Clemson Football Schedule 2024, Season Preview, & History

Clemson Football Schedule 2024 – The Clemson Tigers football program has been one of the winningest programs in the country over the past decade.  The Tigers have won a total of three national championships, including two as recently as 2016 and 2018.  Historically, the Tigers have won 27 conference championships and rank #26 in the number of players drafted into the NFL.

This year will be pivotal, however, as Clemson went 9-4 last season – the team’s lowest win total since 2010.  Head coach Dabo Swinney needs to put together a championship-caliber team in order to prove his style of coaching is still successful in today’s version of college football.  Swinney’s program is the only non-service academy to take zero transfers during this past offseason, which has irritated some Clemson fans.

Looking forward to 2024, running back Phil Mafah will again be a big piece of the offense. New offensive line coach Matt Luke looks to fortify a line that had some issues last year. The Tigers return quarterback Cade Klubnik who threw for almost 3,000 yards last season.

Despite some disappointing losses in 2023, the Tigers are still poised this season for a spot in the expanded College Football Playoffs.  See below for the Clemson Football Schedule 2024… and Go Tigers!

Clemson Football Schedule 2024

2024 Season Preview

• Georgia (Aug 31, Atlanta, GA)
  • Clemson opens the season against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium as part of the Aflac Kickoff Game. This neutral-site matchup will be a tough test for the Tigers, although it will give Clemson a good opportunity to measure-up against a Georgia program that’s been the best in college football over the past five seasons. UGA is looking to maintain its elite status while Clemson is aiming for an early statement win.

• Appalachian State (Sep 7, Home)
  • The Tigers host Appalachian State for the first home game of the year. For those who are not in the know, this may look like your standard warm-up game.  However, the Boys from Boone have built a reputation as giant killers, and this game has been circled on App’s schedule all offseason.  With a passionate fan base, the best quarterback on the field in Joey Aguilar (last season’s Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year), and a history of upsets, expect this to be an entertaining early-season matchup.

• NC State (Sep 21, Home)
  • Clemson hosts the Wolfpack for their first ACC matchup of the season. Last year, NC State put together a solid 9-4 season and finished the year ranked #21 in the final AP Poll.  During the offseason, NC State brought in a number of highly-touted transfers, including Coastal Carolina QB Grayson McCall.  This will be a tough ACC matchup to start the season.

Clemson Football Schedule 2024

• Stanford (Sep 28, Home)
  • This is Stanford’s first season in the ACC and this game marks only the second meeting between these two programs. The first game between Stanford and Clemson was back in 1986, when Clemson won 27-21. This season’s matchup is very winnable for Clemson. Stanford went 3-9 last year, including an embarrassing loss to Sacramento State.  Expect Stanford head coach Troy Taylor to be on the hot seat in 2024.

• Florida State (Oct 5, Away)
  • Traveling to Tallahassee, the Tigers face Florida State in a crucial ACC showdown as Clemson aims to avenge last year’s 31-24 loss. The Seminoles are coming into 2024 with a big chip on their shoulder. Last season, Florida State missed a College Football Playoff bid despite going undefeated.  This season, they are projected by many to be the top team in the ACC.  Expect this to be a good one!

• Wake Forest (Oct 12, Away)
  • This will be the 90th football game between Wake Forest and Clemson. With such a long history, one would expect more of a rivalry between these two programs.  However, Clemson has absolutely owned the Demon Deacons with an all-time record of 71-17-1.  The last time Wake Forest beat Clemson was 2008.  Although this is an away game for the Tigers, it is a very winnable matchup.

Tigers Football Schedule 2024

• Virginia (Oct 19, Home)
  • Another very winnable ACC matchup, Clemson hosts a Virginia team that went 3-9 last season. UVA head coach Tony Elliot (who is entering his third season) has a long history with Clemson, having played four seasons as a wide receiver and coached for 11 seasons (from 2011-2021), including seven seasons as offensive coordinator.  This is the first time Elliot returns to Death Valley since taking over at Virginia.

• Louisville (Nov 2, Home)
  • Clemson has never lost to Louisville. Although that only amounts to a record of 8-0, that’s still impressive given the teams Louisville has had over the past decade.  This season’s matchup, however, might be the first to tilt in the Cardinals’ favor.  Louisville finished last season 10-4 and ranked #19th in the country.  Expectations are high yet again, as most preseason top-25 rankings include the Cardinals.  Expect this to be one of the tougher ACC matchups for the Tigers.

