Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1061429
32 JANUARY 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED Sept. 1: No. 2 Clemson 48, Furman 7 The Tigers opened the season in dominant fashion against their Football Championship Subdivision foe, racking up 531 total yards while limiting the Paladins to just 2.6 yards per play and 163 total yards. Sophomore wide receiver Amari Rodgers scored his first career touchdown on a 40-yard pass and compiled a career-high 141 all-purpose yards. Fresh- man quarterback Trevor Lawrence contributed three touchdown passes in his debut. Sept. 8: No. 2 Clemson 28, Texas A&M 26 The Tigers built a 15-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, and then hung on for dear life. The Aggies cut the deficit to two with 46 seconds remaining, but junior safety K'Von Wallace intercepted the two-point con- version attempt and Clemson recovered the ensuing onside kick to secure the win. Sophomore wideout Tee Higgins had three catches for 163 yards, high- lighted by a 64-yard score, to pace the Tigers. Sept. 15: No. 2 Clemson 38, Georgia Southern 7 Sophomore running back Travis Etienne rushed for 162 yards and two scores on 16 carries to help the Tigers cruise to another easy win. The Clemson offense totaled 595 yards, 309 rushing and 286 passing. Sept. 22: No. 3 Clemson 49, Georgia Tech 21 The Tigers opened ACC play by routing the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta. Lawrence connected on 13 of 18 throws for 176 yards with four touch- downs to four different receivers. The defense put Clemson on the board first — when redshirt junior end Clelin Ferrell recovered a fumble in the end zone — and did not allow a pass completion until late in the third quarter. Sept. 29: No. 3 Clemson 27, Syracuse 23 The Tigers trailed the Orange 23-13 early in the fourth quarter, but rallied to win on Etienne's two-yard rushing score with 41 seconds remaining. Etienne's touchdown was the culmination of a 13-play, 94-yard drive led by redshirt freshman quarterback Chase Brice, who entered the game after Lawrence left with an injury in the second quarter. Etienne finished with a career-best 203 yards and three scores on 27 rush- ing attempts. Oct. 6: No. 4 Clemson 63, Wake Forest 3 The Tigers amassed 698 total yards, with 471 on the ground, on their way to crushing the Demon Deacons. Etienne (167), freshman running back Lyn-J Dixon (163) and graduate run- ning back Adam Choice (128) all eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark while combining for five long scoring runs (59, 70, 64, 65 and 52 yards). In addition, freshman wideout Justyn Ross added a 55-yard touchdown reception. Oct. 20: No. 3 Clemson 41, No. 16 NC State 7 Lawrence completed 26 of 39 passes for 308 yards with one touchdown, and Etienne rushed for three touchdowns for the third straight game — a first in program history — to pace another blowout victory. The Tiger defense shut down a Wolfpack offense that had been averaging 33 points per game. Oct. 27: No. 2 Clemson 59, Florida State 10 The Tigers dominated on both sides of the ball and rolled past the strug- gling Seminoles. The Clemson defense forced seven three-and-outs, and totaled 14 tackles for loss and five sacks. On the other side of the ball, the receiving duo of Rodgers and Higgins combined for four touchdowns and 218 receiving yards, with a career-high 165 by Rodgers. Nov. 3: No. 2 Clemson 77, Louisville 16 The Tigers manhandled the Cardinals en route to the largest margin of vic- tory in ACC play in school history. Ten different players accounted for Clemson's 11 touchdowns on the day, and the Tigers broke a school record that stood since 1903 by averaging 11.6 yards per play. The run game powered the offense, accounting for 492 of its 661 total yards, with Etienne (153), Dixon (116) and junior running back Tavien Feaster (101) each eclipsing the 100-yard mark. Nov. 10: No. 2 Clemson 27, Boston College 7 The Tigers clinched the ACC Atlantic Division crown for the fourth consecu- tive season with an easy win in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Clemson limited the Eagles to 113 total yards and held them 216 below their season rushing average. Nov. 17: No. 2 Clemson 35, Duke 6 The Tigers' senior class notched its ACC-record 51st win in the last four seasons by hammering the Blue Devils. Lawrence connected on 21 of 38 passes for 251 yards with two touch- downs, while Ferrell recorded a team-high 2.5 tackles for loss and two of the Tigers' four sacks. Nov. 24: No. 2 Clemson 56, South Carolina 35 The Tigers won a shootout versus the in-state Gamecocks. The two teams combined for 1,344 yards, with Clemson piling up a season- high 744. Lawrence engineered touchdown drives of 95, 97 and 98 yards, and racked up a career-high 393 passing yards. Etienne added 150 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries. Dec. 1: No. 2 Clemson 42, Pittsburgh 10 Clemson became the first team in ACC history to win four consecutive con- ference titles outright, outclassing the Coastal champion Panthers. Etienne paced the offense with 156 yards with two touchdowns on 12 car- ries, while the defense held the Pitt offense to negative yardage for the first nine minutes of the game and also limited the Panthers to just eight passing yards for the whole contest. Note: The Associated Press poll was used for rankings until the College Football Playoff rankings came out week 10. — Steve Downey GAME PREVIEW: CLEMSON Clemson's Season In Review Sophomore wide receiver Tee Higgins led the Tigers in receptions (52), receiving yards (802) and touchdown catches (10). PHOTO BY CARL ACKERMAN/COURTESY CLEMSON