Building A Career: A NCAA Football Coaching Dynasty

[kblu54]

Quote:

I really like this dynasty. You looked primed for a National Title this year, so don't disappoint us! At least you won't have to work your way through the polls this year, since you start ranked 5th!

I'll try not to lol

Thanks for following!

[kblu54]

#5 Clemson easily handles Louisville on the road
Clemson Football News

Junior QB Jerry McLaughlin accounted for 6 TDs to lead the 5th-ranked Clemson Tigers to a 52-7 road blowout of the Louisville Cardinals. McLaughlin threw for 3 TDs and added 3 more on the ground to highlight another impressive offensive showing for Clemson, which piled up 525 total yards.

The Tigers got off to a slow start, but a big boost from their defense gave them the edge they needed. Freshman CB Karl Little blocked a Louisville field goal, and McLaughlin raced 60 yards two plays later for the game's opening score. The junior signal-caller threw a TD each to TEs Ryan Walker and Martin Haley to give Clemson a 21-0 lead at the half.

McLaughlin and sophomore RB Ray Smith each scored on the ground in the 3rd quarter to extend the Tigers lead to 38-0 heading into the final frame. In the 4th, McLaughlin threw and ran for a TD to close out the scoring.

McLaughlin threw for 264 yards and 3 TDs on 17-of-21 passing but was picked off once. The junior QB added a game-high 116 yards rushing and 3 TDs on only 12 carries.

Smith got off to a rough start against the Cardinals defense, which seemed to be keying on him. The sophomore Heisman candidate still went over the century mark on the ground, finishing with 115 yards and a TD. Senior WR Kyler Kaplan led all receivers with 121 yards.

The Tiger defense was very good as well, only giving up a late 4th-quarter TD. Clemson also held Louisville to only 181 total yards, including -8 yards rushing, and 5 first downs. The Tigers recorded 9 sacks and picked off 4 passes.

Clemson returns home to open ACC play next week. The Tigers will face a Top 25-ranked Miami Hurricanes teams. Last season, Clemson dominated Miami 48-14.

Box Score

LOUIS 0 : 0 : 0 : 7 - 7
CLEM 7 : 14 : 17 : 14 - 52

1st Quarter
CLEM --- McLaughlin 60 run (Branch kick)

2nd Quarter
CLEM --- Walker 14 pass from McLaughlin (Branch kick)
CLEM --- Haley 4 pass from McLaughlin (Branch kick)

3rd Quarter
CLEM --- McLaughlin 3 run (Branch kick)
CLEM --- Smith 47 run (Branch kick)
CLEM --- Branch 23 FG

4th Quarter
CLEM --- McLaughlin 23 run (Branch kick)
LOUIS --- Outlaw 75 pass from Smith (Moss kick)
CLEM --- Ortiz 13 pass from McLaughlin (Branch kick)

Team Stats

1st Downs:
LOUIS --- 5 ... CLEM --- 22
Total Offense:
LOUIS --- 181 ... CLEM --- 525
Rushes-Yards:
LOUIS --- 22-(-8) ... CLEM --- 46-261
Passing (C-A-I):
LOUIS --- 13-23-4 ... CLEM --- 17-21-1
Passing Yards:
LOUIS --- 189 ... CLEM --- 264
Times Sacked:
LOUIS --- 9 ... CLEM --- 1
3rd Down Conversions:
LOUIS --- 2-11 ... CLEM --- 6-11
Turnovers:
LOUIS --- 4 ... CLEM --- 3

Individual Stats

LOUISVILLE

Matt Smith, QB --- 7 - 17 - 156 yds, 1 TD, 4 INT

Lionel Medley, RB --- 12 att. - 29 yds

Chad Henry, WR --- 6 rec. - 68 yds
Alvin Outlaw, WR --- 3 rec. - 91 yds, TD

Brian Roberts, CB ---- 10 tkls (1 TFL)
Steve Gilmore, OLB --- 8 tkls (4 TFL), FF
J.T. Waters, FS --- 6 tkls, FF
Kevin Johnson, MLB --- 6 tkls (3 TFL)
Jonathan Herron, CB --- 6 tkls (1 TFL), FR
Lawrence Joseph, OLB --- 5 tkls (1 TFL), 1 sack

