Clemson vs. NC State Series Notes
•Overall, Clemson has a 46-27-1 lead
in the series, including a 19-11 record in games
played at Clemson. The Tigers are 16-11
against NC State in games played in Death
Valley.
•Clemson is 12-11-1 against NC State in neutral
site games and 16-15 in games at Raleigh over
the years. NC State has an 11-8 lead in games
played in Carter-Finley Stadium, but Clemson
won there last year by a 31-10 score.
•Seven of the last nine games have
been decided by eight points or less, with the
most recent close game coming in 26-20 Tiger
victory, a game that was decided on the last
play of the game.
•Each team has one win by 20 points or more
over the last nine years and both of the games
have been on Thursday night. NC State won at
Clemson on a Thursday night in 2002 by a 38-6
score, and Clemson won last year on a
Thursday night, 31-10.
•NC State was Clemson’s nemesis
team from 1986-88. The Tigers won the ACC
Championship each year under Danny Ford,
but never beat the Pack in the process, losing
all three seasons. It was the only loss for
Clemson in the ACC in each of those years.
•Tommy Bowden is 4-3 against NC
State since he has been at Clemson. That
includes a 2-2 record in Raleigh and a 2-1
ledger at Clemson.
•Over the last 10 years the two teams
have won in two-game sets. Clemson won in
1996 and 1997. NC State followed with
victories in 1998 and 1999, then Clemson won
in 2000 and 2001 behind Woody Dantzler who
rushed for at least 100 yards from the
quarterback position in each game. NC State
won in 2002 and 2003 behind Phillip Rivers,
while Clemson won the last two seasons behind
Charlie Whitehurst. Both are now quarterbacks
with the San Diego Chargers.
•Clemson has not won three in a row
from the Pack since 1995-96-97 under Tommy
West. Two of the three wins were in Raleigh.
Clemson’s longest winning streak in the series
is five games, while NC State’s longest winning
streak in the series is six (1971-76).
Landmark Games in Clemson vs. NC State
Series
1903—Clemson defeated NC State
24-0 in Columbia, SC in 1903. Clemson Head
Coach John Heisman got married to Evelyn
Barksdale in Columbia after the game. It is
believed to be the only time in Clemson sports
history that a coach has won a game and won a
lady’s hand in matrimony on the same day.
1948—Bobby Gage ran 90 yards on a
punt return for the only score of the game in a
6-0 Tiger victory over the Wolfpack in 1948. It
was the longest punt return in Death Valley until
Jacoby Ford had a 92-yard punt return against
Florida Atlantic in the opening game this year.
1950—Clemson defeated NC State
27-0 in 1950. Wyndie Windham led the
Clemson defense and according to legend
knocked out three NC State backs on three
consecutive plays in the second half.
1967—Clemson painted its shoes
orange for the NC State game in Death Valley
and the Tigers upset the 10th ranked Wolfpack
14-6. One of the linebackers on that NC State
team was current Pack Head Coach Chuck
Amato. Clemson clinched a tie for the ACC
championship with the victory. Clemson painted its shoes orange because NC State had
featured a defense that had worn White shoes
during the season. It was the highest ranked
team Clemson defeated in Death Valley in the
Frank Howard era.
1984—Clemson defeated NC State
35-34 in Raleigh in the highest scoring game
decided by one point in Clemson history. No
points were scored by either team in the fourth
quarter.
1991—Clemson wore purple jerseys
for the first time since the 1940s in a 29-19
upset victory over NC State. NC State was
undefeated and ranked 10th in the nation
entering the game against Ken Hatfield’s Tigers.
Nelson Welch kicked a record five field goals in
leading Clemson to the victory.
1995—Clemson gave up over 500
yards total offense to the Pack, but still won 43-
22. Leomont Evans tied a Clemson single
game record with three interceptions.
Recent Clemson vs. NC State Games
1997— In Raleigh, Matt Padgett, who
went on to a professional baseball career,
booted a 20-yard field goal with just 19 seconds
left to give Clemson a 19-17 victory over 25th
ranked NC State. The Tigers drove 78 yards in
14 plays to set up the winning score. Nealon
Greene hit 20-32 passes for 250 yards and
Tony Horne caught eight passes for 112 to key
the Clemson offense.
1998—at Clemson, Torry Holt
completed an incredible day with a nine-yard
scoring pass from Jamie Barnette with just 37
seconds left. It was his fourth touchdown
reception of the day. He had 225 yards
receiving in that game and he is the only
Clemson opponent to catch four scoring passes
in the same game.
1999—NC State, behind then Head
Coach Mike O’Cain, defeated Clemson 35-31 in
an exciting contest in Raleigh that featured 35
first-quarter points between the two teams
combined, most combined points ever in the
first period of a Clemson game in history.
