Sunday, September 9, 2012

7C

Tigers offense is sharp again

No. 12 ClemsoN 52, Ball sTaTe 27
By Pete Iacobelli
Associated Press

CLEMSON, S.C. Tajh Boyd loves what hes seen so far from Clemsons offense. And the quarterback is looking forward to the return of star receiver Sammy Watkins. Oh, man, Boyd said with a smile. Its going to get ugly. Sure could, especially considering the impressive numbers put up by the 12th-ranked Tigers without the suspended All-American. DeAnde Hopkins caught three touchdown passes, Andre Ellington rushed for two scores and punter Spencer Benton kicked a 61-yard field goal to break an Atlantic Coast Conference record in Clemsons 52-27 victory over Ball State on Saturday. It was the second consecutive

game the Tigers surpassed 500 yards on offense. Can Watkins return add another couple hundred yards to coordinator Chad Morris attack? I just want to win, Morris said laughing. I dont care if its a hundred yards. Ellingtons two short TD runs helped the Tigers (2-0) get off to a fast start, and Boyd found Hopkins for touchdown passes of 13, 34 and 15 yards in the second period to help increase the lead to 35-10. Benton closed the Tigers 45point half the teams best since scoring 49 in the opening half against Wake Forest during its 1981 national title season with his record-setting kick as time ran out. Ball State (1-1) had hoped to use its fast-paced attack to keep up. But Keith Wenning threw two interceptions, both leading to Clemson scores.

Clemson running back Andre Ellington pulls away from Ball States Tony Martin. Ellington scored on a pair of short touchdown runs.

RICHARD SHIRO/ASSOCIATED PRESS

About everything went the Tigers way in the first half, including the long-range try by Benton, Clemsons punter and kickoff

specialist who missed a 55-yard attempt last week at the Georgia Dome against Auburn. He came on with a few seconds left before half-

Big day on ground key for Jackets

GeorGia TeCh 59, PresByTeriaN 3
By Charles Odum
Associated Press

time and snuck this kick between the goal posts. It felt pretty good when I hit it, Benton said. I saw it coming off and thinking, Go. Go. Go. Then I saw everybody in the background jump up and I was like, Yes. Bentons kick surpassed the ACC mark of 60 set by Gary Cismesia of Florida State in a 2007 game against Florida. Benton also moved past a pair of former NFL players, Obed Ariri and Chris Gardocki, who each kicked 57-yard field goals for the previous school mark. Clemson and Ball State have quick-snap, fast-paced offensive systems, so this one figured to be a shootout. Instead, Boyd, Ellington and Hopkins took all the drama out the game early. Ellington scored on Clemsons first two possessions to put the Tigers up 13-0 less than nine minutes into the game.

South Carolina quarterback Dylan Thompson rushes for a first down as he is pursued by East Carolina defensive end Lee Pegues. Thompson threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns as the sub for the injured Connor Shaw.

BRETT FLASHNICK/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Gamecocks backup shines

Thompson fills in nicely for injured Shaw in blowout
No. 9 s. CaroliNa 48, easT CaroliNa 10
By Jeffrey Collins
Associated Press

COLUMBIA Theres no quarterback controversy for coach Steve Spurrier at No. 9 South Carolina, even after backup Dylan Thompson threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns in Saturdays 48-10 win over East Carolina. Instead, Spurrier said he now just has two guys who can play the position well. Spurrier said after the game that injured starter Connor Shaw will start next week for the Gamecocks (2-0) against Alabama-Birmingham if he recovers from his bruised throwing shoulder. If Connor is 100 percent, hes our guy, Spurrier said. Now we know if something happens to Connor, Dylan can go in there. Thompsons 330 yards beat Shaws career best game of 311 yards, and the passing game looked vastly better than last week, when the Gamecocks threw for just 67 yards and completed only seven passes against Vanderbilt. But Thompson told reporters that Shaw is a great player who deserves to stay the starter. Im just the backup quarterback. My role is to be ready when I am called, Thompson said. The sophomores first completion

South Carolina tight end Rory Anderson makes a diving catch in the end zone. The Gamecocks routed the Pirates in their home opener Saturday. watCh vIdeO of Gamecocks quarterback Dylan Thompson at augustachronicle.com.

was a 53-yard pass to Damiere Byrd. He finished the game 21 of 37, averaging almost 16 yards per completion. He did not throw an interception. The rejuvenated passing game allowed Spurrier to use star running back Marcus Lattimore sparingly. He gained 40 yards on 13 carries, although he did have a rushing touchdown that tied him for the most touchdowns in school history at 33 with Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers and Harold Green. Spurrier said before the game that Shaw could play if he was needed after bruising his right shoulder in last weeks win over Vanderbilt. After the win, he said the juniors shoulder hurt so bad he could only go in an emergency.

Thompsons play made that decision easy. After throwing two incompletions to start the game, he completed his next five passes as the Gamecocks jumped to a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter. In fact, Thompsons only bad decision came late in the fourth quarter when he took on a defender as he tried to run the ball in for a touchdown on a third-and-19 with the Gamecocks up 31 points. Their helmets collided, and Thompson fumbled it away. Spurrier shook his head, smiled and patted his QB on the back when he got back to the sideline. Dont ever do that again, Spurrier told him. Spurrier didnt let up. South Carolina threw the ball or planned to throw it on 14 of 19 plays in the fourth quarter.

