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Today may be a day that tiger fans point to as a turning point for this season. Despite being outplayed by the Demon Deacons, Clemson made the big plays when they mattered and knocked off Wake Forest in double OT, 35 – 28.
The Tiger defense played poorly most of the game, allowing Wake to move the ball at will nearly all game long. They were, however, opportunistic. Wake took the opening kickoff and drove inside the Clemson 5 before a tiger linebacker picked off the Wake QB in the endzone. The only bad part of that play was that he fell forward to the one yard line putting the tiger offense in a deep hole. The tigers offense managed to get the ball to midfield before punting, but on the ensuing drive Wake marched right back down the field for a TD and a 7 – 0 lead. The Tigers answered with a TD of their own with Kyle Parker hitting Marquan Jones for a short score to knot the game at 7. After intercepting the Wake QB again, Parker once again found the endzone hitting RB Jamie Harper in the flat and Harper doing the rest to outrun the Wake defense to the pylon. The score would remain 14 – 7 Clemson at the half.
The third and most of the fourth quarter was dominated by Wake Forest. Wake had three long drives, two resulting in TD’s and another ending with a second interception in the endzone by Clemson corner Byron Maxwell. After Wake’s second TD of the half to go up 21 -14 Clemson got the ball back with about two and a half minutes remaining. It was here where Kyle Parker put this team on his back and willed the Tigers to victory. After a sack, Parker converted a third and long to keep the drive alive. After moving to the Wake 25 yardline with just over a minute remaining, Parker took matters into his own hands, keeping on an option play, stiff-arming a Wake safety and taking it to the house to tie the game at 21.
The Tiger defense, who had been much maligned all day other than three timely interceptions, stepped up and stopped the Deacons cold to send the game to overtime. In the first overtime, Wake Forest scored first to go up 28 – 21. The tigers then took the ball and ran three plays losing three yards. On 4th and 14 from the Wake 28, Parker again came through, hitting WR Terrance Ashe for a 28 yard TD to keep the game alive at 28 -28.
A tiger rushing TD on the next series gave Clemson a 35 – 28 lead and put the game in the hand of the Clemson defense. The Tiger defense finally came to life clamping down on the Wake passing game and coming away with a sack to seal the victory.
The game ball here clearly goes to Kyle Parker, who willed his team to victory, twice bringing them from behind to win. The 25 yard run seem to inspire the entire team as the defense picked up its effort after watching him make two huge plays to give Clemson its second conference win on the season.
The Tiger defense played poorly most of the game, allowing Wake to move the ball at will nearly all game long. They were, however, opportunistic. Wake took the opening kickoff and drove inside the Clemson 5 before a tiger linebacker picked off the Wake QB in the endzone. The only bad part of that play was that he fell forward to the one yard line putting the tiger offense in a deep hole. The tigers offense managed to get the ball to midfield before punting, but on the ensuing drive Wake marched right back down the field for a TD and a 7 – 0 lead. The Tigers answered with a TD of their own with Kyle Parker hitting Marquan Jones for a short score to knot the game at 7. After intercepting the Wake QB again, Parker once again found the endzone hitting RB Jamie Harper in the flat and Harper doing the rest to outrun the Wake defense to the pylon. The score would remain 14 – 7 Clemson at the half.
The third and most of the fourth quarter was dominated by Wake Forest. Wake had three long drives, two resulting in TD’s and another ending with a second interception in the endzone by Clemson corner Byron Maxwell. After Wake’s second TD of the half to go up 21 -14 Clemson got the ball back with about two and a half minutes remaining. It was here where Kyle Parker put this team on his back and willed the Tigers to victory. After a sack, Parker converted a third and long to keep the drive alive. After moving to the Wake 25 yardline with just over a minute remaining, Parker took matters into his own hands, keeping on an option play, stiff-arming a Wake safety and taking it to the house to tie the game at 21.
The Tiger defense, who had been much maligned all day other than three timely interceptions, stepped up and stopped the Deacons cold to send the game to overtime. In the first overtime, Wake Forest scored first to go up 28 – 21. The tigers then took the ball and ran three plays losing three yards. On 4th and 14 from the Wake 28, Parker again came through, hitting WR Terrance Ashe for a 28 yard TD to keep the game alive at 28 -28.
A tiger rushing TD on the next series gave Clemson a 35 – 28 lead and put the game in the hand of the Clemson defense. The Tiger defense finally came to life clamping down on the Wake passing game and coming away with a sack to seal the victory.
The game ball here clearly goes to Kyle Parker, who willed his team to victory, twice bringing them from behind to win. The 25 yard run seem to inspire the entire team as the defense picked up its effort after watching him make two huge plays to give Clemson its second conference win on the season.
