CU Medallion [18591]
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On This Date: 1997 Clemson- 33 Wake Forest- 16
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Nov 1, 2024, 8:57 AM
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11/1/1997
Winston-Salem, NC
Clemson calls off the Wake
Tigers still in good shape for a bowl after convincing win over Demon Deacons
CEDRIC HARMON
The bad and the ugly were quickly forgotten by the Clemson Tigers Saturday in Groves Stadium.
All it took were some big plays by the Tigers offense and defense in the second half. And, just like that, the good and near-perfect parts of their 33-16 Atlantic Coast Conference win over Wake Forest were the only things to be remembered. "We were due offensively and defensively. Everything worked out. You couldn't see no flaw in the second half," quarterback Nealon Greene said.
The Tigers (5-3, 3-3) scored on four consecutive possessions in the second half -- even without Raymond Priester, who was limited by an ankle injury -- as Greene set six school records on 18-of-25 passing and a career-best 286 yards. Greene, admittedly shaky in the first half, threw third-quarter touchdown passes of 52 yards to Tony Horne and 41 yards to freshman Roderick Gardner as the Tigers scored 24 straight points against the Demon Deacons (4-5, 3-4).
The Tigers added 196 yards rushing, but Greene's proficiency in the passing game enabled the Tigers to achieve a balance in the offense for the first time in nearly a month. "I thought Nealon made things happen today," Clemson head coach Tommy West said. "I thought that was the difference for us." The Demon Deacons were hoping a win over Clemson would put them in a position for a winning record and merit bowl-game consideration for the first time since 1992.
Their hopes, however, lasted for about a quarter. After a 38-yard field goal by Matthew Burdick, Wake Forest led 10-9 with 10:28 left in the half. And that came despite losing starting quarterback Brian Kuklick and having Ben Sankey at the helm. But Clemson recaptured the lead on a 34-yard field goal by David Richardson -- one of four he made on the day -- 27 seconds before intermission and never looked back. "Every time that you lose a ballgame, it hurts, and this one was a critical one," Wake Forest coach Jim Caldwell said. "(But) without Kuklick and some on defense, we were a bit handicapped. We just don't have the folks in there we needed. We were thin today."
On their first series of the third quarter, Greene dissected Wake Forest's secondary on a medium-range pass to Horne, who then turned it into the Tigers' longest play of the season and an 18-10 advantage. Seven minutes later, Gardner hauled down a lob from Greene, beating Wake Forest's Reggie Austin. Richardson had two field goals in the fourth quarter, and the Tigers also recorded a safety in the final period when Wake Forest punter Tripp Moore was tackled in the end zone after a bad snap.
INSIDE THE GAME Tigers 33, Demon Decons 16 The Priester story: Last week, Raymond Priester rushed for 204 yards in Clemson's with over Maryland. Saturday, he was hobbled by an ankle injury in the first quarter and used sparingly the rest of the way. Inconsistent kicker: David Richardson kicked field goals of 52,34, 30 and 35 yards for the Tigers, but missed badly on two extra points. *Game summary and additional coverage, D4
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