Pre-Game Notes for the Wake Forest at Clemson Football game on October 17

Game 6: Clemson vs. Wake Forest
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Kickoff: 12:10 PM
Clemson Memorial Stadium
Clemson, SC (81,500)
Television: Raycom
Steve Martin, Doc Walker, Mike Hogewood
Clemson Radio Network
Announcers: Pete Yanity, Will Merritt, Patrick Sapp
Series History:
Clemson leads 56-17-1
at Clemson: Clemson leads 33-7
at Memorial Stadium: Clemson leads 28-7
At Winston-Salem: Clemson leads 20-10-1
Last Year: Wake Forest 12, Clemson 7
Last Clemson Win: 44-10 at Clemson in 2007
Last Wake Forest win at Clemson: 29-19 in 1998
Games over last 6 Years: 3-3

Clemson Personnel Update
J.K. Jay (OT)--Freshman who had season end¬ing back surgery in August.
Stanley Hunter (LB)--Retired from football due to epilepsy
Jamaal Medlin (DT)--Retired from football due to knee micro fracture.

Milestones in Range, Streaks
•C.J. Spiller needs just 59 all-purpose running yards to become the first ACC player in history to reach 6000 all-purpose yards in a career. When he does he will become just the 27th player in NCAA FBS history to reach 6000 all-purpose yards.

•C.J. Spiller needs three receptions to reach 100 for his career. He needs just nine receptions to become Clemson’s career leader for a running back. He has 97 and record is 105 by Travis Zachery (1998-2001)

•Jacoby Ford has now caught at least one pass in 20 consecutive games he has played.

•Saturday will mark Chris Chancellor’s 33rd consecutive start at cornerback. It will be Crezdon Butler’s 31st consecutive start at the opposite cornerback.

•Crezdon Butler needs 80 interception return yards to become Clemson’s career leader.

•Saturday will be Thomas Austin’s 30th consecutive start in the offensive line.

•Clemson team has made 99 consecu¬tive extra points. Current kicker Richard Jackson is 11-11 this year following 88 in a row by Mark Buchholz in 2007-08. Last miss was in the Mu¬sic City Bowl at end of the 2006 season by John Early.

Clemson vs. Wake Forest Series

•Clemson owns 56 wins over Wake Forest in history, its second highest victory total over any opponent. Clemson has 65 wins over South Carolina. Forty-six of those wins against Wake Forest have taken place since the ACC was formed in 1953. Clemson is 33-7 against Wake Forest in games played in Clemson and is 28-7 in Death Valley in the series that dates to a 13-0 Clemson win in Charlotte in 1933.

•Wake Forest won last year’s game by a 12-7 score in Winston-Salem. It was the last game of Tommy Bowden’s career at Clemson as he resigned the Monday after the Thursday night game.

•Wake Forest Coach Jim Grobe has a 3-5 record against Clemson in his eight years at Wake Forest. All three of the wins have taken place at Wake Forest. He is 0-3 in Death Valley and Wake Forest has not won at Clemson since 1998 when Jim Caldwell coached the Demon Deacons to a 29-19 win. Wake Forest has won just twice at Clemson since 1962 and Caldwell won both games. He also defeated Clemson in 1993, Ken Hatfield’s last year as Clemson coach.

•This will be Dabo Swinney’s first game as Clemson head coach against Wake Forest. The Tigers are 3-3 against Wake Forest in the six games he has coached in the series since he came to Clemson as an assistant coach.

•Clemson won the 2006 game at Wake Forest, 27-17. Gaines Adams, now with the Tampa Bay Bucs of the NFL, had a game changing 66-yard fumble return on a botched field goal attempt in the fourth quarter to cut the Demon Deacons lead to 17-10. The Tigers scored 24 points in the fourth period to gain the victory. Current Tiger running back C.J. Spiller had a 72-yard run in that game.

•Clemson played at Wake Forest three times in a four year period from 2003-06. Clemson was 2-1 in those three games at Wake Forest during that time. But with last year’s loss, Clemson has lost three of its last four at Wake Forest. However, Clemson has won four in a row over Wake Forest in Clemson.

• The Deacs won 45-17 in 2003 against a Clemson team that finished the year 9-4 and ranked in the top 25 in the nation. Clem¬son won four in a row after that game and Wake Forest lost its last three games.

•Clemson has a 46-9-1 edge in the series since 1953, a .830 winning percentage. Clemson has played Wake Forest in football 56 consecutive years, as the last year the two schools did not play was 1952. The two schools are in the same division, so they will continue to play annually.

•Clemson has a 20-10-1 lead in the series in games played at Wake Forest, including 12-6-1 in games played at Groves Stadium.

•Only one coach in history won as many as four games against Clemson without a loss in Death Valley and the coach was from Wake Forest. Frank Howard and Peahead Walker had a close friendship, but Peahead had a 4-0 record against Howard in Death Valley.

•Clemson has won 11 out of 15 against Wake Forest dating to 1994. The Demon Deacons won back-to-back games in 1992-93, the only time Wake Forest has won consecu¬tive contests against Clemson since 1946-47. Wake Forest is looking for back to back wins in the series this year as well.

•Clemson has a 7-3 record against Wake Forest under Tommy Bowden, but five of the seven Clemson wins were decided by 10 points or less.

•The two teams have played at three neutral sites games over the years, including Tokyo, Japan. Clemson won that game in 1982 by a 21-17 score to close out an ACC Champion¬ship season.

•Clemson defeated a Wake Forest team coached by current Virginia coach Al Groh on Halloween Day 1981 by an 82-24 score. That is the highest scoring game in ACC history in¬volving two league teams. Clemson was 12-12 on third down in that game, a school record. The Tigers went on to win the national championship that season.

Most Wins by Clemson vs. Opponents

Opponent Record
South Carolina 65-37-4
Wake Forest 56-17-1
NC State 49-27-1
Furman 41-10-4
Virginia 36-8-1
Duke 35-16-1
North Carolina 34-18-1

Last Year vs. Wake Forest
Wake Forest 12, Clemson 7
At Wake Forest, October 9, 2008

D.J. Boldin’s seven-yard touchdown reception with 5:28 left in the game propelled #21 Wake Forest to a 12-7 victory over Clemson at BB&T Field on October 9. The game, a Thursday-night contest televised by ESPN, was the last of Head Coach Tommy Bowden’s tenure at Clem¬son.

After Wake Forest maintained a 3-0 lead at halftime, Jacoby Ford’s “circus” touchdown catch gave the Tigers a 7-3 lead entering the fourth quar¬ter. But a Demon Deacon field goal and Boldin’s touchdown gave Wake Forest a five-point win in the defensive struggle.

Wake Forest outgained the Tigers 342-198 thanks in part to 82 plays, compared to just 58 plays for Clemson. The Demon Deacons totaled 156 yards on the ground and 186 through the air, while Clemson was held to just 21 rushing yards. The Demon Deacons won the field-position battle, as their average starting field posi¬tion was 12 yards better than Clemson’s (38-26). Wake Forest did not allow a sack, did not commit a turnover, and won the time-of-possession battle by nearly 12 minutes. The Demon Deacons also were 10-21 on third-down conversions and held the Tiger offense to just 2-14 on third down. Wake Forest committed just two penalties, including one on offense, as well.

Riley Skinner was 22-34 for 186 yards and the game-winning touchdown pass. He also rushed for a game-high 73 yards on 11 carries. Josh Adams added 56 yards on the ground, while Ben Wooster had five catches for a team-high 36 yards.

Cullen Harper was 15-35 for 177 yards along with a touchdown and interception. His fa¬vorite target was Ford, who had five receptions for 43 yards, both team-highs, along with a touchdown catch. James Davis had a team-high 25 rushing yards. The Wake Forest defense forced four consecutive three-and-outs to start the game. Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons moved the ball effectively in the first quarter but had very little to show for their efforts thanks to a stout Clemson defense.