ATLANTA Vad Lee ran and passed for touchdowns in his debut, Zach Laskey ran for 116 yards and a touchdown in his first start and Georgia Tech crushed overmatched Presbyterian 59-3 on Saturday night. Six players ran for touchdowns as Georgia Tech (1-1) had 712 total yards, the second-highest total in school history, including 469 yards rushing. The Yellow Jackets had a school-record 768 yards in a 66-24 rout of Kansas in 2011. Lee ran the offense for a series midway through the first quarter and grabbed the spotlight in the second half. He had a 1-yard scoring run, an 82-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Greene and then a 79yard run to set up a score all in the third quarter. Presbyterian, a Division II team until 2007, had only 243 yards. The Blue Hose avoided the shutout when Aaron Mayes kicked a 30-yard field goal with 5 seconds remaining. Lee, a redshirt freshman, and Synjyn Days shared time with starting quarterback Tevin Washington. Lee had eight carries for 101 yards. His only completion in three pass attempts was the 82-yarder. Washington completed 7 of 11 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown, adding nine carries for 97 yards and

a touchdown. The win could have been even more lopsided. Washington, Days and Charles Perkins each lost fumbles for the Yellow Jackets. Laskey had a 56-yard touchdown run, Washington had a 58-yard scoring run and Days scored from the 3 in the opening quarter. Washington threw a 45yard touchdown pass to Robert Godhigh in the third quarter, and Broderick Snoddy scored from the 2 on the first play of the fourth quarter. Matt Connors 3-yard run with 3:52 remaining capped the scoring. Washingtons 58-yarder was the longest of his career. Presbyterian (1-1) was stopped on two runs from the Georgia Tech 1 in the second quarter. Lance Byrd, who ran for 80 yards, fumbled after crossing the Georgia Tech 10 in the third quarter. Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson was looking for improved production from his spread-option attack after the Yellow Jackets 20-17 overtime loss at No. 15 Virginia Tech on Monday night. Laskey was one of three new starters on offense. The sophomores 56-yard run on the Yellow Jackets third play was his first career touchdown. Tamyn Gator Garrick, a former Williston-Elko standout, completed 11 of 28 passes for 83 yards and one interception.

Georgia Tech quarterback Tevin Washington outruns Presbyterians J.J. Russell (right) and Fred Marshall on his way to a 59-yard touchdown Saturday night.

JOHN BAzEMORE/ASSOCIATED PRESS

how top 25 fared

No. 1 Alabama (2-0) beat Western Kentucky 35-0. Next: at No. 8 Arkansas, Saturday. No. 2 Southern Cal (2-0) beat Syracuse 42-29. Next: at No. 25 Stanford, Saturday. No. 3 LSU (2-0) beat Washington 41-3. Next: vs. Idaho, Saturday. No. 4 Oregon (2-0) beat Fresno State 42-25. Next: vs. Tennessee Tech, Saturday. No. 5 Oklahoma (2-0) beat Florida A&M 69-13. Next: vs. No. 21 Kansas State, Sept. 22. No. 6 Florida State (2-0) beat Savannah State 55-0. Next: vs. Wake Forest, Saturday. No. 7 Georgia (2-0) beat Missouri 41-20. Next: vs. Florida A&M, Saturday. No. 8 Arkansas (1-1) lost to La-Monroe, 34-31, OT. Next: vs. No. 1 Alabama, Saturday. No. 9 South Carolina (2-0) beat East Carolina 48-10. Next: vs. UAB, Saturday. No. 9 West Virginia (1-0) did not play. Next: vs. James Madison at Landover, Md., Sept. 15. No. 11 Michigan State (2-0) beat Central Michigan 41-7. Next: vs. No. 22 Notre Dame, Saturday. No. 12 Clemson (2-0) beat Ball State 52-27. Next: vs. Furman, Saturday. No. 13 Wisconsin (1-1) lost to Oregon State 10-7. Next: vs, Utah State, Saturday. No. 14 Ohio State (2-0) beat UCF 31-16. Next: vs. California, Saturday. No. 15 Virginia Tech (2-0) beat Austin Peay 42-7. Next: at Pittsburgh, Saturday. No. 16 Nebraska (1-1) lost to UCLA, 36-30. Next: vs. Ark St, Saturday. No. 17 Texas (2-0) beat New Mexico. 45-0. No. 18 Oklahoma State (1-0) at Arizona, late. Next: vs. La-Lafayette, No. 19 Michigan (1-1) beat Air Force 31-25. No. 20 TCU (1-0) beat Grambling 56-0. No. 21 Kansas State (2-0) beat Miami 52-13. No. 22 Notre Dame (2-0) beat Purdue 20-17. No. 23 Louisville (2-0) beat Missouri State 35-7. No. 24 Florida (2-0) beat Texas A&M 20-17. No. 25 Stanford (1-0) vs. Duke, late
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neighborhood watch
Aramis Hillary, Strom Thurmond (Coastal Carolina) The quarterback completed 20 of 27 passes for 292 yards in a 47-45 overtime victory over Furman. l Matt Hazel, North Augusta (Coastal Carolina) The wide receiver caught seven passes for 128 yards in the victory. l Bryan Andrews, Greenbrier (Lehigh) The defensive back had three tackles in a 35-14 win over Central Connecticut. l Lynquez Blair, Swainsboro (Georgia State) The receiver had one catch for seven yards in a 51-13 loss to Tennessee.