CLEMSON

Jerry McLaughlin, QB --- 17 - 21 - 264 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT; 12 att. - 116 yds, 3 TD

Ray Smith, RB --- 25 att. - 115 yds, TD
Derek Westerman, RB --- 6 att. - 24 yds

Kyler Kaplan, WR --- 7 rec. - 121 yds
Craig Terrell, WR --- 3 rec. - 81 yds
Martin Haley, TE --- 1 rec. - 4 yds, TD
Ryan Walker, TE --- 1 rec. - 14 yds, TD
Matt Ortiz, WR --- 1 rec. - 13 yds, TD

Andrew Pettit, MLB --- 7 tkls
Ken Clark, OLB --- 7 tkls (3 TFL), 2 sacks, INT
Matt Brown, DE --- 7 tkls (6 TFL), 5 sacks
Cornelius Thomas, CB --- 4 tkls, INT
John Wilkinson, DT --- 4 tkls (1 TFL), 1 sack
Joe Larkins, CB --- 4 tkls (1 TFL)
Joey Flowers, DE --- 3 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack

[kblu54]

Top 25 Week 2 Results

#1 Ohio State 52, Middle Tennessee State 10
#2 USC 22, Tulane 21
#3 Virginia Tech 31, Houston 20
#4 Wisconsin 73, Alabama State 14
#5 Clemson 52, Louisville 7
#6 Texas 27, Temple 24
#7 Arkansas 55, Wyoming 7
#8 BYU 49, Buffalo 13
#9 Penn State 45, #14 Oklahoma State 21
#10 Auburn 28, UCF 9
#11 West Virginia 42, Maryland 14
#12 Michigan 49, Kansas 14
#13 Iowa 30, Ball State 24
#16 UCLA 45, Connecticut 7
#17 Florida State 45, Virginia 10
#18 Rutgers 21, Rice 13
#19 Oklahoma 38, Eastern Michigan 10
#20 Boston College 41, East Carolina 7
#21 Colorado 38, Colorado State 3
#22 Boise State 41, Army 7
#23 UAB 44, Hawaii 7
#24 Miami 52, Memphis 10
#25 Oregon 34, Stanford 6

New Top 25 Coaches Poll
Note: Previous Rank in ()

1 (1) Ohio State (39)
2 (2) USC (21)
3 (3) Virginia Tech (1)
4 (4) Wisconsin
5 (5) Clemson
6 (6) Texas
7 (7) Arkansas
8 (8) BYU
9 (9) Penn State
10 (10) Auburn
11 (11) West Virginia
12 (12) Michigan
13 (13) Iowa
14 (15) LSU
15 (16) UCLA
16 (17) Florida State
17 (18) Rutgers
18 (19) Oklahoma
19 (20) Boston College
20 (21) Colorado
21 (14) Oklahoma State
22 (22) Boise State
23 (23) UAB
24 (24) Miami
25 (25) Oregon

Heisman Watch

1) Ray Smith, RB, Clemson >>>
2) Buck Bomar, QB, Penn State >>>
3) Jerry McLaughlin, QB, Clemson ^^^
4) Jeff Griffin, QB, Wisconsin ^^^
5) Mike Hall, RB, Michigan <<<

National Players of the Week

Offense:
Jerry McLaughlin, QB, Clemson
17 - 21 - 264 yds; 12 att. - 116 yds, 6 total TD

Defense:
Elton Hicks, OLB, Oklahoma
8 tkls (1 TFL), 2 INT, TD

ACC Players of the Week

Offense:
Jerry McLaughlin, QB, Clemson
17 - 21 - 264 yds; 12 att. - 116 yds, 6 total TD