Boldin carried 19 yards and Adams fol¬lowed with a 23-yard rush on Wake Forest’s first two offensive plays of the game. After a 21-yard scramble by Skinner set up first-and-goal at the one, Clemson stiffened on the next three plays to force a field-goal attempt. A bad snap and hold then caused Shane Popham to miss a 25-yard field goal.

On Wake Forest’s next possession, it drove 62 yards for the game’s first score. Skinner’s pass to Brandon Pendergrass set up first-and-goal at the Clemson five. But again, the Tigers with¬stood and Popham made a 22-yard field goal.

Clemson moved the ball for the first time midway through the second quarter. Harper con¬nected with Tyler Grisham for 22 yards, then C.J. Spiller ran 10 yards. But Spiller suffered a leg injury on the play and was lost for the game. Later in the drive, Clemson stalled one yard short of a first down at the Demon Deacon 47. The Tigers called for a fake punt, but Michael Hamlin was stopped for no gain.

Late in the second quarter, Popham missed wide-right on a 39-yard field-goal attempt. Clemson took over and advanced 39 yards into Wake Forest territory, but a desperation fourth-down pass fell incomplete, keeping the score 3-0 at halftime. After the two teams combined for four punts to start the third quarter, Wake Forest moved the ball inside the Tiger 30. But Skinner’s pass on fourth-and-four pass was incomplete.

The Tigers took over and drove 70 yards in eight plays to take the lead. Harper found a wide-open Nelson Faerber for 35 yards. Three plays later on third-and-two, Wake Forest was flagged for pass interference to extend the drive. Then on second-and-goal from the 10, Harper found Ford over the middle for six points. Ford bobbled the ball as he made his way to the goal line but hung on just before he was hit by a Demon Deacon defender.

After a Tiger punt, Wake Forest took over at its own 22. After two rushes that netted -9 yards and a five-yard penalty, the Demon Dea¬cons faced third-and-24 from their own eight. But Skinner connected with Boldin over the middle for a crucial 28-yard gain. Wake Forest continued to march down the field, converting two more third downs. The drive was capped by Boldin’s seven-yard touchdown catch and run with 5:28 remaining in the game. The two-point-conversion try was unsuccessful.

After two incompletions and a sack, Xavier Dye responded with a clutch 19-yard catch and run on fourth-and-17 in Clemson territory. But another fourth-and-long was not converted.

Brandon Maye paced the Tiger defense with 13 tackles, while Chris Clemons had 10. Kevin Alexander and Jarvis Jenkins added two tackles for loss apiece for Clemson, who had 14 tackles for loss (by 12 different players) and 10 pass breakups (by seven different players) in the game.

Last Meeting vs. Wake Forest at Clemson
Clemson 44, Wake Forest 10
November 10, 2009 at Clemson, SC

Clemson scored points on eight of its 10 possessions, as the #20 Tigers cruised to a 44-10 win over Wake Forest at Memorial Sta¬dium on November 10, 2007. It was Clemson’s fourth victory in a row.

The Tigers jumped out to a 10-0 lead, only to see Wake Forest narrow the margin to 10-7 late in the first quarter. But Clemson scored 17 points in the second quarter and 17 more in the second half to earn a 34-point victory.

Clemson totaled five touchdowns and three field goals. Its offense accumulated 411 yards, including 266 passing and 145 rushing, along with 26 first downs. Clemson also con¬verted 7-12 third downs and punted only twice. Meanwhile, the Tiger defense limited the reigning ACC Champions to 286 total yards, including only 82 on the ground.

Cullen Harper was 27-35 for 266 yards and three touchdowns against no interceptions. He also added a touchdown run. Aaron Kelly had a game-high 10 catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns, while Tyler Grisham caught nine balls for 100 yards and a score. Kelly broke the school record for touchdown catches with his 10th and 11th of the season.

James Davis rushed for a game-high 62 yards on 21 carries, and C.J. Spiller added 54 rushing yards on only eight carries. Spiller was also a part of Clemson’s outstanding special teams. He had a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown (the first allowed by Wake Forest since 2002) and added 34 yards on two punt returns. Spiller, who had 194 all-purpose yards, became the first Tiger in history to have a kickoff return for a score in back-to-back games.

Mark Buchholz, who earned ACC Specialist-of-the-Week honors, was 3-3 on field goals, including kicks of 48, 52, and 46 yards. He became the first Tiger in history to kick three field goals of at least 45 yards in a game. He was also the first Tiger since 1997 to kick a field goal of at least 50 yards.

Clemson took the opening kickoff and drove 69 yards in 12 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Harper’s 15-yard pass to Michael Palmer on third-and-eight along with a pass-interference penalty on third-and-12 set up Harper’s seven-yard keeper for a score. After a three-and-out by Wake For¬est, Harper again connected with Palmer, this time for 24 yards into Demon Deacon territory. However, the drive stalled and Buchholz kicked a 48-yard field goal.

The Demon Deacons narrowed the score to 10-7 on their next drive. Riley Skinner’s 20-yard pass to Kenny Moore on third-and-13 moved the ball into Tiger territory. Nine plays later, Josh Adams capped the 14-play, 71-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run up the middle.

On Clemson’s next drive, Harper’s 30-yard pass to Grisham moved the ball to midfield. Seven plays later on third-and-10, Harper hit Kelly for 13 yards. Harper later found a wide-open Grisham in the end zone for a five-yard touchdown pass to give the Tigers a 17-7 lead early in the second quarter.

Another three-and-out by Wake Forest and Spiller’s 28-yard punt return set Clemson up at the Demon Deacon 31. Kelly caught passes on each of the last three plays of the drive, including a 10-yard touchdown reception.

Clemson got the ball back at its own 20 with 1:18 left before half¬time. Three more receptions by Kelly helped move the ball to the Demon Deacon 36 with one second left. Buchholz then drilled a 52-yard field goal after time had expired, upping the Tigers’ lead to 27-7.

Moore’s 55-yard punt return to the Clemson 37 breathed new life into Wake Forest in the third quarter. But three plays netted only two yards, and Sam Swank made a 52-yard field goal.

Spiller took the ensuing kickoff at the Tiger 10 and outran the Demon Deacons for a 90-yard kickoff return for a score, giving Clemson a 34-10 lead.

Kevin Marion’s 38-yard kickoff return gave the Demon Deacons the ball near midfield. Then on second-and-eight from the Clemson 27, Wake Forest was flagged for a holding penalty. Skinner was then sacked and intercepted (by Chris Chancellor) on the next two plays.

Spiller rushed 31 yards on the next play to the Wake Forest 38. After the drive stalled, Buchholz booted a 46-yard field goal late in the third quarter.

Wake Forest mounted a 66-yard drive into the red zone. But three in completions by Skinner, including one on fourth down, turned the ball over.

Clemson responded with a 13-play, 84-yard drive that took 7:29 off the clock. Grisham’s 24-yard run on a reverse advanced the ball into Wake Forest territory. After the Tigers were flagged for a holding penalty, Spiller carried 12 yards and Harper connected with a leaping Kelly for a nine-yard touchdown pass for the game’s final score.

Nick Watkins led the Tiger defense with 15 tackles. Phillip Merling was named ACC Defensive Lineman-of-the-Week thanks to his eight tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, one pass breakup, and four quarterback pressures. Kourtnei Brown, Jamie Cumbie, Ricky Sapp, and Dorell Scott also added one sack apiece for the Tigers.

Clemson Veterans vs. Wake Forest

Kevin Alexander (DE): Recorded three tackles in 22 snaps in 2007 against Wake Forest; Started and had a career-high six tackles at Wake Forest in 2008.

Da’Quan Bowers (DE): Had four tackles off of the bench in 33 snaps at Wake Forest in 2008.

