Clemson Tigers football

Early history (1896–1899)

Walter Merritt Riggs can be characterized as the "Father of Clemson Football", as he brought the game with him from Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama (now Auburn University). The fact that Auburn and Clemson share the same mascot is no accident. Riggs allowed his players to pick the team mascot and, although he may have influenced their decision, the players chose Tigers because Princeton University had just won the national championship. Riggs helped organize and coach the infant Tiger team in 1896. With little money to spend on uniforms, Riggs brought some of Auburn's old practice uniforms with him, which happened to have orange and navy jerseys. Because the jerseys had gone through a few washboard scrubbings, they were quite faded, the navy worse than the orange. So Riggs made the school's predominant color orange and the faded condition of the navy became the purplish color, officially known today as Regalia. The team played as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA), the first southern athletics conference.

When the Tigers traveled to Greenville on Halloween to play Furman in their very first match, only Coach Riggs and backfield player Frank Thompkins had ever seen a football game played. Today in Clemson, the soccer field is named Historic Riggs field after Walter Riggs. Riggs took the team to a 2–1 record in the inaugural year. He then stepped aside at the urging of the military cadets/students, who felt that he should concentrate on his scholastic duties rather than coach the team for free.

William M. Williams coached the Tigers in 1897, guiding them to a 2–2 record. The team beat South Carolina for the first time and was state champion. In 1898, John Penton led the Tigers to a 3–1 record.

In 1899, when the Clemson Athletic Association could not afford a coaching salary, Riggs again took over the reins, one of only two Clemson football coaches to return to the position after stepping down. The 1899 squad went 4–2. Riggs' overall record of 6–3 gives him a .667 winning percentage.

After decade as a Mechanical Engineering professor, he was named acting president of Clemson Agricultural College in 1910, being confirmed by the Board of Trustees as permanent president on March 7, 1911. He served until his untimely death on January 22, 1924 while on a trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with officials of other land grant institutions.

Heisman era (1900–1903)

Riggs hired John Heisman to coach Clemson. Heisman stayed only four years at Clemson, where he compiled a record of 19–3–2, an .833 percentage, the best in Clemson football history. In four seasons, he had three SIAA titles.

In his first season of 1900, he coached the Tigers to their first undefeated season (6–0),^[3] and first conference championship, outscoring their opponents 222–10 – the 64–0 win over Davidson on opening day was then the largest score ever made in the South. The season had various other "firsts", including the school's first defeat of the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The only close game was with the South Atlantic school VPI.

The 1902 team again won the SIAA. This was the first season with both Hope Sadler and Carl Sitton at ends. One writer recalls, "Sitton and Hope Sadler were the finest ends that Clemson ever had perhaps."

The only loss on the year was the first to rival South Carolina since 1896. "The Carolina fans that week were carrying around a poster with the image of a tiger with a gamecock standing on top of it, holding the tiger's tail as if he was steering the tiger by the tail," Jay McCormick said.  "Naturally, the Clemson guys didn't take too kindly to that, and on Wednesday and again on Thursday, there were sporadic fistfights involving brass knuckles and other objects and so forth, some of which resulted, according to the newspapers, in blood being spilled and persons having to seek medical assistance.  After the game on Thursday, the Clemson guys frankly told the Carolina students that if you bring this poster, which is insulting to us, to the big parade on Friday, you're going to be in trouble. And naturally, of course, the Carolina students brought the poster to the parade. If you give someone an ultimatum and they're your rival, they're going to do exactly what you told them not to do."

As expected, another brawl broke out before both sides agreed to mutually burn the poster in an effort to defuse tensions. The immediate aftermath resulted in the stoppage of the rivalry until 1909.

The 1903 team may have been Heisman's best at Clemson. Following a 73–0 defeat of Georgia Tech in 1903, the Yellow Jackets hired Heisman as their first full-time football coach. Fullback Jock Hanvey rushed for 104 yards in the first half. The account in the Atlanta Constitution read "Hanvey, the Clemson full back, outclassed them all. Time and time again he was sent through the line for gains of 10, 15 and 20 yards, and his tackles were spectacular."

After the 1903 season, Clemson tied 11–11 in a game billed as the "SIAA Championship Game." Cumberland rushed out to an early 11 to 0 lead, but Clemson came back to tie. On the second half kickoff, Clemson quarterback John Maxwell raced 100 yards for a touchdown. Clemson missed the try. Later, Cumberland fumbled a punt and Clemson recovered. Cumberland expected a trick play when Fritz Furtick simply ran up the middle and scored.

Post-Heisman era (1904–1926)

After Heisman left Clemson to become the head coach at Georgia Tech, Shack Shealy, an end for the Tigers in the 1890s, coached the 1904 team to a 3–3–1 record – the only Clemson graduate ever to serve as head coach of his alma mater

Eddie Cochems, a future innovator of the former pass, had just lost out to Phil King for the Wisconsin job, when he accepted to coach Clemson's 1905 team, which lost to Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech, but shut out Georgia, Alabama, and Auburn, featured stars left over from Heisman like Furtick and Puss Derrick.

Bob Williams, who beat Heisman in 1902, came to Clemson in 1906, and also coached the 1909 and 1913–1915 teams. The Tigers went undefeated with a 4–0–3 record in 1906, with wins over Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee, and the John Heisman-coached Georgia Tech team. Clemson's first forward pass took place on during the game with Tech in Atlanta. Left End Powell Lykes, dropped back to kick, but lobbed a 30-yard pass to George Warren instead. Clemson won, 10–0. The 1909 USC-Clemson was the first game broadcast in the state, by the United Wireless Telegraph Company. William Schilletter starred in 1913 and 1914, and was the son of Augustus "Shorty" Schilletter, a German immigrant in charge of the Clemson College dining hall.

Frank Shaughnessy led the 1907 team to a. 4–4 record. Captain Mac McLaurin and R. T. Gaston starred at either tackle position. Vanderbilt legend Stein Stone posted just a 1–6 record in 1908. Captain Sticker Coles was All-Southern. Frank Dobson posted 11–12–1 overall record from 1910–1912. Wayne Hart had a 3–6 record in 1916.

