N.C. State's Art Norman (95) and Terrell Manning (35) sack Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd during the first half. ETHAN HYMAN - ehyman@newsobserver.com
RALEIGH — Only in the unpredictable ACC does this happen.
A week after losing to the last-place team in the Atlantic Division, N.C. State demolished the first-place team in the division.
The Wolfpack defense fueled an unbelievable 37-13 rout of the seventh-ranked Tigers on Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium, keeping the Wolfpack's bowl hopes alive and preventing Clemson from its first 10-win season since 1990.
N.C. State (6-5, 3-4 ACC), which beat a top 10 team at home for the first time since 1998, needs to beat Maryland next Saturday at home to get back to a bowl game.
State caused four turnovers and sacked Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd five times, holding the ACC's best offense without a touchdown for the game's first 58 minutes. The Tigers (9-2, 6-2 ACC) will still play in the ACC title game on Dec. 3 in Charlotte but they will limp there instead of a sprint.
Without freshman receiver Sammy Watkins, who sat out the game with a shoulder injury, Clemson couldn't get its high-powered offense going. The Tigers led the ACC with 37.1 points points per game and 478.1 yards per game.
State linebacker Terrell Manning and defensive end Art Norman terrorized Boyd and held the Tigers to 337 total yards.
Manning and Norman combined on the key play to ignite the Wolfpack run. Down 7-3, Boyd dropped back on Clemson's first possession of the second quarter and was sacked by Norman at Clemson's 11-yard line. Manning picked it up and advanced to the 6.
Two plays later, State quarterback Mike Glennon hit receiver Jay Smith on a 7-yard touchdown for a 14-3 advantage at 10:33 in the second quarter.
On Clemson's next series, offensive coordinator Chad Morris called a double-reverse with Boyd handing off to receiver Adam Humphries, who immediately tried to give it to running back Mike Bellamy. The second handoff was botched and State had the ball on Clemson's 18-yard line.
Clemson made a stand, forcing a 21-yard Niklas Sade field goal, but State's offense still found 10 more points before the end of the half.
After another three-and-out by Clemson's offense, T.J. Graham's 34-yard punt return gave N.C. State the ball on Clemson's 11, which Tony Creecy soon turned into a 4-yard touchdown run.
Sade tacked on one more field goal, a 32-yarder, before the end of the half, to make it 27-3 at the half.
State's defense, which shutout North Carolina two weeks ago and allowed only 14 points in a loss to Boston College last week, set the tone in the second half with a fourth-down stand on Clemson's first possession.
Manning and Audie Cole forced a scrambling Boyd out-of-bounds and any hope of a Clemson rally — as it did last week against Wake Forest and earlier in the season at Maryland — was muted.
Boyd threw two red-zone picks in the third quarter, one to cornerback David Amerson at the 1-yard line, and another to Brandon Bishop in the end zone.
Amerson's 11th interception of the season ties the ACC single-season record. After Amerson's pick, State got its offensive highlight of the game, a 43-yard touchdown catch-and-run by Tobais Palmer, who turned Clemson safety Jonathan Meeks inside-out on a cutback during his sprint to the end zone.
It was the first time N.C. State beat a top 10 team, besides Florida State, since 1988. That Wolfpack team beat No. 9 Clemson. State had been 3-17 against top 10 teams since then before Saturday's upset.
Comments
Yes
Mon, 11/21/2011 - 08:56 — melvinfurdYes, I think the NCS hoops team is a better team already. And, they'll likely improve as the season progresses.
Hoops
Sun, 11/20/2011 - 20:03 — melvinfurdI'm trying, unsuccessfully, to figure out why there is nothing on ACCNOW, ALLACC ALL THE TIME about last night's Vanderbilt @ N.C. State basketball game?
Simple I think
Sun, 11/20/2011 - 21:35 — JPDOhioThe game was in NJ and the N&O didn't send anyone up there, although why the article that appeared in the paper's website wasn't posted is beyond me.
For what it's worth, I watched the replay of the game on ESPN3 today and remain impressed with the Pack's performance so far this year. They went toe-to-toe with an experienced, ranked team. The outcome was in doubt until about a minute and a half to go.
State had problems defending the 3, but otherwise they were active on defense and got after it on the boards. They are playing with about 10 times more energy than we saw last year. CJ Leslie was very good in the first half and actually seemed to stay pretty much within the team concept. In the second half though he reverted more to his old style and was not as effective. He also lost minutes in the 2nd half due to leg cramping,
Painter and Howell have a tendency to get into foul trouble and they were again last night. They need get better in that area. However, they both came back in the second half and were very effective keeping State in the game until Vanderbilt pulled away in the last minute.
Next up is Texas on Monday. It would be great if the Pack can get what should be considered a quality win, although I am not sure the Longhorns are as good as they have been in recent history. Anyway, GO PACK!