Crezdon Butler (CB):Recorded two tackles at Wake Forest in 2006; Started and recorded four tackles in 52 snaps in 2007; Played 43 snaps as a starter at Wake Forest in 2008.

Chris Chancellor (CB): Played 11 snaps off the bench with two tackles in 2006; Had five tackles and an interception in a start against Wake Forest in 2007; Started and played 71 snaps with two pass breakups in 2008 at Wake Forest.

Kavell Conner (LB): Recorded one tackle as a reserve in 2006; Had six tackles in 14 snaps against Wake Forest in 2007; Played 63 snaps as a starter in 2008, recording nine tackles, including one tackle for loss.

Jacoby Ford (WR):Ran once for 13 yards and caught a season-high four passes at Wake Forest in 2006; DNP vs. Wake Forest in 2007 due to injury; Caught five passes for 43 yards and a touchdown at Wake Forest in 2008.

Jarvis Jenkins (DT):Recorded one tackle in 13 snaps against Wake For¬est in 2007; Totaled five tackles (two for loss) and two quarterback pres¬sures at Wake Forest in 2008.

Byron Maxwell (CB):Played for 24 snaps as a reserve and recorded 3 tackles (one for loss) in 2007; Recorded seven tackles and one pass breakup off the bench at Wake Forest in 2008.

Brandon Maybe (LB):Started and recorded a career-high 13 tackles, including one tackle for loss, in the 2008 game at Wake Forest.

DeAndre McDaniel (S):Recorded one tackle for loss in 20 snaps against Wake Forest in 2007; Tallied six tackles in his second career start at Wake Forest in 2008.

Ricky Sapp (DE):Played just seven snaps in 2006, recording a quarter¬back pressure; Matched a career-high seven tackles, including one sack, and three quarterback pressures against Wake Forest in 2007, Recorded five tackles, including one tackle for loss, and two quarterback pressures at Wake Forest in 2008.

C.J. Spiller (RB): Ran for 104 yards and a touchdown on nine carries in 2006 at Wake Forest; Had 8-54 rushing, and added a 90-yard kickoff re¬turn for a touchdown vs. Wake Forest in 2007; Rushed for 10 yards on two carries and a 26-yard kickoff return in 2008 against Wake Forest before he suffered a hamstring injury that forced him out of the game.

Clemson Competitive, but Looking for a Close Win

Clemson enters the Wake Forest game with a 2-3 record. All three losses have been by four points or less, a 30-27 loss at Georgia Tech, 14-10 against a top 15 TCU team that is now in the top 10, and a 24-21 loss at Maryland in its most recent game.

The Tigers have been in every game to the end this year and in the 12 games under Dabo Swinney over two years. Clemson has a 6-6 record under Swinney and five of the six losses have been by five points or less. The worst margin of defeat is 14 points at Florida State last year. But, Clemson cut the margin to seven points with a minute left. FSU scored a late touchdown after Clemson attempted an onside kick.

Over the last 62 games Clemson has lost just three games by 15 points or less. Those losses were by a 24-7 score at Virginia Tech in 2006, by 18 points at home to Virginia Tech (41-23) in 2007 and by a 34-10 score to Alabama in the season opener of 2008.

Clemson is 18-3 over the last four years in games decided by 15 points or less and 5-12 in games decided by seven points or less.

While Clemson has played a lot of close games of late, so has Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons have lost four straight games decided by five points or less over the last two years, including a pair of three point losses this year. Wake Forest has also won two games by seven points or less this year.

Wake Forest has played its share of close games in the Jim Grobe era. Wake Forest has had 50 of its 103 games in the Jim Grobe era decided by seven points or less (entering Maryland game on October 10) and they have a 26-24 record in those games. That includes a 5-0 record in 2006 when they won the ACC Championship. They are 16-13 in games decided by 15 points or more in that time.

Wake Forest’s worst margin of defeat in the last 57 games (dat¬ing to 2004) was a 44-10 Clemson win over Wake Forest in 2007. That was Wake Forest’s last appearance in Death Valley.

Tigers Visit Nursing Home

Each year during the open date week the Clemson football team takes part in a community service outing. Last year Clemson went to the Greenville Hospital to visit cancer patients during its open date prior to the Boston College game. On Tuesday, October 6, the Tigers went to the NHC Healthcare Center in Anderson, a nursing home just 20 miles from Clemson. The Tigers spent the afternoon with many patients in their 90s.

Spiller Compares Favorably with All-Purpose Greats

It is difficult to quantify the all-around accomplishments of Clem¬son running back C.J. Spiller this year and over his career. He became the ACC’s career leader at Maryland when he had 176 all-purpose yards and now has 5941 for his career. He needs just 59 to become the first ACC player in history with 6000 all-purpose yards. He is on pace to reach the 7,000-yard mark by the end of the season, something only three previous FBS players have accomplished.

Entering the October 17 game with Wake Forest he has 2695 yards rushing, 1074 yards receiving, 1631 yards in kickoff returns and 541 in punt returns. In the TCU game last Saturday he joined former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush of Southern California as the only FBS players in history with at least 2500 yards receiving, 1000 yards rushing 1500 in kickoff returns and 500 in punt returns.

Spiller’s impact on the game can be compared with some previ¬ous Heisman winners, or near Heisman winners who handled the ball as all-purpose players. Below is a comparison of season and career stats for Spiller, Tim Brown (Notre Dame 1984-87), Rocket Ismail (Notre Dame 1988-90), Desmond Howard (Michigan 1989-91) and Reggie Bush (South¬ern California, 2003-05). So far this year, Spiller is averaging 207 yards per game. Only Bush and his 222.3 average during the 2005 season, is higher.

Brown averaged 173.4 in 1987, his Heisman year, and Ismail averaged 156.4 in 1990, the year he finished second in the Heisman balloting. Howard aver¬aged 155 yards per game in 1991 when he won the Heisman.

Spiller has 16 touchdowns of 50 yards or more in his career, including four already this year. Ismail had 13, Reggie Bush had 13, and Tim Brown had nine. Howard’s career total unavailable at this time.

Spiller already has three kick returns for touchdowns this year, two on kickoffs and one on a punt. All have been at least 77 yards in length. He has had a play of at least 60 yards in each game so far this year.

Comparison of All-Purpose Players Final Seasons

Category Brown Ismail Howard Bush Spiller
Year 1987 1990 1991 2005 2009
Games 12 12 12 13 5
All-Purpose Yds 2085 1877 1859 2890 1033
Yards/Game 173.8 156.4 154.9 222.3 206.6
Total TDs 8 6 21 18 5
Touches 143 141 110 283 109
Yds/Play 14.6 13.3 16.9 10.2 9.5
Rushes 34 67 13 200 85
Rushing Yds 144 537 180 1740 360
Rush TDs 1 3 2 16 1
Receptions 45 32 62 37 10
Reception Yds 951 699 985 478 157
Yds/Reception 21.1 21.8 15.9 12.9 15.7
Rec TDs 4 2 19 2 1
Kickoff Returns 29 14 15 28 9
KOR Yards 585 336 412 493 334
KOR Average 20.2 24.0 27.5 17.6 37.1
TDs 0 1 1 0 2
Punt Returns 35 13 20 18 5
PR Yards 405 151 282 179 182
PR Average 11.6 11.6 14.1 9.9 36.4
TDs 3 0 1 1 1
Total TDs via Return 3 1 2 1 3
TDs 50 Yards or More 4 5 4 3 4

Comparison of All-Purpose Players for Career
Category Brown Ismail Howard Bush Spiller
Career 1984-87 1988-90 1989-91 2003-05 2006-09
Games 43 34 30 39 43
All-Purpose Yds 5024 4187 3943 6551 5941
AP Yards/Game 116.8 123.1 131.4 168.0 138.3
Total TDs 22 15 37 42 35
Touches 340 273 228 639 682
Rushes 98 131 23 433 475
Rushing Yds 442 1015 249 3169 2695
Rush TDs 4 5 2 25 21
Receptions 137 71 134 95 97
Reception Yards 2493 1565 2146 1301 1074
Yds/Rec 18.2 22.0 16.0 13.7 11.1
Recept TDs 12 4 32 13 8
Kickoff Returns 69 46 45 67 60
KOR Yards 1613 1271 1211 1522 1631
KOR Average 23.4 27.6 26.9 22.7 27.2
KOR TDs 3 5 2 1 5
Punt Returns 36 25 26 44 50
Punt Return Yds 476 336 337 559 541
PR Average 13.2 13.4 13.0 12.7 10.8
PR TDs 3 1 1 3 1
Total TDs via Return 6 6 3 4 6
TDs 50 Yards or More 9 13 NA 13 16

Ford Joins Exclusive Club

Jacoby Ford joined an exclusive club when he scored a touchdown on a 17-yard run at Maryland. It was Ford’s first career rush¬ing touchdown, but it gave him a touchdown four different ways over his career. Ford became just the fifth player in Clemson history to account for a touchdown at least four different ways.

