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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
DURHAM, N.C. -- It appears Clemson's only problem remains a
good one. The Tigers have yet to be challenged in the fourth
quarter.
Woodrow Dantzler ran for three touchdowns and threw for another
score as the undefeated Tigers (No. 8 ESPN.USA Today, No. 7 AP) beat winless Duke 52-22 on Saturday.
|  | | Woodrow Dantzler accounted for four TDs and set a Clemson record Saturday by amassing more than 300 yards total offense for the third straight game. |
"Mentally, we had a hard time keeping the players' attention
because of the environment," Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said.
"You try to talk around it with your team. But if it affects a
46-year-old I guess it will affect a 19- or 20-year-old."
Clemson (5-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won its first
five games for the first time since 1987 and is 17-3 against the
Blue Devils (0-5, 0-2) in the last 20 meetings.
The closest game the Tigers have had this season was a 31-10
victory at Virginia last week.
"My mind wonders, I can imagine a 20-year-old," Bowden said of
the blowouts. "We've played five games and four were more or less
over at the half. That's a concern. You never know how your team is
going to respond until it happens."
The Tigers have outscored their opponents 238-48, while Duke has
dropped 52 of its last 64 games since its last bowl season of 1994.
Once again, Clemson's first-team defense was super as Duke could
go little before scoring two times in the final two minutes on the
second team. The Tigers finished with eight sacks and the Blue
Devils were only 2-for-15 on third-down conversions.
"No doubt our defense gives us a lot of at-bats," Bowden said.
"We misfired and misfired and then bam, we hit. That's what
happens when the defense plays that good. We've got a chance to be
competitive in every game when they do that."
Duke kept it close for awhile, but Clemson scored four TDs in a
span of 7:18 in the second quarter to build a 35-0 halftime lead
and ran for 315 yards.
The last three scoring drives of the second quarter each came in
46 seconds or less as the nation's No. 1 offense displayed its
quick-strike ability under the elusive Dantzler, the ACC rushing
leader who ran for 134 yards and passed for 174 more.
It marked the third straight game Dantzler, who didn't play in
the fourth quarter, has gone over 300 yards of total offense -- a Clemson record.
"Yeah, not one of his better games," Bowden said of Dantzler,
who the school began promoting for the Heisman Trophy this week.
"It's probably the worst he's thrown the deep ball and a few other
mistakes he made. A good performance, but I think he's got more in
him."
While Clemson's offense continued to cruise, Duke's was a
disaster under D. Bryant, who was making his first start at QB in
place of injured Spencer Romine.
A 57-yard interception return by Brian Mance set up Travis
Zachery's second 1-yard scoring run early in the second and got
Clemson rolling. In addition, the inexperienced Bryant was sacked
six times in the opening 30 minutes as Duke was held to 42 total
yards on 35 plays.
Up 21-0 and already having scored on a 12-yard run, Dantzler
made yet another spectacular run that has helped him move into the
Heisman Trophy race.
Dantzler faked a pitch and sprinted into the secondary, where he
was nearly spun to the ground by defensive back Darryl Scott at the
20. Somehow, Dantzler was able to escape, maintain his balance and
race into the end zone in front of a stunned Duke defense.
"I won't say I'm unstoppable. I will say in the open field -- it's not being arrogant -- but I don't feel I can be tackled one-on-one," Dantzler said.
"We had him a few times and he ran right through us," Duke
coach Carl Franks said of Dantzler. "At times it looked like a game of flag football."
Less than two minutes after his spectacular run, Dantzler hit a
Morgan Woodward with an 8-yard scoring pass to put the Tigers up by
35.
Dantzler drove the Tigers 93 yards midway through the third
quarter on 13 plays, scoring on a 1-yard dive. Dantzler's rushing
yardage on the long march gave him 520 yards on the ground in the
last three games -- yet another Clemson record by the junior.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Clemson Clubhouse
Duke Clubhouse
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