Defense:
Xavier Hawkins, SS, Duke
3 tkls, 2 INT, TD

ACC Standings (after Week 2)

Atlantic Division

1) Florida State --- 2-0 (1-0 ACC)
2) Clemson --- 2-0 (0-0)
3) Boston College --- 2-0 (0-0)
4) Wake Forest --- 2-0 (0-0)
5) Maryland --- 1-1 (0-0)
6) N.C. State --- 1-1 (0-0)

Coastal Division

1) Virginia Tech --- 2-0 (0-0 ACC)
3) Miami --- 2-0 (0-0)
4) Duke --- 2-0 (0-0)
2) North Carolina --- 1-1 (0-0)
6) Georgia Tech --- 0-1 (0-0)
5) Virginia --- 1-1 (0-1)

BYU Tracker

Won 49-13 over Buffalo
Current Record: 2-0 (0-0 Mountain West)

FIU Tracker

Won 14-6 over Florida
Current Record: 2-0 (0-0 Sun Belt)

[kblu54]

#5 Clemson rallies to beat #24 Miami despite turnovers, injuries
Clemson Football News

The 5th-ranked Clemson Tigers kept their national title hopes alive, overcoming 6 turnovers and several major injuries to starters, with a 35-28 victory over the visiting 24th-ranked Miami Hurricanes. Clemson rallied back from a 21-14 deficit with 21 unanswered points to pull out the win.

Clemson had to make the comeback without several players, including junior QB Jerry McLaughlin. McLaughlin, who missed most of last season with a major injury, hurt his elbow in the 3rd quarter and did not return to the game. Sophomore Troy Jones, who started down the stretch for Clemson last season, entered and helped fuel the comeback by throwing 2 TD passes.

Miami opened the scoring when QB Brandon Quinn banged his way into the end zone on a 7-yard scamper, but Clemson answered quickly when sophomore RB Ray Smith sprinted 74 yards on the ensuing possession to tie the game at 7. The Tigers got a TD pass from McLaughlin just before the half to take a 14-7 lead into the break.

In the 3rd quarter, Miami tied the game at 14 when WR Ricky Kilpatrick scored on a 29-yard reverse. Early in the 4th quarter, the Hurricanes regained the lead when SS Travis Davis picked up Ray Smith's fumble and returned it 55 yards for the go-ahead score.

The Tigers wouldn't go away quietly though. Jones threw TD passes to senior WR Kyler Kaplan on 4th down and Smith on a 46-yard screen pass to give Clemson a 28-21 lead. Following a Miami fumble, Smith ran in his 3rd TD of the day off an option pitch to put the game away.

The Hurricanes scored again with just under a minute to play, but were unable to recover the onside kick.

Smith was the savior in McLaughlin's absence, running for 136 yards and 2 TDs on 35 carries and added 54 yards receiving and a TD. Jones threw for 139 yards and 2 TDs in just over a quarter of work. Kaplan was the game's leading receiver with 131 yards and 2 TDs on 10 catches.

McLaughlin threw for 155 yards and a TD on 12-of-20 passing and was picked off once. The junior QB also added 62 yards rushing before leaving the game with a minor injury. McLaughlin will not miss any time, but unfortunately 3 other starters will. Junior CB Rasheed Butler, junior WR Tim Johnson and senior center Robert Rhoden all suffered major injuries against Miami and will miss several weeks. Butler suffered a broken collarbone and will miss 5 weeks, while Johnson broke his jaw and will miss 9 weeks. Rhoden, the team's offensive captain, will miss the next 3 weeks with hip bursitis, snapping his 44-game start streak.

Clemson hits the road next week for another Top-25 ACC challenge. The Tigers will travel to face Boston College with some revenge in sight. Last season Clemson dominated the Eagles 48-14 at home, but they lost the previous season in Chestnut Hill.

