STAR WATCH
- Share via
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.
More to Read
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.