The Notes: No. 1 Clemson 42, No. 7 Miami 17

Clemson hosted its first matchup of AP Top 10 teams at Memorial Stadium since a classic 42-36 win against Louisville in 2016. Clemson improved to 13-9 all-time in games between AP Top 10 teams.

Clemson’s 25-point win was its sixth win of 25 or more points against an AP Top 10 opponent all-time.

Clemson hosted a team ranked in the AP Top 15 at Death Valley for the 10th time under Dabo Swinney. Clemson is now 7-3 in those contests, including wins in each of its last five such games since 2015. 

Clemson played its 18th game all-time while ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll to move past Pitt and Tennessee for sole possession of the 15th-most since the poll's inception in 1936. It was Dabo Swinney's 17th game coached at No. 1, tying him with College Football Hall of Famer Ara Parseghian for 19th all-time.

Clemson has now defeated Miami by a combined score of 138-20 in the teams’ last three meetings.

Clemson held Miami to 210 yards of offense. Miami entered the game averaging an ACC-best 499.0 yards per game.

Clemson allowed only nine first downs. It marks the sixth time in the Dabo Swinney era that Clemson has held an ACC opponent to fewer than 10 first downs.

Miami entered the game having allowed only three sacks this season. Clemson produced three sacks in Miami’s first seven offensive plays.

Clemson finished the game with five sacks and has now posted multiple sacks in 26 of its last 27 games, including each of its last 10.

Clemson has now recorded at least three sacks in six straight games, dating to last season, for the first time since a seven-game streak across games 8-14 of the 2018 season.

Clemson entered the game having not allowed a touchdown to Miami in 150:10 of game action. Miami's most recent touchdown against Clemson prior to Saturday came with 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter on Oct. 2, 2010. Clemson recorded a streak of 201:39 of game action without allowing an offensive touchdown to Miami before D’Eriq King scored on a seven-yard touchdown run with 8:31 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Clemson recorded 550 yards of total offense, its second-highest total this season (561 at Wake Forest). 

Clemson produced 292 passing yards and 258 rushing yards. It was Clemson’s 18th time reaching 200 yards in both categories since 2018, the most in the country.

Clemson scored 42 points and has now scored at least 37 points in each of its first four games for the first time since 2011.

Clemson won the turnover margin, 3-1. Clemson has now won the turnover margin in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Clemson improved to 41-1 under Dabo Swinney when it records three or more takeaways. Clemson is now also 42-1 under Swinney when finishing plus-two or better in the turnover margin.

Clemson played a 12th consecutive game without turning the ball over multiple times. Clemson's 12-game streak with one giveaway or fewer is the program's longest in the last 20 years.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 29-of-41 passes, both season highs, for 292 yards with three touchdown passes. He also rushed eight times for 34 yards with a rushing touchdown.

Lawrence has now thrown 355 consecutive passes without an interception, surpassing NC State's Ryan Finley (339 from 2016-17) for the second-longest streak in ACC history.

Lawrence finished with a pass efficiency rating of 154.7 and has exceeded a 150 passer rating in all four games this season.

With three touchdown passes in the game, Lawrence tied Russell Wilson (76) for fifth-most career passing touchdowns in ACC history.

Lawrence threw three touchdown passes in a third straight game for the first time since a school-record eight-game stretch last season.

Lawrence recorded his 17th career game with three or more passing touchdowns, passing Deshaun Watson for sole possession of the second-most such games in school history.

With 326 combined passing and rushing yards in the game, Lawrence (8,873) passed Woodrow Dantzler (8,798) for fourth on Clemson's all-time leaderboard for career total offense.

Lawrence completed his first nine passes, and including his completions on his final two pass attempts last week, completed 11 consecutive passes across two games. It was the second straight game against Miami that Clemson’s quarterback has gotten off to an efficient start, as in Clemson’s most recent game against Miami prior to Saturday in the 2017 ACC Championship Game, Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant opened that game with 15 consecutive completions against the Hurricanes.

Lawrence added a three-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter. It was his fourth rushing touchdown of the season and the 14th of his career. Lawrence’s 14 career rushing touchdowns are the sixth-most by a Clemson quarterback in the modern era.

With a two-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter, Etienne now has at least one rushing or receiving touchdown in 39 of his 47 career games, breaking the FBS record for most career games scoring a touchdown held previously by Florida's Tim Tebow (38 games from 2006-09) and Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Dixon (38 from 2012-15).

