference level, Clemson is third in the ACC in
total defense, third in pass defense and fourth in scoring defense.
The Tigers made a slow start defensively against Maryland as
the Terps scored on each of their first two drives. But, Clemson held
the Terps to just one score over their final 11 possessions and that came
on a fluke play when a Maryland wide receiver came back into the field
of play after running out of bounds along the Clemson sideline.
Maryland tailbacks Josh Allen and Bruce Perry combined for 33 rushes
for 98 yards, just 2.96 yards per carry.
Below is a chart that shows how Clemson has improved in
many important areas this year as compared to 2002 and as compared
to 2001, the year before Lovett became Clemson’s defensive
coordinator.
Category 2001 2002 2003 Points/Game Allowed 28.3 26.8 17.0 TD Allowed/Game 3.50 2.85 2.00 TD passes Allowed/Game 1.83 1.58 0.83 Rushing Yards Allowed 154.3 158.2 132.8 Passing Yards Allowed 240.6 197.2 183.2 Total offense Allowed 395.0 355.4 316.0 Yards/Play Allowed 5.3 5.0 4.6 Yards/rush Allowed 3.8 3.9 3.1
Clemson Looks for 200th ACC Win
Clemson will strive to become the first ACC school to win 200
conference games when the Tigers meet Virginia in Death Valley on
Saturday. 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 199-108-6 (.645) in conference play for its 51
seasons. Clemson’s 39-3 win over Georgia Tech on September 20 was
the program’s 199 th victory. Clemson ranks first among league teams in
conference victories all-time. North Carolina is second with 177, while
Maryland is third with 176. NC State holds the fourth position with 171.
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 10, 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. Of course Miami (FL) and Virginia Tech will join the
ACC next season.
Bowden Won 50th Game at Georgia Tech
Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden won his 50th career
game when the Tigers defeated Georgia Tech in Atlanta on September
20. He enters the Virginia game with a 50-26 overall record, a .658
winning percentage. Given a minimum of five years as a head coach,
Bowden is currently ninth among winningest active coaches in Division I.
Bowden is in his seventh season as a head coach. He had an
18-4 record in two seasons at Tulane (1997-98), including a perfect 11-0
season in 1998. He is in his fifth year at Clemson and has a 32-22
record with the Tigers. Prior to becoming a head coach, Bowden was an
assistant coach on a part-time or full-time basis for 19 years (1978-96) at
Florida State, Auburn, Duke, Alabama, and Kentucky.
Now in his 26 th year in college coaching, he has been to 12
bowl games, been a part of 10 top 25 seasons, five of which have been
top 10 teams. Teams he has coached have been to a bowl game each
of the last five years and seven of the last eight.
Tommy is now just 287 victories behind his father, Bobby, who
has a record of 337-96-4 in his 38 years as a head coach. Florida
State plays Miami (FL) today at the same time the Tigers meet Virginia.
Hill Continuing #43 Tradition
The early season favorite for most improved player on the
Clemson football team would be junior linebacker Leroy Hill. The native
of Haddock, GA ranks in the top five in the ACC in tackles, tackles for
loss and sacks. His 61 tackles rank first among Clemson players. He
had 29 tackles all of last year in 13 games. He exceeded that total in
the first three games this year and has already doubled it. He had at
least two tackles for loss and one sack in each of the first four games of
the season. He had a career high 16 tackles in the opener against
Georgia and has been in double figures in four of the five games so far
this year. Twice he has been named Clemson’s defensive player of the
week by the Tiger coaches.
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 12 this
year, at least two in every game. He has nine more tackles than any
other Clemson player and has averaged a tackle every 4.64 plays.
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. Keith Adams, who many compare Hill to in
terms of his style of play as a linebacker, was an All-American at
Clemson in 2000. He led the nation in tackles and tackles for loss in
1999. He had 35 tackles for loss that year to set a Clemson record.
Hamilton Records Second Best Yardage Game
Clemson junior wide receiver Derrick Hamilton had seven
receptions for 175 yards and a touchdown at Maryland on October 4.