Box Score

MIA 0 : 7 : 7 : 14 - 28
CLEM 0 : 14 : 0 : 21 - 35

2nd Quarter
MIA --- Quinn 7 run (Holly kick)
CLEM --- Smith 74 run (Branch kick)
CLEM --- Kaplan 7 pass from McLaughlin (Branch kick)

3rd Quarter
MIA --- Kilpatrick 29 run (Holly kick)

4th Quarter
MIA --- Davis 55 fumble return (Holly kick)
CLEM --- Kaplan 4 pass from T. Jones (Branch kick)
CLEM --- Smith 46 pass from T. Jones (Branch kick)
CLEM --- Smith 17 run (Branch kick)
MIA --- Kilpatrick 72 pass from Quinn (Holly kick)

Team Stats

1st Downs:
MIA --- 6 ... CLEM --- 23
Total Offense:
MIA --- 201 ... CLEM --- 517
Rushes-Yards:
MIA --- 20-41 ... CLEM --- 56-236
Passing (C-A-I):
MIA --- 10-23-3 ... CLEM --- 18-31-2
Passing Yards:
MIA --- 160 ... CLEM --- 281
Times Sacked:
MIA --- 5 ... CLEM --- 2
3rd Down Conversions:
MIA --- 3-11 ... CLEM --- 10-19
Turnovers:
MIA --- 3 ... CLEM --- 6

Individual Stats

MIAMI

Brandon Quinn, QB --- 10 - 23 - 160 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT; rush TD

James Wilkerson, RB --- 7 att. - 19 yds

Ricky Kilpatrick, WR --- 4 rec. - 115 yds, TD; 29-yd rush TD
Matthew Cody, WR --- 3 rec. - 34 yds

Marcus Henry, CB --- 10 tkls
Ernest Edwards, CB --- 10 tkls (1 TFL)
Dallas Powell, OLB --- 9 tkls (1 TFL), 1 sack, 3 FF
Brent Collins, MLB --- 8 tkls (6 TFL), 1 sack, INT
Andy Dixon, FS --- 6 tkls, INT, FR
Travis Davis, SS --- 5 tkls, FR, TD
Antoine Smith, DE --- 5 tkls (1 TFL), FF

CLEMSON

Jerry McLaughlin, QB --- 12 - 20 - 155 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT; 13 att. - 62 yds
Troy Jones, QB --- 7 - 12 - 139 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT

Ray Smith, RB --- 35 att. - 136 yds, 2 TD; 2 rec. - 54 yds, TD
Derek Westerman, RB --- 5 att. - 45 yds

Kyler Kaplan, WR --- 10 rec. - 131 yds, 2 TD
Craig Terrell, WR --- 4 rec. - 61 yds

Cornelius Thomas, CB --- 5 tkls
Ken Clark, OLB --- 5 tkls (4 TFL), 2 sacks
Joe Larkins, CB --- 4 tkls, INT
Matt Brown, DE --- 4 tkls (2 TFL), 2 sacks, FF

[kblu54]

Top 25 Week 3 Results

#2 USC 38, Tulsa 16
#3 Virginia Tech 44, Georgia Tech 7
#4 Wisconsin 52, Western Michigan 0
#5 Clemson 35, #24 Miami 28
#6 Texas 48, SMU 7
#7 Arkansas 49, Washington State 14
#8 BYU 14, Akron 13
#10 Auburn 45, Mississippi State 10
#11 West Virginia 47, Hawaii 6
#12 Michigan 38, Notre Dame 14
#13 Iowa 31, Iowa State 24
#14 LSU 42, Connecticut 14
#19 Boston College 31, #16 Florida State 17
#17 Rutgers 61, San Diego State 10
Ball State 24, #18 Oklahoma 17
#21 Oklahoma State 42, Purdue 6
#22 Boise State 42, Houston 7
#23 UAB 62, South Florida 10
#25 Oregon 28, Pittsburgh 25

New Top 25 Coaches Poll
Note: Previous Rank in ()