He is just the fifth to do it, but two of the five are on this current Clemson team. C.J. Spiller has actually accounted for a touchdown five different ways over his career. Spiller has 21 rushing touchdowns, eight receiving touchdowns, one via a punt return and five on kickoff returns. Additionally, he threw a touchdown pass at Virginia last year.

The only other players to account for at least one touchdown four different ways are Chansi Stuckey (2003-06), Bobby Gage (1945-48) and Ray Mathews (1947-50).

Ford had a punt return and a kickoff return for a score as a fresh¬man in 2006 and has scored 12 touchdowns receiving over his career.

Jacksonville Area strong Recruiting Base for Both Teams

Perhaps today’s game should be played at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL. A look to the rosters of both teams shows us that there are 21 players from the two teams from the Jacksonville, FL area. Wake Forest has 14 players from the Jacksonville, FL area and Clemson has seven.

The list includes both starting quarterbacks, Clemson’s Kyle Parker of Bartram Trail High School in Jacksonville, and Wake Forest’s Riley Skinner of The Bolles School in Jacksonville.

One oddity is the fact that both teams have players from the same Jacksonville, FL high school with the same last name, but they are not re¬lated. Clemson’s Kyle Parker and Wake Forest’s Andrew Parker are close friends who played at Bartram Trail, but they are not related. The same goes for Clemson snapper Matt Skinner and Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner. Both attended Bolles School in Jacksonville, but they are not related.

Clemson Players from Jacksonville, FL Area

Name Pos High School
Jamie Harper RB Trinity Christian Academy
Kyle Parker QB Bartram Trail
Xavier Brewer CB Bartram Trail
Daniel Andrews LB Trinity Christian Academy
Matt Skinner SN Bolles
Rashard Hall DB St. Augustine
Carlton Lewis DB St. Augustine

Wake Forest Players from Jacksonville, FL Area
Name Pos High School
Jeff Griffin OG Bartram Trail
Andrew Parker TE Bartram Trail
Scott Betros LB Bolles
Chance Raines C Bolles
John Russell DT Bolles
Riley Skinner QB Bolles
D.J. Jones CB First Coast
Ramon Booi MG Nease
Jordan Williams WR Nease
John Gallagher DL Nease
Frank Souza DL Nease
Hunter Haynes LB Nease
Ricky Haynes LB Nease
Ted Stachitas QB Nease

Parker at his best vs. Wake Forest…in baseball

Clemson starting quarterback Kyle Parker will play his first football game against Wake Forest on Saturday, but it won’t be the first time he has played a sporting event against the Demon Deacons. Parker has already been a starting outfielder for the Tigers for two springs and he has had success against Wake Forest.

In fact, Parker has his highest batting average, most home runs and RBIs in his career against Wake Forest. In five career games, all starts, against Wake Forest on the baseball diamond, he has 12 hits in 20 at bats for a .600 batting average. He has scored nine runs, batted in 14 and socked five home runs.

He had arguably his best career game against Wake Forest in Winston-Salem on March 9, 2008 in the second game of a doubleheader. Playing in just his ninth career game and making his eighth career start, Parker was 5-5 at the plate with a Clemson record tying three home runs and seven runs batted in. His three-run home run in the top of the ninth tied the game at 11. Clemson then scored another run in that inning and won 12-11.

This will be just Parker’s sixth career start in football for the Tigers. He would probably be satisfied with a 12-20 passing performance today that would match his batting performance against Wake Forest.

Parker is a red-shirt freshman in football this year, but will be a junior in baseball this spring, an odd circumstance. But, he entered Clemson in January of 2008 and started on the baseball team immediately. He then red-shirted the 2008 football season, leading to the odd situation where he is a freshman on one roster and a junior on another in the same academic year.

Skinner Winningest QB in Wake Forest History

Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner is the winningest quar¬terback in Wake Forest history. He has led the Demon Deacons to a 4-2 record (Brian, assuming a Wake Forest win on Saturday) so far this year and to 30 victories entering today’s game at Death Valley. He is the ACC’s career leader in completion percentage with over a 70 percent rate That includes an 11-11 performance against Navy in the Eagle Bank Bowl last year, an all-time bowl game record for completion percentage.

Skinner has completed 61 of 87 passes for 525 yards and two touchdowns in three previous games against the Tigers. He has a 1-2 record as a starter against Clemson, but he led the Demon Deacons to vic¬tory in the last meeting, a 12-7 Wake Forest win at Wake Forest last year on a Thursday night. His career efficiency is 123.8 against the Tigers.

Spiller Named national Kickoff Returner of the Week

Clemson senior C.J. Spiller was named the National kickoff re¬turner of the week by collegefootballperformance.com for his performance against Maryland. Spiller returned a kickoff 92 yards for a score in the second half of Clemson’s 24-21 loss on October 3. It was quite a return considering a teammate stepped on his left shoe at the 30 yard line, forc¬ing him to run the remaining 70 yards with just one shoe.

It is the second time Spiller has been honored by the website this year. He was the national punt returner of the week by collegefoot¬ballperformance.com for the Boston College game this year when he had a 77-yard return for a score.

Spiller now has two kickoff returns and a punt return for a score this year. He ranks first in the nation in punt returns with a 30.0 average and is fourth in the nation in kickoff returns with a 37.8 average. No Clem¬son football player has ranked in the top 10 in the nation in both categories in the same season previously.

Spiller tied the ACC record for career kick returns for a touch¬down with his 92-yard kickoff return for a score at Maryland. He now has five kickoff returns for scores and one punt return for six total kick returns for touchdowns in his career. Steve Suter of Maryland, who was at the Clemson vs. Maryland game Saturday, had six punt returns for scores in his career with the Terps and Brandon Tate of North Carolina had three punt returns and three kickoff returns for touchdowns during his time with the Tar Heels. Spiller’s five career touchdowns on kickoff returns lead the na¬tion among active FBS players.

Spiller Joins Bush as All-Around Performer

Clemson running back CJ. Spiller joined exclusive company on September 26 when he went over the 1000-yard receiving mark and the 1500-yard mark in terms of career kickoff return yardage in a 14-10 loss to TCU. Spiller is now just the second player in the history of NCAA FBS football to accumulate at least 2500 yards rushing, 1500 yards in kickoff returns, 1000 yards receiving and 500 punt return yards in a career.

Spiller joins former Heisman Trophy winner and Southern Cali¬fornia All-American Reggie Bush as the only players to reach all four levels in a career.

Spiller is second among active Division I FBS players in career all-purpose yards. Brandon West of Western Michigan is the only player with more, as he has 6275.