Washington & Lee's Edward Donahue coached the Tigers to 21–12–3 record over three seasons, from 1917–1920. Stumpy Banks scored five touchdowns against Furman in 1917 for a school record. Yen Lightsey starred in 1919 and 1920. Doc Stewart coached the Tigers through the transition from the SIAA to the Southern Conference, with a 6–10–2 record from 1921–1922. Bud Saunders led the Tigers to a 10–22–1 record from 1923–1926.

Josh Cody era (1927–1930)

Josh Cody coached the Tigers from 1927 to 1930, posting a 29–11–1 record. The Tigers were undefeated at home (13–0–1) and against South Carolina (3–0) during Cody's tenure. In 1927 Cody gave Red Sanders his first coaching job as backfield coach. O. K. Pressley made third-team All-American in 1928. "A better center than Captain O.K. Pressley of Clemson is hard to find," remarked former South Carolina head coach Billy Laval.

In May 1929, when rumors were swirling that he might leave to coach a bigger-name program, the students, faculty, and staff took up a collection to buy him a brand new black Buick automobile. Raymond Johnson wrote upon Cody's death: "Josh Cody wanted to be Vanderbilt's coach so bad that he gave up the head man's job at Clemson College after four successful seasons."

Jess Neely era (1931–1939)

In 1931, Jess Neely (another McGugin product, and a former head coach at Rhodes and assistant at Alabama) became Clemson's head football coach. During his tenure, Neely led the Tigers to a 43-35-7 record. His final season at Clemson was the turning point in the Tigers' program. His team went 9–1 during that season, finishing second to Duke in the Southern Conference. The Tigers also received their first bowl invitation and bowl victory that year, defeating nationally ranked Boston College 6–3 in the 1940 Cotton Bowl Classic. The 1939 Tigers finished with a #12 ranking in the final AP poll. Clemson also had their first Associated Press All-American that year in Banks McFadden. Jess Neely, along with then athletic director Rupert Fike, founded the IPTAY Scholarship Fund, which supports the Clemson Athletic Department.

Frank Howard era (1940–1969)

After Jess Neely left to become the head coach at Rice, Frank Howard (an assistant coach under Neely) was named head coach. Known for his colorful persona, and penchant for imaginative language with both probable, and improbable stories, in his 30 years at Clemson, Howard compiled a 165–118–12 record, a 3–3 bowl record, won two Southern Conference championships, and six ACC championships. Seven of Howard's teams finished the year ranked in at least one final poll. During his stay at Clemson, Howard also oversaw the athletic department, ticket sales, and was an assistant coach for the baseball team. He also incorporated the Single Wing, T-formation, and I-formation offenses at different points during his coaching career at Clemson. Clemson had two undefeated season under Howard, one in 1948 (11–0), and one in 1950 (9–0–1).

As a line tutor and coach, Howard was part of Clemson's successful 1939 season under Neely, achieving an 8-1 record and a bid to the 1940 Cotton Bowl in Dallas to play undefeated Boston College. When Neely left Clemson in 1940, the Clemson Athletic Council met to name a successor and council member Prof. Sam Rhodes suggested Howard's name. Howard, standing in the back of the room, said "I second the nomination." He got the job, becoming Clemson's seventeenth head football coach and never left. He signed a one-year contract that he promptly lost, and he never had another in thirty years.

Although Clemson was still a small military college until 1957, under Frank Howard's command, the Tigers remained nationally recognized contenders throughout the 1950s. In the sterling 1948 season, the team won a Southern Conference championship (Howard's first of eight). The Tiger's also won their second bowl game, a 1948 Gator Bowl win over Missouri, and finished eleventh in the national rankings. For the rest of his life, Howard credited the 1948 team with saving his job.

Howard nearly repeated the 1948 success in 1950 when the Tigers were ranked tenth by the Associated Press with a 9-0-1 season and a 15-14 win over Miami (Florida) in Clemson's first Orange Bowl win. Under Howard's guidance, the Tigers were thus, champions on their first three bowl ventures.

In January 1952, after a 7-2 regular season campaign, the Tiger's were invited back to the Gator Bowl, and by being conference champions once again in 1956, Clemson played in the 1957 Orange Bowl. In their second Gator Bowl trip, Miami downed Clemson 14–0; Colorado led Clemson 20–0, then trailed 21–20, in a comeback game, before finally defeating the Tigers 27–21 in Clemson's second Orange Bowl appearance. Two season's later, after an 8-3 season, the Tigers played in the 1959 Sugar Bowl and with their tough defense, held the #1-ranked LSU Tigers to a standstill before losing 7–0, leading to an LSU National Championship.

The invitation to play in the first Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston in December 1959 was the eighth bowl that Howard had been a part of either as a player, assistant coach or head coach. It was the seventh bowl trip for a Clemson team and the sixth in 12 years. Howard said that Clemson's 23–7 triumph over seventh ranked Texas Christian in the Bluebonnet Bowl was the best performance he had ever witnessed by a Clemson team. Clemson was the first school to play in two bowls in the same calendar year.

A Single Wing expert for 22 seasons (including nine as a line coach), Howard changed to the T-formation and its many variations in 1953. Still another major change in the offense was installed in 1965 with the "I" and pro-type set. In his 13 seasons as head coach using the single wing, Clemson won 69, lost 47 and tied 7. In 12 years of "T" teams, the Tigers won 71, lost 47 and tied 4. While using the "I" in his last five years of coaching, Clemson recorded a 25–24–1 record.

Howard was named Southern Conference Coach-of-the-Year in 1948. In 1959 he was named Atlantic Coast Conference Coach-of-the-Year and was accorded the honor again in 1966. As the style of football evolved in the 1960s, Howard's ground game became outdated, and Clemson's gridiron fortunes declined. The Tigers last winning season under Howard came in 1967. On December 10, 1969, he stepped down as the fifth winningest coach in the nation, with 165 victories, 96 of them in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Howard also managed the athletic department during his tenure, and continued on as athletic director until February 4, 1971, when he was named assistant to the vice president of the university. On June 30, 1974, he retired from the university payroll, but continued to come into his office daily until failing health slowed him down, serving as Clemson's ambassador until his death in 1996.

