| | | |
Friday, December 13, 2002
No. 11 Clemson 31, Virginia 10
Associated Press
BOX SCORE
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Quarterback Woodrow Dantzler ran for
220 yards and two long touchdowns as No. 11 Clemson beat Virginia
31-10 on Saturday.
|  | | Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler rushed for 220 yards against Virginia. |
Dantzler, the nation's second-leading passer and 38th-ranked
rusher coming into the game, did plenty of both against the
Cavaliers (2-2, 1-1). He scored on runs of 75 and 45 yards, and
completed 15 of 24 passes for 154 yards and another score.
The Tigers also effectively shut down Virginia's passing game,
forcing Dan Ellis to hurry several throws and limiting 6-foot-4
receiver Billy McMullen to three catches for 40 yards. One of them
went for 37 yards.
Ellis, who averaged 316 yards passing in his last two games, was
17-for-39 for 170 yards. He was intercepted once and twice fumbled
snaps.
The Tigers led 17-10 at the half before Dantzler put the game
away.
On Clemson's first possession of the second half, Dantzler kept
the ball on second-and-8 from his own 75, turning the corner wide
on the right and down the sideline, finally slashing back to the
middle for the points.
He did it again late in the quarter, following Alex Ardley's end
zone interception with a five-play drive. Dantzler ran for 7 to
start the drive, and for the last 45 to make it 31-10 with 18
minutes left.
Trailing 10-3 before 60,695 fans, the largest football crowd in
state history, Clemson scored twice in a span of 2:42 to take the
lead.
First, Joe Don Reames fielded a punt at his 31, stepped between
two Cavaliers and weaved untouched for a 69-yard return that tied
it at 10.
Then, after Virginia went three-and-out and Mike Abrams shanked
a punt 10 yards to the Tigers' 39, Dantzler needed just five plays.
The last one was a 30-yard pass to a wide open Jackie Robinson down
the middle.
It was the Tigers' shortest touchdown play of the game.
The Tigers' 17-10 halftime lead might have been much bigger if
not for Travis Zachery's inability to hold onto the ball. Zachery
botched a punt at his 3 after Virginia's first possession, and
later fumbled on a third-and-2 dive from the Cavaliers' 3 late in
the second quarter.
Virginia recovered both times, and turned the first miscue into
its only touchdown of the half - a 3-yard option run by Antwoine
Womack.
Ahmad Hawkins intercepted a pass with 12:32 remaining, marking
the first time in 80 throws this season that Dantzler has been
intercepted.
But the Tigers' defense held and Virginia turned it over on
downs.
| | | |
|
|
Woody Dantzler runs 75 yards through Virginia's defense.
Tommy Bowden says defense will be the key for Clemson.