Spiller has a good chance to reach 7000 career yards if he keeps up this 215-yard pace. There have been just three players in FBS history to reach 7000 yards. DeAngelo Williams of Memphis (2002-05) had 7573, Ricky Williams of Texas (1995-98) had 7206, and Napoleon Mc¬Callum of Navy (1981-85) had 7172. Spiller ranks second in the ACC and third in the nation in all-purpose running so far this year.

FBS Players with 2500 Rushing, 1000 receiving, 1500 KOR, 500 PR

Player School Rush Rec PR KOR Total
Reggie Bush Southern Cal 3169 1301 559 1552 6551
C.J. Spiller Clemson 2695 1074 541 1631 5941

Top Active Division I Players in All-Purpose Rushing
Player School Rush Rec PR KOR Total
Brandon West W. Michigan 2803 807 17 2549 6275
C.J. Spiller Clemson 2695 1074 541 1631 5941
Antonio Brown C. Michigan 289 2216 731 2069 5488
Damion Fletcher S. Mississippi 4658 770 0 47 5484
Naaman Roosevelt Buffalo 85 3038 237 1325 4861

Spiller Game by Game All-Purpose Runing In 2009
Opponent Rush Rec PR KOR Touches Y/At Yards
Middle Tenn. 4-12 0-0 2-63 1-96 7 24.4 171
Georgia Tech 20-87 4-69 0-0 3-78 27 8.7 234
Boston College 17-77 1-2 3-119 1-27 22 10.2 225
TCU 26-112 3-79 0-0 2-36 31 7.3 227
Maryland 18-72 2-7 0-0 2-97 22 8.0 176

Clemson Offensive Line Allows No Sacks Against TCU

One of the positives from the TCU game was the fact the Clemson offensive line did not give up a sack. TCU led the nation in sacks in 2008 and had the lead entering the game with Clemson this year with an average of 5.5 per game. TCU is led by consensus All-America defensive end Jerry Hughes, who had 15 sacks in 2008 to lead the nation and had 4.5 in just two games entering the game with Clemson on September 26. But, he had just two tackles the entire game, none behind he line of scrim¬mage.

Clemson pitched a shutout in allowing sacks against TCU even though starting tackle Chris Hairston missed the game with a knee injury. Clemson’s starting offensive line for the TCU game included center Mason Cloy, guards Thomas Austin and Antoine McClain, and tackles Cory Lam¬bert and Landon Walker. It was Walker who went against Hughes most of the game.

Clemson has allowed just eight sacks in five games so far this year. Last year Clemson gave up 34 for the season. Clemson ranks 51st in the nation in terms of allowing sacks after finishing 103rd last year.

Clemson had a 100-yard rusher in the contest, just the second 100-yard rushing game by an individual against TCU in the last 20 games. C.J. Spiller finished the game with 112 yards rushing and the Tigers had 117 as a team, more than double of TCU’s average of 45 yards yielded on the ground per game over the last two seasons.

Clemson Offensive Line Improvement

Category 2008 2009
Sacks Allowed/Game 2.62 1.60
National Rank 103 51
Rushing Yards/Game 111.5 135.2
National Rank 99 67

Spiller Has 100-Yard Games Four Different Ways

C.J. Spiller has reached the 100-yard mark in four different areas over his career, the only player in Clemson history to achieve that distinc¬tion. He had 26 carries for 112 yards rushing against TCU, a defense that ranked first in the nation in rushing defense in 2008 and was near the top of the nation entering the game this year. TCU had allowed just 43 rushing yards per game entering the game with Clemson on September 26.

That was Spiller’s ninth career 100-yard rushing game, his first since the 2007 season in a game at Maryland. Spiller also has two 100-yard receiving games, two 100-yard kickoff return games, and a 100-yard punt return game. He had 3-119 in punt returns against Boston College on September 19 of this year.

Spiller’s Career 100-yard Games
Rushing (9)
Date Opponent Att-yds-TD
9-30-06 Louisiana Tech 15-127-1
10-7-06 at Wake Forest 9-104-1
10-21-06 Georgia Tech 16-116-1
11-11-06 NC State 18-154-1
11-25-06 S. Carolina 10-155-2
9-22-07 NC State 21-114-1
10-27-07 Maryland 17-106-0
12-31-07 Auburn 8-112-1
9-26-09 TCU 26-112-1
Receiving (2)
Date Opponent Rec-Yds-TD
11-1-08 Boston College 6-105-0
11-15-08 Duke 7-108-1
Punt Returns (1)
Date Opponent Pr-Yds-TD
9-19-09 Boston College 3-119-1
Kickoff Returns (2)
Date Opponent Kr-Yds-TD
12-31-07 Auburn 4-103-0
8-30-08 Alabama 4-152-1
Spiller Set Two More Records vs. TCU

C.J. Spiller upped his number of Clemson records for 16 with his performance against TCU. He went ahead of former Tiger Travis Zachery on the all-time list for reception yardage by a running back in a career. Zachery had 1057 between 1998-2001 and Spiller now has 1074. Spiller also set a record with three consecutive 200-yard all-purpose running games. Over the last three games, Spiller has had 234 yards at Georgia Tech, 225 against Boston College and 227 against TCU.

He set two ACC records with a 92-yard kickoff return against Maryland. He established an ACC record for kickoff returns for touchdown in a career with five. He also tied the ACC mark for total kick returns for a score. He now has six, five kickoff returns and one punt return.

Clemson Records Held by C.J. Spiller (16)
•Most All-Purpose running yards in a career, 5941
•Most All-purpose running yards/game in career, 138.2
•Most Consecutive 200-yard All-Purpose games, 3 in 2009
ªMost 200-yard all-purpose games in career, 6
•Most Different Ways Accounting for a Touchdown, 5
•Most Different Ways recording a 100-yard game, 4
•Most TD Plays of 50 Yards or More in season, 6 in 2006
•Most TD Plays of 50 yards or more in a career, 16
•Most Touchdown Plays of 80 yards or more in a career, 9
•Most Reception Yards in career by a running back, 1074
•Most Reception Yards by a running back in a season, 436 in 2008
•Receptions in a game by a Running back, 7 vs. Duke 2008
•Yards per carry in a season (min 400 yds), 7.3 in 2006
•Most Kickoff Returns for Touchdown in a career, 5
•Kickoff returns for touchdown in a season, 2 in 2007
ªMost Kick returns for touchdown in a career, 6

Ford Moving Up Reception List

Jacoby Ford had six receptions for 55 yards against TCU and is now among the top three receivers in the ACC. He is also seventh in the ACC in reception yards per game. He has 25 catches for 307 yards and two scores so far this season.

Ford has moved into 12th place on the Clemson career reception list and now has 112 for his career. He is also 14th in reception yardage with 1514. He also has 12 receiving touchdowns to tie for 10th best in school history.

Clemson Career Reception Leaders Rk Name Years Yards Avg TD Rec.
1. Aaron Kelly 2005-08 2733 11.8 20 232
2. Derrick Hamilton 2001-03 2312 13.8 16 167
3. Rod Gardner 1997-00 2498 15.0 13 166
4. Terry Smith 1990-93 2681 16.5 15 162
5. Perry Tuttle 1978-81 2534 16.9 17 150
6. Kevin Youngblood 2000-03 1713 12.1 6 142
7. Chansi Stuckey 2003-06 1760 12.5 7 141
8. Jerry Butler 1975-78 2223 16.0 11 139
9. Brian Wofford 1996-99 1857 13.5 13 138
Airese Currie 2001-04 2030 14.7 10 138
11. Tony Horne 1994-97 1750 14.6 13 120
12. Jacoby Ford 2006-09 1514 13.6 12 112
13. Phil Rogers 1965-67 1469 13.9 5 106
14. Travis Zachery 1998-01 1057 10.1 9 105
15. Mal Lawyer 1996-99 1255 12.7 9 99
16. C.J. Spiller 2006-09 1074 11.1 8 97
17. Tyler Grisham 2005-07 1018 10.7 7 95

McDaniel Fourth in Nation in Interceptions

Junior Safety DeAndre McDaniel had an outstanding game in Clemson’s win over Boston College. He had his fourth interception of the year, recorded a sack, a pass deflection and seven tackles. McDaniel had at least one interception in each of the first three games. His streak was stopped by TCU when the two teams played a game in the rain without a turnover by either offense. Still, McDaniel is ranked fourth in the nation in interceptions with four in five games.

