On This Date: 1981 (3)Clemson- 82 Wake Forest- 24

Oct 31, 2024, 8:53 AM

10/31/1981
Clemson, SC

Clemson mugs Demon Deacons
Staff WriterHerald-Journal

By WOODY WHITE

Staff Writer

Surely, the mechanics of executing Danny Ford's game plan against Wake Forest seemed ridiculously awkward to Clemson's offense Saturday afternoon -- as awkward as dancing a two-step with a walrus.

All week long, Ford had preached the gospel of ball control. Ball control would keep Wake Forest's big-play personnel on the sidelines.

Clemson's 82-24 mugging of Wake Forest before 61,000 eyewitnesses at Death Valley was as grounded in ball control as an 82-24 mugging could be.

And, the method must have gained the approval of scouts from the Orange, Cotton, Fiesta, Gator and Peach bowls, because none stayed until the end.

The victory, Clemson's eighth without a loss, four of which are Atlantic Coast Conference victories, sets up next week's dream match between the Tigers and North Carolina in Chapel Hill for what likely will settle this year's conference championship.

Wake Forest's defense, which fielded five freshman starters, passively observed as the third-ranked Tigers had themselves a record burning.

Here are some records Clemson broke Saturday afternoon:

• The 82 points that the Tigers scored broke a 27-year-old ACC record that was established when Maryland whipped Missouri 74-13 in 1954. It also broke the school's modern record of 76 against Presbyterian in 1945.

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• Broken down, the 82 points were scored on 12 touchdowns -- breaking Maryland's record of 11 and Clemson's record of 11 -- and 10 extra points, breaking a 2-year-old record that Virginia set against James Madison in 1979.

• Clemson rushed for 536 yards, breaking the old mark of 516 set against Presbyterian in 1945. And the Tigers' total output of 756 yards shattered the old record set against Presbyterian in the same game.

• Perry Tuttle caught seven passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. The yardage moved Tuttle past Jerry Butler as the school's leader in career reception yardage with 2,225 yards, 2 yards more than Butler.

• And there were innocuous records like most points scored in one quarter -- Clemson scored 35 points in the second quarter -- but they were mere yardsticks to the rout.

Ford accepted the win and its margin graciously.

"We're mighty, mighty proud of our total football team," he said. "Our coaches had the team well prepared. In defense of Wake Forest, and I mean this sincerely, they're on the right track in what they're trying to do."

"They must have brought 20 freshmen down here. And they have a lot of their skill players hurt. Al (Groh, Wake Forest's coach) and his staff are doing the right thing. It'll just take him a little time to build. I think they did all they could do under the circumstances."

Said Groh: "I thought Clemson played like a class football team. Obviously, I felt this before the game, and I feel it now. They played the way they're supposed to play. When a football team plays like that, I appreciate their efforts."

Did Groh think that Clemson tried to run up the score?

"Naw," he said. "I've always felt it was my job to stop them. It's not their job to stop themselves. Clemson was more than gracious."

Clemson scored the first seven times it had possession.

Cliff Austin, who led all rushers with 101 yards on 13 carries, capped a seven-play, 50-yard drive with 10:40 left in the first quarter when he carried in from 4 yards out on an option pitch. Bob Paulling's extra point, his first of seven, ended the scoring on the drive, which began when defensive tackle Dan Benish recovered a fumble by Wake Forest quarterback Gary Schofield.

The seven-possession touchdown string was capped when quarterback Homer Jordan, who passed 3,000 yards of total offense for the season in the game, bombed Tuttle with a 75-yard pass on the Tigers' first play from scrimmage of the second half. That touchdown made the score 55-14, and it was at that point that Ford began the process of playing everybody who wore an orange jersey.

Eight players scored touchdowns for Clemson. Austin scored two; alternate tailback Chuck McSwain scored three; fullbacks Kevin Mack and Jeff McCall scored one apiece; Jordan ran for one touchdown and passed for one; Tuttle caught two TD passes, and scout team members Duke Holloman and Craig Crawford scored once each. Crawford's 72-yard scamper up the left sideline ended Clemson's scoring with 5:40 left in the game.

Schofield connected with wide receiver Kenny Duckett for two touchdown passes to pace Wake Forest's offense.

Yet, the game that many expected did not come about because Clemson's defense made some big plays of its own.

The unit, which had led the nation in scoring defense and turnover ratio, forced four Wake Forest turnovers. Each one led to a Clemson touchdown.

Two put the game away late in the first half.

With Clemson leading 35-7, Wake Forest began a drive on its 20. On the first play, Schofield hit tight end Phil Denfield with a 4-yard pass. Denfield was nailed by linebacker Danny Tripplett. He fumbled, Jeff Davis recovered, and two plays later McCall burst up the middle 24 yards for his touchdowns with 5:40 remaining.

Clemson kicked off again, Wake Forest ran one play, and Schofield threw an interception to free safety Terry Kinard on Clemson's 35-yard line. On the Tigers' fourth play, McSwain broke clear on the right side and ran 16 yards for his second touchdown with 3:23 left in the half.

Were those big plays the plays that broke Wake Forest?

"I don't think anything made that much difference," Groh said. "The only thing it made a difference in was the final score. This game was just a case of putting young, little boys against big, strong men."

Ford saw things differently.

"I'm glad we jumped into a quick lead because I still remember last year when we went into the fourth quarter leading 35-7, and the final score was 35-33," he said. "They can score from anywhere on the field. If they had scored that first time, there's no telling which way the game might have gone."

And, if Clemson had executed Ford's ball-control plan, there's no telling either. But the Tigers could not, because Wake Forest's young team would not let them.