Clemson had five possessions in the fourth
period with a chance to take the lead, but could
not drive for a winning touchdown.
2000—This game was a thriller that
came down to the last possession before the
Tigers came away with a 34-27 victory.
Woody Dantzler completed 18-30 passes for
220 yards and also rushed for 103 yards and
two touchdowns. Rod Gardner had 10 catches
for 137 yards (most reception yards ever by a
Clemson player against NC State), while Travis
Zachery added 31-147 and two scores.
2001— Dantzler gained 517 yards of
total offense, an all-time Clemson record. He
had a career best 23-27 passes for 333 yards
and four scores, and also rushed for 184 yards
and two touchdowns. It was arguably the best
individual performance in Clemson history as he
accounted for an ACC record six touchdowns.
Still, it was a 45-37 outcome, as Phillip Rivers
had another outstanding passing game for NC
State.
2002—T.A. McClendon had a
breakout game with 178 yards rushing to lead
NC State to a 38-6 victory in a Thursday night
game in Death Valley. Clemson’s only
touchdown came on a kickoff return by then
freshman Justin Miller. It was his first career
kickoff return.
2003—Phillip Rivers evened his
career record against Clemson at 2-2 with a
213-yard passing performance, leading the Pack to a 17-15 victory in Raleigh in a game
shown on ESPN on a Thursday evening.
Clemson cut the deficit to 17-15 with five
minutes left, but the Tigers could not get close
enough for a winning field goal. NC State got
the ball back with 3:54 left and ran out the
clock.
2004—Clemson won 26-20 when
Charles Bennett intercepted a pass at the
Clemson goal line on the last play to preserve
the victory. It was the seventh time in the last
eight meetings that the game was decided by
eight points or less.
2005—Even though he played just
over two quarters, freshman James Davis
gained 143 yards rushing in just 12 attempts to
lead Clemson to a 31-10 victory, Clemson’s
largest margin of victory in the series since a
40-17 win in 1996. It remains Clemson’s only
victory on a Thursday evening ESPN game.
Clemson vs. NC State on Lincoln Financial
The Clemson vs. NC State will be
broadcast on the Lincoln Financial television
network. This will be part of a split network, as
some stations in the ACC’s footprint will show
the North Carolina vs. Georgia Tech game. The
game will be shown on ESPN Gameplan on
DirectTV. Below is a list of station’s carrying the
Clemson vs. NC State game:
Market Outlet
Baltimore, MD (WJZ)
Bluefield/Beckley, WV (WVNS)
Boston/Manchester, MA (WSBK)
Charleston, SC (WCBD)
Charlotte, NC (WBTV)
Charlottesville, VA (WVIR)
Columbia, SC (WACH)
Gainesville, FL (WMYG)
Greenville, NC (WFXI)
Greenville, SC (WMYA)
Hagerstown, MD (WHAG)
Harrisonburg, VA (WAZT)
Jacksonville, FL (WJXX)
Miami, FL (WBFS)
Mobile, AL (WBPG)
Myrtle Beach, SC (WBTW)
Norfolk, VA (WGNT)
Orlando, FL (WRDQ)
Panama City, FL (WPGX)
Providence, RI (WLWC)
Raleigh, NC (WRAL)
Richmond, VA (WRLH)
Roanoke, VA (WDBJ)
Salisbury, MD (WMDT)
Springfield, MA (WSBK)
Tallahassee, FL (WTLH)
Tampa, FL (WTOG)
Tri-Cities, VA (WEMT)
Washington, DC (WDCA)
West Palm Beach, FL (WTVX)
Wilmington, NC (WSFX)
Last Year vs. NC State
Clemson 31, NC State 10
Clemson scored 28 points in the first
half and cruised to a 31-10 win at N.C. State. The
victory was Clemson’s first on an ESPN Thursday
night telecast.
After an exchange of punts to begin the
game, the Wolfpack moved the ball 33 yards in
six plays down to the Tiger 18. However, John
Deraney missed wide left on a 36-yard field-goal
attempt, his first miss of the season.
Each team was again forced to punt
before Clemson began a drive at its own 17 late
in the first quarter. A Charlie Whitehurst to Thomas Hunter pass gained 17 yards, and three
plays later, Whitehurst hit Chansi Stuckey for 22
yards on a tipped screen pass. James Davis
followed with a 19-yard run, and a facemask
penalty gave the Tigers a first-and-goal. On third
down, Whitehurst found a wide-open Curtis
Baham in the back of the endzone for a touchdown
and the first points of the night.