1 (1) Ohio State (33)
2 (2) USC (26)
3 (3) Virginia Tech (1)
4 (4) Wisconsin (1)
5 (5) Clemson
6 (6) Texas
7 (7) Arkansas
8 (8) BYU
9 (9) Penn State
10 (10) Auburn
11 (11) West Virginia
12 (12) Michigan
13 (13) Iowa
14 (14) LSU
15 (15) UCLA
16 (19) Boston College
17 (17) Rutgers
18 (20) Colorado
19 (21) Oklahoma State
20 (22) Boise State
21 (16) Florida State
22 (23) UAB
23 (25) Oregon
24 (NR) Arizona
25 (NR) Tennessee

Heisman Watch

1) Ray Smith, RB, Clemson >>>
2) Jerry McLaughlin, QB, Clemson ^^^
3) Trevor Talley, QB, Virginia Tech ^^^
4) Matt Joyce, RB, Wisconsin ^^^
5) Buck Bomar, QB, Penn State <<<

National Players of the Week

Offense:
Jason Steele, RB, West Virginia
39 att. - 307 yds, 3 TD; 10 rec. yds

Defense:
Steven Bennett, SS, Alabama
2 tkls, INT, FF, TD

ACC Players of the Week

Offense:
Joe Clemens, WR, Boston College
10 rec. - 201 yds, 3 TD

Defense:
Dallas Powell, OLB, Miami
9 tkls (1 TFL), 1 sack, 3 FF

ACC Standings (after Week 3)

Atlantic Division

1) Clemson --- 3-0 (1-0 ACC)
2) Boston College --- 3-0 (1-0)
3) Maryland --- 2-1 (1-0)
4) Florida State --- 2-1 (1-1)
5) Wake Forest --- 3-0 (0-0)
6) N.C. State --- 1-2 (0-1)

Coastal Division

1) Virginia Tech --- 3-0 (1-0 ACC)
2) Duke --- 3-0 (0-0)
3) North Carolina --- 2-1 (0-0)
4) Virginia --- 2-1 (0-1)
5) Miami --- 2-1 (0-1)
6) Georgia Tech --- 0-2 (0-1)

BYU Tracker

Won 14-13 over Akron
Current Record: 3-0 (0-0 Mountain West)

FIU Tracker

Won 38-24 over Louisiana Tech
Current Record: 3-0 (0-0 Sun Belt)

[kblu54]

Road contest at #16 Boston College no problem for #5 Clemson
Clemson Football News

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

The 5th-ranked Clemson Tigers avenged a previous road loss by crushing the #16 Boston College Eagles in Chestnut Hill, 49-6. Junior QB Jerry McLaughlin accounted for 5 TDs to help Clemson get revenge for their road loss to the Eagles two years ago.

Boston College actually got on the scoreboard first, marching down the field on the 1st drive of the game and punching in the 1st TD on RB Bruce Alexander's 3-yard plunge. Unfortunately, it was the last time they would even pass the 50-yard line.

McLaughlin ran for 2 TDs, threw for another and senior captain SS Brandon Brock returned an interception 64 yards for a TD to give the Tigers a 28-6 halftime lead.

Clemson outscored the Eagles 21-0 after the halftime break to dominate almost the entire game. McLaughlin added a TD passing and rushing each and sophomore RB Ray Smith scored on a 70-yard scamper to put the game away.

McLaughlin had another near-perfect passing game, throwing for 198 yards and 2 TDs on 15-of-16 passing and no interceptions. He also added 49 yards rushing and 3 scores.

Smith paced the Clemson rushing attack with 134 yards and a TD, while senior WR Kyler Kaplan led all receivers with 81 yards and 2 TD catches. The Tiger defense held Boston College to only 163 total yards.

The Tigers stay on the road next week and will look for another revenge victory. Clemson will meet up with Wake Forest, who they beat 56-7 last season. The last time the Tigers traveled to face the Demon Deacons, they suffered a 43-31 loss.