The tradition of rubbing "Howard's Rock" prior to running down the hill before home games began during Coach Howard's tenure. The playing field at Memorial Stadium was named "Frank Howard Field" in 1974 following his retirement to honor his many years of service for the university. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the South Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, the Clemson Hall of Fame, the Clemson Ring of Honor, the Helms Athletic Hall of Fame, the State of Alabama Hall of Fame, National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, the Orange Bowl Hall of Honor, and the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame.

Hootie Ingram era (1970–1972)

Clemson struggled during the years following Frank Howard's retirement. His successor, Hootie Ingram, only compiled a 12–21 record. During his tenure, the tradition of running down the hill was stopped from 1970 to the end of the 1972 season, when the team decided it wanted to come down the hill for the final home game against South Carolina. The traditional "tiger paw" logo, which was designed by John Antonio of Henderson Advertising, was introduced in 1970 by Ingram and Clemson President R.C. Edwards.

Red Parker era (1973–1976)

After a successful run as head coach of The Citadel from 1966 to 1972, Jimmy "Red" Parker coached the Tigers from 1973 to 1976, compiling a 17-25-2 record. Clemson had a 7-4 season under Parker in 1974, with Parker being named ACC Coach of the Year. The Tigers went 2-9 in 1975, and 3-6-2 in 1976. Red Parker was cut loose by the Board of Trustees at the end of the Bicentennial season. Athletic Director Bill McClellan got the task of informing Parker he was gone when Parker refused to fire his assistants. Though Parker is largely credited with building and recruiting a foundation that would ultimately set the stage for much of Clemson's success in the following seasons.

Charlie Pell era (1977–1978)

Utilizing some of the talent enrolled during the Parker seasons, Charlie Pell coached the Tigers for two seasons, winning the ACC Coach of the Year award twice and leading the Tigers to the 1978 ACC Championship en route to an 18-4-1 record.

Dual-threat quarterback Steve Fuller and the running back tandem of Lester Brown and Marvin Sims spearheaded a dynamic rushing attack that helped the Tigers win the ACC. The only loss came in Week 2 against SEC power Georgia, and, after a Gator Bowl win over No. 20 Ohio State, Clemson posted its second-best final AP poll finish in school history with a No. 6 ranking.

In both seasons, Clemson earned berths to the Gator Bowl, although Pell left before the latter game. Pell became involved in NCAA rules and recruiting violations that came to light under the tenure of his successor, Danny Ford. Charlie Pell would leave after 1978 to become head coach at Florida, where his coaching career would end in 1984 following more NCAA rules violations.

Danny Ford era (1978–1989)

Danny Ford was promoted from offensive line coach to head coach in 1978, after Charlie Pell left for the University of Florida. He won his first game, the 1978 Gator Bowl, with a 17–15 victory over Ohio State and legendary coach Woody Hayes, who punched LB Charlie Bauman in the throat after making the game-clinching interception. In his third season, Ford guided Clemson to the summit of college football by winning the National Championship, and recording the program's fifth undefeated season. The Tigers, who were unranked in the preseason, downed three top-10 teams (Georgia, North Carolina and Nebraska) during the course of the 12-0 season that concluded with a 22-15 victory over Nebraska in the 1982 Orange Bowl. Ford, named National Coach-of-the-Year in 1981, holds the record as the youngest coach (33 years old) to win a national championship on the gridiron.

The 1981 college football season was one of the craziest and most unpredictable in the history of the sport. It seemed nobody wanted to win the national championship. At several points in the season, six different teams were ranked #1 by the Associated Press. Most of them were beaten just as quickly as they earned the top spot. The Tigers slow rise to #1 quickly gained momentum with an early season 13-3 upset victory over defending national champion Georgia. The Clemson defense contained Georgia's great tailback Herschel Walker and kept him out of the end zone. Week after week, Clemson was getting better. Offensively the team was led by junior quarterback Homer Jordan, who was a dual threat as a runner and passer. It was a run-oriented offense featuring a fine tandem of tailbacks in Cliff Austin and Chuck McSwain. When they needed a big play, Jordan often threw deep to receiver Perry Tuttle, who later became a first round draft choice of the Buffalo Bills. But the true strength of the Clemson team was its defense. The Tigers had three All Americans including safety Terry Kinard, linebacker Jeff Davis and defensive end Jeff Bryant. All three went on to solid pro careers. But the most famous member of the Clemson defense was a large freshman defensive tackle named William Perry. Perry would later gain fame for his nickname "The Refrigerator" and became a football folk hero with the Chicago Bears as a lovable overweight defensive lineman who sometimes scored touchdowns while lining up at fullback.

After finishing the regular season with a perfect 11-0 record, Clemson was invited to the Orange Bowl to play Big 8 champion Nebraska. To mark its first trip to the Orange Bowl in over 30 years, Clemson wore all orange uniforms for the second time. The Tigers took a quick 3-0 lead in the first quarter behind a Donald Igwebuike 41-yard field goal. But Nebraska came back with some trickery when I-back Mike Rozier threw a 25-yard option pass to Anthony Steels for a touchdown to take the lead 7-3. Leading 13-7 in the third quarter, Clemson took control for good when Homer Jordan threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Perry Tuttle, giving the Tigers a commanding 19-7 lead. Clemson held on to win 22-15 bringing home a consensus national championship. At 34-years-old, Danny Ford became the youngest coach to lead his team to a national title.