Etienne scored his second touchdown of the game on a 72-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The rushing touchdown was the 60th of his career, making him only the 12th player in official FBS records to score 60 career rushing touchdowns, a mark reached only by Navy's Keenan Reynolds (88), Wisconsin's Montee Ball (77), Miami (Ohio)'s Travis Prentice (73), Texas' Ricky Williams (72), Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Dixon (72), Florida Atlantic's Devin Singletary (66), Indiana's Anthony Thompson (64), Texas' Cedric Benson (64), Wisconsin's Ron Dayne (63), San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey (62) and Oregon's Royce Freeman (60).

The 72-yard touchdown run was Etienne’s 10th career rushing touchdown of 50 yards or more, adding to his Clemson record. It was his 11th overall touchdown of 50 yards or more (including receiving touchdowns) in his Clemson career, moving past Sammy Watkins for sole possession of the second-most in Clemson annals.

Etienne recorded his 19th career 100-yard rushing game to extend his school record and tie Virginia's Tiki Barber for ninth-most in ACC history. 

During the game, Etienne (4,430) moved past Boston College's AJ Dillon (4,328 from 2017-19) for the fourth-most career rushing yards in ACC history. 

Later in the game, Etienne passed North Carolina’s Amos Lawrence (4,391 from 1977-80) for third on the ACC’s all-time leaderboard for career rushing yards.

During the game, Etienne (402) became the seventh player (and first non-kicker) in ACC history to score 400 career points.

During the game, Etienne (402) passed Nick Novak (393 from 2001-04) for seventh on the ACC's career scoring leaderboard.

Etienne recorded 222 all-purpose yards. It was the fifth 200-yard all-purpose game of his career and his first since Nov. 2, 2019.

Etienne (5,803) moved past Chris Douglas of Duke (5,748 from 2000-03) for third on the ACC's all-time career all-purpose yardage leaderboard.

Tight end Braden Galloway caught four passes for 74 yards with two touchdowns. It represented Galloway’s first multi-touchdown game of his career.

Clemson opened the scoring on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to tight end Galloway.

Galloway’s first touchdown came on a screen pass in which the offensive line delayed its release from the line of scrimmage, similar to a touchdown pass tight end Jordan Leggett scored in the teams’ last regular season meeting, a 58-0 Clemson win at Miami in 2015.

The first touchdown reception was Galloway’s first of the season and the second of his career. It was his first since his collegiate debut on Sept. 1, 2018 against Furman.

Wide receiver Amari Rodgers recorded a career-high seven receptions, gaining 62 yards. His previous career high in receptions was six, set four times including last week against Virginia.

Tight end Davis Allen scored his first career touchdown on a 22-yard pass from Lawrence in the third quarter.

Between Galloway (two) and Allen (one), Clemson tight ends recorded three touchdown receptions in a single game for the first time under Dabo Swinney. 

Clemson’s second possession was a 16-play, 89-yard march that culminated with a two-yard touchdown run by Etienne. The 16-play drive represented the most plays run by Clemson in a single drive since an 18-play drive at the end of the Sugar Bowl against Alabama to conclude the 2017 season.

Clemson outgained Miami in the first quarter, 157-10, while running 25 plays to Miami’s six and holding a 12:31-2:29 edge in time of possession.

Linebacker Baylon Spector, who earned ACC Linebacker of the Week last week, recorded 1.5 sacks on Miami’s opening drive. It gave him his second career multi-sack game, joining his two-sack performance against Ohio State in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl.

Defensive end Justin Mascoll recorded his second sack of his career — also his second sack in as many weeks — in the second quarter.

Cornerback Sheridan Jones recorded the first interception of his career in the third quarter, picking off Miami quarterback D’Eriq King in the end zone. The interception was the first thrown by King this season.

Cornerback Derion Kendrick recorded his first interception of the season in the third quarter. It was the third of his career and his first since Nov. 30, 2019 against South Carolina.

Linebacker Jake Venables added his first sack of the season in the third quarter.

Punter Will Spiers averaged 52.7 yards on three punts, his first game with at least three punts and an average of 50 yards or more since 2017 against Louisville (51.8 on four punts).

Clemson and Miami met for the first time in regular season play since 2015, when Clemson handed Miami its worst loss in program history, a 58-0 road victory for the Tigers. Including postseason play, it was the first game between the two teams since Clemson’s 38-3 victory in the 2017 ACC Championship Game in Charlotte.

Clemson led at the half, 21-0, and posted a 21-3 edge in first downs in the first half. Clemson has now won 82 of its last 84 games when leading at halftime.

Captains for the contest were quarterback Trevor Lawrence, defensive tackle Nyles Pinckney, wide receiver Amari Rodgers and safety Nolan Turner.