Tigers

General Information

Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (1953-present)
Past Conferences: Southern
City: Clemson, S.C.
Stadium: Memorial Stadium

Championships:

• National Championships: 3 (1981, 2016, 2018)
• Conference Titles: 23 (1940, 1948, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022)
• Divisional Titles: 9 (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022)

Team History

The Clemson Tigers are a Division I program located in Clemson, S.C. Clemson, a charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, is coached by Dabo Swinney.

Clemson has become one of the country’s most dominant programs in the College Football Playoff era, with 12 consecutive double-digit win seasons and a pair of national championships under Swinney.

The Tigers missed the inaugural CFP during the 2014 season but made it each of the next six seasons. In 2015, with Deshaun Watson at quarterback, Clemson beat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl before falling to Alabama 45-40 in the national championship game. The Tigers avenged that loss the following season, defeating the Crimson Tide 35-31 in a title game rematch to claim their first national championship since 1981, in addition to their first in the CFP.

Clemson captured another national championship in 2018 behind freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence, hammering Alabama 44-16 in the final to complete the first 15-0 campaign in program history. At the time, only two other schools (Yale, 16-0 in 1894; Penn, 15-0 in 1897) had won that many games in a single season.

Lawrence, who threw for 3,280 yards and 30 touchdowns on the season, won a slew of awards, including ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year and National Freshman of the Year.

Clemson returned to the national championship in 2019 but lost 42-25 to LSU.

While the Tigers claimed another ACC title in 2022, their first since 2019 and 21st all-time, they missed the playoffs for the second straight season. It was the first time that happened since the format was introduced in 2014.

Swinney is 11-8 in bowl games and 161-39 overall over 15 seasons at Clemson. With five victories next season, he will pass Frank Howard as the winningest coach in program history. The only other coach to lead Clemson to a national title is Danny Ford, who finished 12-0 in 1981. The Tigers capped their undefeated season by defeating Nebraska 22-15 in the Orange Bowl and were named the consensus national champion.

The Tigers have appeared in 49 bowls overall, including each of the last 18 seasons. That’s the fifth-longest streak in the country behind Georgia, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Alabama.

Notably, yet not surprisingly, Clemson has been a hotbed for NFL talent. The Tigers have produced standouts such as DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Terrell, Dexter Lawrence, Tee Higgins, Travis Etienne, Hunter Renfrow, Mike Williams, Sammy Watkins, Christian Wilkins, and Grady Jarrett, in addition to Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins.

All Time Records

Passing Yards

• Tajh Boyd: 11,904
• Deshaun Watson: 10,168
• Trevor Lawrence: 10,098
• Charlie Whitehurst: 9,665
• Cullen Harper: 5,762

Rushing Yards

•  Travis Etienne: 4,952
•  Raymond Priester: 3,966
•  James Davis: 3,881
•  C.J. Spiller: 3,547
•  Andre Ellington: 3,436

Receiving Yards

• Sammy Watkins: 3,391
• DeAndre Hopkins: 3,020
• Aaron Kelly: 2,733
• Mike Williams: 2,727
• Terry Smith: 2,681

What is Clemson’s overall record in bowl games?

Clemson has appeared in 49 bowl games, with an overall record of 26-23. The Tigers’ most recent appearance was in the 2022 Orange Bowl, in which they lost 31-14 to Tennessee.

 How many consecutive seasons has Clemson finished with a winning record?

Clemson has posted 12 straight winning seasons. The last time the Tigers finished below .500 was 2010, when they lost the Meineke Car Care Bowl to South Florida to end up 6-7.

 Who has thrown the most touchdown passes in Clemson program history?

Tahj Boyd threw a school-record 107 touchdown passes from 2010-13. Boyd, who also set the school record for career passing yards, was the ACC Player of the Year in 2012, in addition to a First Team All-American. He was selected in the sixth round (213th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He was released the following summer.