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Travis Etienne Becomes ACC's All-Time Leading Rusher

Clemson running back Travis Etienne passed N.C. State legend Ted Brown's mark of 4,602 career rushing yards to set a new ACC record.

Brad Senkiw

Clemson running back Travis Etienne became the ACC's all-time leading rusher Saturday, passing NC State legend Ted Brown's mark of 4,602 yards. 

Needing 43 yards to set the record that's been in place since 1978, Etienne surpassed that number on his 15th carry against Boston College. The 16-yard gain late in the third quarter gave him a record that will be hard to beat by the time the senior is finished at Clemson.

"It was amazing," Etienne said about breaking the record with the crowd able to acknowledge it at the end of the third quarter. 

However, Etienne wasn't able to completely enjoy it. His team was trailing BC and needed him to score the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. 

"We were still down at that point, so we were just looking at each other like, 'Man, now we need to go win this thing,'" Etienne said. "Can't have this great record with an 'L' so we were just focused on getting that touchdown and changing the game.

"Now I have this record with a great comeback. This just defines who the team is and who we are now." 

It's important to note that Brown (1975-78) set the ACC record in an era when postseason stats didn't count toward career totals, and he had nearly 400 yards in bowl games. However, the ACC recognizes Etienne's 4,612 rushing yards now as the record holder, but for some folks, he'll need a few more games to surpass Brown's additional yards. 

Regardless, the Clemson running back continues to reshape the record books both in the conference and the NCAA. 

Etienne became the first player in FBS history Saturday to score a rushing or receiving touchdown in 42 games. He scored his 72nd career touchdown on a 35-yard pass from D.J. Uiagalelei in the first quarter to tie Boston College at 7-all. 

Etienne passed San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey for the record. It was originally reported that Etienne had set the record at 39 games, but after additional research by ESPN, the NCAA acknowledged an error in its record book and updated it to reflect Pumphrey scoring a touchdown in 41 games from 2013-16.

Etienne, Clemson's all-time leading rusher and scorer, already owns the ACC record for career rushing and total touchdowns. He's scored the most points in conference history among non-kickers and passed Duke's Ross Martin (2012-15) for second all-time in the ACC in scoring with that first-quarter touchdown.

The Louisiana native finished with 84 rushing yards and 140 receiving yards with two touchdowns. Etienne fumbled during the game that led to a BC defensive touchdown, but without Trevor Lawrence, the senior stepped his game up when needed to help Clemson escape with a victory, which is what he was most proud of after the game. 

"It was great to be there for my teammates," Etienne said. "They needed me, just being someone they can rely on play in and play out."

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Brad Senkiw
BRAD SENKIW

Brad Senkiw has been covering the college football for more than 15 years on multiple platforms. He's been on the Clemson beat for the entire College Football Playoff streak and has been featured in books, newspapers and websites. A sports talk radio host on 105.5 The Roar, Senkiw brings news from sources close to the programs and analysis as an award-winning columnist. (edited) 

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