McDaniel is having a season that resembles the type of year Brian Dawkins has had in the NFL. He had a sack and an interception against Boston College, a rare combination for a safety. It was the first time a Clemson defensive back had a sack and an interception in the same game since 1991 when Tyron Mouzon had one of each in Clemson’s win over Duke in Japan. (Dawkins never accomplished both in the same game at Clemson.)

McDaniel ranks second in the ACC in tackles, sixth in passes defended and first in interceptions.

Spiller Goes Over 100 Yards in Punt Returns

C.J. Spiller had 119 punt return yards on three returns in the win over Boston College, including a 77-yard return for Clemson’s only touchdown in the 25-7 victory. The 119 punt return yards rank third best in Clemson history for a single game. Don Kelley has the record with 167 punt return yards on four returns against Maryland in 1970. Donnell Wool¬ford had 126 punt return yards on five returns in a win over Georgia Tech in 1987. Those are the only two games better than Spiller’s performance against Boston College on September 19.

C.J. Spiller is ranked in the top 10 in the nation in three different statistical categories. The senior is first in the nation in punt returns, fourth in kickoff returns and third in all-purpose running.

Three Sacks for Bamberg Bookends

Clemson had just 14 sacks in 13 games in 2008. It was a goal of Head Coach Dabo Swinney to increase the pressure on the quarterback and so far Kevin Steele’s defense has done that. In five games the Tigers have 12 sacks, including four in the win over Boston College and four at Maryland. So in the first five games Clemson is just two sacks from reaching its total of all last year. Clemson has allowed just eight sacks on offense so Clemson has four more than it has given up. Last year Clem¬son was -20 in that area.

Three of the four sacks against Boston College were recorded by the “Bamberg Bookends”, defensive ends Da’Quan Bowers and Ricky Sapp. Bowers is a sophomore and Sapp a senior, but both attended the same high school, Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School in Bamberg, SC. Bow¬ers had two more at Maryland.

Sapp had two sacks and three tackles for loss against Boston College and was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week. He has come back strong this year after suffering a torn ACL in the 10th game of the 2008 season at Virginia. Bowers was Clemson’s top tackler among defensive linemen last year with 52 and ranks sixth in tackles this year with 28. The Bamberg Bookends have combined for 12 tackles for loss in the first five games.

Jackson Tied for Second in Nation in Field Goals

Richard Jackson was the recipient of the “Leather Helmet” Award in Clemson’s victory over Boston College. Last year, the Boston College Gridiron Club began giving a replica leather helmet to the most valuable player of the winning team. He has made 14-19 field goals so far this year and is second nation in field goals per game entering the Wake Forest contest.

Jackson booted six field goals in Clemson’s 25-7 victory, includ¬ing a 52-yarder into the wind and rain in the third period. Jackson was 6-6 on field goals to tie Jad Dean’s single game record set against Texas A&M in 2005.

Jackson set a school record for most yards on field goals in a single game in the win over Boston College. His six field goals went for a combined 217 yards, 25 yards more than Dean’s six field goals four years before.

The junior from Greenville kicked his third field goal of at least 50 yards in the loss to Maryland. He has already established a school record for field goals of at least 50 yards in a season.

Jackson was named one of three National Kickers of the Week for the performance by the Lou Groza Award committee. Records Set or Tied by Richard Jackson in 2009

•Set record for most yards on made field goals in a game, 217 vs. Boston College
•Most Field goals of 50 yards or more in a season, 3.
•Tied record for most field goals in a game with 6 vs. Boston College
•Tied record for field goal percentage in a game with 1.000 (6-6) vs. Bos¬ton College
•Tied single season record for field goals of 50 yards or more with two. Had 53-yarder at Georgia Tech and 52 yarder vs. Boston College.
Longest Field Goals in Clemson History
Player Site-Opponent Year Yds
Obed Ariri H-Wake Forest 1977 57
Chris Gardocki H-Appalachian State 1990 57
Donald Igwebuike a-N C State 1982 55
Donald Igwebuike a-Boston College 1983 55
Donald Igwebuike h-Duke 1984 53
Chris Gardocki N1-Maryland 1990 53
Nelson Welch A-Maryland 1992 53
Richard Jackson A-Georgia Tech 2009 53
Richard Jackson H-Boston College 2009 52
8 others at 52 yards
N1—at Baltimore Memorial Stadium

Spiller Establishes ACC Record

C.J. Spiller had 176 all-purpose running yards at Maryland and became the ACC’s all-time leader in that area in the process. He now has 5941 for his career and broke the record of 5828 by Leon Johnson of North Carolina who played between 1993-96. Clemson actually has the top two active ACC players in terms of all-purpose yardage. Senior Jacoby Ford has 524 yards on just 42 touches this year for a 14-yard average every time he touches the ball. For his career he now has 3,389 all-purpose yards, second to Spiller among active ACC players and sixth on the Clemson career list.

Spiller and Ford have combined for 1557 all-purpose yards in just five games this year, and average of 311 yards per game, the best tandem in the ACC.

ACC Career All-Purpose Yardage Leaders
Rk Player School Yrs All-Pur
1. C.J. Spiller Clemson 2006-09 5,941
2. Leon Johnson N. Carolina 1993-96 5,828
3. Chris Douglas Duke 2000-03 5,748
4. Ted Brown NC State 1975-78 5,565
5. Robert Lavette Georgia Tech 1981-84 5,393
6. Warrick Dunn Florida State 1993-96 5,321
7. Don McCauley N. Carolina 1968-70 5.014
8. Frank Quayle Virginia 1966-68 4,981
9. Alvin Pearman Virginia 2002-04 4,969
10. LaMont Jordan Maryland 1997-00 4,960

Clemson Career Leaders in All-purpose Yards
Rk Player Years Yards
1. C.J. Spiller 2006-09 5,941
2. Derrick Hamilton 2001-03 4,839
3. Travis Zachery 1998-01 4,391
4. James Davis 2005-08 4,335
5. Raymond Priester 1994-97 4,282
6. Jacoby Ford 2006-09 3,389
7. Buddy Gore 1966-68 3,273
8. Aaron Kelly 2005-08 3,151

Scoring Defense Numbers Deceiving

Clemson has given up 89 points in five games as a team and that 17.8 points per game figure ranks 31st in the nation. But, Clem¬son opponents have scored six touchdowns this year when the opposing offense has not been on the field. Middle Tennessee scored on a fumble return and Georgia Tech scored on a punt return and a touchdown pass off a fake field goal. Thus, Clemson’s defense has allowed only 68 points so far this year, or 13.6 points per game.

Georgia Tech scored 30 points against Clemson’s team, but the Yellow Jackets only scored one touchdown against Clemson’s defense, and that took place in the first six minutes of the game. So, Tech scored just three field goals against Clemson’s defense the last 54 minutes of the game. At one point Clemson forced Tech to punt or into a turnover for seven consecutive possessions.

Boston College’s only score came after a Clemson fumble at its own 13 yard line. TCU scored two touchdowns and 14 points against the Tigers. The first touchdown was set up on a 58-yard pass that was batted by a Clemson lineman. Maryland’s only touchdown in the second half came on a one-yard drive after a Maryland punt return to the Clemson one.