Ranked #10 before the 1982 season began, with six players entering the NFL Draft, including First Round picks DE Jeff Bryant and WR Perry Tuttle, along with Hollis Hall, Center Tony Berryhill, Brian Clark, and linebacker and former team captain Jeff Davis, there were obvious questions as to how well the team would perform in 1982 in the aftermath of a championship season. The Tigers opened the season on the road playing border rival and SEC champion Georgia, losing this time in another close game by 6 points in front of a crowd of over 82,000. The following weekend, Clemson hosted Boston College, in another fourth quarter game that resulted in a 17-17 tie. Like the previous season, the Tigers gradually improved as the season progressed. In November, Clemson's defense was resilient enough to hold of #18 Maryland and #18 North Carolina. Clemson went on to run the table the rest of the season with nine straight wins, and finish with the regular season with a record of 9-1-1. After the #8 Tigers received a bid to the Cotton Bowl with only one loss on the season, the senior class voted to decline the invitation.

On November 22, 1982, the football program at Clemson was placed on probation for a 2-year period to include the 1983 and 1984 seasons. This sanction was enforced on the program by the NCAA Committee on Infractions due to a lengthy history of recruiting violations to gain an athletic advantage that had taken place from 1977 through the Tigers' 1981 National Championship season and into 1982, under the administration of two head coaches, Charlie Pell and Danny Ford. More than 150 documented violations and 69 charges were cited under NCAA bylaws in the categories of improper recruiting inducements, extra benefits to student-athletes, ethical conduct, improper financial aid, improper campus visits, improper transportation and entertainment, improper use of funds, improper employment, and improper recruiting contact.

As a result of these violations, Clemson was publicly reprimanded and censured by the NCAA. The football team was barred from participating in bowl games following the 1982 and 1983 seasons, and barred from appearing on live television in the 1983 and 1984 seasons. Also, the number of scholarships that the university could allocate to football players was restricted to 20 (from the normal limit of 30) for the 1983–84 and 1984–85 academic years. Charles Alan Wright, chairman of the NCAA Committee on Infractions said at the time, "Due to the large number and serious nature of the violations in this case, the committee believed that institutional sanctions related to appearances on television and in postseason football bowl games were appropriate. In addition, because the violations indicated a pattern of improper recruiting activities, the committee determined that a two-year limitation on financial aid to new recruits should be imposed to offset any recruiting advantage that was gained improperly by the university."

The 1983 team, like the previous season, had a loss and a tie early in the season, this time with a 16-16 tie with rival #11 Georgia and a loss at Boston College. The team finished the rest of the season without a loss and going unbeaten in conference play, while finishing with another 9-1-1 season and #10, and #11 rankings. The reduction of scholarships could be felt, in the next two seasons as Clemson still remained motivated, posting a winning 7-4 season in 1984, and an even 6-6 campaign in 1985.

From 1987 to 1990, Clemson posted four consecutive 10 win seasons and won three straight ACC titles, including a 35-10 victory over Penn State and a 13-6 defeat of the Oklahoma Sooners in the Florida Citrus Bowl. At that time, no team in Clemson history started higher in the AP poll than the 1988 team beginning the year as the No. 4-ranked team in the nation and a preseason favorite to win the national title. After an early upset by #10 FSU, the Tigers finished with a #9 final ranking following their bowl win over Oklahoma. The 1988 team played one of the school's toughest schedules, beating three ranked opponents and losing to two others. Rodney Williams paced the passing attack while Terry Allen rushed for 1,192 yards and 10 touchdowns for the ACC champions. In an age of offense, the '88 team was fourth in the nation in scoring defense. In 1989, Clemson registered a 10-2 season and top-12 national ranking for the fourth straight season, and ended his career at Clemson with a 27–7 win over West Virginia (and All-America quarterback Major Harris) in the 1989 Gator Bowl.

Just five years after their first probation under Ford ended, Clemson once again found their football program accused of multiple recruiting violations in January 1990. The NCAA accused Clemson coaches of committing 14 rules violations, which ranged from giving cash in amounts of $50 to $150 to players to having illegal contact with recruits over a period from 1984 to 1988.Although later cleared by the NCAA of direct involvement, this chain of events led directly to the forced resignation of Clemson's popular head coach.

While at Clemson, Ford also coached wins over a number of coaches later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, including Joe Paterno, Tom Osborne, Barry Switzer, Bobby Bowden, Vince Dooley, and Woody Hayes. Coach Ford compiled a 96–29–4 (.760) record at Clemson, 5 ACC Championships, and a 6–2 bowl record. He is second on the school's wins list, behind only Frank Howard. Ford was the third winningest coach in the country on a percentage basis after the 1989 season. Ford also coached 21 All-Americans and 41 players who went on to play in the NFL, during his 11 seasons at Clemson. After a few years away from coaching, Ford was hired by Arkansas in 1992, where he would spend five seasons guiding the Razorbacks.

In 2017, Ford was named to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Ken Hatfield era (1990–1993)

Ken Hatfield, former coach at Air Force and Arkansas, took over as head coach at Clemson in late 1989. He had a 32–13–1 record with the Tigers and led them to three bowl games.

Hatfield worked to clean up the program's image in the wake of the Ford-era sanctions. However, in the wake of Ford's success, Hatfield and many in the Clemson fanbase did not see eye-to-eye. A common saying among Tiger fans during this time was "Howard built it. Ford filled it. Hatfield killed it." This sentiment followed Clemson's first losing season (1992) since 1976.

Largely due to this discontent, school officials refused to grant him a one-year extension on his contract after the 1993 season, even though the Tigers had rebounded from 5–6 in 1992 to an 8–3 record that year and were invited to the Peach Bowl. Expressing "much disappointment" in what he saw as a lack of support by Clemson fans and several university officials, Hatfield resigned at the end of the regular season. He was later hired at Rice.

The purple home jerseys used by Clemson in special games made their debut during the 1991 ACC championship season, with the Tigers wearing them in the regular season against NC State and in the Citrus Bowl vs. California.

Tommy West era (1993–1998)

Tommy West replaced Ken Hatfield at the end of the 1993 season, coaching the Tigers to a 14-13 victory in the 1993 Peach Bowl against Kentucky. West had a 31–28 record during his five seasons at Clemson and led the Tigers to three bowl games but no ACC championships. West was fired after a dismal 1998 campaign which saw Clemson go 3-8 and finish last in the ACC. West went on to be the head coach at Memphis.