That was the second greatest reception yardage game in Clemson
history. The only performance that is better was a 7-182 game by Rod
Gardner at North Carolina in 2000.
Hamilton’s total was boosted by a 70-yard touchdown catch
and run from Charlie Whitehurst in the second period. Hamilton caught
the ball about 20 yards up field near the Maryland sideline, ran to the
middle of the field, then made his way back to the sideline before diving
the final five yards to the endzone. It was the longest reception of
Hamilton’s career.
The all-around performer now has a 100-yard kickoff return
(also at Maryland in 2001), a 79-yard punt return (vs. Georgia Tech at
Clemson in 2002), a 77-yard run (vs. Georgia Tech at Clemson in 2002)
and the 70-yard pass reception. They have all contributed to
Hamilton’s current ranking as the number-three all-purpose runner in
Clemson history. With his 207-yard game at Maryland, Hamilton now
has 3804 all-purpose yards in his career. It was his fifth game of at least
200 yards in his Clemson career. His career high is 256 yards against
Georgia Tech in 2002.
Hamilton is just five games into his junior season, so he is on
his way to putting up some all-purpose numbers that will stand for a few
years. He entered this season in sixth place on the list, but is now third
with his 3804 figure. He needs just 588 yards to break Travis Zachery’s
record of 4391 set between 1998-01. He needs just 196 yards to
become the third Clemson player to reach 4000 all-purpose yards in a
career.
Hamilton is the first Clemson receiver in history to have at least
100 catches through the end of his sophomore season. The
performance of Maryland now gives him 131 catches for 1724 yards.
He is now sixth in total receptions and seventh in reception yardage in
Clemson history.
Virginia is well aware of Hamilton’s talents. He had a 206-yard
all-purpose running day last year in Charlottesville. He has 17
receptions in his two previous games against he Cavaliers, more than
any other conference opponent over his freshman and sophomore
seasons.
Clemson All-Purpose Running Leaders
Clemson All-Purpose Running Leaders Rk Player Years Rush Rec KOR PR Tot 1. Travis Zachery 1998-01 3058 1057 276 4391 2. Raymond Priester 1994-97 3966 316 4282 3. Derrick Hamilton 2001-03 246 1724 1361 473 3804 4. Buddy Gore 1966-68 2571 65 637 3273 5. Kenny Flowers 1983-86 2914 192 40 3146 6. Ray Mathews 1947-50 1886 650 294 298 3128 7. Terry Allen 1987-89 2778 243 80 3101 8. Ray Yauger 1968-70 2439 328 177 2944 Clemson Single Game Reception Yards Bests Yds Rec Player Opponent Year 182 7 Rod Gardner at North Carolina 2000 175 7 Derrick Hamilton at Maryland 2003 163 5 Jerry Butler at Georgia Tech 1977 161 7 Perry Tuttle Wake Forest 1981 156 8 Terry Smith at Florida State 1993 152 2 Craig Brantley Virginia 1974 152 7 Tony Horne at Wake Forest 1997 151 10 Perry Tuttle Maryland 1981 148 10 Henry Walker Auburn 1947 Clemson Career Reception Leaders Rk Player Years Yds Avg. TD Rec 1. Rod Gardner 1997-00 2498 15.0 13 166 2. Terry Smith 1990-03 2681 16.5 15 162 3. Perry Tuttle 1978-81 2534 16.9 17 150 4. Jerry Butler 1975-78 2223 16.0 11 139 5. Brian Wofford 1996-99 1857 13.5 13 138 6. Derrick Hamilton 2001-03 1724 12.5 9 131 7. Tony Horne 1994-97 1750 14.6 13 120 8. Phil Rogers 1965-67 1469 13.9 5 106 9. Travis Zachery 1998-01 1057 10.1 9 105 10. Kevin Youngblood 2000-03 1154 11.5 5 101 11. Mal Lawyer 1996-99 1255 12.7 9 99 Clemson Career Reception Yardage Leaders Rk Player Years Rec Avg. TD Yds 1. Terry Smith 1990-93 162 16.5 15 2681 2. Perry Tuttle 1978-81 150 16.9 17 2534 3. Rod Gardner 1997-00 166 15.0 13 2498 4. Jerry Butler 1975-78 139 16.0 11 2223 5. Brian Wofford 1996-99 138 13.5 13 1857 6. Tony Horne 1994-97 120 14.6 13 1750 7. Derrick Hamilton 2001-03 131 13.2 9 1724 8. Gary Cooper 1985-89 79 20.2 11 1592 9. Glenn Smith 1949-51 88 17.9 18 1576 10. Terrance Roulhac 1983-86 92 16.2 16 1487
Whitehurst Clemson Career Leader in Six Categories
Clemson sophomore quarterback Charlie Whitehurst
completed 23 of 28 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns in
Clemson’s win over Middle Tennessee. That computes to a passing
efficiency of 219 for the game. According to NCAA statistics, that is the
seventh best passing efficiency game so far this year in Division I college
football (given a minimum of 20 attempts).