Parker Has Five Touchdown Passes

Kyle Parker threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns at Geor¬gia Tech and was named ACC Rookie of the Week. He became just the second Clemson freshman quarterback to throw for three touchdowns in a game. The only other Tiger freshman to do it is Charlie Whitehurst, who threw for four touchdowns in consecutive games at North Carolina and at Duke in 2002. Parker’s 261 yards passing at Georgia Tech rank as the sixth most in Clemson history by a freshman, the most since Charlie Whitehurst threw for 263 against Texas Tech in the 2002 Tangerine Bowl.

Clemson has started a freshman at quarterback over the course of the season just five previous seasons. Doc McFadden started as a freshman in 1906, Butch Butler in 1942 (single wing tailback), Willie Jordan in 1975, Rodney Williams in 1985 and Nealon Greene in 1994. Butler was the only freshman to start every game at quarterback for the course of a season.

Parker needs just 105 passing yards to reach 1000 for his fresh¬man year. The Clemson freshman record is 1554 by Charlie Whitehurst in 2002.

Most Passing Yards in a Game by a Clemson Freshman
Player Opponent Com-Att-TD Yards
Charlie Whitehurst at Duke 34-52-4 420
Charlie Whitehurst South Carolina 27-38-0 287
Charlie Whitehurst at North Carolina 12-20-4 274
Patrick Sapp at Maryland 25-55-0 273
Charlie Whitehurst N1-Texas Tech 20-48-1 263
Kyle Parker at Georgia Tech 15-31-3 261
Willie Jordan at Georgia Tech 13-21-2 251
Patrick Sapp North Carolina 12-23-2 205
N1—Tangerine Bowl, Orlando, FL

Parker Has Experience…in Baseball

While Kyle Parker had never taken a snap in a college football game before the season opener this year, he has plenty of experience as a varsity athlete. Parker has been a starter on the Clemson baseball team each of the last two years. The native of Jacksonville, FL has played in 120 games in his Clemson baseball career, 115 as a starting outfielder and DH.

He has 26 career home runs in those 120 games. He hit 25 in his first 103 games, the fewest games needed to reach 25 career home runs in Clemson history. He was named first-team All-ACC as a DH in 2008 when he batted .303 with 14 home runs. In 2009 he helped Clemson to the Super Regional of the NCAA Tournament with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs. His two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning of the third and decisive game, gave the Tigers a 6-5 victory over Oklahoma State on June 1 and a trip to the Super Regional.

Spiller Production up under Swinney

C.J. Spiller had three consecutive 200-yard all-purpose running games, a first in Clemson history, early in the season. He had 234 against 15th ranked Georgia Tech on September 10, 225 against Boston College on Sept. 19 and 227 against 15th ranked TCU on September 26.

Spiller now has six games of at least 200 all-purpose yards and five of the six have taken place since Dabo Swinney took over as Clem¬son head coach.

In 32 games before Swinney became the head coach, Spiller averaged 14.4 touches per game for 121.3 yards per game. In 11 games he has played since Swinney became the head coach, he has had 222 touches for 2060 yards. That is an average of 20.2 touches and 187.3 yards per game.

C.J. Spiller Career Bests in All-Purpose Yardage
Year Opponent Pl-Yds
2008 Boston College 16-242
2009 Georgia Tech 27-234
2009 TCU 31-227
2009 Boston College 22-225
2007 Auburn 15-218
2008 Duke 19-201
2008 South Carolina 22-199
2008 Alabama 9-195
2007 Wake Forest 12-194
2007 NC State 26-189
2008 Nebraska 19-182

C.J. Spiller Career Bests in Most Touches
Year Opponent Pl-Yds
2009 TCU 31-227
2009 Georgia Tech 27-234
2007 NC State 26-189
2007 South Carolina 24-127
2008 South Carolina 22-199
2009 Boston College 22-225
2007 Maryland 22-143
2009 Maryland 22-176
2006 NC State 20-151
2007 Virginia Tech 20-156

C.J. Spiller Career Bests in Yards/Touch
Year Opponent Pl-Yds Yds/Pl
2009 Middle Tennessee 7-171 24.4
2008 Alabama 9-195 21.7
2007 Wake Forest 12-194 16.2
2007 Duke 9-140 15.6
2006 Boston College 11-171 15.5
2008 Boston College 16-242 15.1
2007 Auburn 15-218 14.5
2006 South Carolina 12-172 14.3

Spiller Among Top Active Players in Many Categories

Clemson senior running back C.J. Spiller is one of the top all-around football players in the nation. That is demonstrated by the fact that he ranks in the top 20 in the nation among active FBS players in 12 differ¬ent categories. He is first among active NCAA players in career kickoff returns for touchdowns with five and is second in all-purpose running yards with 5941.

C.J. Spiller Among Active FBS Players
Category Figure Rank
All-Purpose Yards 5941 2nd
All-Purpose Yds/Play 8.70 2nd
All-Purpose Yards/Game 138.2 9th
Plays/game 15.9 15th
Total Plays 682 6th
Total touchdowns 35 9th
Yards//Rush 5.67 10th
Rushing Yards 2695 8th
Kickoff Return Avg 27.3 9th
KOR TDs 5 1st
Punt Return Yards 541 11th
Average PR 10.82 5th

Spiller Seventh on Clemson Rushing List

C.J. Spiller became the eighth player in Clemson history to reach 2500 yards rushing when he gained 77 on 17 carries in the win over Bos¬ton College. Spiller has reached this plateau even though he has started just 11 games in his career. He split time with James Davis (now with Cleveland Browns) his first three years. Spiller has a 5.67 yards per carry average, best in Clemson history among backs with at least 1000 yards rushing. Spiller needs 84 yards rushing against Wake Forest to move past Woody Dantzler and Terry Allen into fifth place on Clemson’s career rushing list. Spiller needs 305 rushing yards to reach the 3000 yard mark for his career.

Clemson Leaders in Career Rushing Yards
Rk Player Years Car. Avg. TD Yards
1. Raymond Priester 1994-97 805 4.93 21 3966
2. James Davis 2005-08 753 5.15 47 3881
3. Travis Zachery 1998-01 691 4.43 41 3058
4. Kenny Flowers 1983-86 590 4.94 26 2914
5. Terry Allen 1987-89 523 5.31 28 2778
6. Woodrow Dantzler 1998-01 591 4.67 27 2761
7. C.J. Spiller 2006-08 475 5.67 21 2695
8. Buddy Gore 1966-68 600 4.29 15 2571
9. Ray Yauger 1968-70 555 4.39 16 2439
10. Chuck McSwain 1979-82 483 4.80 23 2320

Spiller and Ford Top ACC All-Purpose Duo
Clemson running back C.J. Spiller and wide receiver Jacoby Ford are the top two active players in the ACC in terms of all-purpose run¬ning. Spiller already has the Clemson record and Ford ranks sixth.

ACC Active Career All-Purpose Yardage Leaders
Rk Player Rush Rec PR KOR Total
C.J. Spiller, Clem 2695 1074 541 1631 59411.
Jacoby Ford, Clem 418 1514 441 1016 33892.

Butler and Chancellor Have 19 Career Interceptions

Chris Chancellor had his ninth career interception in the season opener against Middle Tennessee and is now just one theft behind team¬mate Crezdon Butler. The classmates both rank among the top 15 active players in the FBS level in career interceptions.

Clemson and Oregon are the only two schools in the nation with two players among the top 15. Jairus Byrd (17) and Walter Thurmond (11) have combined for 28 and have the lead among defensive back duos na¬tionally.Butler is tied for eighth among active players with his 10 intercep¬tions for 196 yards, while Chancellor is tied for 13th

Many Happy Returns

Clemson had a kickoff return for a touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown in the season opener against Middle Tennessee. That was the first time since 1987 and just the second time in history that Clemson has scored on a kickoff return and a punt return in the same game.

C.J. Spiller took the opening kickoff and raced 96 yards for a touchdown just 14 seconds into the season. It was the first time Clemson had opened a season with a kickoff return for a touchdown. (It did happen against Clemson in 1971 when Doug Kotar of Kentucky returned the open¬ing kickoff 98 yards for a score in a 13-10 Wildcats win.) Jacoby Ford later returned a punt 61 yards for a score to give Clemson a 20-7 lead in the second period.

