CLEMSON FOOTBALL

South Carolina - Clemson Game Notes and Quotes
Yusef Kelly had 7 rushes for 48 yards in the fourth period to seal the game for the Tigers.

South Carolina - Clemson Game Notes and Quotes


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Clemson vs. South Carolina

100th Game Notes, Death Valley (att. 84,000)

November 23, 2002

• The 25-yard reception in the second quarter by Kevin Youngblood was his longest reception

of the year.

• Clemson #19 Aaron Hunt's 26-yard, and 28-yard field goals in the second quarter were his

11th and 12th consecutive made field goals respectively; the record is 14 by Obed Ariri in

1980. His streak ended at 12 in a row with a 47-yard miss in the third period.

• Clemson #6 Charlie Whitehurst completed his first eight passes for 84 yards. He concluded

the game with 27-38 for 287 yards. His completion total and passing yards were the most

ever by a Clemson quarterback against South Carolina. Woody Dantzler had the previous

best in terms of yards with 249 in the 1999 game.

• Whitehurst is the first Clemson freshman quarterback to win three games since Rodney

Williams won five in 1985. Entering this season, only twice in Clemson history had a

Clemson quarterback completed as many as 27 passes in a single game (Brandon Streeter

twice). Charlie Whitehurst has started just four games in his Clemson career and has already

done it twice. He completed 27 tonight and 34 against Duke in his first start.

• The goal post in the East end of the stadium came down after the game. This was just the

third time the goal posts have come down at Clemson. The other two occasions were after

Clemson beat Maryland in 1983 and when Clemson defeated South Carolina in 1998.

• This was Clemson's fifth victory in a night game since October 1 of 1995. Three of the five

have been against South Carolina (1997, 1998 and 2002).

• Former South Carolina quarterback #9 Corey Jenkins caused a fumble for the second

consecutive week.

• Clemson #2 Brian Mance made his 6th interception of the season, the 12th of his career,

which moves him into a tie for third place all-time in Clemson history (Eddie Geathers,

Robert O'Neal, and Alex Ardley). It was his 13th career takeaway, tying him with Dexter

Davis, who had 13 between 1988-90. Davis was in the locker room after the game and

congratulated Mance.

• Aaron Hunt's field goal with :32 remaining in the half, marked the ninth time this season

that Clemson scored with 80 seconds or less left in the first half (7 TD's, 2 FG's).

• Clemson #91 Bryant McNeal's sack in the second quarter was the 21' of his career, moving

him ahead of Chester McGlockton to 6th all-time in Clemson history.

• South Carolina's 70-yard touchdown pass at the beginning of the third quarter from #5

Dondrial Pinkins to #82 Troy Williamson was the longest play of the season for the

Gamecocks. The play was also a career long pass for Pinkins and a career long reception for

Williamson.

• Clemson's 432 yards of total offense were the most by the Tigers against South Carolina

since 1997 when Clemson gained 434 yards in a Clemson victory in Columbia.

• After the road team won seven straight games in the series from 1991-97, the home team has

now won four of the last five.

• Clemson had the better overall record heading into this game. The team with the better

record now has a 16-2-1 record in the series since 1981.

• Jackie Robinson had a season high four catches in today's game for 49 yards, including a 30-

yarder that set up Clemson's go-ahead touchdown. It tied his career high of four receptions

in 2000. He had four catches against North Carolina and Missouri that year. It was the first

time in 27 games the he had four catches in one game.

• Yusef Kelly had 7 rushes for 48 yards in the fourth period to finish with 10-64.

Clemson Player Quotes

Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst

On 11 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter:

"It was a big play for us, but I thought Jackie's (Robinson) catch was huge. But on that

run, I thought I was going to be sacked. I think #9 (Corey Jenkins) was coming on a

blitz, so I just decided to spin away from him. Then I didn't think I would make it all the

way, but I guess I did."

Defensive End Bryant McNeal:

"The best part of the win was sending those boys home for Christmas. They came out

talking a bunch of trash about last year's game and how they were going to do the same

thing again. But we showed up ready to play, and it feels real good to go out with a win

at home."

Cornerback Brian Mance:

On his key interception in the second quarter:

"That was a key play in the game. We had just turned the ball over to them, and needed

to come up with a big stop. I was just able to be in the right spot and was able to get the

interception. It feels great to beat them and deny them a bowl bid."

South Carolina Head Coach Lou Holtz:

"We've never been able to stop people after we've scored all year, Every time we score, they seem to

come back and score. They were just running the sweep. There were times- I'd have to took at it on film-

sometimes they'd be stuttering four or five yards deep next thing I know they're plus six. I'd have to look

at it on film. You know, you don't want to point fingers, our players played hard. They're wonderful

young men. We didn't stop them and consequently we never got the ball back.

Our third-down play hurt us and mainly we got hurt across the middle. Its been a problem much of the year.

I really thought that Tremaine Tyler really stepped in there and played well. We had some missed tackles

that hurt us.

I thought that Dondrail Pinkins really did a good job. I was very pleased with his performance.

We had fourth and one and we kicked a field goal and we probably should have gone for it. You know you

pick it up when you're ahead 20-13, you know, you just came back and took the lead with about a minute

to go in the third quarter-but in the end it was whoever had the ball last and we dropped that pass.

On the officials ejecting a member of the USC coaching staff from the game: He felt that some people ware getting on him. He threw one guy out of the game and I asked him; "Was there any profanity or anything?" He said no. There was no profanity or anything. I don't know, you'd

have to ask him. It was a late hit and somebody said, "It looked like a late hit!" And he said, "I don't want

to hear another word. The point I want to make is this: the officials are there and they have a job to do and I

don't fault them for that, but there was absolutely no profanity or no derogatory comments made about that

individual.

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