• Virginia Tech (Nov 9, Away)
  • On the road again, Clemson takes on Virginia Tech in an always-hostile Lane Stadium environment. Although Virginia Tech went 7-6 last season, they finished 6-3 over their final nine games, including a 41-20 win over #23-ranked Tulane in the Military Bowl.  The Hokies late-season surge was largely due to the emergence of quarterback Kyron Drones, who will be back at the helm this season.  This will be a tough-fought game for the Tigers.

Clemson Football Schedule 2024

• Pittsburgh (Nov 16, Away)
  • This is the last road game of the regular season for the Tigers. Surprisingly, Pitt leads the all-time series against Clemson with a record of 3-2, which shows there’s not a long history between these two programs. Pitt is coming off a 2023 season in which they went 3-9 and only 2-6 in the ACC.  The Panthers did add transfer quarterback Eli Holstein from Alabama, but this should be a very winnable game for Clemson.

• The Citadel (Nov 23, Home)
  • There is a surprisingly long history between these two programs that dates back to 1908. Not surprisingly, however, is that The Citadel has not beaten Clemson since 1931.  For Bulldogs fans who make the trip, there are a lot of great restaurants and attractions to see in Clemson!

• South Carolina (Nov 30, Home)
  • One of the best in-state rivalries in all of college football, this year’s matchup marks the 121st meeting between these two programs. Clemson leads the all-time series 73-43-4. The Shane Beamer-led Gamecocks went 5-7 last year and have a tough road ahead in 2024. South Carolina has a six-game losing streak against top-25 teams dating back to 2022, and they’re projected to play seven top-25 teams this year.  Nonetheless, expect a hard-fought rivalry game to close out the regular season.

Notable Clemson Coaches

Clemson began playing football in 1896 and since then, there have been 25 head coaches to lead the Tigers.  The list below are the most influential coaches of the bunch.

1) Frank Howard (1940-1969)

• Record: 165-118-12 (Howard’s 295 games are the most of any Clemson head coach)
• Winning Percentage: .580
• Howard built the foundation of Clemson football, leading the team to five conference titles and becoming an enduring figure in the program’s history. He won ACC Coach of the Year twice (1958 and 1966), was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989, and will live on forever as the famed “Howard’s Rock.”

Clemson Football Schedule 2024

2) Danny Ford (1978-1989)

• Record: 96-29-4
• Winning Percentage: .760
• Ford led Clemson to its first national championship in 1981 and helped put the team on a national stage. He also won five ACC titles and coached 15 First Team All-Americans, including Hall of Famers Jeff Davis and Terry Kinard. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

3) Dabo Swinney (2008-present)

• Record: 165-39 (the most wins – and counting! – of any coach in Clemson history)
• Winning Percentage: .809
• Swinney transformed Clemson into a national powerhouse. Although Clemson had won a national championship before Swinney’s arrival, there had never been as successful an era in Clemson history as the mid-2010s under the leadership of Coach Swinney.  He won two national championships, seven ACC titles, and led Clemson to 16-consecutive bowl games (a streak that continues into the 2024 season).  Swinney will surely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he retires.

National Championship Seasons

Clemson has won three national championships and 27 conference titles.  The program’s 21 ACC titles are the most of any team in the ACC.

• 1981 Season
  • Record: 12-0
  • Head Coach: Danny Ford
  • Key Players: Homer Jordan (QB), Perry Tuttle (WR), Jeff Davis (LB)
  • Clemson’s first national championship was marked by an undefeated season, culminating in a 22-15 victory over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

• 2016 Season
  • Record: 14-1
  • Head Coach: Dabo Swinney
  • Key Players: Deshaun Watson (QB), Mike Williams (WR), Ben Boulware (LB)
  • Clemson claimed their second national title in a thrilling 35-31 win over Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship, highlighted by Watson’s game-winning touchdown pass. The championship game was a rematch from the previous season, when ‘Bama beat Clemson.

