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After slow start, Clemson drubs Duke

Nov 3, 2007 - 9:12 PM DURHAM, North Carolina (Ticker) -- It took less than a minute for Clemson to turn a close game into a rout.

C.J. Spiller's 84-yard return for a touchdown on a free kick capped a spurt in which Clemson scored 16 points in 39 seconds late in the second quarter en route to a 47-10 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over Duke on Saturday.

The Blue Devils (1-8, 0-6 ACC Coastal), who suffered their 23rd straight conference defeat, played the Tigers tough for most of the first half and opened a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

"This pace (Duke) will lull you to sleep a bit," Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said. "History indicates that. It's a little tough to get motivated when you come up here."

But Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper scored on a three-yard TD run to give the Tigers (7-2, 4-2 ACC Atlantic) a 17-7 lead with 1:10 left in the first half.

On the next possession, Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis was sacked in the end zone by linebacker Cortney Vincent for a safety.

Spiller returned the ensuing free kick the distance, giving Clemson a 26-7 cushion with 31 seconds remaining in the half.

Duke, whose last ACC victory came against Clemson here in 2004, grabbed the early lead on Lewis' seven-yard TD pass to Eron Riley.

The Tigers responded with 40 straight points, as Harper threw a pair of touchdown passes to Aaron Kelly and James Davis surpassed the century mark on the ground for the second straight week.

"Being down 7-0 didn't surprise us," Bowden said. "We were behind Central Michigan at home and behind, 3-0, against Maryland at their place. I think it's a good sign of a team's maturity that they don't get flustered."

Clemson was held to a field goal for more the 21 minutes, but Harper ignited the Tigers' offense midway through the second period.

His 19-yard TD strike to Kelly gave Clemson a 10-7 lead with 8:34 left in the half, and the Tigers were off and running.

It was Harper's 22nd TD pass, breaking the Clemson single-season record he shared with Woodrow Dantzler and Charlie Whitehouse.

"Clemson had too many big plays and certainly we give them credit," Duke coach Ted Roof said. "That was the best group of backs we've seen. James Davis and C.J. Spiller are fantastic."

Harper, who finished 18-of-27 for 184 yards, and Kelly hooked up again for a five-yard TD late in the third quarter that made it 40-7.

"We've scored 150 points in three games starting slow," Bowden added. "It's not really a concern. The best thing that it indicates is that your players don't panic."

Davis rushed for 121 yards on only eight carries. Most of it came on a 70-yard TD scamper early in the third period.

Davis, the ACC's second-leading rusher this season, passed Dantzler and Terry Allen to move into fourth place on Clemson's all-time rushing list with 2,867 yards.

Lewis completed 15-of-26 passes for 160 yards with an interception for Duke. The Blue Devils were held to 28 yards rushing on 30 attempts.