Tommy Bowden era (1999–2008)

After Tommy West's dismissal following the 1998 season, Clemson hired Tommy Bowden, son of Bobby Bowden and coach at Tulane. Bowden led the Tigers to a 6–6 record and a Peach Bowl bid in 1999, with the team that navigated its way through a schedule that included MAC champions and undefeated Marshall, Big East champion and BCS runner-up Virginia Tech (who went undefeated during the regular season), and eventual National Champion Florida State (who finished the year undefeated). The 1999 meeting between the Tigers and Seminoles was dubbed the "Bowden Bowl" and was the first time that a father and son coached against each other in Division I football. FSU won the game 17– 14 in front of the largest crowd in the history of Death Valley.

During Bowden's tenure, the Tigers were bowl eligible every season but didn't win any ACC championships (the 2004 team turned down a bowl invitation as punishment for a massive brawl during a game against the University of South Carolina). Bowden has been criticized for his teams underachieving. The 2000 Tigers started 8–0 and rose as high as #5 in the polls before losing three of their last four. The same thing happened during the 2006 season following a 7–1 start and with the team on the verge of winning the ACC Atlantic Division. The Tigers have also shown great resolve at points during Bowden's tenure. The 2003 team won four games at the end of the season to finish 9–4, which included victories over #3 Florida State and #7 Tennessee in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. The 2004 season saw the Tigers start 1–4 only to win five of their last six games (which included an overtime upset of #10 Miami), while the 2005 team overcame a 2–3 start to finish the season 9–4.

Tommy Bowden agreed to resign for $3.5 million on October 13, 2008, after leading the team to a disappointing 3–3 record (1–2 ACC) at the midpoint of a season in which the Tigers were an almost unanimous preseason pick to win their first ACC title under Bowden and were ranked #9 in the preseason polls. Assistant coach Dabo Swinney was named interim head coach.

Dabo Swinney era (2008–present)

Following the departure of Tommy Bowden, wide receivers coach Dabo Swinney was dubbed interim head coach and led the Tigers to a 4–2 record, finishing the 2008 regular season at 7–6. On December 1, 2008, Swinney signed a five-year contract as Clemson's permanent head coach.

On November 21, 2009, Swinney and the Tigers qualified for their first ACC title game berth, only to lose to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 39–34. They were awarded a trip to the 2009 Music City Bowl, and defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 21–13, avenging their upset loss in the 2006 Music City Bowl.

During the 2010 season, after a close 24-27 overtime loss to national champion Auburn on the road, Clemson was later defeated in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina. In January 2011, Swinney hired new offensive coordinator Chad Morris. Morris became tied with Gus Malzahn as the highest paid assistant in college football after Clemson gave Morris a six-year contract worth $1.3 million annually. Dabo also added on running backs coach Tony Elliott, and defensive line coach Marion Hobby.

On September 17, 2011, Clemson beat the defending national champions, the #21-ranked Auburn Tigers, and ended Auburn's 17-game winning streak, the longest winning streak in the nation. On October 1, 2011, Clemson became the first ACC team to beat three nationally ranked opponents in a row: #21-ranked Auburn, #11-ranked Florida State, and #11-ranked Virginia Tech. On November 12, 2011, Clemson defeated Wake Forest, winning the ACC Atlantic Division title. On November 26, 2011, Clemson lost to South Carolina for the third straight year, the first time Clemson had lost three straight to its instate rival since the seasons from 1968 to 1970. On December 3, the Tigers won their first ACC Championship since 1991, defeating Virginia Tech 38-10 in the Championship Game. #15 Clemson would go on to lose to the #23 West Virginia Mountaineers in the 2012 Orange Bowl 70-33, giving up an all-time record number of points scored in a quarter (35), half (49) and game (70) in the 109-year history of bowl games.

On Dec. 31, 2012, Clemson achieved its first 11-win season since the national championship year with a last-second upset win over the #8 LSU Tigers in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Clemson trailed 24-13 in the fourth quarter, but rallied back with a game winning drive that saw a 4th and 16 conversion deep in their own territory that would lead to Chandler Catanzaro's 37-yard field goal as time expired to give Clemson a 25-24 win.

The 2013 season was historic for the Clemson football program. The Tigers began the season with a 38-35 home victory over rival and fifth-ranked Georgia and ended the regular season with a record fifth-straight loss to arch-rival South Carolina, 31-17, in the first Top 10 meeting of the two schools (Clemson #4, Carolina #9). The Tigers finished 11-2 in 2013 and secured the school's first ever BCS bowl win with a 40-35 victory over #7 Ohio State in the Orange Bowl. Quarterback Tajh Boyd and wide receiver Sammy Watkins set Orange Bowl yardage records. Boyd compiled 505 total yards and threw five touchdowns. It was the Tigers fourth win over a top 10 opponent under Swinney.

Clemson finished 10-3 in 2014, highlighted by a 35-17 win over arch-rival South Carolina and a 40-6 win over Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl. The Tigers took on ACC rival Florida State in week 3 of their season only to suffer a heartbreaking loss in overtime as #22 Clemson lost to number 1 Florida State 17-23. The Tigers then claimed a six-game winning streak in the middle of their season but lost to Georgia Tech as star freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson went out with a knee injury early in the 1st quarter. The Tigers claimed the nation's number 1-ranked defense under defensive coordinator Brent Venables in 2014, and the emergence of freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson propelled the Tigers to another 10-win season for the 4th time in Dabo Swinney's six years as head coach.

The 2015 season is regarded by sports writers as one of the most successful seasons in Clemson history. The Tigers possessed the nation's number 1 ranking throughout the second half of the regular season and ended with 14–1 overall record. Behind the leadership of Heisman Trophy finalist Deshaun Watson, the Tigers won the 2015 ACC Championship against number 10 North Carolina by a score of 45–37. The Tigers were selected to participate in the 2016 College Football Playoff as the top-seeded team in the tournament. Clemson defeated the #4 ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the 2015 Orange Bowl by a score of 37-17 to advance to the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship game against the number 2-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on January 11, 2016. Clemson lost the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship Game to Alabama, 45-40 ending the school's 17-game winning streak. Heisman finalist quarterback Deshaun Watson had a historic performance setting the record for most total yards in national championship game history, with 478 yards (405 passing; 73 rushing) against the nation's best defense, and becoming the first player in history to amass over 4000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in a single season.