The only other time this has happened in Clemson history took place in 1987 against Georgia Tech in a game at Clemson. That year Donnell Woolford returned a punt 78 yards for a score and Joe Hender¬son returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score. Clemson had not returned a punt for a score in 17 years and had not returned a kickoff for a score in 25 years, then did both in the same game. Clemson had gone 999 total returns (punt and kickoff combined) without a score, then Woolford scored on what would have been the 1000th return.

Spiller and Ford top Return Duo in the Nation

You can make a case that C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford are the top kick return duo in the nation. They have combined for nine kick returns for scores in their respective careers, five kickoff returns and a punt return for score by Spiller and two punt returns and one kickoff return by Ford. Spiller broke Justin Miller’s record of three career kickoff returns for a score with his 96-yard return on the season opening kickoff against Middle Tennessee. He broke Miller’s record of five total kick returns for a score with his 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Maryland. Miller had three kickoff returns and two punt returns for touchdowns for the Tigers between 2002-04.

Clemson ranks fourth in the nation in punt returns and 10th in kickoff returns as a team so far this year. Clemson did have one year in which it had two players rank in the top 16 in the nation in punt returns. In 1987, Woolford was third in the nation with a 15.5 average and James Lott was 16th with a 11.7 average.

Spiller is first in the nation in punt returns and fourth in kickoff returns so far this year. Ford is seventh in punt returns.

Spiller and Ford Kick Returns for Touchdowns (9)
Year Player Opponent Type Yds
2006 Jacoby Ford Florida Atlantic Punt 92
Jacoby Ford Louisiana Tech Kickoff 94
2007 C.J. Spiller Duke Kickoff 84
C.J. Spiller Wake Forest Kickoff 90
2008 C.J. Spiller Alabama Kickoff 96
2009 C.J. Spiller Middle Tennessee Kickoff 96
Jacoby Ford Middle Tennessee Punt 61
C.J. Spiller Boston College Punt 77
C.J. Spiller Maryland Kickoff 92

Spiller & Ford Fastest Combination in College Football

Jacoby Ford and C.J. Spiller are two of the top “home run” threats in college football in 2009 . Spiller has 16 career touchdowns of 50 yards or more, more than any other player in school history, while Ford has eight, second-most in school history. Spiller had six as a freshman to establish a Clemson single-season record, while Ford had four that year. Derrick Hamilton is third in Clemson history with seven.

Spiller had a 96-yard kickoff return for a score in the 2008 season-opener against #24 Alabama, his third kickoff return for a score of more than 80 yards. He had another 96-yarder in the opener of 2009. He added an 83-yard touchdown catch from Cullen Harper against Duke, the longest reception by a running back in Tiger history.

In terms of plays of 80 yards or more, Spiller has nine, also a Clemson record. He is the only player in Tiger history to record a play of 80 yards or more three different ways. Spiller had an 82-yard catch in 2006 at Boston College, an 83-yard run against #21 Auburn in the 2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl, an 80-yard run against South Carolina in 2006, and two kickoff returns for scores in 2007. He had an 84-yard return for a score against Duke and a 90-yard kickoff return for a score against Wake Forest in consecutive games in 2007. He added the 83-yard catch against Duke in 2008.

Ford has three plays of at least 80 yards in his career. He had a 92-yard punt return against Florida Atlantic and a 94-yard kickoff return against Louisiana Tech in 2006. He had an 82-yard kickoff return against Central Michigan in 2007, but it did not result in a touchdown.

Both players have scored long touchdowns this year. In fact, Spiller had a touchdown of at least 60 yards in each of the first three games. and had a 92-yard kickoff return for a score at Maryland. He has had a play of at least 60 yards in every game so far this year. He had the 96-yard kickoff return against Middle Tennessee, a 63-yard pass reception against Georgia Tech and a 77-yard punt return in the win over Boston College.

Overall, Spiller has 21 plays of at least 50 yards or more in his career. Five of the 21 have not gone for touchdowns, including a 60-yard pass reception against TCU on September 26.

Spiller’s 50-Yard Touchdowns (16)
Year Opponent Type Yds
2008 Alabama KOR 96
2009 Middle Tennessee KOR 96
2009 Maryland KOR 92
2007 Wake Forest KOR 90
2007 Duke KOR 84
2007 Auburn Run 83
2008 Duke Catch 83
2006 Boston College Catch 82
2006 South Carolina Run 80
2009 Boston College Punt 77
2006 Wake Forest Run 72
2007 Louisiana-Monroe Catch 68
2009 Georgia Tech Catch 63
2006 N.C. State Run 52
2006 Georgia Tech Catch 50
2006 Georgia Tech Run 50

Ford’s 50-Yard Touchdowns (8)
Year Opponent Type Yds
2006 Louisiana Tech KOR 94
2006 Florida Atlantic PR 92
2009 Georgia Tech Catch 77
2006 South Carolina Catch 76
2009 Middle Tennessee PR 61
2006 Temple Catch 55
2007 Louisiana-Monroe Catch 52
2008 South Carolina Catch 50

Clemson Outstanding on Special Teams

Clemson special teams coordinator Andre Powell had to be pleased with the performance of Clemson’s special teams in the season opener against Middle Tennessee. Entering the Wake Forest game, Clem¬son is fourth in the nation in punt returns and 10 th in kickoff returns.

Here is a summary of some highlights so far this year:

•Returned a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in the same game (Middle Tennessee) for just the second time in school history.

•Clemson had three kick returns for touchdowns in the first three games, two punt returns and one kickoff return.

•C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford combined for 270 return yards (kick and punt) against Middle Tennessee. Spiller had 159 and Ford had 111.

•Clemson finished the first game with 135 punt return yards, the eighth highest figure in that category in Clemson history. That is an aver¬age of 27 yards per punt return. Clemson then had 127 against Boston College, giving the Tigers two of the top 11 games in Clemson history already this season.

•Did not allow a punt return yard on Dawson Zimmerman’s three punts against Middle Tennessee. He had a 43.0 average, which means he had a 43.0 net average for the day. He had a 44.8 punting average against Boston College.

•Richard Jackson leads the nation in field goals with 12 in four games. He made nine straight attempts, many in the rain, at one point.

•Through the first five games, Clemson led the ACC in kickoff return coverage

Clemson Strong on Pass Defense

Clemson is off to a strong start when it comes to pass defense. Opponents have a passing efficiency rating of just 105 and that ranks 27th best in the nation. Clemson opponents have completed just 50 percent of their passes and the Tigers have eight interceptions. Clemson held Georgia Tech to 4-15 passing for a .267 completion rate. That was the best completion percentage defense by a Clemson team in 11 years. Then, the Tigers allowed Boston College just 5-21 passing for .238 percentage, the best by a Clemson defense since 1977 when Virginia was 1-9 passing.

This is no surprise considering Clemson has ranked among the top 20 in the nation in pass efficiency defense each of the last five years. Clemson was 10th last year with a 101.7 figure. That was helped by a #11 national ranking in total interceptions with 19.

Clemson has a strong secondary that includes cornerbacks Crezdon Butler and Chris Chancellor, who have a combined 19 career interceptions. They are both on the Thorpe Award preseason Watch List. Clemson is the only starting cornerback combination on the nation with both of its starting cornerbacks on the list.

Safety DeAndre McDaniel has had the best year so far of any Clemson defensive player. He has four interceptions in five games to rank in a tie for fourth in the nation.

Clemson Pass Efficiency Defense Rankings 2004-09
Year Rank Rating
2004 11 103.4
2005 18 110.9
2006 17 106.4
2007 13 108.3
2008 10 101.7
2009 27th 105.65