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2007 Clemson Tigers football
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
DivisionAtlantic
Ranking
CoachesNo. 22
APNo. 21
2007 record9-4 (5-3 ACC)
Head coachTommy Bowden
Offensive coordinatorRob Spence
Offensive schemeBubble Screen
Defensive coordinatorVic Koenning
Base defense4-3
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium (c. 80,301, grass)
Seasons
← 2006
2008 →
2007 ACC football standings
v · d · e Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
Atlantic
#10 Boston College x   6 2         11 3  
#21 Clemson   5 3         9 4  
Wake Forest   5 3         9 4  
Florida State   4 4         7 6  
Maryland   3 5         6 7  
NC State   3 5         5 7  
Coastal
#9 Virginia Tech x   7 1         11 3  
Virginia   6 2         9 4  
Georgia Tech   4 4         7 6  
North Carolina   3 5         4 8  
Miami   2 6         5 7  
Duke   0 8         1 11  

Championship: Virginia Tech 30, Boston College 16
† – BCS representative as champion
‡ – BCS at-large representative
x – Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2007 Clemson football team represented Clemson University in the 2007 college football season. The Tigers were led by head coach Tommy Bowden and played their home games in Memorial Stadium.

Notable[]

Clemson played host to the Florida State Seminoles on Labor Day, Monday, September 3, 2007 in both teams' season opener. The game was played before a primetime national audience on ESPN as the only college football game in that time slot.[1] It was only Clemson's second regular season Monday night game, the last being in 1982 against the University of Georgia.

Clemson opened its season with 3 consecutive home game victories. This is the first time that there have been 3 consecutive home games to open the season since 2003 and only the eighth time since 1923. Clemson will be playing against the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference champion Wake Forest in November and will play the 2006 Mid-American Conference champion Central Michigan for the first time. The 2007 season will see Clemson meeting Louisiana-Monroe and Central Michigan for the first time.

In the pre-season, incoming quarterback Willy Korn was named one of the top-10 impact freshman for 2007.[2]

Achievements[]

Clemson started 4-0, including a victory in the season and conference opener over the Florida State Seminoles in the ninth "Bowden Bowl", which pits father Bobby Bowden, coaching the Seminoles, against his son, Tommy. Following their 4-0 start, Clemson gave up two losses to Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech respectively. Following the two-game losing streak, the Tigers went on to another four-game winning streak. The team then finished the season with its toughest loss of the season (losing in the final seconds to Boston College, 20-17) and greatest triumph (defeating rival South Carolina 23-21 with a last-second field goal). With a record of 9-3, the Tigers received a bid to play in the 2007 Chick-fil-a Bowl.

During the September 8th game against UL-Monroe, Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper threw five touchdown passes, setting a new school record for most touchdown passes thrown in a single game, a feat he has now duplicated. He currently holds numerous school records, including touchdown passes in a season (27).

Harper need only throw for 122 yards, and leading rusher James Davis rush for 8 yards, for this to be the first Clemson team in history to have a 3,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher, and 1,000 receiver (WR Aaron Kelly exceeded 1,000 for the year during game-winning drive against South Carolina).

On December 2, 2007, it was announced that Clemson had accepted a bid to play in the 2007 Chick-fil-a Bowl opposite the Southeastern Conference's Auburn Tigers. The game will be played December 31 in front of a national audience on ESPN. It is Clemson's 7th appearance in the bowl, tying NC State for most appearances in the game. The Clemson Tigers enter the post-season ranked 15th nationally, while Auburn comes in 22nd. The game is particularly notable as it was Walter Riggs who came to coach at Clemson from Auburn and who brought with him many traditions, including the Tiger mascot.[3]

Schedule[]

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
September 3 8:00 PM Florida State Memorial StadiumClemson, SC (Bowden Bowl) ESPN W 24–18   81,993[4]
September 8* 1:00 PM Louisiana–Monroe #25 Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC W 49–26   77,628[4]
September 15* 1:00 PM Furman #20 Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC ESPNGP W 38–10   80,419[4]
September 22 12:00 PM at NC State #15 Carter–Finley StadiumRaleigh, NC (Textile Bowl) LFS W 42–20   56,903[4]
September 29 3:30 PM at Georgia Tech #13 Bobby Dodd StadiumAtlanta, GA (Rivalry) ABC L 13–3   54,635[4]
October 6 6:00 PM #14 Virginia Tech #22 Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC ESPN L 41–23   82,047[4]
October 20*† 12:00 PM Central Michigan Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC ESPNU W 70–14   81,361[4]
October 27 3:30 PM at Maryland Byrd StadiumCollege Park, MD ABC W 30–17   50,948[4]
November 3 12:00 PM at Duke #24 Wallace Wade StadiumDurham, NC ESPNGP W 47–10   20,457[4]
November 10 12:00 PM Wake Forest #20 Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC ESPN2 W 44–10   82,422[4]
November 17 7:45 PM #18 Boston College #16 Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC ESPN2 L 20–17   83,472[4]
November 24* 7:00 PM at South Carolina #22 Williams-Brice StadiumColumbia, SC (Battle for the Palmetto State) ESPN2 W 23–21   82,410[4]
December 31* 7:45 PM vs. #21 Auburn #16 Georgia DomeAtlanta, GA (Chick-fil-A Bowl) ESPN L 23–20 OT  74,413[4]
*Non-Conference Game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Depth chart[]

These are the projected starters and primary backups as of 4/9/07.


Defensive Starters


FS
Chris Clemons
Chris Russell


WLB MLB SLB
Nick Watkins Antonio Clay Tramaine Billie
Kavell Conner Kevin Alexander Jeremy Campbell
Cat
Michael Hamlin
DeAndre McDaniel
CB
Crezdon Butler
Byron Maxwell


DE DT DT DE
Ricky Sapp Dorrell Scott Rashaad Jackson Phillip Merling
Kwam Williams Jock McKissic Antwon Murchison Jamie Cumbie
CB
Chris Chancellor
Haydrian Lewis
Offensive Starters
WR
Aaron Kelly
Xavier Dye
WR
Rendrick Taylor
Tyler Grisham
LT LG C RG RT
Barry Richardson Chris McDuffie Barry Humphries Thomas Austin Chris Capote
Chris Hairston Jamarcus Grant Bobby Hutchinson Brandon Pilgrim Cory Lambert
TE
Michael Palmer
Akeem Robinson
WR
Jacoby Ford
LaDonte Harris
QB
Cullen Harper
Willy Korn
Key Reserves
RB Sadat Chambers




RB
James Davis
C. J. Spiller


Coaching staff[]

  • Tommy Bowden - Head Coach
  • Rob Spence - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
  • Vic Koenning - Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs
  • Brad Scott - Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line
  • David Blackwell - Linebackers
  • Andre Powell - Running Backs
  • Billy Napier - Tight Ends/Recruiting Coordinator
  • Chris Rumph - Defensive Line
  • Dabo Swinney - Wide Receivers
  • Ron West - Outside Linebackers
  • Mike Dooley - Defensive Video Graduate Assistant
  • Andy Ford - Defensive Graduate Assistant
  • Paul Hogan - Offensive Graduate Assistant
  • Willie Simmons - Offensive Video Graduate Assistant

References[]

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