Whitehurst completed exactly 23 passes in victories over Furman,
Middle Tennessee and Georgia Tech, and had 22 completions at
Maryland. He is now ranked 26th in the nation in passing efficiency and
is just below the Clemson single season record for that category. His
rating is first in school history on a career basis.
The native of Duluth, GA now has three separate games of at
least four touchdowns passes, tying the school record. That is quite an
accomplishment considering he has started just 10 games in his career.
He is already seventh in Clemson history in touchdown passes with 20.
Woody Dantzler, who watched Clemson’s victory over Georgia Tech from
the sidelines, has that record with 41.
In his 10 games as a starter he has completed 215-359
passes for 2742 yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. That is a
.600 completion percentage. His average game as a starter is 21.5 for
36 attempts for 274.2 yards, and two touchdowns.
Whitehurst has completed 91 of his last 142 passes for 1217
yards and 10 touchdowns against just four interception over the last four
games. The 320-yard figure against Maryland ranks as just the ninth
300-yard passing game in Clemson history for an individual, the third by
Whitehurst. He actually holds the Clemson record with 420 passing
yards at Duke last year in a 34-31 Clemson victory. He has tied
Brandon Streeter’s record for 300-yard passing games in a career.
Whitehurst went over the 2500-yard passing in the win over Georgia
Tech and enters the Virginia game with 2922.
His recent performances have moved him to number-one in
Clemson history (ahead of Woody Dantzler) on Clemson’s passing
efficiency list. He now has a rating of 134.3, better than Dantzler’s
132.46 figure. Whitehurst has an efficiency of 141.7 for this season,
just behind the single season record of 146.0, set by Mike Eppley in
1984. Whitehurst is also completing his passes at a 62.9 percent rate,
just behind the 63.1 by Brandon Streeter in 1999.
