Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
No. 5 Clemson dominates Georgia Tech 26-7
ATLANTA (AP) — The halftime stats were almost comical. Clemson looked as though it was going against the scout team, not a fellow Atlantic Coast Conference school.
Finally, the sort of performance everyone has been expecting from the No. 5 Tigers.
Deshaun Watson threw for 304 yards, including a pair of touchdowns during a dominant first half that carried Clemson to a 26-7 victory over Georgia Tech on Thursday night.
After sluggish wins over Auburn and Troy, and a practice-like rout of FCS school South Carolina State that meant nothing, the Tigers (4-0, 1-0 ACC) won at Georgia Tech for the first time since 2003 to set up a huge showdown with No. 3 Louisville.
“We came in focused that first half,” Watson said. “We just wanted to finish the deal.”
Watson threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams and a 9-yarder to Jordan Leggett with just 4 seconds left before halftime to complete a stunningly lopsided showing that wasn’t entirely reflected in the 23-0 lead. Wayne Gallman added a 1-yard TD run.
At halftime, Clemson was up 347-22 lead in total yards and 19-3 in first downs, having run 56 plays to only 21 for the home team. Georgia Tech (3-1, 1-1) was outgained 442-124 overall.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve won here,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “We’ll take it.”
This was a virtual repeat of last year’s meeting at Clemson, where the Tigers raced to a 33-10 halftime lead on the way to a 43-24 victory. Both times, they totally dominated the line of scrimmage.
“They’ve done it to us two years in a row up front,” Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said. “They kicked our butts.”
Clemson backed off over the final two quarters, and the Yellow Jackets avoided their first home shutout since 1957 when Dedrick Mills scored on a 2-yard run with 13:21 remaining.
Even when Georgia Tech came up with a big play, it wound up costing points. Lance Austin intercepted a pass in the end zone and tried to bring it out — only to be whacked inadvertently by teammate Corey Griffin, knocking the ball loose.
Austin fell on it in the end zone, but that was a safety for Clemson. It was a far cry from a primetime game last season, when the defensive back returned a blocked field goal 78 yards for a touchdown on the final play to give Georgia Tech a stunning victory of Florida State.
There wouldn’t be an upset on this night.
Up next
Clemson: When Louisville visits Death Valley on Oct. 1, it will have all the makings of a national playoff game. Assuming the Cardinals (3-0) get by Marshall on Saturday night, two unbeaten powerhouses will meet to establish the pecking order atop the ACC.
Georgia Tech: No. 15 Miami (3-0) and longtime nemesis Mark Richt visit Bobby Dodd Stadium on Oct. 1. Richt is in his first season as the Hurricanes coach after 15 years at Georgia, where he went 13-2 against the Yellow Jackets. …
Virginia 49, Central Michigan 35: Kurt Benkert threw five touchdown passes, the last two after Virginia had squandered all of a 28-0 lead, and the Cavaliers gave coach Bronco Mendenhall his 100th career victory, over Central Michigan.
Benkert hit Olamide Zaccheaus with a go-ahead 82-yard pass after the Cavaliers defense forced its first punt since the opening quarter. Virginia (1-3) forced another punt, and Benkert hit Albert Reid for a 5-yard touchdown, capping a 73-yard drive. Taquan Mizzell also scored twice for Virginia on runs of 4 and 53 yards
The Chippewas (3-1), seeking their first 4-0 start since 1985, scored on four of five possessions after going behind 28-0 less than 20 minutes into the game. Cooper Rush threw two touchdown passes to Corey Willis, including an 85-yarder, and Amari Coleman read a screen pass perfectly and scored on a 47-yard interception return.
Mendenhall, in his first year at Virginia, was 99-43 in 11 seasons at BYU before coming east.
Virginia Tech 54, East Carolina17: Jerod Evans said that he needed to clean up some things during Virginia Tech’s upcoming off week.
The Hokies’ fan base may be wondering what exactly that is. His play so far has been sparkling.
Evans, the Hokies’ starting quarterback, threw three touchdown passes and rushed for one to lift Virginia Tech over East Carolina on.
The Hokies (3-1) scored on their final five possessions of the first half, including all four of their second-quarter possessions, to overwhelm East Carolina (2-2) and snap a two-game losing streak to the Pirates.
Evans completed 13 of 20 passes for a career-best 282 yards and rushed for a career-best 97 more. He has thrown at least three touchdown passes in three of the Hokies’ first four games and is completing 67 percent of his passes.
