USA TODAY Sports
Ranking Clemson’s 26 Bowl Wins
CLEMSON, S.C. — When No. 7 Clemson plays sixth-ranked Tennessee in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30, the Tigers will be making their 49th bowl appearance.
Clemson currently owns a 26-22 record in bowl games, which includes playing in four College Football Playoff National Championship Games. In all, the Tigers have played for the national championship five times, winning three of them.
Clemson’s first bowl appearance came in the 1940 Cotton Bowl, as All-American Banks McFadden led the Tigers to a 6-3 victory over Boston College. Besides playing in the prestigious Cotton Bowl Classic on two occasions, the Tigers have also made multiple appearances in the Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and the CFP National Championship Game.
Below is my ranking of Clemson’s 26 bowl wins. The ranking is based on what each game meant in the moment it was played, its national relevance and historical context.
Despite playing in snowy conditions and freezing temperatures that set records for a Clemson football game, the Tigers snapped a five-game losing streak in bowl games with a 49-24 victory over Louisiana Tech in Boise, Idaho.
26. 2001 Humanitarian Bowl: Clemson 49, Louisiana Tech 24
Despite playing in snowy conditions and freezing temperatures that set records for a Clemson football game, the Tigers snapped a five-game losing streak in bowl games with a 49-24 victory over Louisiana Tech in Boise, Idaho.
Clemson racked up 548 yards of total offense and set a then school-record with five touchdown passes in the game. Quarterback Woodrow Dantzler (above photo) was named the game’s MVP after completing 15-of-23 passes for 218 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 57 yards in his final game as a Clemson Tiger.
The Tigers put the game away with four touchdowns in the third quarter, as the 28 points were the most in one quarter for a Clemson team in a bowl game.
25. 1993 Peach Bowl: Clemson 14, Kentucky 13
With under a minute to play, Kentucky linebacker Marty Moore intercepted a Patrick Sapp pass, which appeared to have ended the game. However, instead of getting down and securing the win for the Wildcats, Moore decided to keep running, which allowed Clemson lineman Stacy Seegars to jar the football loose. Brent LeJeune recovered the fumble, and with 20 seconds left, Sapp connected with wide receiver Terry Smith on a 21-yard scoring pass for a 14-13 victory.
24. 2021 Cheez-it Bowl: No. 19 Clemson 20, Iowa State 13
Cornerback Mario Goodrich (above photo) was the hero of the day for No. 19 Clemson. First, he returned a third quarter interception 18 yards for a touchdown and later he sealed the 20-13 victory by stripping the football from Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy on a fourth-and-two play with 33 seconds to play.
Initially, Purdy scrambled to convert the fourth down, but as he tried for extra yards, Goodrich poked the ball loose, sending it back behind the line to gain. Purdy recovered the ball short of the first down, and Clemson took over on downs.
23. 2005 Champs Sports Bowl: No. 23 Clemson 19, Colorado 10
Running back James Davis earned MVP honors after rushing for 150 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. His six-yard touchdown run with 1:38 to play clinched a 19-10 victory over Colorado.
Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, playing in his final game at Clemson, threw for 205 yards on 21 of 29 passing. He also had a five-yard touchdown run.
The Clemson defense held the Buffaloes to 124 total yards, including 17 net rushing yards.
22. 2009 Music City Bowl: Clemson 21, Kentucky 13
Running back C.J. Spiller (above photo) had 172 all-purpose yards and scored the game-clinching touchdown with 10:14 to play, as Clemson knocked off Kentucky, 21-13. The win snapped a three-game losing skid in bowl games.
In his final game as a Clemson Tiger, Spiller, a consensus All-American, was named the game’s MVP as Clemson set bowl records for yards per play (6.6) and yards per carry (5.5).
21. 1986 Gator Bowl: Clemson 27, No. 20 Stanford 21
Clemson raced out to a 27-0 halftime lead and then hung on for a 27-21 victory over No. 20 Stanford.
The Tigers ran for 238 yards, while quarterback Rodney Williams completed 12-of-19 passes for 135 yards. Williams, who was magnificent in running the triple option, also ran for a touchdown and was named the game’s MVP.