Box Score

BC 6 : 0 : 0 : 0 - 6
CLEM 7 : 21 : 14 : 7 - 49

1st Quarter
BC --- Alexander 3 run (kick blocked)
CLEM --- McLaughlin 11 run (Branch kick)

2nd Quarter
CLEM --- McLaughlin 39 run (Branch kick)
CLEM --- Kaplan 32 pass from McLaughlin (Branch kick)
CLEM --- Brock 64 INT return (Branch kick)

3rd Quarter
CLEM --- Smith 70 run (Branch kick)
CLEM --- Kaplan 7 pass from McLaughlin (Branch kick)

4th Quarter
CLEM --- McLaughlin 4 run (Branch kick)

Team Stats

1st Downs:
BC --- 9 ... CLEM --- 19
Total Offense:
BC --- 163 ... CLEM --- 430
Rushes-Yards:
BC --- 30-49 ... CLEM --- 42-232
Passing (C-A-I):
BC --- 17-27-1 ... CLEM --- 15-16-0
Passing Yards:
BC --- 114 ... CLEM --- 198
Times Sacked:
BC --- 3 ... CLEM --- 4
3rd Down Conversions:
BC --- 5-16 ... CLEM --- 8-12
Turnovers:
BC --- 2 ... CLEM --- 0

Individual Stats

BOSTON COLLEGE

Mark Ward, QB --- 17 - 27 - 114 yds, 1 INT

Bruce Alexander, RB --- 22 att. - 50 yds, TD; 3 rec. - 23 yds

Lorenzo Bowen, WR --- 4 rec. - 14 yds
Marques Bryant, TE --- 4 rec. - 27 yds

Ray Griffin, SS --- 9 tkls (4 TFL), 2 sacks
Nick Miller, CB --- 8 tkls (1 TFL), 1 sack
DeShawn Stewart, OLB --- 5 tkls (2 TFL)
Andre Hunt, FS --- 4 tkls (1 TFL), 1 FF
Scott Rogers, DT --- 4 tkls (3 TFL)

CLEMSON

Jerry McLaughlin, QB --- 15 - 16 - 198 yds, 2 TD; 15 att. - 49 yds, 3 TD

Ray Smith, RB --- 18 att. - 134 yds, TD
Derek Westerman, RB --- 8 att. - 45 yds

Kyle Carrington, WR --- 5 rec. - 47 yds
Kyler Kaplan, WR --- 4 rec. - 81 yds, 2 TD

Joe Larkins, CB --- 6 tkls, FR
Ken Clark, OLB --- 6 tkls (1 TFL), 2 blks
Joey Flowers, DE --- 5 tkls (5 TFL), 1 sack
Cornelius Thomas, CB --- 5 tkls
Ray Carter, FS --- 5 tkls
Andrew Pettit, MLB --- 5 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack
Matt Brown, DE --- 4 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack
Brandon Brock, SS --- 3 tkls, INT, FF, TD

[kblu54]

Top 25 Week 4 Results

#2 USC 27, California 23
#3 Virginia Tech 49, Arkansas State 7
#4 Wisconsin 45, The Citadel 7
#5 Clemson 49, #16 Boston College 6
#7 Arkansas 63, Alabama 10
#8 BYU 28, TCU 21
#9 Penn State 45, Kansas State 21
#10 Auburn 34, Connecticut 14
#12 Michigan 32, Middle Tennessee State 22
#25 Tennessee 24, #14 LSU 10
#15 UCLA 35, Memphis 7
#17 Rutgers 36, San Jose State 10
#18 Colorado 24, Oregon State 14
#19 Oklahoma State 55, Stanford 14
Miami 32, #20 Boise State 30
#21 Florida State 34, FIU 6
#22 UAB 28, Tulsa 16
#23 Oregon 31, UL-Monroe 16
#24 Arizona 69, Baylor 17