Dr. J and Mr. H
Sun, 11/20/2011 - 09:58 — SurferCongrats to the Pack, whoever those guys were. TOB is now safe and secure for at least 3 more years.
surfer is happy
Sun, 11/20/2011 - 10:49 — JPDOhioToday is a good day, because TOB will be around for a while.
Looks like you got your wish.
Yep
Mon, 11/21/2011 - 13:28 — SurferIt's Christmas. I guess subliminally I want him around to "see what it feels like to lose to UNC". Granted not that I know when that will happen, but if he leaves, the chances are unlikely. Thus, the longer he stays the more chances of it occurring. Plus I really like his recruiting style.
Nothing I would enjoy more
Mon, 11/21/2011 - 23:47 — unc098Nothing I would enjoy more than a 62-10 pounding of the Pack under TOB.......HEY! I can dream......
If Carolina beats Duke
Sun, 11/20/2011 - 01:44 — unc098If Carolina beats Duke .....I would love to see a Pack/ Heels rematch in a bowl game. It would be a money maker ;-))))
Nice win
Sun, 11/20/2011 - 01:03 — gvillegatrMaybe the best win of any NC team this year. Tip my cap.
On another note: why JPG doesn't say who Amerson is tied with for interceptions in a season is bewildering. It's cool to randomly bring up UNC's trouble in a UNC blog that has nothing to do with the investigation. But you don't want to let the casual fan know who Amerson is tied with in interceptions for a season (Dre Bly, UNC). Expect an email sometime tomorrow, JPG. :o)
Wrong
Sat, 11/19/2011 - 20:02 — YAR8packCouldnt be happier to be so wrong.
JPD, how could I doubt your prognostication prowess? I've got your ticket to Vegas. Just lemme know when I need to withdraw my savings. :-D
Seriously, as good as this win feels, it makes the loss last week to BC all the more perplexing and inexcusable. My guts are already in a knot for the upcoming game against UMd.
Go Wolfpack. Please stop with the schizophrenia on-field play.
right
Sun, 11/20/2011 - 11:05 — JPDOhioIt is nice to be right for a change, but I am as surprised by the result as anyone. When I left for 4 o'clock Mass, the Pack was looking awful on offense. I get out an hour later and they're up 24-3!
The defense has been great since Fla State. The difference on offense is simple. When the O-Line protects Glennon, he is great. But he needs time, which he hasn't gotten during this stretch of bad offense. There is no doubt that the offense played with a sense of urgency we haven't seen for a while, but the O-Line was the difference. That and the receivers hanging on to the ball and making yards after the catch. This is the best day for Pack receivers I have seen in a while. That TD by Tobias Palmer was world-class, as was the one catch TJ Graham made where got he turned around deep in Clemson territory.
On D, the linebackers have been getting it done all year. It's the D-Line controlling the line of scrimmage that was the difference in this game. It put the pressure on Boyd and took the pressure off the Pack's secondary, allowing them to make more plays than I can remember. Amerson is just unbelievable.
All in all, probably the best performance I have seen out of the Pack in this century. For me, it took some of the sting out YSU's last second loss earlier in the afternoon that ended their shot at the 1-AA playoffs. That sucks, but State now has a legit shot at a bowl game. Still, the Maryland game is a dangerous one and they had better show up to play. As good as they were yesterday, they could lose if they are not careful.
Yep , O line was a hugh
Sun, 11/20/2011 - 13:14 — unc098Yep , O line was a hugh difference. They did a great job of protecting Glennon and everything opened up from there.Tenuta has these linebackers doing exactly what he wants them to do. Wistfully seeing some very familiar stuff there. He ran the same scheme at UNC. Worked really well too.
I think the pack could have
Sun, 11/20/2011 - 10:13 — unc098I think the pack could have beaten just about anyone today. They were sky high. Bizarre day of college football..
I think the Pack will take Maryland next weekend. The confidence they have gained in this game will send them over the top. The defense has been playing well the past 3 weeks and today showed that it wasn't a fluke. The offense, Glennon, is starting to hit its stride. Typical TOB Nov. finish. Guess I gotta eat my words about his unemployment.
WOW!!!! who are those guys
Sat, 11/19/2011 - 19:15 — unc098WOW!!!! who are those guys out there??
As I said
1. Glennon has to have a good day throwing the ball
2. Clemson has to sleepwalk into CF feeling smug about the ACC championship game, thus overlooking the Pack
3. States D has to continue to play well
This team has surpassed all expectations. 4th qtr. just starting and this game is way over.
Congratulations Pack on an incredible win.
More later, but my son
Sat, 11/19/2011 - 20:05 — JPDOhioMore later, but my son texted me the same question earlier.