NC State
Clemson
Clemson Holds Off Pack for 14-13 Win
11/6/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 6, 2010
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BY TIM PEELER
CLEMSON, S.C. - Missed opportunities in both halves cost NC State a chance to control its own fate in the ACC’s Atlantic Division race, as Clemson surged back with two second-half touchdowns to beat the No. 23 Wolfpack 14-13 at Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The Wolfpack (6-3 overall, 3-2 ACC) scored on its first possession of the game, but did not return to the end zone the rest of the afternoon, twice settling in the second half for field goals by Josh Czajkowski.
But even in the waning moments, after Clemson tailback Jamie Harper scored the go-ahead touchdown with 6:18 remaining in the game, the Wolfpack had its chances to avoid its third come-from-behind loss of the season.
Soon after Harper scored, NC State quarterback Russell Wilson guided his team across midfield, thanks in part to Clemson’s third pass interference penalty of the afternoon. But Wilson scrambled around the corner on third and 2 from the Clemson 44 and was unable to convert the first down, with a little less than four minutes on the clock.
“It was certainly a tough day for us,” said Wolfpack coach Tom O’Brien. “We had our chances, but you have to give their defense credit. That’s as solid a defense as we've played all year. We had our opportunities to make plays, and we couldn’t make them on offense.”
That factored into the coach’s decision to punt on fourth and 1 from the 43. But senior punter Andy Leffler’s pooch punt bounced backwards towards the Wolfpack’s line of scrimmage and netted only four yards.
State’s defense held the Tigers to a three-and-out series, but Clemson punter Richard Zimmerman handled a bad snap, kicked the ball forward and watched as it settled on the NC State 15-yard line. Wilson had one last chance to lead the offense down the field, but the Pack turned the ball over on downs with less than two minutes to play.
“I punted on fourth and 1 because I didn’t think we would punt the ball four yards,” O’Brien said after the game. “You punt the ball inside the 10-yard line like we were supposed to and you use your timeouts like we did, then you get the ball back with three minutes. That’s plenty of time to go win a football game.
“The other thing is, we didn’t make it on third and [2]. I didn’t have a lot of faith we would make it on fourth and 1.”
The Wolfpack started strong, as Wilson took the offense straight down the field on his team’s first possession, handing off to freshman Mustafa Greene for a 3-yard touchdown that gave the Wolfpack a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the game.
Clemson’s offense was so ineffective against the Wolfpack defense, Tiger head coach Dabo Swinney began shuffling his quarterbacks between starter Kyle Parker and reserve Tahj Boyd early in the game.
Parker was intercepted in the second quarter by Wolfpack linebacker Terrell Manning, who returned the ball the length of the field. But the return was negated by a block in the back that gave the Wolfpack the ball on its own 17.
The Wolfpack drove down into field-goal range, but Czajkowski’s first attempt of the day, a 30-yarder, was blocked.
On Boyd’s first snap after Swinney changed quarterbacks, he fumbled the ball away. NC State defensive end Darryl Cato-Bishop recovered the ball at Clemson’s 7-yard line. But the Wolfpack couldn’t convert, either, as Wilson’s pass into the end zone was intercepted by safety DeAndre McDaniel.
The Pack missed another big opportunity when Clemson was flagged for fair-catch interference at midfield on a punt. The Wolfpack started its drive on the Tigers’ 37-yard line, but could not make a first down and was forced to punt it away.
Parker led the Tigers down the field in their two-minute offense to the NC State 17-yard line. Parker threw a pass to a wide open Bryce McNeal in the end zone with less than a minute to play, but the touchdown was called back because of a holding penalty on the offensive line. The Tigers had only given up six sacks in their first eight games, but Parker was caught twice on back-to-back plays at the end of the first half, first by defensive tackle J.R. Sweezy and then by defensive end Jeff Rieskamp.
The Wolfpack took a 7-0 lead into halftime, after Clemson replacement kicker Richard Jackson missed the first of his two field goal opportunities, a 37-yarder midway through the second quarter.
On Clemson’s opening play of the second half, Parker was sacked again and stripped of the ball by Sweezy.
Wilson and the offense took over on Clemson’s 13-yard line, but were unable to advance it beyond the 8 and called on Czajkowski to kick a 28-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 9:10 remaining in the third quarter.
The Tiger offense stumbled throughout the first three quarters of the game, losing two of their five fumbles, missing two field goals and committing seven penalties for 77 yards. It finally ended its streak of nearly eight consecutive quarters without a touchdown when Parker threw a 12-yard pass to DeAndre Hopkins with 2:44 remaining in the third quarter.
“I thought our defense played pretty well throughout the game,” O’Brien said. “But our special teams reared their ugly head and we didn’t capitalize on the opportunities we had. We gained some momentum but gave it right back by not containing a kickoff.
“We let them back into the ball game.”
The Wolfpack must now regroup for its final home game of the season next Saturday against Wake Forest, in the school’s annual Homecoming game.
“We lost our destiny, but we're still in [the race for the Atlantic Division],” O’Brien said. “Someone has to help us. We have to go win our last home game and go on the road for the last two. We have to see what happens.”
Wilson added: “We just have to do a better job of capitalizing on our opportunities.”
You may contact Tim Peeler at mailto:tim.peeler@ncsu.edu.