New Top 25 Coaches Poll
Note: Previous Rank in ()

1 (1) Ohio State (36)
2 (2) USC (22)
3 (3) Virginia Tech (2)
4 (5) Clemson (1)
5 (4) Wisconsin
6 (6) Texas
7 (7) Arkansas
8 (8) BYU
9 (9) Penn State
10 (10) Auburn
11 (11) West Virginia
12 (12) Michigan
13 (13) Iowa
14 (15) UCLA
15 (17) Rutgers
16 (18) Colorado
17 (19) Oklahoma State
18 (21) Florida State
19 (14) LSU
20 (22) UAB
21 (25) Tennessee
22 (23) Oregon
23 (16) Boston College
24 (24) Arizona
25 (NR) Miami

Heisman Watch

1) Jerry McLaughlin, QB, Clemson ^^^
2) Trevor Talley, QB, Virginia Tech ^^^
3) Matt Joyce, RB, Wisconsin ^^^
4) Dustin Evans, QB, Arkansas ^^^
5) Ray Smith, RB, Clemson <<<

National Players of the Week

Offense:
Darren Wood, QB, Florida
21 - 31 - 365 yds, 7 TD; 6 att. - 33 yds

Defense:
Willie Herring, MLB, New Mexico State
8 tkls (1 TFL), 2 INT, FF, TD

ACC Players of the Week

Offense:
Jerry McLaughlin, QB, Clemson
15 - 16 - 198 yds; 15 att. - 49 yds, 5 total TD

Defense:
Brandon Brock, SS, Clemson
3 tkls, INT, FF, TD

ACC Standings (after Week 4)

Atlantic Division

1) Clemson --- 4-0 (2-0 ACC)
2) Maryland --- 3-1 (2-0)
3) Boston College --- 3-1 (1-1)
4) Florida State --- 3-1 (1-1)
5) Wake Forest --- 3-1 (0-1)
6) N.C. State --- 1-3 (0-2)

Coastal Division

1) Virginia Tech --- 4-0 (1-0 ACC)
2) Duke --- 4-0 (1-0)
3) North Carolina --- 3-1 (1-0)
4) Miami --- 3-1 (0-1)
5) Georgia Tech --- 0-3 (0-1)
6) Virginia --- 2-2 (0-2)

BYU Tracker

Won 28-21 over TCU
Current Record: 4-0 (1-0 Mountain West)

FIU Tracker

Lost 34-6 to #21 Florida State
Current Record: 3-1 (0-0 Sun Belt)

[kblu54]

#4 Clemson holds on to beat Wake Forest
Clemson Football News

The 4th-ranked Clemson Tigers built up a 21-0 lead and held on despite a ferocious effort from host Wake Forest to win 21-19. Junior DE Joey Flowers sacked Wake Forest QB Michael Smith on the Demon Deacons' 2-point conversion attempt to tie the game to preserve the victory.

It was a weird game for the Tigers, as they got off to a white-hot start but nearly blew the game. Clemson's top-ranked Heisman candidate in junior QB Jerry McLaughlin continued his impressive season with a great start. McLaughlin threw 2 TDs and ran for another to help Clemson pile up a 21-0 lead midway through the 2nd quarter. Unfortunately for the Clemson offense, it would be the last time they would score.

Wake Forest scored on a trick play and got a TD pass from QB Smith to cut the Tigers' lead to 21-13 at the half. In the 2nd half, the Clemson defense came up big to overcome the offense's struggles and get the win.

Clemson blocked 2 field goal attempts and, despite giving up a late TD to cut the lead to 21-19, were able to deny Wake Forest the 2 points they needed to tie.

McLaughlin threw for 234 yards and 2 TDs on 23-of-34 passing but was picked off once. The junior signal-caller added 41 yards rushing and a 52-yard TD.

Sophomore RB Ray Smith was surprisingly shut down by the Wake Forest defense, managing only 84 yards on 32 carries and no TDs, snapping his 18-game TD streak. Senior WR Kyler Kaplan and junior TE Martin Haley each caught a TD pass.

