American college football season
The 1987 Clemson Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Clemson University in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season . In its tenth season under head coach Danny Ford , the team compiled a 10–2 record (6–1 against conference opponents), won the ACC championship, defeated Penn State in the 1988 Florida Citrus Bowl , was ranked No. 12 in the final AP Poll , and outscored opponents by a total of 333 to 176.[ 1] [ 2] The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina .
Michael Dean Perry and John Phillips were the team captains. The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Rodney Williams with 1,486 passing yards, Terry Allen with 973 rushing yards, Gary Cooper with 618 receiving yards, and placekicker David Treadwell with 87 points scored (18 field goals, 33 extra points).[ 3]
Date Opponent Rank Site Result Attendance Source September 5 Western Carolina * No. 9 W 43–071,465 [ 4] September 12 at Virginia Tech * No. 10 W 22–1042,000 [ 5] September 19 No. 18 Georgia * No. 8 Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC (rivalry ) W 21–2081,875 [ 6] September 26 Georgia Tech No. 9 Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC (rivalry ) W 33–1278,832 [ 7] October 10 Virginia No. 8 Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC W 38–2179,963 [ 8] October 17 Duke No. 7 Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC W 17–1070,294 [ 9] October 24 NC State No. 7 L 28–3073,613 [ 10] October 31 Wake Forest No. 14 Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC W 31–1769,711 [ 11] November 7 at North Carolina No. 10 W 13–1053,115 [ 12] November 14 Maryland No. 9 Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC W 45–1676,773 [ 13] November 21 at No. 12 South Carolina * No. 8 L 7–2075,043 [ 14] January 1, 1988 vs. No. 20 Penn State * No. 14 W 35–1053,152 [ 15] *Non-conference game HomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
1987 Clemson Tigers football team roster Players Coaches Offense Defense Special teams Head coach Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster
^ "2016 Media Guide" (PDF) . clemsontigers.com . Clemson Athletics. 2016. pp. 200–208. Retrieved June 23, 2017 . ^ "1987 Clemson Tigers Schedule and Results" . SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 4, 2019 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "1987 Clemson Tigers Stats" . SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 4, 2019 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Clemson slides by W. Carolina" . St. Petersburg Times . September 6, 1987. Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Clemson slugs Virginia Tech" . Anderson Independent-Mail . September 13, 1987. Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Treadwell lifts Tigers over Bulldogs" . Florence Morning News . September 20, 1987. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "No. 9 Clemson's victory over Georgia Tech something 'special' " . The Baltimore Sun . September 27, 1987. Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Tigers claim 27th win from Cavaliers" . The Herald . October 11, 1987. Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Clemson struggles past Duke" . The Danville Register . October 18, 1987. Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Wolfpack survives late Clemson rally" . The Daily Advertiser . October 25, 1987. Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Clemson terrorizes Wake Forest 31–17" . The Atlanta Journal & Constitution . November 1, 1987. Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Clemson tops Tar Heels, 13–10" . The Miami Herald . November 8, 1987. Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Tigers thunder to ACC title 45–16" . The Sun-News . November 15, 1987. Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Carolina defense prevails: Gamecocks 20, Tigers 7" . The Greenville News . November 22, 1987. pp. 1C, 5C – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Clemson destroys Penn State, 35–10" . Pensacola News Journal . January 2, 1988. Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
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National championships in bold