The Notes: No. 3 Clemson 52, Wake Forest 3

Here are a few notes from Clemson’s 52-3 win over Wake Forest.

• According to ESPN Stats & Info, Clemson joined 1944 Army and 1972 Nebraska as the only teams in the AP Poll era to win four consecutive games by 45 or more points.

• Clemson won a sixth straight game by 30 or more points to break a tie with 2013 Florida State for the longest such streak in conference history.

• Including a 63-3 victory against Wake Forest last year, Clemson has outscored Wake Forest, 115-6, across the last two seasons.

• Clemson held Wake Forest to 105 total yards, including only 41 passing yards. Wake Forest entered the game averaging 487.3 total yards per game, including a conference-best 314.1 passing yards per game.

• Clemson recorded 26 first downs to Wake Forest’s five. Clemson’s defense produced more three-and-outs (seven) than Wake Forest’s offense produced first downs (five). Those seven official three-and-outs also don’t include a one-play Wake Forest drive that ended with an interception.

• The five first downs surrendered are Clemson’s fewest since the 2017 Kent State game (five) and the fewest against an ACC opponent since the 2009 Boston College game (four).

• Clemson’s 105 yards allowed were the program’s fewest since allowing 102 to South Carolina State in 2016. It was Clemson’s fewest yards allowed against an FBS and ACC opponent since holding Boston College to 54 total yards in 2009.

• Clemson allowed only 2.06 yards per play (105 yards on 51 plays). It was the lowest yards-per-play average allowed by Clemson since last season at Boston College (1.98).

• Clemson held an 11th straight opponent below 300 yards of total offense to become the first team since the turn of the century to open a season holding opponents below 300 yards in each of the first 11 games. ESPN Stats & Info says it is the first such occurrence in records back to 1996.

• Clemson has now held 14 consecutive opponents to 20 or fewer points for the first time since the 1949-51 seasons under Head Coach Frank Howard.

• Clemson held a ninth consecutive opponent below 200 passing yards for the first time since games 3-11 of the 2008 season.

• Clemson held a sixth consecutive opponent to a completion percentage of 50.0 percent or worse, Clemson's first such streak since a seven-game span including the 1999 season finale and first six games of 2000.

• Clemson outgained Wake Forest in passing yards, 348-41, and produced more passing yards than its opponent in a 14th consecutive game, dating to last season, for the first time since an 18-game streak across the 2015-17 seasons. The 307-yard difference in passing yardage was Clemson’s largest in a single game since a 2017 game against The Citadel (418).

• Clemson reached 50 points in a fourth straight game for the first time in program history.

• Clemson has now scored 45 points in six consecutive games for the first time in school history. The streak matches the 2013 Florida State Seminoles for the longest in ACC history.

• Clemson (505) has now produced the sixth 500-point season in team history, joining the 2018 (664), 2016 (588), 2015 (577), 2012 (533) and 2013 (522) seasons.

• Clemson gained 516 total yards and has now reached 500 yards in six straight games for the first time since October and November of the 2016 season.

• Clemson averaged 7.1 yards per play and reached 7.0 yards per play for a fifth game in a row, surpassing the first four games of 2018 for the program's longest streak on record.

• With five passing touchdowns in the game, Clemson has now thrown three or more touchdowns in six straight games for the first time in school history.

• In addition, Clemson has now rushed for multiple touchdowns in 12 consecutive games for the first time since a 15-game streak across the 2016-17 seasons.

• Quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 21-of-27 passes for 272 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. His 211.3 pass efficiency rating marks his fourth game this season -- and the sixth of his career -- with a 200.0 or better passer rating.

• Lawrence tied his career high in touchdown passes (four), matching his four touchdown passes at Georgia Tech and at Florida State in 2018.

• Lawrence has now thrown at least three touchdown passes in six consecutive games for the first time in his career, a first in school history. He had already been the first Clemson quarterback to accomplish the feat in five straight games.

• Lawrence has now thrown a touchdown pass in 21 consecutive games. His 21-game streak is the longest active streak in the country. (Note: UCF's McKenzie Milton had a 24-game streak prior to suffering an injury in November 2018 that will likely preclude him from playing in 2019).

• With 268 combined passing and rushing yards in the game, Lawrence (6,349) passed Steve Fuller (6,096) for sixth on the school's leaderboard for career total offense.

• Lawrence (5,855) also passed Nealon Greene (5,719) and Cullen Harper (5,762) for fifth on Clemson's career passing yardage leaderboard.

• Running back Travis Etienne rushed 16 times for 121 yards and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 37 yards.

• With another 100-yard performance, Etienne took sole possession of the school record for consecutive 100-yard rushing games by reaching the mark in a sixth straight game, surpassing five-game streaks by Kenny Flowers (1985) and Raymond Priester (1996-97).

• Etienne’s six consecutive 100-yard rushing games moved him into a tie for the eighth-longest streak in ACC history.

• Etienne (16) passed Raymond Priester (15) for sole possession of second on Clemson's all-time leaderboard for career 100-yard rushing games. It pulled him one game shy of Wayne Gallman's school career record of 17 from 2014-16.

• Etienne posted his seventh 100-yard rushing game this season to tie Raymond Priester (seven in 1996) and Kenny Flowers (seven in 1985) for third-most in a season in school history.