The Tiger defense forced a three-and out,
and the Clemson offense went to work from
its 27. A third-down pass from Whitehurst to Aaron
Kelly gained 12 yards, and two plays later, Davis
dashed for 30 yards. Two more plays later,
Whitehurst hit Bobby Williamson in the endzone,
with the tight end making a nice diving grab.
Darrell Blackman returned the ensuing
kickoff 57 yards to the Clemson 43. The Wolfpack
could not score, however, as Jamaal Fudge forced
Tony Baker to fumble two plays later, giving the
Tigers the ball at their own 38.
Davis ran for 16 yards on the first play
of the drive, and Whitehurst followed with a nine yard
pass to Williamson. Two consecutive runs
by Davis gained 19 yards, and two plays later, he
busted up the middle for 12 yards and a
touchdown, giving Clemson a 21-0 lead with eight
minutes remaining in the half.
The Tigers forced N.C. State to punt
after three plays on the next drive, but a
roughing-the-kicker penalty against the Tigers
kept the Wolfpack drive alive. Jay Davis
completed a 16-yard pass to Lamart Barrett for
16 yards down to the Clemson 35, and a
roughing-the-passer penalty gave N.C. State 15
more yards. On the next play, Blackman
bounced outside for a 20-yard touchdown run to
get the Wolfpack on the scoreboard.
On the second play of the next drive,
Whitehurst hit Stuckey for a 39-yard pass play
into Wolfpack territory. Whitehurst then hit Hunter
for a gain of nine, followed by a 23-yard run by
Davis. On the next play, Davis outran the N.C.
State defense to the pylon for his second score
of the night.
The Wolfpack again had a long kickoff
return, this time covering 76 yards by Blackman
all the way to the Tiger 21. However, the drive
stalled, and Deraney was good this time from 25
yards out.
Clemson’s offense began the second
half the way it ended the first. Whitehurst hit Kelly
for a 35-yard completion down to the Wolfpack
20, but the Tigers could not get any closer. Jad
Dean missed the first field goal of his career
against a team not named Miami (FL) when his
39-yard attempt sailed wide left.
Later in the third period, Stuckey took
the pitch on a reverse play on the next Tiger
offensive series to move the ball into Wolfpack
territory, and a touchdown pass from Whitehurst
to La’Donte Harris was erased after an ineligible
receiver downfield penalty. The Tigers moved to
the N.C. State 13-yard line, and Dean came on to
boot a 30-yard field goal, pushing the Clemson
lead back to 21 points.
In the fourth quarter, a blocked punt by
N.C. State gave the Wolfpack another chance
inside Clemson territory, but Anthony Waters
tipped away a fourth-down pass from Marcus
Stone, who had come in at quarterback for the
Wolfpack.
Davis ran for 143 yards on 12 carries
and two touchdowns, and only played one play in
the second half after leaving the game with a
fractured wrist. It was the fifth-best rushing total
by a freshman in Clemson history.
Whitehurst completed 22-31 passes
for 246 yards and two scores, and Stuckey had eight catches for 103 yards. Waters had 11 tackles, including four
tackles for loss to lead the Tiger defense.
Clemson Veterans vs. NC State
Gaines Adams (DE)—Had two tackles in 32 plays as a
reserve in 2004 against NC State, and had six tackles in 49 plays as a
starter in 2005 game.
Cole Chason (P)—Averaged 36.7 yards a punt on three punts
as a freshman in 2003. Averaged 37.0 on five punts in he 2004 Clemson
victory. Averaged 40.0 on just two punts in 2005 Clemson win in Raleigh.
Duane Coleman (CB)—Had three tackles, including his first
career sack and caused fumble in 2005 Clemson win at Raleigh.
James Davis (RB)—Had 143 yards rushing on just 12 carries
and scored two touchdowns in 2005 Clemson win in Raleigh. Suffered a
broken wrist however in the third period and did not play the remainder
of the game.
Jad Dean (PK)—Made 4-4 field goals and 2-2 extra points to
score 14 of Clemson’s 26 points in 26-20 Tiger win in 2004. Had 1-2 field
goals and 4-4 extra points in 31-10 Clemson win in 2005.
Marion Dukes (OT)—Has started the last two games at
offensive tackle against NC State. Had seven knockdown blocks to lead
the Tigers in 2004 Clemson victory.
C.J. Gaddis (CB)—Had three tackles in 31 snaps as a reserve
in 2005 game.
Sergio Gilliam (CB)—had five tackles in 46 plays as a starter
in 2005.
Michael Hamlin (SAF)—Had season high eight tackles in 53
plays as a starter as a freshman in 2005 Clemson victory.
Thomas Hunter (TE)—Had 2-26 receiving in 42 snaps at NC
State in 2005.
