From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American college football season
The 1978 Clemson Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Clemson University in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season . In its second season under head coach Charley Pell , the team compiled an 11–1 record (6–0 against conference opponents), won the ACC championship, defeated Ohio State in the 1978 Gator Bowl , was ranked No. 6 in the final AP and Coaches Polls , and outscored opponents by a total of 368 to 131.[ 1] [ 2] Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina .
Steve Fuller and Randy Scott were the team captains. The team's statistical leaders included Steve Fuller with 1,515 passing yards, Lester Brown with 1,022 rushing yards and 102 points scored, and Jerry Butler with 908 receiving yards.[ 3]
The Gator Bowl victory became infamous because Ohio State's legendary head coach Woody Hayes punched Clemson player Charlie Bauman during the game on the Buckeyes sideline after a play. The incident was caught on live television, and Hayes resigned as Ohio State head coach the next day before the team even left Jacksonville. Hayes would never coach again.
Date Time Opponent Rank Site Result Attendance Source September 16 1:00 p.m. The Citadel * W 58–353,332–54,075 [ 4] September 23 1:30 p.m. at Georgia * L 0–1260,000 [ 5] September 30 1:00 p.m. Villanova * Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC W 31–047,786 [ 6] October 7 1:00 p.m. Virginia Tech * Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC W 38–753,054 [ 7] October 14 1:00 p.m. at Virginia W 30–1419,243 [ 8] October 21 1:00 p.m. Duke Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC W 28–851,109 [ 9] October 28 1:00 p.m. at NC State No. 20 W 33–1045,000 [ 10] November 4 1:30 p.m. at Wake Forest No. 16 W 51–630,400 [ 11] November 11 1:00 p.m. North Carolina No. 15 Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC W 13–953,495 [ 12] November 18 1:00 p.m. at No. 11 Maryland No. 12 W 28–2451,376 [ 13] November 25 1:00 p.m. South Carolina * No. 10 Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC (rivalry ) W 41–2363,050–63,479 [ 14] December 29 vs. No. 20 Ohio State * No. 7 W 17–1572,011 [ 15] *Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time
[ 16] [ 17]
[ edit ]
Game information
Second quarter
OSU – Bob Atha 27-yard field goal, 12:08. Ohio St 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards.
CLEM – Steve Fuller 4-yard run (Obed Ariri kick), 5:03. Clemson 7–3. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards.
OSU – Art Schlichter 4-yard run (kick failed), 1:21. Ohio St 9–7. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards.
CLEM – Obed Ariri 47-yard field goal, 0:05. Clemson 10–9. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards. Third quarter
CLEM – Cliff Austin 1-yard run (Ariri kick), 2:18. Clemson 17–9. Drive: 19 plays, 84 yards. Fourth quarter
OSU – Art Schlichter 1-yard run (run failed), 8:11. Clemson 17–15. Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards.
Top passers Top rushers OSU – Art Schlichter – 18 rushes, 70 yards, 2 TD
CLEM – Tracy Perry – 14 rushes, 54 yards Warren Ratchford – 10 rushes, 54 yards
Top receivers
1978 Clemson Tigers football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Defense
Pos.
#
Name
Class
DL
58
Charlie Bauman So
DL
84
Jonathan Brooks Sr
LB
47
Bubba Brown Jr
DB
12
Jack Cain So
DL
66
Steve Durham So
DB
49
Eddie Geathers So
DL
80
Steve Gibbs Sr
DB
5
Willie Jordan Sr
DB
3
Al Latimer Sr
DL
90
David Reed So
DB
17
Bubba Rollins Sr
DB
26
Steve Ryan Sr
LB
35
Randy Scott Sr
DL
83
Jim Stuckey Jr
DL
51
Rich Tuten Sr
DB
13
Rex Varn Jr
DL
76
Toney Williams Sr
Special teams
Head coach Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain(S) Suspended(I) IneligibleRoster
^ "2016 Media Guide" (PDF) . clemsontigers.com . Clemson Athletics. 2016. pp. 200–208. Retrieved June 23, 2017 .^ "1978 Clemson Tigers Schedule and Results" . SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 3, 2019 – via Newspapers.com .^ "1978 Clemson Tigers Stats" . SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 4, 2019 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Tigers play 'errorless' game, rout Citadel 58–3" . The News and Observer . September 17, 1978. Retrieved January 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Bulldogs shutout Tigers" . Florence Morning News . September 24, 1978. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Villanova loses, 31–0, to Clemson" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . October 1, 1978. Retrieved January 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Tigers feast on Gobblers" . The Charlotte Observer . October 8, 1978. Retrieved December 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Tigers (4–1) wear down Virginia" . Winston-Salem Journal . October 15, 1978. Retrieved January 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Clemson defense forced turnovers; Offense took advantage of them" . Florence Morning News . October 22, 1978. Retrieved January 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Tigers' Brown excels" . The Daily Progress . October 29, 1978. Retrieved January 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Clemson buries Wake, 51–6" . The Danville Register . November 5, 1978. Retrieved January 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Brown, Clemson edge Tar Heels" . The Sun-News . November 12, 1978. Retrieved January 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Tigers claim ACC crown" . The Charlotte Observer . November 19, 1978. Retrieved January 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .^ Kerry Capps (November 26, 1978). "Tigers defeat Gamecocks" . The Greenville News . p. 1C – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Woody adds punch to Gator Bowl" . The Miami News . December 30, 1978. Retrieved January 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Clemson Football Media Guide - 1978" . Clemson University . 1978. p. 1. Retrieved November 10, 2023 .^ "Clemson Football Media Guide - 1979" . Clemson University . 1979. pp. 86–91. Retrieved November 10, 2023 .
Venues Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons National championship seasons in bold
National championships in bold