20. 1991 Hall of Fame Bowl: No. 14 Clemson 30, No. 18 Illinois 0
All the Clemson defensive players heard about in the weeks leading up to the 1991 Hall of Fame Game was how they have never faced an offense as powerful as Illinois’. By the end of the game, all anyone could talk about was how Illinois had never seen a defense quite like Clemson’s.
The 14th-ranked Tigers, who had the No. 1 defense in the country in 1990, held No. 18 Illinois to 247 total yards, more than 150 yards below its season average. The Clemson defense even scored a touchdown when cornerback Arlington Nunn picked off a pass and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown.
Quarterback DeChane Cameron was named the game’s MVP after he completed 14-of-19 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Cameron also led the Tigers with 76 yards on the ground.
19. 1989 Gator Bowl: No. 14 Clemson 27, No. 17 West Virginia 7
In what turned out to be Danny Ford’s last game as Clemson’s head coach, the 14th-ranked Tigers beat No. 18 West Virginia the way Danny Ford liked winning games. They physically wore down the Mountaineers for a 27-7 victory in the Gator Bowl.
West Virginia quarterback Major Harris, a Heisman Finalist, came into the game ranked eighth nationally in total offense and ninth in passing efficiency but the Clemson defense, led by outside linebacker Levon Kirkland (No. 44 in above photo), enabled the shifty Harris to gain only 17 yards on the ground and 119 yards in the air on an 11-of-21 passing. Kirkland was named MVP for his efforts, as he had nine tackles, a five-yard sack, caused a key fumble, broke up a Mountaineer pass and recorded three quarterback pressures.
Defensive tackle Chester McGlockton recovered a fumble in the end zone for a fourth-quarter touchdown. The Tigers scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to put the game away. The offense rushed for 257 yards on 61 carries.
Ford finished his Clemson career with a 6-2 record in bowl games, with all six wins coming in the state of Florida.
18. 1988 Citrus Bowl: No. 14 Clemson 35, No. 20 Penn State 10
Clemson handed Joe Paterno his worst bowl defeat in a 35-10 victory in Orlando, Fla. The Tigers racked up 499 total yards with great balance in defeating the defending national champions.
Led by quarterback Rodney Williams, who was named the game’s MVP, Clemson threw for 214 yards and ran for 285 more on the ground. Williams completed 15-of-24 passes, while running back Terry Allen ran the ball 11 times for 105 yards and a touchdown.
At the time, Clemson’s 25-point victory was the worst defeat of Paterno’s Hall of Fame career.
17. 1989 Citrus Bowl: No. 14 Clemson 13, No. 10 Oklahoma 6
Clemson’s defense held Oklahoma to 116 yards on the ground and to 254 yards overall, as the 14th-ranked Tigers stunned the No. 10 Sooners in the Citrus Bowl. The Tigers’ victory marked the first time a team from the ACC beat Oklahoma.
The Sooners came into the game averaging more than 350 yards a game on the ground from its wishbone attack. Fittingly, it was the Clemson defense that won the game when freshman cornerback Dexter Davis knocked down Jamelle Holieway’s pass in the end zone on the game’s final play.
Running back Terry Allen rushed for only 53 yards, his season low, but scored the game’s only touchdown and caught four passes for 47 yards on his way to being named the game’s MVP.
16. 1959 Bluebonnet Bowl: No. 11 Clemson 23, No. 7 TCU 7
Clemson earned its first top 10 victory in a bowl game, as the No. 11 Tigers took down No. 7 TCU in the Bluebonnet Bowl. The win was also the last bowl win and game for Hall of Fame head coach Frank Howard.
The Tigers scored 20 fourth-quarter points, including a 68-yard Harvey White to Gary Barnes touchdown, which proved to be the game-winning score.
Howard finished his Clemson career with a 3-3 record in bowl games.
15. 2004 Peach Bowl: Clemson 27, No. 6 Tennessee 14
Chad Jasmin (No. 10 in above photo) ran for 130 yards, while Charlie Whitehurst threw for 246 more as unranked Clemson stunned No. 6 Tennessee, 27-14, at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
The win over the sixth-ranked Volunteers was the second over a top 10 team that year, the first time since 1981 the Tigers knocked off two top 10 teams in one season. The Tigers also beat No. 3 Florida State earlier in the year.
Though Tennessee threw for 384 yards, the Clemson defense held the Volunteers to 38 rushing yards. Jasmin, who also had a 15-yard touchdown run, was named the game’s MVP.
The Tigers finished the year with four straight wins, which pushed them into the final AP Poll at No. 22.
14. 1951 Orange Bowl: No. 10 Clemson 15, No. 15 Miami 14
Clemson capped its second undefeated season in three years when it up ended Miami, 15-14, in the Orange Bowl. The Tigers’ Sterling Smith, a second-team guard, tackled Miami’s Frank Smith in the end zone with about six minutes to play for what proved to be a game-winning safety.
The Clemson defense held the Hurricanes to 222 total yards and forced four turnovers. The win allowed the Tigers to finish the 1950 season 9-0-1. Clemson went 11-0 in 1948.
13. 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl: No. 18 Clemson 40, Oklahoma 6
Clemson’s top-ranked defense dominated Oklahoma, while quarterback Cole Stoudt (above photo) and the Clemson offense threw all over the Sooners’ defense in a 40-6 blowout at the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando.
The 34-point win is still the Tigers’ largest margin of victory in a bowl game. The Clemson defense held Oklahoma to 275 yards and even scored a touchdown when linebacker Ben Boulware had a 47-yard interception return for a touchdown that gave the Tigers a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. In all, Clemson forced five turnovers.
Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett added 3.5 tackles for loss, while defensive end Vic Beasley had three tackles behind the line.
Stoudt, the game’s MVP, had a career day, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns. The game also marked the debut of Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott as co-offensive coordinators. It was also Brandon Streeter’s first game as Clemson’s quarterbacks’ coach.
12. 1949 Gator Bowl: No. 11 Clemson 24, Missouri 23
Jack Miller’s 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winning points, as Clemson hung on to beat the Tigers of Missouri, 24-23, to cap a perfect 11-0 season.
Clemson’s perfect season was the program’s first since the 1900 squad went 6-0.
The great Fred Cone ran for two scores, while Bobby Gage threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to John Poulos to aid the Clemson offense. Cone added 72 yards with his two touchdowns, while Ray Mathews rushed for 73 yards on 11 carries. Clemson ran for 186 yards.
11. 2018 Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Clemson 30, No. 3 Notre Dame 3
Clemson advanced to its second national championship game in three years, as it beat previously undefeated Notre Dame, 30-3, in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
With Trevor Lawrence (above photo) running the show, the Tigers tallied 538 total yards, including 327 yards from Lawrence. The true freshman also tossed three touchdowns, while completing 27-of-39 passes on his way to MVP honors.
Freshman receiver Justyn Ross hauled in six of Lawrence’s throws for 148 yards, including two touchdowns. Tee Higgins grabbed a touchdown pass as well, while running back Travis Etienne ran for 109 yards and scored on a 62-yard run.
Notre Dame managed just 248 yards and three points against the Tigers’ top-ranked scoring defense.
10. 1940 Cotton Bowl: No. 12 Clemson 6, No. 11 Boston College 3
Clemson introduced itself to the nation after an 8-1 regular season record in 1939, which included the program’s first Associated Press ranking. The Tigers’ lone loss came to No. 5 Tulane. They were rewarded with an invitation to play Boston College in the fourth Cotton Bowl.
The 1939 season not only resulted in Clemson’s first bowl appearance, but also the Tigers’ first, First-Team Associated Press All-America in Banks McFadden.
All the scoring came in the second quarter. After BC kicked a field goal to go up 3-0, Charlie Timmons scored the game’s lone touchdown on a two-yard run. From there, the two defenses dominated the game.
In the fourth quarter, the Eagles drove to the Clemson 11-yard line, but Shad Bryant and McFadden each broke up two passes and Clemson took over on downs. After that, McFadden effectively bottled up the Eagles with his punting.
McFadden averaged 44 yards on 11 punts, including kicks of 51 and 55 yards in the second half. The Tigers hung on for a 6-3 victory and finished the 1939 season with a 9-1 record.
9. 1978 Gator Bowl: No. 7 Clemson 17, No. 20 Ohio State 15
Clemson went 18 years between bowl games until the 1977 team ended that with an appearance in the Gator Bowl. However, Pittsburgh embarrassed the Tigers, souring what was an overall good season.
In 1978, the Tigers bounced back and had one of the greatest regular seasons in school history. They went 10-1 and won the program’s first ACC Championship in 11 years, along with a No. 7 ranking in the AP Poll. However, this time, Clemson was determined to finish the season strong, and did it with a new head coach.
Danny Ford made his head coaching debut with a 17-15 victory over Ohio State and Hall of Fame coach Woody Hayes in the Gator Bowl. However, the game is infamously remembered for Hayes punching Clemson middle guard Charlie Bauman.
The Buckeyes were driving to win the game and faced a third-and-five at the Clemson 24. That is when Bauman intercepted Art Schlichter after dropping into coverage. It was the only interception of Bauman’s four-year career.
On the return, Bauman was run out-of-bounds in front of the Ohio State bench. Hayes helped Bauman off the ground and then suddenly struck the Clemson defender. A scuffle followed, and consecutive unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were called on Ohio State.
The Tigers ran out the clock giving the program its first win over a Big Ten school. The next day Hayes was fired as Ohio State’s head coach.
Clemson’s 11 wins at the time tied a school record for wins in a season. The Tigers finished the year No. 6 in the Final AP Poll, the program’s highest final ranking at the time.
8. 2014 Orange Bowl: No. 12 Clemson 40, No. 7 Ohio State 35
Clemson forced four second-half turnovers, including a fumble and an interception on Ohio State’s last two possessions, as it rallied for a 40-35 victory over the Buckeyes in the Orange Bowl.
Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins (above photo) set Clemson and Orange Bowl records with 16 catches for 227 yards and two touchdowns to garner MVP honors, while quarterback Tajh Boyd accounted for 505 yards of total offense and six total touchdowns.
Ohio State took a 29-20 lead with 5:50 to play in the third quarter, but the Tigers rallied to score 20 of the game’s final 26 points.
After a Stanton Seckinger touchdown gave the Tigers a 40-35 lead with 6:16 left, the Buckeyes faced third-and-13 on the ensuing drive, but defensive back Bashaud Breeland crashed in on a corner blitz and hit quarterback Braxton Miller, jarring the ball loose. Linebacker Spencer Shuey snatched it out of the air at the Ohio State 47.
The Tigers gave the ball right back, as Ohio State came up with an interception three plays later, but linebacker Stephone Anthony picked off Miller two plays later with an amazing interception to seal the Clemson win.
7. 2015 Orange Bowl: No. 1 Clemson 37, No. 4 Oklahoma 17
For a second straight year, and for a third time overall, Clemson beat Oklahoma in a bowl game, this time with it coming in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. The Tigers outscored the Sooners 21-0 in the second half to advance the program to its first national championship opportunity since winning it all in the 1982 Orange Bowl.
Clemson’s defense forced two turnovers in the second half, interceptions by starting linebackers B.J. Goodson and Ben Boulware. It was the second straight year Boulware had an interception in a bowl game, a first for a Clemson linebacker.
T.J. Green led Clemson tacklers with 10, but Boulware was named the MVP thanks to his interception, eight tackles and a sack. Defensive end Kevin Dodd added 3.5 tackles for loss, including a sack, as Clemson held the Sooners to just 67 rushing yards on 40 attempts.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson (above photo) finished the afternoon 16 of 31 for 187 yards and a touchdown, but his 145 yards rushing gave him 332 yards of total offense.
The win improved Clemson to 14-0 for the first time in the program’s history.
6. 2016 Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Clemson 31, No. 3 Ohio State 0
Clemson used a dominating defense and the play of quarterback Deshaun Watson to beat Ohio State, 31-0, in the Fiesta Bowl. It was the worst margin of defeat in a bowl game in Ohio State history.
The Clemson win also marked the first and only time an Urban Meyer coached team was blanked in his Hall of Fame career. It was also the first time Ohio State was shut out since 1993. The Tigers held Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, J.T. Barrett, to 127 passing yards and minus-2 yards rushing.
The Buckeyes finished the game with just 215 total yards.
Things were much different on the other side of the field, as Watson, the offensive MVP of the game, connected on 26-of-36 passes for 259 yards and a score. He added 57 yards and two more scores on the ground. Running back Wayne Gallman was Clemson’s top rusher with 85 yards on 18 attempts and a touchdown. Wide receiver Mike Williams had six catches for 96 yards, while Hunter Renfrow added 5-50.
Defensive end Clelin Ferrell (No. 99 in above photo) was named the defensive MVP after he recorded three tackles for loss and a sack.
5. 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl: No. 14 Clemson 25, No. 9 LSU 24
Clemson scored 12 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including a 37-yard field goal from Chandler Catanzaro on the last play of the game to beat LSU, 25-24, in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Though Catanzaro’s kick ultimately won the game for Clemson, it was DeAndre Hopkins' sliding 26-yard catch on fourth-and-16 from the Clemson 14-yard line that is remembered the most. The Tajh Boyd-to-Hopkins connection kept Clemson’s game-winning drive alive and is a play that will forever live in Clemson Lore.
Boyd completed his next four passes after the Hopkins’ catch to set up Catanzaro for his game-winning kick. Boyd, who was sacked, hit and pressured all night but kept getting back up, finished that evening in Atlanta with 346 passing yards and two touchdowns, while completing 36 of his 50 throws.
Playing in his last game at Clemson, Hopkins (No. 6 in above photo) hauled in a then Clemson record 13 catches for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Not to be forgotten was the play of the Clemson defense, which held LSU to 99 rushing yards and 318 yards overall. Clemson also had six sacks.
Dabo Swinney has often said the win over LSU catapulted the Clemson Football Program and was the launching point of the program’s rocket up the college football rankings.
4. 2019 Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Clemson 29, No. 2 Ohio State 23
The 2019 Fiesta Bowl is arguably the most exciting bowl win in Clemson history. It had everything. It had big plays, outstanding individual efforts from both teams, a couple of controversial calls, a dramatic comeback, and a big stop at the end, as the Tigers beat Ohio State 29-23.
In the first matchup of 13-0 teams in CFP history, Ohio State ran out to a 16-0 first-half lead, but Clemson minimized the damage by holding the Buckeyes to field goals on all three red-zone trips. Three Blake Haubeil field goals and a 68-yard run by J.K. Dobbins provided the 16-point margin with 7:20 remaining in the second quarter.
From that point, Clemson outscored the Buckeyes, 29-7.
The game turned on a targeting penalty on Ohio State’s Shaun Wade that negated a third-down stop to extend a Clemson drive. The Tigers scored on the drive on an eight-yard touchdown run by Travis Etienne, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence cut the halftime score to 16-14 with a career-long 67-yard scoring run on the following drive.
Clemson took its first lead on a 53-yard receiving touchdown by Etienne in the third quarter. The Buckeyes reclaimed the lead on a 23-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave on fourth down in the fourth quarter.
Trailing 23-21, after an exchange of punts, Clemson took the ball at its own six. Lawrence guided the Tigers 94 yards in four plays for the go-ahead touchdown, which was a 34-yard pass to Etienne with 1:49 to play (above photo).
Ohio State drove to the Clemson 23, but Clemson’s second interception of the game, a pick by Nolan Turner in the end zone, sealed the victory and sent the Tigers to the national championship game.
The 16-point come-from-behind win is the largest for the Tigers in a bowl game and the fifth largest in school history.
3. 2019 National Championship: No. 2 Clemson 44, No. 1 Alabama 16
Clemson became the first team in the modern era of college football to post a 15-0 record after dominating previously undefeated Alabama, 44-16, in the National Championship Game.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 20-of-32 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Justyn Ross (No. 8 in above photo) amassed 153 yards and a score on six catches, while Travis Etienne also scored three total touchdowns, including two on the ground.
The Tigers also got a pick-six from cornerback A.J. Terrell to open the game.
The Clemson offense was 10-for-11 on third down and finished the evening with 482 total yards. On defense, the Tigers’ top-ranked scoring defense shut out the Crimson Tide in the second half.
The Tigers closed the game by going on a 10:04 drive, the longest drive, in terms of time, in Clemson history. The 28-point win marks the worst defeat by a Nick Saban coached team at Alabama.
The victory gave Clemson its second national championship in three years.
2. 2017 National Championship: No. 2 Clemson 35, No. 1 Alabama 31
Clemson won its first national championship in 35 years when Deshaun Watson hit Hunter Renfrow with a 2-yard touchdown pass with one second to play, lifting the Tigers to a 35-31 come-from-behind victory over Alabama.
Watson led the Tigers on a 9-play, 68-yard drive in the final 2:07 to earn the victory. The Clemson quarterback completed 36-of-56 passes for 420 yards and three touchdowns and added 43 rushing yards and another score in what is considered one of the best championship games in college football history.
Clemson scored 21 fourth-quarter points to beat the Crimson Tide, who had leads of 14-0 and 24-14 on the Tigers. What was more impressive about Clemson’s comeback was the fact Alabama entered the game first in the nation in scoring and total defense.
Alabama jumped out to a 14-0 lead behind the running of Bo Scarborough. He scored on runs of 25 and 37 yards, one in each quarter.
Clemson pulled within a score on an eight-yard run by Watson to make the count 14-7 at the half. Alabama outscored Clemson 10-7 in the third quarter to take a 24-14 lead entering the fourth quarter. The Crimson Tide had won 97 consecutive games when having a double-digit lead in the fourth period.
But the Tigers scored on a pair of touchdowns in the fourth to take a 28-24 lead with 4:38 left. Alabama, on its next possession, drove 68 yards to regain the lead.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts scored on a 30-yard run with 2:07 remaining. Clemson came back with a 68-yard drive of its own. The drive included a 24-yard pass to wide receiver Mike Williams, a six-yard completion to Renfrow on third-and-three and a 17-yard pass to Leggett that brought the ball to the Alabama nine with 14 seconds left.
A pass interference penalty on a pass to Williams in the end zone brought the ball to the two. On the next play Watson hit Renfrow with the game winner (above photo).
1. 1982 Orange Bowl: No. 1 Clemson 22, No. 4 Nebraska 15
Clemson won the school’s first national championship in any sport with a 22-15 victory over Nebraska in the 1982 Orange Bowl. The win completed the program’s first perfect season since 1948.
After not being ranked in the preseason, following a 6-5 campaign in 1980, the Tigers finished the 1981 season ranked No. 1 in every poll, including the Associated Press Poll and the United Press International Coaches Poll.
Cliff Austin’s 2-yard touchdown run with 3:56 to play in the second quarter gave Clemson a 12-7 lead, a lead it did not give back the rest of the night.
In the third quarter, quarterback Homer Jordan threw a perfect third-down pass to All-American Perry Tuttle for a 13-yard touchdown, extending the Tigers lead to 19-7 with 6:12 remaining in the quarter.
After Billy Davis’s 47-yard punt return, Jordan moved the Tigers to the Nebraska 20 before the drive bogged down. Donald Igwebuike kicked a 36-yard field goal, his third of the night, to put Clemson ahead 22-7 with 2:36 to play in the third.
The Cornhuskers made things a little more interesting when Roger Craig raced 26 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown. But the Clemson defense, led by All-American linebacker Jeff Davis, did not allow anything else.
Nebraska, who had one of the best offenses in the country in 1981, finished the night with 256 total yards. Davis finished his last game at Clemson with 14 tackles and recovered a fumble. Defensive end Bill Smith, who now sits on Clemson University’s Board of Trustees, recorded a career-high 10 tackles.
Jordan was named the game’s MVP, as he threw for 134 yards and ran for 46 more. Besides his touchdown pass to Tuttle, his biggest play was a 23-yard run on third down that allowed the Tigers to hold onto the football for more than five minutes, using all but the final six seconds of the clock.
Andy Headen knocked down Nebraska’s Hail Mary pass, which was well short of the end zone, to preserve the Tigers’ victory and start a mass celebration in Miami and in the Upstate of South Carolina.
--Clemson Athletic Communications contributed to this story
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