Tigers chew up Wolfpack, edge closer to Atlantic Division title

By Paul Strelow - The (Columbia) State

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Clemson team buses stayed their course en route to campus Saturday night.

There was no YouTube moment in which the entire squad could be seen on the side of the interstate dancing, as coach Dabo Swinney had suggested might happen. No buses were tipped during celebratory looting, either, as senior tight end Michael Palmer playfully predicted.

“If there's a huge wreck on I-85, don't worry about it,” Palmer said a half-hour after Clemson had taken care of its end of the bargain with a 43-23 manhandling of N.C. State at Carter-Finley Stadium, the Tigers' fifth win in a row and sixth straight against the Wolfpack.

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Had Boston College lost instead of defeating Virginia 14-10 later in the day, the Tigers (7-3, 5-2 ACC) would have been crowned Atlantic Division champions.

Instead, they are left with one housekeeping chore: Beat Virginia (3-7, 2-4) in Saturday's final home game in Death Valley, and they stamp their ticket to face Georgia Tech in the ACC championship game Dec. 5 in Tampa, Fla., where they can claim the program's elusive first conference title since 1991.

A loss by Boston College either this week (vs. North Carolina) or next (at Maryland) also would do the trick.

But for a team featuring so many players who were unable to seal the deal in a 2007 winner-take-all showdown with Matt Ryan's Eagles, clinching the berth on its own would complete Clemson's so-called changing of the culture.

“We're where we wanted to be,” senior running back C.J. Spiller said. “We control our own destiny.”

Spiller had a hand and two legs in maintaining that control, accounting for a variety pack of three touchdowns as the Tigers steamrolled the Wolfpack (4-6, 1-5).

The Heisman Trophy candidate added another feather to his all-purpose cap, tallying scores by pass, run and catch to become the first player in Clemson history to do so in a game.

“I don't know how many other first-evers he can have,” Swinney said.

Spiller's 17-yard halfback option pass to Xavier Dye pushed the Tigers ahead 17-0 with 12:48 remaining in the second quarter. It was the second touchdown pass of Spiller's career.

Spiller finished with 97 rushing yards and 158 all-purpose yards, highlighting another explosive outburst from the offense.

Clemson scored at least 38 points for the fifth consecutive game, albeit against an N.C. State defense that had allowed a league-worst 41.4 points per game in ACC play.

It marked the second consecutive outing in which the Tigers tallied at least 200 yards in rushing (254) and passing (200).

They went without a turnover for the second time this season, scored on seven of their first nine drives (six touchdowns, one field goal) and converted a season-high 60 percent on third down.

It was arguably the sharpest showing yet by redshirt freshman Kyle Parker, who threw for 183 yards and two touchdowns while eliminating his penchant for making costly mistakes.

“We talked about playing a complete football game, and that was probably as complete an efficient performance that we've maybe had all year,” Swinney said.

Clemson's defense hardly had its strongest contest, committing six penalties that extended N.C. State drives while allowing 377 yards.

But the Wolfpack could not keep up with the Tigers' scoring pace, and when replay confirmed an official's ruling that Spiller did not fumble away possession with Clemson up 24-14 halfway through the third quarter, N.C. State's only drip of momentum dissipated.

In the locker room afterward, Swinney instructed that championship teams take care of their business and seize opportunities.

The opportunity to qualify for the ACC championship game is one win against a middling opponent away.

“We haven't done anything yet,” Swinney said. “We're right where you want to be. But you have to finish, that's the bottom line. If we don't finish the right way, then nobody cares. We hadn't done a dadgum thing but put a little run together where we played good football.