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Davis leads Clemson in rout of South Carolina State

Sep 20, 2008 - 9:50 PM CLEMSON, South Carolina (Ticker) -- James Davis ran for three first-half touchdowns as 21st-ranked Clemson cruised to a 54-0 victory over South Carolina State on Saturday.

Davis carried 11 times for 95 yards and found the end zone on a pair of 1-yard scores and a 5-yard scamper for the Tigers (3-1), who used a 23-point second quarter to jump out to a 30-0 halftime lead. C.J. Spiller added 63 yards on 14 carries and Willy Korn ran for a score and connected with Michael Palmer on a 5-yard touchdown pass.

"Guys are improving week in and week out, and they showed it today," Davis said. "The offensive line especially improved; I'm so proud of those guys. I stayed patient, I knew my time would come; I've just got to keep working hard."

Cullen Harper, who ran for a 1-yard touchdown, completed 15-of-24 passes for 151 yards but threw a pair of interceptions for Clemson.

Clemson smothered the Bulldogs' (2-2) ground game, holding them to negative-nine rushing yards.

"We've just got to go out and do what we're supposed to do" Clemson defensive back Michael Hamlin said. "We just went out and hit them right in the mouth; we wanted to keep them out of the end zone. We just wanted to try to hit as many people as possible."

Davis capped off a five-play, 69-yard drive to open the game with a 1-yard score. But Harper's two first-quarter interceptions kept the Tigers' lead at 7-0 after 15 minutes.

South Carolina State quarterback Malcolm Long threw his first of three interceptions on the second play of the second quarter, and Davis ended the ensuing drive with his 5-yard TD. After Long was picked off again on the Bulldogs' next possession, Davis found the end zone from a yard out to stretch the Tigers' lead to 21-0.

Clemson's defense forced a safety to extend the lead to 23-0, and Harper tallied his first rushing touchdown of the season before the end of the half to account for the 30-point bulge.

After a 2007 campaign in which Harper threw for 27 touchdowns and just six interceptions, the senior has already thrown four picks in the first four games this season.

Long's third interception of the game was returned by Chris Clemons for a 32-yard score for Clemson, which returns to Atlantic Coast Conference play against Maryland next week.

"We've just got to continue to get better and better each week," Harper said. "I think our confidence is right where it needs to be going into this stretch of ACC games. I thought we ran the ball well, I thought James came out and did a great job, then I thought the defense did a good job today. They got some turnovers and got off the field for us."