On This Date: 1991 (14)Clemson- 21 North Carolina - 6
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Nov 9, 2023, 8:39 AM
11/9/1991 Chapel Hill, NC
Cameron, Clemson Run to Win in Sleet-Soaked Chapel Hill
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- DeChane Cameron rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns Saturday, leading No. 14 Clemson to a 21-6 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over North Carolina.
Rudy Harris carried 16 times for 54 yards and a touchdown for the Tigers, 6-1-1 overall and 4-0-1 in the league. Natrone Means had 77 yards on 15 attempts and Clint Gwaltney hit field goals of 31 and 27 yards for the Tar Heels, 5-4 and 2-4 in ACC play.
After North Carolina had narrowed the lead to 7-6 with 6:12 to go in the third quarter, Clemson broke the game open with two straight touchdown drives.
The first was a methodical 17-play, 58-yard drive that featured 14 rushing plays, including eight Harris runs. Harris eventually scored on a 1-yard dive 34 seconds into the fourth quarter, putting Clemson ahead 14-6.
The Tigers struck quickly for their next score when Cameron hit Terry Smith for a 48-yard pass to the North Carolina 8-yard line. That set up Cameron's 1-yard scoring run three plays later with 11:04 left in the game.
The Tar Heels, trailing 7-0 at halftime, used some opportunistic special teams play to come close in the third quarter.
North Carolina first recovered a fumbled punt return by Darnell Stephens at the Clemson 21-yard line with 10:14 to go in the period. That led to a 31-yard field goal by Gwaltney 50 seconds later to make the score 7-3.
On Clemson's next possession, Chuck Lynch's 13-yard punt was partially blocked by Bracey Walker to give the Tar Heels the ball at the Tigers' 48. Seven plays later, Gwaltney hit a 27-yard field goal to cut Clemson's lead to 7-6.
The only scoring in the first half came on Clemson's initial drive of the second quarter. Facing third-and-5, Cameron went around the right end and raced 41 yards untouched into the end zone to put the Tigers up 7-0.
North Carolina moved into Clemson territory five times in the first half, including a first down at the Tigers 11, but failed to put any points on the board.
Gwaltney missed a 39-yard field goal with 8:11 to go before halftime and Clemson's Nelson Welch had a 55-yard attempt blocked on the final play of the half.