Tigers Football Schedule 2024

• 2018 Season
  • Record: 15-0
  • Head Coach: Dabo Swinney
  • Key Players: Trevor Lawrence (QB), Travis Etienne (RB), Clelin Ferrell (DE)
  • This 2018 team may have been one of the most dominant in college football history. Clemson completed a perfect season with a commanding 44-16 victory over Alabama in the National Championship, becoming the first team in the modern era to finish 15-0.

Clemson Tigers Football: Top Statistical Leaders

Career Rushing Yards (career)

1. Travis Etienne (2017-2020) – 4,952 yards
2. James Davis (2005-2008) – 3,881 yards
3. Raymond Priester (1994-1997) – 3,717 yards
4. C.J. Spiller (2006-2009) – 3,547 yards
5. Andre Ellington (2009-2012) – 3,436 yards

Career Passing Yards (career)

1. Tajh Boyd (2010-2013) – 11,904 yards
2. Deshaun Watson (2014-2016) – 10,163 yards
3. Trevor Lawrence (2018-2020) – 10,098 yards
4. Charlie Whitehurst (2002-2005) – 9,665 yards
5. Cullen Harper (2005-2008) – 5,762 yards

Clemson Football Schedule 2024

Career Receiving Yards (career)

1. Sammy Watkins (2011-2013) – 3,391 yards
2. DeAndre Hopkins (2010-2012) – 3,020 yards
3. Aaron Kelly (2005-2008) – 2,733 yards
4. Mike Williams (2013-2016) – 2,727 yards
5. Terry Smith (1990-1993) – 2,511 yards

Total Touchdowns (career)

1. Tajh Boyd (2010-2013) – 133 touchdowns
2. Deshaun Watson (2014-2016) – 116 touchdowns
3. Trevor Lawrence (2018-2020) – 108 touchdowns
4. Travis Etienne (2017-2020) – 78 touchdowns
5. Woodrow Dantzler (1998-2001) – 68 touchdowns

Tigers Football Schedule 2024

Career Tackles (career)

1. Bubba Brown (1976-1979) – 515 tackles
2. Anthony Simmons (1995-1997) – 486 tackles
3. Jeff Davis (1978-1981) – 469 tackles
4. Chad Carson (1998-2001) – 448 tackles
5. John Leake (2000-2003) – 443 tackles

Career Interceptions (career)

1. Terry Kinard (1979-1982) – 17 interceptions
2. Fred Knoebel (1950-1952) – 15 interceptions
3. DeAndre McDaniel (2007-2010) – 15 interceptions
4. Michael Hamlin (2005-2008) – 14 interceptions
5. Rashard Hall (2009-2012) – 14 interceptions

Heisman Trophy Winners: None

Notable Clemson Rivalries

1) South Carolina Gamecocks (Palmetto Bowl)

• This is one the top rivalries in all of college football. This season will mark the 121st matchup between the in-state rivals, truly a staggering number. Clemson leads the all-time series 73-43-4

2) Florida State Seminoles

• This ACC rivalry has been played annually since 1992. Back in the rivalry’s heyday from 1999-2007, this matchup was dubbed the “Bowden Bowl” as Bobby Bowden (head coach of FSU) would square off against son Tommy Bowden (head coach of Clemson).  It marked the first-ever meeting between a father and son as opposing head coaches in college football history.  There have been a total of 35 meetings between the two teams, with Florida State leading the all-time series 21-15.

3) Georgia Tech

• This rivalry dates back to 1898, and Georgia Tech leads the series 50-36-2. The teams have played annually since 1983, however, they will not be playing each other in the upcoming 2024 season – the first time in over 40 years!

Heading into the 2024 Season…

Despite a disappointing 2023 season, Clemson fully expects to contend for a College Football Playoff bid in 2024.  To be successful, however, Clemson needs to weather a difficult schedule early in the season and finish strong in their final seven games.

The expectations are high for returning quarterback Cade Klubnik.  Defensively, linebacker Barrett Carter remains a key player, while T.J. Parker and Peter Woods are pivotal in leading the defensive line.

Can head coach Dabo Swinney prove his style of coaching is still relevant in today’s ever-changing college football landscape? This upcoming season will help decide.

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2024 College Football Team Previews and Schedules

• Florida Gators Football Schedule 2024
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• Texas Longhorns 2024 Football Schedule
• 2024 Notre Dame Football Schedule