CUTrevor
2026-10-17 18:31:53
GAME NOTES
- Clemson
recorded its ninth shutout under Dabo Swinney and its first since a 30-0
shutout of South Carolina in 2021.
- Clemson
limited Charleston Southern to 76 yards, Clemson’s first time holding an
opponent under 100 yards since Charleston Southern’s most recent visit in
2023 (73).
- Clemson’s
50 passing yards allowed were its fewest since 2019 against Wake Forest
(41). That 2019 Wake Forest game was also designated as Military
Appreciation Day, and the opposing head coach of that 2019 Wake Forest
squad served as Saturday’s television analyst.
- Clemson
allowed six total yards in the second half, including no passing yards.
- Clemson
held Charleston Southern to 26 rushing yards. It marked the second time
this season Clemson has held an opponent under 30 rushing yards (22 vs.
Georgia Southern).
- Clemson
did not allow a single third-down conversion (0-for-11). It marked the
fourth time since 1978 that Clemson did not allow a third-down conversion
in a game (1978 vs. Wake Forest, 1992 vs. North Carolina, 2021 vs. UConn).
- Clemson
recorded a season-high 13 tackles for loss on Charleston Southern’s 45
offensive plays. It was Clemson’s most tackles for loss in a game since
posting 16 at Pitt on Nov. 16, 2024.
- Clemson
recorded a season-high 37 points and 438 yards of offense. It was
Clemson’s second 400-yard game of the season.
- With
231 rushing yards, Clemson recorded its second 200-yard rushing game of
the season, joining its 257-yard effort at Cal.
- Clemson
reached 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards in a game for the 71st
time in Dabo Swinney’s head coaching career and for the first time this
season.
- Clemson
reached 200 yards in both rushing yards and passing yards for the first
time since Nov. 22, 2025, vs. Furman.
- Clemson
scored 24 second-quarter points, its most in a quarter since a 24-point
second quarter at Boston College in 2025.
- Clemson
scored points on each of its first five drives, its first time
accomplishing the feat since 2025 at Boston College.
- Clemson
did not allow a sack for the first time since September 2025 at Georgia
Tech.
- Running
back Chris Johnson Jr. recorded his first career game with multiple
rushing touchdowns, collecting two rushing touchdowns and 34 yards on
seven carries.
- Johnson
recorded his first rushing touchdown as a Tiger on a six-yard run in
the first quarter.
- The
rushing touchdown was the sixth of Johnson’s career, including one
with Miami (Fla.) and four with SMU.
- Johnson
added his career-high second rushing touchdown of the game on a two-yard
run in the second quarter.
- Running
back Gideon Davidson rushed 13 times for 59 yards and a touchdown.
- Davidson
rushed for a seven-yard touchdown in the second quarter, his fifth rushing
touchdown of the season.
- Davidson
became the first Clemson player to rush for a touchdown in four straight
games since a six-game streak by Will Shipley in 2022.
- T.J.
Moore extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 33
games, tying Antonio Williams (33 from 2022-24) for the seventh-longest
streak in Clemson history.
- On his
third catch of the game, wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. (101)
reached 100 career receptions. He became the third active Clemson player
to reach the mark, joining T.J. Moore and Tyler Brown.
- Tight
end Christian Bentancur recorded a career-high 74 receiving yards
on four receptions. His previous career high was 51 yards on five
receptions at South Carolina in 2024.
- Bentancur’s
74 receiving yards were the most by a Clemson tight end in a game since
Jake Briningstool’s 104 yards at Wake Forest in 2024.
- Collectively,
Clemson’s tight ends accounted for 109 receiving yards, the unit’s most
since a 113-yard effort against Wake Forest in 2024.
- Fifteen
different players caught a pass for Clemson, tied for the fourth-most in a
game under Dabo Swinney.
- Clemson
scored its first non-offensive touchdown of the season in kickoff coverage
on a 17-yard fumble return by Kylon Griffin in the second quarter.
- The
fumble recovery was the second of Griffin’s career but his first to
be returned for a touchdown.
- Griffin’s
touchdown came nine seconds after the rushing touchdown by Johnson.
It was Clemson’s shortest time between touchdowns since 2020 vs. The
Citadel. Coincidentally, Clemson scored nine seconds apart thanks to
17-yard fumble returns into the east end zone against in-state FCS
opponents in both games.
- Clemson
has scored in rapid succession in both all-time games against Charleston
Southern. Clemson scored 12 seconds apart against the Buccaneers in
2023.
- The
fumble was forced by wide receiver Tristan Smith. It was the second
of his career but his first with the Tigers. He previously forced a fumble
with Southeast Missouri State in 2024.
- Defensive
end London Merritt recorded his second sack of the season in the
second quarter.
- Defensive
tackle Vic Burley recorded his first career sack in the fourth
quarter.
- Later
on the same possession, defensive lineman Caden Story recorded the
first full sack of his career to force a turnover on downs.
- Story
added another half-sack in the fourth quarter, sharing the stop with
linebacker C.J. Kubah-Taylor.
- One
game after producing a then-career-long 42-yard kickoff return against
Miami (Fla.), Johnson opened the game with a career-long 43-yard
kickoff return.
- Johnson
became the first Clemson player to record a kickoff return of 40 or more
yards in consecutive games since Artavis Scott did so against Louisville
and Boston College in October 2016.
- Kicker
Nolan Hauser went 3-for-3 on field goals and 4-for-4 on PATs. He is
now 15-of-16 on field goals and 11-for-11 on PATs this season.
- On his
third field goal of the game, Hauser became the ninth kicker in
Clemson history to reach 50 career field goals.
- On a
41-yard field goal to open the game’s scoring, Hauser (50) passed
David Treadwell (47) for sole possession of ninth in career field goals in
Clemson history. He is now one field goal shy of Jad Dean (51) for eighth.
- On his
fifth point of the game (a PAT following a touchdown run by Davidson), Hauser
(258) became the ninth kicker and 13th player overall in school history to
reach 250 career points.
- Hauser
(258) passed Jad Dean (250) for eighth in Clemson history in career kick
scoring and for 12th overall in Clemson history in career points of any
kind.
- With
his final PAT of the game, Hauser (108) passed Bob Paulling (107
from 1979-83) for fifth in Clemson history in career PATs.
- Hauser
recorded a career-long 59-yard field goal in the final minute of the
second half.
- The
59-yard field goal by Hauser was the second-longest field goal in
Clemson history, trailing only a 61-yarder by Spencer Benton against Ball
State in 2012.
- With
the kick, Hauser recorded his fifth career field goal of 50 or more
yards to tie Donald Igwebuike (five from 1981-84) and Chris Gardocki (five
from 1988-90) for second-most in Clemson history.
- Hauser
is now responsible for two of the five longest field goals in Clemson
history.
- The
game featured two notable returns from injury. Running back Jay Haynes
appeared in his first game action since suffering multiple knee injuries
in the 2024 ACC Championship Game, and defensive tackle Kourtney Kelly
made his Clemson debut after tearing his ACL in the spring.
- Dabo
Swinney coached against Charleston Southern Head Coach Gabe Giardina
for the second time. Giardina served as a placekicker and holder on the
2000 Alabama Crimson Tide squad for which Swinney served as wide receivers
coach.
- Offensive
lineman Elyjah Thurmon served as Clemson’s flagbearer for Military
Appreciation Day. Both of Thurmon’s parents, Earnest Thurmon and Tammie
Williams, served in the U.S. Army.
- Clemson’s
captains for the contest were safety Kylon Griffin, kicker Robert
Gunn III, quarterback Trent Pearman and wide receiver/holder Clay
Swinney.
|
