The 1989 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University in the 1989 college football season. The Tigers were led by head coach Danny Ford, who was serving his final season as head coach at Clemson. The Tigers played their home games in Memorial Stadium. The Tigers finished the 1989 season with a 10-2 record and defeated West Virginia 27-7 in the 1989 Gator Bowl.
Incoming recruiting class[]
- Nick Blinsky (C; Struthers, OH; Struthers HS)
- Rodney Blunt (TB; Pensacola, FL; Pine Forest HS)
- Brentson Buckner (MG; Columbus, GA; Carver HS)
- Greg Burk (FB; Lawton, OK; Lawton HS)
- Pat Burris (DB; Rock Hill, SC; Northwestern HS)
- Arthur Bussie (OLB; Camden, NJ; Camden HS)
- Darren Calhoun (LB; McCormick, SC; McCormick HS)
- Jason Davis (WR; Pensacola, FL; Pine Forest HS)
- Steve Derriso (LB; Huntsville, AL; Grissom HS)
- Garth Fennigan (QB; Harlingen, TX; Harlingen HS)
- Eric Geter (CB; Newnan, GA; Newnan HS)
- Tyrone Gibson (LB; Hartsville, SC; Hartsville HS)
- Rudy Harris (TB; Brockton, MA; Brockton HS)
- David Hogue (OG; New Castle PA; Laurel HS)
- Brent LeJeune (OT; Lake Charles, LA; Barbe HS)
- Richard Moncrief (QB; Montgomery, AL; Davis HS)
- Robert O'Neal (CB; Clarkston, GA; Clarkston HS)
- Thad Ridgley (FB; Ambridge, PA; Ambridge HS)
- Larry Ryans (CB; Greenwood, SC; Greenwood HS)
- Stacy Seegars (MG; Kershaw, SC; Andrew Jackson HS)
- Ashley Sheppard (OLB; Greenville, NC; North Pitt HS)
- Tyrone Simpson (DT; Rock Hill, SC; Northwestern HS)
- Terry Smith (WR; Clemson, SC; Daniel HS)
- Franklin Thomas (TE; New Orleans, LA; St. Augustine HS)
- James Trapp (SS; Lawton, OK; Lawton HS)
- Scott Vaughn (OT; Phillipsburg, NJ; Phillipsburg HS)
- Pierre Wilson (DT; Jackson, MS; Provine HS)
[1]
Schedule[]
Date
|
Opponent#
|
Rank#
|
Site
|
TV
|
Result
|
Attendance
|
September 2*
|
Furman
|
#12
|
Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC
|
|
W 30-0
|
80,508
|
September 9*
|
at #16 Florida State
|
#10
|
Doak Campbell Stadium • Tallahassee, FL
|
|
W 34-23
|
61,897
|
September 16*
|
at Virginia Tech
|
#7
|
Lane Stadium • Blacksburg, VA
|
|
W 27-7
|
47,152
|
September 23
|
Maryland
|
#7
|
Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC
|
|
W 31-7
|
77,301
|
September 30
|
at Duke
|
#7
|
Wallace Wade Stadium • Durham, NC
|
|
L 17-21
|
22,600
|
October 7
|
Virginia
|
#15
|
Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC
|
|
W 34-20
|
80,638
|
October 14†
|
Georgia Tech
|
#14
|
Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC (Homecoming)
|
|
L 14-30
|
81,550
|
October 21
|
#12 N.C. State
|
#22
|
Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC (Textile Bowl)
|
|
W 30-10
|
81,569
|
October 28
|
Wake Forest
|
#21
|
Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC
|
|
W 44-10
|
71,335
|
November 4
|
at North Carolina
|
#17
|
Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC
|
|
W 35-3
|
44,500
|
November 18*
|
at South Carolina
|
#15
|
Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, SC (Carolina-Clemson Rivalry)
|
|
W 45-0
|
74,500
|
December 30*
|
vs. #17 West Virginia
|
#14
|
Gator Bowl Stadium • Jacksonville, FL (Gator Bowl)
|
|
W 27-7
|
82,911
|
*Non-Conference Game. †Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Time.
|
Depth chart[]
Defensive Starters
|
FS
|
James Lott
|
Norris Brown
|
Chris Hart
|
|
WLB
|
MLB
|
OLB
|
Doug Brewster
|
Ed McDaniel
|
Levon Kirkland
|
Kenzil Jackson
|
Vince Taylor
|
Wayne Simmons
|
Dorian Mariable
|
Shane Scott
|
Eric Mader
|
|
SS
|
Arlington Nunn
|
Tyron Mouzon
|
Marc Taylor
|
|
CB
|
Dexter Davis
|
Mitch Belton
|
Lee Kendall
|
|
|
DE
|
DT
|
DT
|
DE
|
John Johnson
|
Vance Hammond
|
David Davis
|
Otis Moore
|
Wayne Harps
|
Danny Sizer
|
Rob Bodine
|
Chester McGlockton
|
Jeff Taylor
|
⋅
|
Al Richard
|
⋅
|
|
|
CB
|
Jerome Henderson
|
Tony Mauney
|
David Joye
|
|
Offensive Starters
|
WR
|
Rodney Fletcher
|
Chip Davis
|
Fernandez West
|
|
|
LT
|
LG
|
C
|
RG
|
RT
|
Bruce Bratton
|
Jeb Flesch
|
Hank Phillips
|
Eric Harmon
|
Stacy Long
|
Les Hall
|
David Pluckett
|
Mike Brown
|
Mike Samnik
|
Kelvin Hankins
|
Chris Ogle
|
Jamison Temples
|
John Harris
|
Ron Wessinger
|
Mark Shirley
|
|
TE
|
Stacy Fields
|
Chris Twiss
|
Mike Berry
|
|
WR
|
Gary Cooper
|
Doug Thomas
|
Robbie Spector
|
|
|
QB
|
Chris Morocco
|
DeChane Cameron
|
Michael Carr
|
|
|
|
|
FB
|
Wesley McFadden
|
Junior Hall
|
Tony Kennedy
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[2]
Coaching staff[]
- Danny Ford - Head Coach
- Chuck Reedy - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Bill Oliver - Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers
- - Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs
- - Assistant Head Coach/Tackles & Tight Ends
- - Associate Head Coach/Offensive Guards and Centers
- - Defensive Tackles
- - Running Backs/Special Teams
- - Defensive Ends
- Woody McCorvey - Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers
Sources[]