In August 2016, ESPN.com reported that the 2016–2017 preseason Coaches Top 25 poll ranked Clemson Tigers football as the #2 team in the nation. With a loaded offense and plenty of young talent waiting to emerge on defense, Clemson entered 2016 as one of the frontrunners to contend for the national championship. However, the odds of another trip to the CFB Playoff were working against the Tigers. Only one team, Alabama, went back-to-back as national champions and Florida State was expected to emerge once again as a title contender from the ACC. However, Clemson once again set the standard for the rest of the conference and finished the regular season at 12-1. Clemson finished the season with wins at Auburn, Georgia Tech, and #12 Florida State on the road and defeated #3 Louisville in Memorial Stadium. The Tigers suffered a controversial 43-42 home loss to Pitt in November, due partially to questionable officiating but also to three interceptions thrown by Deshaun Watson and a failure to convert a 4th-and-1 late in the fourth quarter, but benefited from losses by a couple of other playoff contenders on that Saturday and finished the season with three straight victories to rank No. 2 in the final CFP rankings. As expected from last season's returning starters, quarterback Deshaun Watson anchored an explosive offense that averaged 503 yards per game. The defense reloaded behind a standout defensive line and limited opponents to just 18.4 points a game. Clemson finished with a regular season record of 12-1, which culminated with a 56-7 win at home over arch-rival South Carolina, Swinney's largest margin of victory over the Gamecocks during his career. Clemson won the ACC championship and secured its second trip to the CFP National Championship with a 31-0 shutout of semi-finalist #3 Ohio State in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl. The Tigers competed in the College Football Playoff National Championship game in Tampa, Florida on January 9, 2017, beating the previously undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide 35–31 on a game winning touchdown with one second remaining, and winning the 2016 National Championship.

Clemson traditions

Howard's Rock In the early 1960s, the rock was given to then head coach Frank Howard by a friend, Samuel Columbus Jones (Clemson Class of 1919). It was presented to Howard by Jones, saying "Here's a rock from Death Valley, California, to Death Valley, South Carolina." Howard didn't think anything else about the rock and it was used as a door stop in his office for several years. In September 1966, while cleaning out his office, Howard noticed the rock and told IPTAY executive director Gene Willimon, "Take this rock and throw it over the fence or out in the ditch...do something with it, but get it out of my office." Willimon had the rock placed on a pedestal at the top of the east endzone hill that the team ran down to enter the field for games. On September 24, 1966, the first time Clemson players ran by the rock, they beat conference rival Virginia, 40-35. Howard, seizing on the motivational potential of "The Rock", told his players, "Give me 110% or keep your filthy hands off of my rock." The team started rubbing the Rock for the first game of 1967, which was a 23-6 waxing of ACC foe Wake Forest.

As a result, it is now a tradition for the Clemson Army ROTC to protect the Rock for the 24 hours prior to the Clemson-South Carolina game when held in Death Valley. ROTC cadets keep a steady drum cadence around the rock prior to the game, which can be heard across the campus. Part of the tradition comes after unknown parties vandalized the Rock prior to the 1992 South Carolina-Clemson game. On June 2, 2013, Howard's Rock was again vandalized when the case containing it was broken and a portion of the rock was removed by an apparent fan of the Tigers, who was eventually arrested following a police investigation.

Running Down the Hill Probably the most highly publicized tradition of the Clemson Tigers football team is the entrance, which Brent Musburger referred to as "The Most Exciting 25 seconds in College Football." Running down "The Hill" originally started out of practicality. Before the west stands were built, the football team dressed across the street at Fike Field House and ran from there to the gate and down the hill onto the field. Now, after exiting the stadium on the west side, the players load into 2 buses which, escorted by police officers, make their way around the stadium to the east side where The Hill is located. This scene is shown on the JumboTron inside the stadium. When the buses arrive at the east side the players get out and gather at the top of the hill and stand around Howard's Rock; once most of the players are out of the buses and ready to go a cannon sounds; the band begins to play Tiger Rag and the players make their way down the hill. The spelling out of C-L-E-M-S-O-N during this Tiger Rag is one of, if not the, loudest times it will be spelled out during the game.

Ring of Honor Created in 1994, the Ring of Honor is the highest award given to former coaches, players, and other individuals who made a direct impact on the football program.

The Graveyard The Graveyard is a mock cemetery near the football practice fields that features tombstones commemorating Clemson's victories over ranked opponents on the road.

First Friday Parade The Clemson football season kicks off each year with the annual First Friday Parade. The once a year event takes place on the Friday afternoon prior to the first home football game. Floats from various fraternities and sororities and other campus organizations are represented in the parade that rolls down main street in Clemson. The parade culminates at the Amphitheater in the middle of campus where the first Pep Rally of the year takes place. The Grand Marshal of the Parade is featured at the Pep Rally. Recent Grand Marshals have ranged from current PGA professional Dillard Pruitt, to College Football Hall of Fame legends Jess Neely and Frank Howard, to noted television announcers Brent Musburger and Ara Parseghian.

Tailgating On October 15, 2012, Southern Living named Clemson the South's best tailgate.

South Carolina

The Clemson-South Carolina rivalry is the largest annual sporting event in terms of ticket sales in the state of South Carolina. Clemson holds a 68–42–4 lead in the series which dates back to 1896. Historically, the final score in the game, (on average), has been decided by less than a touchdown. From 1896 to 1959, the Clemson-South Carolina game was played, on the fairgrounds, in Columbia, South Carolina and was referred to as "Big Thursday." In 1960 an alternating-site format was implemented utilizing both teams' home stadiums. The annual game has since been designated "The Palmetto Bowl." The last eight contests between the programs have been nationally televised (4 on ESPN, 4 on ESPN2).

