NCAA Football Recap (Clemson-Auburn)
Posted: Fri January 2, 1998 at 9:19 p.m. EST
Quarterback Dameyune Craig ran for one touchdown and set up
another with a 29-yard pass as Auburn overcame
shoddy special teams play to record a 21-17 victory over Clemson
in the Peach Bowl at Atlanta.
Clemson (7-5) took a 17-6 lead with 1:48 to go in the third
quarter on a 48-yard field goal by David Richardson, but Auburn
(10-3) rallied behind Craig. On the ensuing possession, he
scrambled 22 yards for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 17-12
with 13:29 to play.
After a failed two-point conversion, the War Eagles defense
forced a punt. Craig again went to work, this time rolling right
and stopping just at the line of scrimmage before finding
Karsten Bailey on the right sideline. Bailey was barely able to
get his right foot down inbounds, giving Auburn a 29-yard gain
to the Clemson 7.
On the next play, Rusty Williams went off right tackle, slipped
through a crease and scored to make it 18-17 at the 8:45 mark.
An interception by inside linebacker Takeo Spikes led to a
22-yard field goal by Jaret Holmes, his third of the game,
completing the scoring.
Clemson made one final push, reaching the Auburn 48 after a
27-yard pass from Nealon Greene to Rod Garner on 3rd-and-5. But
Greene threw four straight incompletions, the last one tipped by
Spikes, that gave the ball back to Auburn with 2:30 remaining.
The War Eagles ran out the clock to preserve the victory.
Auburn improved to 14-10-2 in bowl games and won the Peach Bowl
for the second time. The War Eagles defeated Indiana in the
1990 Peach Bowl.
"For every Auburn fan, this was as probably a fitting end to the
season, much like the other games, having to fight through
adversity," said Auburn coach Terry Bowden. "We are a passing
offense and we could not catch the ball today. But the defense
played a great game. We mixed the run well, but we were as cold
as we could get in the passing game."
Both of Clemson's touchdowns came as the result of blocked
punts. Chad Speck returned a blocked kick 19 yards in the second
quarter to give Clemson a 7-3 lead. Wide receiver Mal Lawyer
blocked a punt in the second half and recovered it at the Auburn
2, setting up a two-yard run by Terry Witherspoon with 5:15 left
in the third quarter that made it 14-6.
"You have to be happy to have two punts blocked that led for
touchdowns and win the game," added Bowden.
Holmes made 3-of-5 field goals, but the misses came from 51 and
50 yards. He made a 52-yard field goal to open the scoring,
tying the Peach Bowl record held by Indiana's Pete Stoyanovich.
Auburn held Clemson to 145 yards and four first downs, the
fewest by a War Eagles opponent since Michigan State had two
first downs in the 1938 Orange Bowl.
"We played poorly on offense all day," said Clemson coach Tommy
West. "We had some opportunities to do things on offense, but
we dropped some passes and did not convert."
Craig completed just 15-of-45 passes, but threw for 228 yards.
Bailey had four receptions for 119 yards, including a 61-yarder
in the second quarter.
Clemson's Nealon Greene completed 11-of-25 passes for only 86
yards. Raymond Priester had 62 yards rushing.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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