Clemson Career Leaders in Completion Percentage (Minimum of 150 attempts) Rk Player Years Com Att Pct 1. Charlie Whitehurst 2002-03 233 389 .599 2. Woodrow Dantzler 1998-01 460 796 .578 3. Nealon Greene 1994-97 458 805 .569 4. Chris Morocco 1986-89 89 157 .567 5. Brandon Streeter 1996-99 294 519 .566 6. Mike Eppley 1980-84 252 449 .561 7. DeChane Cameron 1988-91 257 470 .547 8. Billy Lott 1977-79 105 198 .530 9. Homer Jordan 1979-82 250 479 .5219 10. Willie Simmons 2000-02 204 391 .5217 Clemson Career Passing Efficiency Leaders (Minimum of 100 attempts) Rk Player Years Com Att Yds TD-I Eff 1. Charlie Whitehurst2002-03 233 389 2922 20-11 134.31 2. Woodrow Dantzler 1998-01 460 796 6037 41-24 132.46 3. Mark Fellers 1972-74 58 124 943 12-7 131.30 4. Chris Morocco 1986-89 89 157 1238 6-4 130.44 5. Mike Eppley 1980-84 252 449 3354 28-26 127.85 6. Bobby Gage 1945-48 123 278 2448 24-27 127.26 7. Nealon Greene 1994-97 458 805 5719 35-26 124.46 8. Harvey White 1957-59 145 289 2103 18-12 123.58 9. Jackie Calvert 1948-50 40 101 885 8-8 123.48 10. Steve Fuller 1975-78 287 554 4359 22-21 123.43 Charlie Whitehurst Career Quarterback Rankings Category Figure Ranking Passing Efficiency 134.31 First Completion % .599 First Passing Yards/Game 208.7 First Completions/Game 16.6 First Attempts/Game 27.8 First TD/Int Ratio 1.82 First Touchdown Passes 20 7th Yards/Attempt 7.51 8th Completions 233 10th Passing yards 2922 10th Attempts 389 12th
Whitehurst on Record pace
Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst is on a record pace,
or near a record pace for many Clemson single season marks. Below is
a chart to show how e stands:
Category Current Record Whitehurst, 2003 Completions/Game 16.9, Woody Dantzler, 2001 22.0 Attempts/Game 27.8,Woody Dantzler, 2001 35.0 Passing Yards/Game 214.8, Woody Dantzler, 2001 273.6 Touchdowns/Game 1.75, Woody Dantzler, 2001 2.0 Passing Efficency 146.0, Mike Eppley, 1984 141.67 Completion Percent .631, Brandon Streeter, 1999 62.9
Quarterbacks Have Flourished under Bowden
Watching Charlie Whitehurst move up the Clemson career
passing efficiency charts should be of no surprise. Clemson head coach
Tommy Bowden has a history of developing outstanding quarterbacks
since he became a head coach in 1997.
In his two years at Tulane, he guided Shawn King to many
school and national records. In fact, in 1998, King led the nation with a
passing efficiency rating of 183.3. That year he completed 223-328
passes for 3232 yards, 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions. That
183.3 rating remains the all-time NCAA record for passing efficiency
rating over the course of a season.
One of the players Bowden recruited before he left Tulane was
current Washington Redskins quarterback Patrick Ramsey. Ramsey
played at Tulane through the 2001 season and is now the starting signal
caller for the Washington Redskins. Ironically, one of his top receivers is
former Tiger Rod Gardner. Ramsey was 17-23 for 185 yards in the
Redskins season opening victory over the New York Jets.
Since Bowden has been at Clemson, 54 Clemson passing
records have been set or tied. Brandon Streeter set the Clemson single
season completion percentage in 1999 when he connected on 63.1
percent of his passes. Whitehurst is currently near that pace with a 62.9
mark. In 2001, Woodrow Dantzler became the first player in college
football history to pass for 2000 yards and rush for 1000 in the same
season.
Birthdays in Season
Clemson has eight scholarship football players who will
celebrate birthdays on game days in 2003. That might be the most for
one season in history. David Dunham celebrated his 21st birthday the
day the Tigers defeated Furman, while Chansi Stuckey celebrated his
20th birthday when Clemson played at Maryland on October 4.
Upcoming birthdays on game days include William Henry
(October 16, 1981 at NC State), Tommy Sharpe (October 25, 1981,
North Carolina), Travaghn Monts (November 8, 1982, Florida State),
Tremaine Billie (November 15, 1983, Duke), Kevin Youngblood
(November 22, 1980) and Marion Dukes (November 22, 1984). That
will be Youngblood’s final regular season game as a Clemson player.
The most memorable performance on a Clemson player’s
birthday probably took place on November 1, 1986 when Rodney
Williams led the Tigers to a 28-20 victory at Wake Forest. Williams
completed 13-18 passes for 193 yards and two scores that day. His
passing efficiency for that game was 187.83, the highest of his career
given a minimum of 15 attempts.
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