Georgia Tech

Clemson's rivalry with Georgia Tech dates to 1898 with the first game being played in Atlanta. The game was played in Atlanta for 44 of the first 47 match-ups, until Georgia Tech joined the ACC. When Georgia Tech joined the ACC in 1978, the series went to a more traditional home-and-home setup beginning with the 1983 game. When the ACC expanded to 12 teams and split into two divisions in 2005, Clemson and Georgia Tech were placed in opposite divisions but were designated permanent cross-divisional rivals so that the series may continue uninterrupted. The two schools are 127 miles apart and connected to each other by Interstate 85. This distance is slightly closer than that between Clemson and traditional rival South Carolina (137 miles). Georgia Tech leads the series 50-29-2. However, Clemson leads the series 17-15 since Georgia Tech joined the ACC in 1983.

NC State

The yearly conference and divisional match-up with NC State is known as the Textile Bowl for the schools' similar missions in research and development for the textile industry in the Carolinas. The first meeting of the two schools occurred in 1899, and Clemson currently holds a 56-28-1 series advantage, including having won 11 of the last 12 games played. The series has been played annually since 1971.

Boston College

The O'Rourke–McFadden Trophy was created in 2008 by the Boston College Gridiron Club in order to honor the tradition at both schools and to honor the legacy of Charlie O'Rourke and Banks McFadden, who played during the leather helmet era. The club plans to make this an annual presentation. Clemson first met Boston College on the football field in the 1940 Cotton Bowl Classic, the first ever bowl game for the Tigers and Eagles. Over the next 43 years, the teams met a total of 13 times. In 2005, Boston College joined the ACC and the Atlantic Division. Since then, the game has been played on an annual basis with Clemson winning in 6 of the last 7 meetings. As of 2016 the Tigers lead the series 15-9-2.

Florida State

Between 1999 and 2007 the ACC Atlantic Division matchup between Clemson and Florida State was referred to as the "Bowden Bowl" to reflect the father-son head coach matchup between Bobby Bowden (Father, FSU) and Tommy Bowden (Son, Clemson). Their first meeting, in 1999, was the first time in Division I-A history that a father and a son met as opposing head coaches in a football game. Bobby Bowden won the first four matchups extending FSU's winning streak over Clemson to 11 dating back to 1992. Since 2003, Clemson is 7-6, including a 26-10 win in Clemson over then-#3 FSU, the highest ranking opponent to ever be defeated by the Tigers. Also during this time the Tigers recorded a 27-20 win in Tallahassee in 2006 which broke a 17-year losing streak in Doak Campbell Stadium. 2007 was the last Bowden Bowl game as Tommy resigned as head coach in October 2008. #3 Clemson pulled off a thriller in Tallahassee in 2016, 37-34, over the #12-ranked Seminoles. As of 2016, Florida State leads the overall series 20-10.

Georgia

The Bulldogs and the Tigers have played each other 64 times beginning in 1897, with the 64th meeting played in 2014. Clemson's only regular-season losses of the 1978, 1982, and 1991 campaigns all came at the hands of Georgia "between the hedges", whereas Georgia's only regular-season setback during the three years of the Herschel Walker era came in Death Valley during Danny Ford's 1981 national championship run.

During the two programs' simultaneous glory days of the early 1980s, no rivalry in all of college football was more important at the national level. The Bulldogs and Tigers played each other every season from 1973 to 1987, with Scott Woerner's dramatic returns in 1980 and the nine turnovers forced by the Tigers in 1981 effectively settling the eventual national champion. No rivalry of that period was more competitive, as evidenced by the critical eleventh-hour field goals kicked by Kevin Butler in 1984 and by David Treadwell more than once later in the decade. Despite blowouts in 1990 by the Tigers and in 1994 and 2003 by the Bulldogs, the series typically has remained very competitive with evenly matched games.

Georgia currently maintains a 41–18-4 lead in the series, with 34 games having been played at Georgia, 21 games having been played at Clemson, and 8 games having been played at a neutral site (either Augusta, Georgia or Anderson, South Carolina). Georgia had won 5 games in a row, dating back to 1991, until Clemson won a top-10 match-up to open the 2013 season in Death Valley. On August 31, 2013, No. 8 Clemson hosted No. 5 Georgia as the season opener for both teams featuring senior starting quarterbacks, star-studded offenses and questions to be answered on both teams' defenses. This top-10 match-up was chosen as the ESPN game of the week, and Clemson hosted ESPN's College Gameday for just the second time. Clemson won the game by the score of 38 to 35.

Their last match-up was in 2014 in Athens where the Bulldogs defeated Clemson, 45–21.

Auburn

These old rivals first played in 1899, but until 2010, had not faced each other in the regular season since 1971. Auburn leads the overall series 34-15-2 and had won 14 games in a row, dating back to 1952, before Clemson snapped the streak in 2011, by beating #22 ranked Auburn 38-24 in Death Valley, in front of a crowd of exactly 82,000. Along with snapping one streak, Clemson also snapped Auburn's seventeen-game winning streak coming off of the 2009–2011 seasons. The Georgia Dome hosted the Auburn-Clemson rivalry in the 2012 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. Clemson defeated Auburn 26-19 riding on a 231-yard performance by Andre Ellington. This game was notable due to Sammy Watkins' absence, having been suspended the first two games due to a drug-related arrest in May 2012. #2 Clemson again defeated Auburn in the 2016 opener 19-13 in Auburn. The series will continue in 2017 at Clemson.

National championships

Clemson finished their undefeated 1981 season with a 22-15 victory over the #4 Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 1982 Orange Bowl, and were named the national champions by all major selectors.

† Other consensus selectors included Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, FACT, FB News, Football Research, FW, Helms, Litkenhous, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NFF, New York Times, Poling, Sagarin, and Sporting News

Playoffs

Clemson was selected as the one seed in the second College Football Playoff and defeated the fourth seed Oklahoma on December 31, 2015 in the 2015 Orange Bowl. They lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the championship game on January 11, 2016.

Clemson was selected to the third College Football Playoff as the second seed and defeated the third seed Ohio State on Dec. 31, 2016 in the 2016 Playstation Fiesta Bowl. The Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in the national championship game on January 9, 2017.

