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1952 Clemson Tigers football team

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1952 Clemson Tigers football
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Record2–6–1 (0–0 SoCon)
Head coach
CaptainGeorge Rodgers
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1951
1953 →
1952 Southern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 16 Duke $ 5 0 0 8 2 0
Wake Forest 5 1 0 5 4 1
West Virginia 5 1 0 7 2 0
William & Mary 4 1 0 4 5 0
George Washington 4 2 1 5 3 1
VPI 4 4 0 5 6 0
Furman 2 2 1 6 3 1
Washington and Lee 3 4 0 3 7 0
VMI 2 3 1 3 6 1
NC State 2 4 0 3 7 0
South Carolina 2 4 0 5 5 0
North Carolina 1 2 0 2 6 0
The Citadel 1 3 1 3 5 1
Davidson 1 6 0 2 7 0
Richmond 0 6 0 1 9 0
Maryland     7 2 0
Clemson     2 6 1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • † League sanctions prevented Maryland and Clemson from conference participation
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1952 Clemson Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Clemson College in the Southern Conference during the 1952 college football season. In its 13th season under head coach Frank Howard, the team compiled a 2–6–1 record and was outscored by a total of 157 to 112.[1][2] The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.

When Clemson and Maryland defied the Southern Conference's ban on postseason games by participating in bowl games after the 1951 season, the conference placed both schools on probation for one year and imposed a football scheduling boycott against them. Accordingly, Clemson was able to play games against only two conference opponents in 1952: Maryland (also on probation) and South Carolina (the annual "Big Thursday" rivalry game was set by the South Carolina Legislature and was therefore exempted from the boycott).[3]

George Rodgers was the captain of the 1952 Clemson team. The team's statistical leaders included tailback Don King with 317 passing yards and fullback Red Whitten with 445 rushing yards. Four players tied for the scoring leadership with 18 points each: Don King, Red Whitten, tailback Billy Hair, and wingback Buck George.[4]

Three Clemson players were named to the All-South Carolina football team for 1952: Billy Hair, tackle Earl Wrightenberry, and guard Tom Barton.[5]

Clemson did not return to the Southern Conference, opting in June 1953 to leave the conference along with Duke Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest in forming the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).[6]

Schedule

[edit]
Program for the Presbyterian game
DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 20 8:00 p.m. Presbyterian*W 53–13[7]
September 27 2:00 p.m. Villanova*dagger
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC
L 7–1428,000[8]
October 4 2:00 p.m.at No. 3 Maryland L 0–2832,000[9]
October 11 2:30 p.m.at Florida* L 13–5425,000[10]
October 23 2:00 p.m.at South Carolina L 0–635,000[11]
October 31 8:30 p.m.at Boston College* W 13–010,040[12]
November 8 1:30 p.m.at Fordham*T 12–126,000[13]
November 15 2:00 p.m.at Kentucky* L 14–2725,000[14]
November 22 2:00 p.m.at Auburn*L 0–3[15]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2016 Media Guide" (PDF). clemsontigers.com. Clemson Athletics. 2016. pp. 200–208. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  2. ^ "1952 Clemson Tigers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 2, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Maryland and Clemson Put On Probation". The News (Frederick, Maryland). December 15, 1951. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Clemson 1960 Football Media Guide". Clemson University. 1960. pp. 40–42. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  5. ^ Clemson 1960 Football Media Guide, p. 23.
  6. ^ "Atlantic Coast Conference Formed By Athletic Group". The Anniston Star. June 15, 1953. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Clemson claws Presbyterian by 53 to 13 in easy opener". Greensboro Daily News. September 21, 1952. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Clemson falls to Villanova". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. September 28, 1952. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Maryland routs 'fellow sinner' Clemson". Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel. October 5, 1952. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Mistakes costly, Clemson is routed 54–13". The State. October 12, 1952. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Scoop Latimer (October 24, 1952). "Carolina Defeats Clemson, 6-0, Before Overflow Crowd". The Greenville News. pp. 1, 38 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Hair sparks Clemson over favored Boston College Eagles, 13–0". The Index-Journal. November 1, 1952. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Latimer, Scoop (November 9, 1952). "King Sparkles in Clemson-Fordham 12-12 Tie in Cold". The Greenville News. Greenville, S.C. p. Sports 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Kentucky Wildcats uncork attack that crushes Clems on Tigers, 27–14". Florence Morning News. November 16, 1952. Retrieved October 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Auburn field goal nips Tigers, 3–0". The Charlotte Observer. November 23, 1952. Retrieved October 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.