• During the game, Etienne (4,535) passed Travis Zachery (4,391) for fifth on Clemson's leaderboard for career all-purpose yards.

• Etienne has now rushed for a touchdown in five straight games for the first time since a six-game streak across the final five games of 2018 and the 2019 season opener. It represents his third career streak of five games or more with a rushing touchdown.

• After setting the school record for rushing yards in a five-game span last week, Etienne (873) broke the school record for rushing yards in a six-game span, passing Terrence Flagler’s 858-yard six-game span in 1986.

• Wide receiver Tee Higgins caught four passes for 64 yards and three touchdowns.

• Higgins recorded the eighth three-touchdown receiving performance in school history, matching Dreher Gaskin (vs. Auburn on Nov. 21, 1953), Tony Horne (vs. Texas-El Paso on Oct. 4, 1997), Rod Gardner (vs. North Carolina on Oct. 21, 2000), DeAndre Hopkins (vs. Ball State on Sept. 8, 2012, and vs. Duke on Nov. 3, 2012), Mike Williams (vs. South Carolina on Nov. 28, 2016) and Diondre Overton (vs. Boston College on Oct. 26, 2019) for the school record in single-game touchdown receptions.

• The receiving touchdowns were Higgins’ 20th, 21st and 22nd of his career, passing Mike Williams (21 from 2013-16) for third-most career touchdown receptions in school history.

• Higgins has now caught a touchdown in three straight games for the first time this season. He caught touchdown passes in five straight games across the final four games of the 2018 season and the 2019 season opener.

• The game was Higgins’ first of the season with multiple touchdown receptions, the fourth such performance of his career. His three touchdown receptions surpassed his career high, set against The Citadel in 2017 and against Florida State and Pitt in 2018.

• During the game, Higgins (2,080) passed Airese Currie (2,030) and Deon Cain (2,040) for 12th on Clemson's career receiving yardage list.

• Clemson opened the scoring on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to Higgins on Clemson’s opening drive. It marked Clemson’s sixth straight game scoring on its opening drive.

• Etienne scored Clemson’s second touchdown of the game on its second drive, punctuating the possession with a 14-yard touchdown run, the 51st rushing touchdown of his career.

• On that run, Etienne (330) passed Aaron Hunt (329) for third on Clemson's all-time scoring list. Etienne already stood as Clemson's scoring leader among non-kickers.

• The rushing touchdown moved Etienne past Louisville’s Lamar Jackson (50) for sole possession of the second-most career rushing touchdowns in ACC history, one shy of the record held by Pitt’s James Connor (52).

• Higgins added another 14-yard touchdown reception from Lawrence in the second quarter. He then scored his second touchdown of the quarter -- his third of the day -- on a 30-yard reception from Lawrence 29 seconds later.

• Higgins’ second and third touchdowns were scored with 42 seconds and 13 seconds remaining in the second quarter, respectively. The 29 elapsed seconds were the shortest period of time between touchdowns for a Clemson player since Derrick Hamilton scored 14 seconds apart on touchdown passes from Charlie Whitehurst against Duke in 2003.

• Wide receiver Frank Ladson Jr. recorded his third touchdown reception of the season on a 10-yard pass from Lawrence in the third quarter. It was his first touchdown since the third game of the season at Syracuse.

• Running back Lyn-J Dixon gained 96 all-purpose yards, rushing six times for 34 yards and a touchdown and catching two passes for 62 yards.

• Dixon recorded a career-long 55-yard reception in the third quarter. On the following play, he rushed nine yards into the end zone for his fifth rushing touchdown of the season.

• Wide receiver Joseph Ngata recorded his third touchdown reception of the season on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Chase Brice in the fourth quarter.

• With seven touchdowns in the game, Clemson (68) is now two touchdowns shy of recording the fourth 70-touchdown season in school history, which would join the 2018 (90), 2016 (75) and 2015 (71) seasons.

• Safety Tanner Muse added to his single-season career high in interceptions with his fourth interception of the season. It was the seventh of his career.

• Muse later added his second sack of the season, the fourth of his career.

• With Muse’s interception, Clemson produced a takeaway for a sixth consecutive game and for the 14th time in 15 games, dating to 2018.

• Cornerback A.J. Terrell added his second interception of the season in the second quarter. He returned the interception 37 yards to the Wake Forest 30-yard line to set up Lawrence’s 30-yard touchdown to Higgins one play later.

• Clemson has now recorded multiple takeaways in three straight games for the first time since a five-game span across the final three games of 2018 and the first two games of 2019.

• Clemson finished plus-one in the turnover margin and has now won the turnover margin in six consecutive games for the first time under Head Coach Dabo Swinney.

• Wide receiver Amari Rodgers recorded a season-long 53-yard punt return in the first quarter.

• Punter/kicker Steven Sawicki recorded a career-long 53-yard punt in the quarter.

• Clemson outscored Wake Forest in the first quarter, 14-3. Clemson has now outscored opponents by a 142-10 margin in first quarters this season.

• All of Clemson’s seniors were captains for the contest. Representing the team for the coin toss were tackle Tremayne Anchrum, safety Tanner Muse, offensive lineman Sean Pollard and linebacker Chad Smith.