Evans entered the game with an ACC-best 10 touchdown passes this season. Of more importance to Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente, he has thrown just one interception.
Following a punt return for a touchdown by Greg Stroman and a touchdown run by Marshawn Williams that gave the Hokies a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, Evans threw touchdown passes of 24 yards to Isaiah Ford, 13 yards to Travon McMillian and 55 yards to Cam Phillips. That final score gave the Hokies a 38-0 halftime lead.
ECU quarterback Philip Nelson had 362 yards passing and two touchdown tosses to Jimmy Williams. The Pirates had 443 yards of offense, but committed three special teams mistakes, fumbled once and were sacked six times.
Up next
East Carolina: The Pirates open AAC play next Saturday with a home game against UCF. ECU blasted the Golden Knights 44-7 last season for their first win in Orlando since 2008.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies are off next week before taking on North Carolina on Oct. 8 and will be looking to avenge last year’s 30-27 overtime loss. The Hokies have won nine of the 12 meetings with the Tar Heels since joining the ACC. …
Boston College 42, Wagner 10: Quarterback Patrick Towles passed for two touchdowns and added two more on the ground as Boston College defeated Wagner.
Jon Hilliman ran for two more touchdowns for the Eagles (2-2), who won their 25th straight game against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent.
Wagner (2-1) wasn’t rattled early, scoring on its second drive of the game to take an early 7-0 lead. But after the Seahawks pulled within 14-10 early in the second quarter, BC took control, and scored the final 28 points of the game.
Boston College coach Steve Addazio expressed discontent this week with his team’s inability to run the ball consistently over its first three games, after establishing that identity during his first three seasons in Boston.
BC had just 44 yards rushing in last week’s 49-0 loss at Virginia Tech, its fewest since 28 at N.C. State in 2015. The Eagles entered Saturday ranked second from last in the Atlantic Coast Conference in rushing at just 124.4 yards per game.
They had 188 yards rushing at halftime against Wagner, and finished with 300 yards on the ground for the day.
Towles’ day ended after three quarters. He was 9 of 16 for 157 yards passing and rushed seven times for 46 yards. Hilliman rushed 19 times for 83 yards, and Davon Jones also rushed 12 times for 90 yards.
After giving up the early score, BC’s defense tightened, holding to Eagles to just 89 total yards in the first half, and -2 yards in the third quarter.
The Eagles outgained Wagner 490-107 in total yards for the game.
Up next
Wagner: The Seahawks return home next week to host Sacred Heart in its Northeast Conference opener.
Boston College: The Eagles continue their four-game home stand next week with a visit from Mid-American Conference Buffalo. …
Duke 38, Notre Dame 35: AJ Reed kicked a 19-yard field goal with 84 seconds left as Duke rallied back from an early two-touchdown deficit to beat Notre Dame.
Reed had missed all three of his field goal attempts this season before kicking the game winner.
Daniel Jones threw for three touchdowns, including a 64-yard scoring pass to Anthony Nash midway through the fourth quarter to tie the score. Shaun Wilson returned a kickoff 96 yards for a score to spark the Blue Devils (2-2) after they fell behind 14-0. The Duke defense set up the final touchdown when it sacked DeShone Kizer for a 7-yard loss at the 5-yard line and Deondre Singleton intercepted a pass at the Notre Dame 45.
The Irish defense continued to struggle, giving up 30 or more points against Power Five teams for the seventh time in their last nine games. The student section chanted “Fire VanGorder,” referring to defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder.
Jones was 24 of 32 passing for 290 yards. Nash had six catches for 123 yards. Jela Duncan ran for 121 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.
Kizer was 22 of 37 passing for 381 yards with two touchdowns, an interception and a fumble to lead the Irish (1-3). Kizer threw a 12-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter that put Notre Dame ahead for the first time since squandering a 14-0 lead, but the Irish couldn’t hang on.
The Blue Devils, who managed a total of 27 points in losses to Wake Forest and Duke, scored 28 in the first half against the Irish. Duke scored three straight touchdowns after falling behind 14-0.
Up next
Duke: After back-to-back trips to the Midwest, the Blue Devils return home to face Virginia, a team it has beaten in six of their last eight meetings.
Notre Dame: The Irish travel to East Rutherford, New Jersey, to play Syracuse, the first of three neutral-site games they will play this season.