The Tiger defense held Wake Forest to only 5 yards rushing but they gave up over 300 through the air. The Clemson secondary, already missing a starter due to injury, lost another player when nickelback and recent starter CB Joe Larkins went down. Larkins broke some ribs in the 3rd quarter and will miss the next 3 weeks.

For Wake Forest, QB Smith threw for 284 yards and 2 TDs. WR Chris Murphy threw and caught a TD while totaling 139 receiving yards.

Clemson returns home next week to welcome Maryland. It is the 1st year under Coach Borland where the Tigers have not faced the Terrapins for the ACC opener. Last season, Clemson won 42-23.

Box Score

WAKE 0 : 13 : 0 : 6 - 19
CLEM 7 : 14 : 0 : 0 - 21

1st Quarter
CLEM --- McLaughlin 52 run (Branch kick)

2nd Quarter
CLEM --- Haley 10 pass from McLaughlin (Branch kick)
CLEM --- Kaplan 22 pass from McLaughlin (Branch kick)
WAKE --- Scales 42 pass from Murphy (Maxwell kick)
WAKE --- Murphy 8 pass from Smith (kick blocked)

4th Quarter
WAKE --- Pendleton 13 pass from Smith (conversion failed)

Team Stats

1st Downs:
WAKE --- 14 ... CLEM --- 18
Total Offense:
WAKE --- 331 ... CLEM --- 362
Rushes-Yards:
WAKE --- 23-5 ... CLEM --- 43-128
Passing (C-A-I):
WAKE --- 19-34-1 ... CLEM --- 23-34-1
Passing Yards:
WAKE --- 326 ... CLEM --- 234
Times Sacked:
WAKE --- 5 ... CLEM --- 2
3rd Down Conversions:
WAKE --- 4-14 ... CLEM --- 8-19
Turnovers:
WAKE --- 2 ... CLEM --- 2

Individual Stats

WAKE FOREST

Michael Smith, QB --- 18 - 33 - 284 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT

Jim Williams, RB --- 11 att. - 33 yds

Chris Murphy, WR --- 6 rec. - 139 yds, TD; 42-yd TD pass
Andy Morrison, WR --- 4 rec. - 71 yds
Ben Scales, WR --- 3 rec. - 61 yds, TD
Chris Pendleton, TE --- 3 rec. - 47 yds, TD

Mark Phillips, OLB --- 13 tkls (3 TFL), 1 sack
Rodney Daniel, CB --- 10 tkls (1 TFL), INT, FF
Jeff Brooks, MLB --- 10 tkls (5 TFL), 1 sack, FF
Mike Smiley, SS --- 7 tkls (1 TFL), FR
Ryne Hubbard, FS --- 7 tkls
Bryant Johnson, DE --- 6 tkls (1 TFL)
Josh Darby, FS --- 6 tkls (2 TFL)

CLEMSON

Jerry McLaughlin, QB --- 23 - 34 - 234 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT; 10 att. - 41 yds, TD

Ray Smith, RB --- 32 att. - 84 yds

Kyler Kaplan, WR --- 5 rec. - 81 yds, TD
Craig Terrell, WR --- 4 rec. - 42 yds
Matt Ortiz, WR --- 4 rec. - 34 yds
Martin Haley, TE --- 3 rec. - 31 yds, TD

Karl Little, CB --- 6 tkls
Cornelius Thomas, CB --- 5 tkls
Joey Flowers, DE --- 5 tkls (4 TFL), 2 sacks
Ray Carter, FS --- 5 tkls, INT
Andrew Pettit, MLB --- 4 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack
Ken Clark, OLB --- 4 tkls (1 TFL), FF, 2 blks
Matt Brown, DE --- 4 tkls (2 TFL)
Greg Hawthorne, MLB --- 3 tkls (2 TFL), 1 sack, FF