Aaron Kelly (WR)—Had one of his best games as a freshman
with 5-81 receiving in 39 snaps.
Phillip Merling (DE)—Had three tackles in just 18 plays, but
had first career sack and first career caused fumble in 2005 Clemson win
in Raleigh.
Reggie Merriweather (RB)—Had 14-49 rushing in 2004
Clemson win in 42 plays as a starter. Had 12-47 rushing in 30 snaps as
a starter in win in Raleigh.
Will Proctor (QB)—Played two plays as a reserve quarterback
in 2005 game in Raleigh.
Barry Richardson (OT)—Named ACC Offensive Lineman of
the Week for his performance as a sophomore against the Wolfpack.
Had 82 percent grade and five knockdown blocks in a matchup against
#1 NFL draft choice Mario Williams. Williams had just one tackle in 73
plays in that game.
Chansi Stuckey (WR)—Did not play in 2004 game due to
injury. Had 8-103 receiving and 2 rushes for 22 yards in 2005 Clemson
win.
Nick Watkins (LB)—Had five tackles in 27 snaps as a reserve
in 2004. Had seven tackles in 50 plays as a starter in 2005.
Not Much Difference Between Wolfpack and Terps
The parity in ACC football can be shown by comparing the last
four games for Maryland and NC State. Maryland’s 13-12 victory at
Clemson last weekend was the fourth consecutive win by six points or
less for the Terps and they now control their own destiny for the Atlantic
Division Championship of the ACC. They have four wins by a total of 12
points, including wins over Clemson and NC State in ACC play.
The Wolfpack enter Saturday’s game with Clemson with a 3-6
mark. But, over the last four games, NC State has lost each to an ACC
foe by eight points or less. Reverse those fortunes and NC State would
be in the driver’s seat for an ACC Championship game appearance.
The Pack started the ACC schedule with thrilling wins over
Boston College and Florida State. The 2-0 mark against two of the top
three teams in the preseason in the Atlantic Division had the Pack
thinking ACC Championship game appearance. NC State won both
games with last second touchdown passes from quarterback Daniel
Evans to wide receiver John Dunlap.
Evans, the son of former NC State quarterback and punter
Johnny Evans, has completed 114 of 215 passes for 1,301 yards and six
touchdowns. He took over for Marcus Stone early in the season.
Starting tight end Anthony Hill is the top receiver for NC State
with 31-333 yards, while Dunlap is second in receiving with 22-293 and
four scores. Darrell Blackman is an all-around player the Tigers will have
to watch this afternoon. He is third in receiving with 21-285 and two
scores, has 8-42 on the ground, leads the team in punt returns with 17-
182 and leads the team in kickoff returns with a 31.1 average. All
Clemson fans need to know is that Blackman has virtually the same allpurpose
yardage total as James Davis (118.3 vs. 118.0).
Andre Brown leads the NC State ground game with 582 yards
on 101 attempts for a healthy 5.8 average. He and top reserve Tony
Baker have four touchdowns apiece for the Pack, who average 119 yards
per game on the ground.
NC State has a solid defense that ranks 26th in the nation in
pass defense. Patrick Lowery, a senior middle linebacker, leads the
team in tackles and ranks third in the ACC with 79. He also has 6.5
tackles for loss and an interception. Garland Heath is an outstanding
roverback who will challenge Chansi Stuckey and company. He has 49
tackles to rank second on the team. DeMarcus Tyler ,a 305-pound
senior, is the anchor of the defensive line. He has 39 tackles, including
7.5 tackles for loss. Martrell Brown leads the team in sacks with five.
Clemson Has Played Tough Schedule
Clemson has played a difficult schedule through 10 games.
The three non-conference games have not been against difficult
competition, but Clemson’s conference schedule certainly has. The
Tigers have already played five games against teams currently in the
Associated Press top 25, the only ACC team to play the five top 25 ACC
teams. In fact, no other school has even played three of the five top 25
ACC teams so far. Clemson has a 2-3 record in those games, wins over
Georgia Tech and Wake Forest and losses to Boston College, Maryland
and Virginia Tech.
A look to the AP top 25 shows that none of the current teams in
the top 25 have played more than three games against teams currently in
the AP top 25. Ohio State and Louisville have played just one team
currently in the top 25, while Michigan and Texas have played two. That
means the top four teams in the AP poll have combined to play six top 25
teams (current poll), just one more than Clemson has by itself.
A further look reveals that Clemson is the only school in
the nation to have played five of the teams currently ranked in the
top 25 of the AP poll. The schools who have played four current top 25
teams are Penn State, North Carolina, Minnesota, Washington State and
Washington. The Big East conference has played a combined 13 games
against teams in the current AP top 25. The only victory is by Louisville
over West Virginia.
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