COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Put Clemson in a close game, and more often than not the Tigers will do precisely what it takes to win.
Such was the case Saturday against Maryland, and Clemson responded in typical fashion.
"We're used to it," said Tigers quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, who produced two touchdowns in the final eight minutes. "We do it every week."
North Augusta's Reggie Merriweather scored his second touchdown on a 38-yard run with 2:58 remaining, capping a fourth-quarter rally that carried No. 25 Clemson to a 28-24 victory.
Clemson (2-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed 24-14 before Whitehurst's second touchdown pass to Curtis Baham cut the deficit to three points with 7:35 remaining.
After a punt by Maryland, Whitehurst directed a 61-yard drive that concluded on Merriweather's pivotal carry around right end on a third-and-7 play.
It was the eighth time in 13 games that Clemson played a game decided by seven points or less. The Tigers have won six of those thrillers, including a 25-24 victory over Texas A&M last week.
"I think the team right now has the mentality that if we play hard for 60 minutes, something can happen to swing it our way," coach Tommy Bowden said. "That's hard to instill in a team."
Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen knows that all too well. His young team, which includes 72 sophomores and freshmen, withered with the game hanging in the balance.
"It's a tough loss because we really had the game in hand," Friedgen said. "Give credit to Clemson - they really took it to us in the fourth quarter. We've got to learn how to finish people."
Whitehurst went 18-for-22 for 178 yards. With Clemson down by 10, he took the Tigers 86 yards in five plays, including an outstanding long pass to Baham that covered the final 51 yards.
"Perfect throw, right on the money," Baham said. "It all boils down to execution. When you execute, that's the result."
Merriweather gained 75 yards on 10 carries, and James Davis ran for 82 yards on 20 attempts.
Sam Hollenbach went 18-for-28 for 288 yards and two touchdowns for Maryland (1-1, 0-1). His main target was Vernon Davis, who had six catches for 140 yards and a touchdown.
Maryland running back Mario Merrills, who ran for a career-high 149 yards in the opener against Navy, was limited to 21 yards on 15 carries. Entering the fourth quarter, he had 3 yards on 11 attempts.
Maryland finished with 56 yards on 40 attempts.
"The running game wasn't there," Friedgen said. "If we could have run the ball, we would have won."
Clemson took a 14-10 lead in the third quarter on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Whitehurst to Baham. The 63-yard drive followed an interception by Tye Hill and was aided by two simultaneous personal foul calls against Maryland that totaled 30 yards.
The Terrapins came right back, using a 29-yard TD pass from Hollenbach to Davis to go up 17-14.
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