2009-2010
College Football Season
Music City Bowl
Post-Game

Spiller Has 172 All-Purpose Yards in Clemson Victory

by Dave Congrove
December 27, 2009

Clemson snapped its 3-bowl losing streak, and ended Kentucky's 3-bowl winning streak, with a 21-13 win at Nashville's Music City Bowl.

The Tigers capitalized on the only turnover of the game when they recovered a fumble at the Kentucky 19-yard line with 11:33 left to play. C.J. Spiller scored on an 8-yard run just three plays later.

The 'Cats following drive ended on downs at the Tigers' 25-yard line and they never touched the ball again as Clemson ran the last 5:28 off the clock.

Spiller had 172 all-purpose yards to move into 2nd on the FBS career list for that statistical category.

Kentucky struck first on Morgan Newton's 17-yard pass to Chris Matthews on its first drive of the game.

Clemson knotted the score at 7 on Kyle Parker's 32-yard pass to Jacoby Ford. The four-play drive that started at Clemson's own 10-yard line began with an innocent 5-yard run by Andre Ellington. But Spiller sprung for 42 on the next play and Ellington followed with an 11-yard run to set up the TD pass.

When Kentucky went back in front 10-7 on a 32-yard Lonas Seiber field goal, Clemson responded immediately with a 5-play, 62-yard drive capped by a 1-yard TD by Jamie Harper.

SEC teams dropped to 4-7 overall in this bowl game.

Clemson improved its bowl record to 16-16 as Kentucky fell to 8-6.