TigerIllustrated.com - Coasting to victory

October 31, 2009

Larry Williams
TigerIllustrated.com Senior Writer

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CLEMSON, S.C. -- If Clemson fans came to Saturday's game hoping to see a lot of the seldom-used backups, they had to wait a little longer than anticipated.

This one was never really in doubt, but the expected homecoming annihilation of Coastal Carolina didn't commence early because of some offensive sputters.

The Tigers still won decisively, 49-3, and a bit of a letdown could've been expected given the euphoric and possibly program-turning overtime upset of Miami seven days earlier.

"I'm proud of the guys, especially coming off an emotional win this past week," said coach Dabo Swinney. "I thought they did what they had to do and what good teams do. This was a game we should have won and a team we should show up and take care of business against, and I thought we did that."

Clemson now looks toward another big game against a team from the Sunshine State. Florida State narrowly defeated N.C. State on Saturday, improving to 2-3 in the ACC.

The Tigers (5-3, 3-2) and the Seminoles will battle for the Atlantic Division tiebreaker advantage when they square off at Death Valley (time TBA).

"This is the most important game of the year coming up," Swinney said.

In front of a waterlogged crowd of 71,500, Clemson didn't score its first touchdown Saturday until late in the first quarter. The Tigers entered halftime up 21-0 - probably a much narrower spread than most folks foresaw.

But the defense dominated throughout, and Clemson scored four touchdowns in the third quarter while emptying its bench.

The best news of the day came after the game, when Da'Quan Bowers said the right knee injury he suffered on Coastal Carolina's first play from scrimmage was not serious. Bowers, who was walking with a limp after the game, said he suffered a PCL strain and will be back at practice Wednesday.

"I kind of knew it wasn't too bad, because I didn't hear a pop," said Bowers, who was on crutches on the sideline. "My knee wasn't quite burning like an ACL or something like that, and I was moving my leg and moving my knee so I knew it wasn't too bad at all."

The defense was just fine without its star defensive end. Coastal produced 170 yards of offense on 63 plays, including just 27 through the air on a 5-of-17 clip.

Crezdon Butler and Rashard Hall had long interception returns to set up short touchdown drives in the second and third quarters, and the only time the Chanticleers crossed midfield was when they drove for a field goal late in the game.

"I think we did a really good job because most of their yards came on the last drive when they scored," Hall said.

The Tigers totaled 400 yards of offense, including a season-high 252 rushing. Andre Ellington had 88 yards on six carries, and Jamie Harper totaled 76 yards on 13 totes.

C.J. Spiller, who vaulted into Heisman Trophy contention with a spectacular 310-yard all-purpose day against Miami, spent most of Saturday's game on the sideline.

Spiller carried five times for 27 yards, all in the first half, and didn't get any returns because Coastal refused to kick to him.

"We're about the team," Swinney said. "If we have the kind of team success we're supposed to have, C.J. will get his recognition.

"I mean yeah, we could have gone out there and handed him the ball a bunch and there ain't no telling what kind of stats he could've put up. But I don't think that's very smart. And I'd have probably gotten booed out of the stadium, too. That's not the right thing to do."

Coastal Carolina, a Football Championship Subdivision foe that entered the game reeling after losses to Stony Brook (16-10) and Liberty (58-13), dropped to 3-5.

"In a game like that you are so out-manned, and you look up at the clock and every time they don't get a score on the scoreboard you have a little hope," said Chanticleers coach David Bennett, who grew up a Clemson fan and served as a graduate assistant under Danny Ford.

After throwing the game-winning touchdown pass to Jacoby Ford in overtime last week, redshirt freshman quarterback Kyle Parker wasn't in peak form in a rainy first half.

He threw two interceptions, both deep in Coastal territory, and seemed off on some of his throws and decisions.

He threw for 70 yards on a 7-of-16 clip with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Ford that started the scoring with 2:09 left in the first quarter.

Parker gave way to Willy Korn with 8:43 left in the third quarter and Clemson up 28-0. Korn completed five of six passes for 70 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 19 yards on three carries.

"It was a little sloppy" in the first half, Swinney said.

"But the second half, I thought the guys came out and really played a dominant half of football - offense, defense, special teams. So I'm proud of the guys for that. No letdown at all."

Ford threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Dye early in the second quarter to put the Tigers up 14-0.

It was the first time since 1984 that three Tigers accounted for a touchdown pass in the same game.

Clemson opened the game at its 40-yard line after a pooch kickoff. The Tigers converted three third-down conversions while moving to the Chanticleers' 19, but on third-and-12 Parker was intercepted by cornerback Marcus Lott on an attempted throwback screen to Brandon Clear.

The Tigers scored on their next possession when Parker lobbed a ball to Ford deep. The throw was off-line, but Ford adjusted well and fought off the cornerback to snare the 36-yard touchdown pass.

On the next possession, Clemson faced fourth-and-2 from Coastal's 38. Parker threw incomplete for Clear, but the Chanticleers were penalized for pass interference to give the Tigers a first down at Coastal's 23.

On the next play, Ford took in a swing pass from Parker and then turned to throw. Dye was well behind the defense and hauled in the perfect pass from Ford to put Clemson up 14-0 with 13:48 left in the first half.

Clemson's next touchdown was set up by Butler, who picked off Jamie Childers and returned it 47 yards to Coastal's 16. Spiller ran for 10 yards on the first play, then he dashed through a huge hole on the left side for a 6-yard touchdown.

The Tigers came up empty on their final two possessions of the first half. Parker threw deep for Jaron Brown, but Brown made a poor adjustment to the throw and cornerback Josh Norman made the interception.

Clemson was forced to punt from midfield with less than two minutes left after a wide-open Rendrick Taylor dropped a throw down the seam.

Ellington put the Tigers up 28-0 on their first possession of the second half, taking a sweep left and weaving 55 yards for a touchdown.

Korn entered and tossed an 18-yard touchdown pass on a catch-and-run by Brown.

Clemson improved to 23-0 against FCS teams.

"We started the game a little bit sloppy," said offensive coordinator Billy Napier. "Obviously the rain had a lot to do with that, but our guys can do better. There was more out there. But we did do very well in the second half. We executed when we had a chance to put them away."

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