Undefeated seasons

Since its beginnings in 1896, Clemson has completed six undefeated seasons. This includes three perfect seasons in which the Tigers were undefeated and untied.

1900, 1906, 1948, 1950, 1981, 2015

† The 2015 Clemson Tigers football team went undefeated in the regular season (12-0), and additionally won the ACC Championship Game and were Orange Bowl Champions, before qualifying for a supplementary game due to the new CFP format.

Conference championships

Clemson won the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1900 and 1902 (tied 1903 and 1906) along with the Southern Conference title in 1940 and 1948. Their 16 ACC titles (15 outright, 1 tied) is the most ACC football championships.

In 1965, South Carolina violated participation rules relating to two ineligibile players and was required to forfeit wins against North Carolina State and Clemson. North Carolina State and Clemson were then declared co-champions.

Conference affiliations

1896–1921: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association

1921–1953: Southern Conference (charter member)

1953–present: Atlantic Coast Conference (charter member)

Divisional championships

In 2005, the Atlantic Coast Conference divided into two divisions of six teams each and began holding an ACC Championship Game at the conclusion of the regular football season to determine the ACC Football Champions. Clemson won its first outright ACC Atlantic Division championship in 2009 and again in 2011. In 2012, Clemson tied for a share of the Atlantic Division Championship and was named co-champion of the division.

† On 7/18/2011, Georgia Tech was required to vacate their victory due to NCAA violations and the game is considered by the NCAA and ACC to have no winner.

‡ Clemson finished 7-1 in the ACC and was named co-champion of the Atlantic Division per ACC rules. Florida State played in the ACC Championship by owning the tie-breaker advantage.

‡ Clemson finished 7-1 in the ACC and was named co-champion of the Atlantic Division per ACC rules. Clemson played in the ACC Championship by owning the tie-breaker advantage.

National polls

Clemson has ended their football season ranked 31 times in either the AP or Coaches Poll. Clemson currently has six consecutive 10 win seasons. It is the 2nd longest active streak behind Alabama with 7.

† AP Poll began selecting the nation's Top 20 teams in 1936. Only the Top 10 teams were recognized from 1962 to 1967. The AP Poll expanded back to the Top 20 teams in 1968. In 1989, it began recognizing the Top 25 teams.

‡ UPI/Coaches Poll began selecting its Top 20 teams on a weekly basis in 1950 before expanding to the nations's Top 25 teams in 1990.

Bowl games

This is a partial list of the ten most recent bowl games Clemson competed in. For the full Clemson bowl game history, see List of Clemson Tigers bowl games.

College Football Hall of Fame inductees

In 1951, the College Football Hall of Fame opened in South Bend, Indiana. Clemson has had 3 players and 4 former coaches inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Retired numbers

+ Steve Fuller's number 4 was retired in 1979. However, it was brought out of retirement in 2014 to be worn by Clemson's 5 star quarterback recruit, Deshaun Watson.

+ CJ Spiller 's number 28 was retired in 2009. However, it was brought out of retirement in 2016 to be worn by Clemson's 5 star running back recruit Tavien Feaster

Consensus All-Americans

Clemson players have been honored 25 times as consensus All-Americans.

Atlantic Coast Conference 50th Anniversary football team

On July 23, 2002 in celebration of the Atlantic Coast Conference's 50th Anniversary, a 120-member blue ribbon committee selected the Top 50 football players in ACC history. Clemson led all conference schools with the most players selected to the Golden Anniversary team. Each of Clemson's honorees are All-Americans and former NFL players. The nine selectees from Clemson are:

Current NFL players

*Practice Squad Only

Mackensie Alexander – Cornerback, Minnesota Vikings

Dwayne Allen – Tight end, Indianapolis Colts

Stephone Anthony – Linebacker, New Orleans Saints

Tavaris Barnes – Defensive end, Seattle Seahawks

Isaiah Battle – Offensive tackle, Los Angeles Rams*

Vic Beasley – Defensive end, Atlanta Falcons

Andre Branch – Defensive end, Miami Dolphins

Bashaud Breeland – Cornerback, Washington Redskins

Zac Brooks - Running back, Denver Broncos*

Jaron Brown – Wide receiver, Arizona Cardinals

Kourtnei Brown - Linebacker, Tennessee Titans*

Martavis Bryant – Wide receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers

Crezdon Butler - Cornerback, Detroit Lions

Chandler Catanzaro – Placekicker, Arizona Cardinals

Kevin Dodd – Defensive end, Tennessee Titans

Andre Ellington – Running back, Arizona Cardinals

Marcus Gilchrist – Cornerback, New York Jets

B. J. Goodson – Linebacker, New York Giants

T. J. Green – Safety, Indianapolis Colts

Chris Hairston – Offensive tackle, San Diego Chargers

DeAndre Hopkins – Wide receiver, Houston Texans

Adam Humphries – Wide receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Grady Jarrett – Defensive tackle, Atlanta Falcons

Jarvis Jenkins - Defensive end, Kansas City Chiefs

Jayron Kearse – Safety, Minnesota Vikings

Shaq Lawson – Defensive end, Buffalo Bills

Byron Maxwell – Cornerback, Miami Dolphins

Jonathan Meeks – Safety, Buffalo Bills

Charone Peake – Wide receiver, New York Jets

Bradley Pinion – Punter, San Francisco 49ers

D. J. Reader – Defensive tackle, Houston Texans

Coty Sensabaugh - Cornerback, New York Giants

Tyler Shatley – Offensive guard, Jacksonville Jaguars

C. J. Spiller - Running back, Kansas City Chiefs

Brandon Thomas - Offensive Guard, Detroit Lions*

Brandon Thompson – Defensive tackle, Cincinnati Bengals

Sammy Watkins – Wide receiver, Buffalo Bills

DeShawn Williams – Defensive tackle, Cincinnati Bengals

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of August 13, 2015

Recruiting

Clemson Tigers Football from Rivals.com team recruitment rankings: