1989 Clemson Tigers football team

1989 Clemson Tigers football
Gator Bowl champion
Gator Bowl, W 27–7 vs. West Virginia
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 11
AP	No. 12
Record	10–2 (5–2 ACC)
Head coach	Danny Ford (12th season)
Offensive scheme	Option
Base defense	4–3
Captains	Rodney Williams Donnell Woolford
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium
Seasons ←  1988 1990  →

1989 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 18 Virginia +	6	–	1	–	0			10	–	3	–	0
Duke +	6	–	1	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
No. 12 Clemson	5	–	2	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
Georgia Tech	4	–	3	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
NC State	4	–	3	–	0			7	–	5	–	0
Maryland	2	–	5	–	0			3	–	7	–	1
Wake Forest	1	–	6	–	0			2	–	8	–	1
North Carolina	0	–	7	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

The 1989 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University in the 1989 NCAA Division I-A 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.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 2	1:00 p.m.	No. 1 (I-AA) Furman *	No. 12	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC		W 30–0	80,508	[1]
September 9	7:30 p.m.	at No. 16 Florida State *	No. 10	Doak Campbell Stadium Tallahassee, FL (rivalry)	ESPN	W 34–23	61,897	[2]
September 16	7:00 p.m.	at Virginia Tech *	No. 7	Lane Stadium Blacksburg, VA		W 27–7	47,152	[3]
September 23	12:00 p.m.	Maryland	No. 7	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC	JPS	W 31–7	77,301	[4]
September 30	12:00 p.m.	at Duke	No. 7	Wallace Wade Stadium Durham, NC	JPS	L 17–21	22,600	[5]
October 7	2:30 p.m.	Virginia	No. 15	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC	CBS	W 34–20	80,638	[6]
October 14	1:00 p.m.	Georgia Tech	No. 14	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC (rivalry)		L 14–30	81,550	[7]
October 21	4:00 p.m.	No. 12 NC State	No. 22	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC (Textile Bowl)	ESPN	W 30–10	81,569	[8]
October 28	1:00 p.m.	Wake Forest	No. 21	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC		W 44–10	71,335	[9]
November 4	12:00 p.m.	at North Carolina	No. 17	Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC	JPS	W 35–3	44,500	[10]
November 18	7:30 p.m.	at South Carolina *	No. 15	Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC (rivalry)	ESPN	W 45–0	74,509	[11]
December 30	8:00 p.m.	vs. No. 17 West Virginia *	No. 14	Gator Bowl Stadium Jacksonville, FL (Gator Bowl)	ESPN	W 27–7	82,911	[12]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

^[13]

Personnel

Incoming recruiting class

Source: ^[14]

• Nick Blinsky (C; Struthers, Ohio; Struthers HS)
• Rodney Blunt (TB; Pensacola, Florida; Pine Forest HS)
• Brentson Buckner (MG; Columbus, Georgia; Carver HS)
• Greg Burk (FB; Lawton, Oklahoma; Lawton HS)
• Pat Burris (DB; Rock Hill, South Carolina; Northwestern HS)
• Arthur Bussie (OLB; Camden, New Jersey; Camden HS)
• Darren Calhoun (LB; McCormick, South Carolina; McCormick HS)
• Jason Davis (WR; Pensacola, Florida; Pine Forest HS)
• Steve Derriso (LB; Huntsville, Alabama; Grissom HS)
• Garth Fennigan (QB; Harlingen, Texas; Harlingen HS)
• Eric Geter (CB; Newnan, Georgia; Newnan HS)
• Tyrone Gibson (LB; Hartsville, South Carolina; Hartsville HS)
• Rudy Harris (TB; Brockton, Massachusetts; Brockton HS)
• David Hogue (OG; New Castle PA; Laurel HS)
• Brent LeJeune (OT; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Barbe HS)
• Richard Moncrief (QB; Montgomery, Alabama; Davis HS)
• Robert O'Neal (CB; Clarkston, Georgia; Clarkston HS)
• Thad Ridgley (FB; Ambridge, Pennsylvania; Ambridge HS)
• Larry Ryans (CB; Greenwood, South Carolina; Greenwood HS)
• Stacy Seegars (MG; Kershaw, South Carolina; Andrew Jackson HS)
• Ashley Sheppard (OLB; Greenville, North Carolina; North Pitt HS)
• Tyrone Simpson (DT; Rock Hill, South Carolina; Northwestern HS)
• Terry Smith (WR; Clemson, South Carolina; Daniel HS)
• Daniel Telley (OLB; Anderson, South Carolina; T.L.Hanna HS)
• Franklin Thomas (TE; New Orleans, Louisiana; St. Augustine HS)
• James Trapp (SS; Lawton, Oklahoma; Lawton HS)
• Scott Vaughn (OT; Phillipsburg, New Jersey; Phillipsburg HS)
• Pierre Wilson (DT; Jackson, Mississippi; Provine HS)

Roster

1989 Clemson Tigers football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 41 Doug Thomas Jr	Defense Pos. # Name Class LB 44 Levon Krikland So	Special teams Pos. # Name Class	Head coach Danny Ford Coordinators/assistant coaches Robert McFarland – Graduate assistant Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster

Depth chart

Source: ^[15]

Defense FS James Lott Norris Brown Chris Hart WLB MLB SLB ⋅ Ed McDaniel ⋅ Kenzil Jackson Vince Taylor ⋅ Dorian Mariable Shane Scott ⋅ 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 Offense 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 RB Terry Allen Joe Henderson Charlie James FB Wesley McFadden Tony Kennedy Junior Hall Special teams PK Chris Gardocki PK Scott Davis P Chris Gardocki P Chet Horton

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 and tight ends
• – Associate head coach/offensive guards and centers
• – Defensive tackles
• – Running backs/special teams
• Miles Aldridge – Defensive linebackers
• Woody McCorvey – Recruiting coordinator/wide receivers

References

1. "Tigers defense keeps Paladins bottled up". The Charlotte Observer. September 3, 1989. Retrieved September 18, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
2. "Clemson hands FSU a 34–23 'routrooskie'". The Tampa Tribune. September 10, 1989. Retrieved February 3, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
3. "Tigers use defense, lightning bolts to rip Tech". The State. September 17, 1989. Retrieved February 3, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
4. "Seventh-ranked Tigers tackle Terps". Florence Morning News. September 24, 1989. Retrieved February 3, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
5. "Duke beats odds, Clemson". The Herald. October 1, 1989. Retrieved February 3, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
6. "...Virginia–Clemson story familiar one". Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 8, 1989. Retrieved February 3, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
7. "Clemson clobbered, 30–14". Detroit Free Press. October 15, 1989. Retrieved February 3, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Tigers wrap up Pack". The Greenville News. October 22, 1989. Retrieved February 3, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
9. "Clemson dismantles Wake Forest 44–10". The Item. October 29, 1989. Retrieved February 3, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Henderson, Tigers whip Heels". The Herald. November 5, 1989. Retrieved February 3, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
11. "Clemson thrashes USC, 45–0". The News and Observer. November 19, 1989. Retrieved February 3, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Clemson harasses Harris in coasting to Gator Bowl victory". The Orlando Sentinel. December 31, 1989. Retrieved February 3, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
13. "1989 Clemson Tigers Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
14. "1989 Clemson Tigers football roster". Clemson University Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on September 1, 2009. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
15. "1989 Clemson Tigers football roster" (PDF). Clemson University Department of Athletics. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2009.