STAR WATCH
Clemson supporters have always said tailback C.J. Spiller can do it all on offense.
Saturday, he did.
In a 43-23 win over North Carolina State, Spiller became the first player in school history to run, catch and throw for a touchdown in one game -- a performance Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney said was “another ho-hum day for him.”
Spiller rushed for 97 yards in 18 carries, caught three passes for 48 yards and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass.
He added 13 yards on a kickoff return, giving him 175 all-purpose yards, enough to push his season total to a school-record 1,969.
All with a bad big toe.
Spiller has been injured for weeks, rising each morning before sunrise, dunking his toe in a bucket of ice water, having it stretched out by trainers, then repeating the process later.
Clemson is promoting Spiller as a Heisman Trophy candidate by noting that his average of nearly 200 all-purpose yards a game is better than that of backs such as Notre Dame’s Tim Brown and Michigan’s Desmond Howard when they won the award.
A look at the performances of other prominent players:
Kellen Moore, So., QB, Boise State: Completed 22 of 32 passes for 299 yards and five touchdowns in 63-25 win over Idaho.
Colt McCoy, Sr., QB, Texas: Completed 23 of 34 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns in 47-14 win over Baylor, tying an NCAA record with his 42nd career victory (against seven losses) as a starting quarterback.
Tim Tebow, Sr., QB, Florida: Completed 14 of 25 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown in 24-14 win over South Carolina. He also rushed for a score -- the 53rd touchdown of his career, tying a Southeastern Conference record.
Mark Ingram, So., RB, Alabama: Rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns in 19 carries in 31-3 win over Mississippi State.
Toby Gerhart, Sr., RB, Stanford: Rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns in 29 carries in 55-21 win over No. 11 USC.
Jacquizz Rodgers, So., RB, Oregon State: Rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns in 18 carries in 48-21 win over Washington.
-- Mike Hiserman
--
QUOTE, UNQUOTE
‘I got a lot of grief on the sideline because it was a duck. But it got us six points.’
-- C.J. Spiller of Clemson,
talking about the 17-yard touchdown pass he threw to help the Tigers to a 43-23 win over North Carolina State. The senior running back also ran for a touchdown and caught a scoring pass.
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