# 2007 Clemson Tigers football team

The 2007 Clemson football team represented Clemson University in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS 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. 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 played against the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference champion Wake Forest in November and played the 2006 Mid-American Conference champion Central Michigan for the first time. The 2007 season saw Clemson meeting Louisiana-Monroe and Central Michigan for the first time, with Clemson beating both of them.
In the pre-season, incoming quarterback Willy Korn was named one of the top-10 impact freshman for 2007.

## 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 since 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.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 3 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 19 Florida State | | Memorial StadiumClemson, SC (rivalry) | ESPN Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe | W 24–18 | 81,993 |
| September 8 | 1:00 p.m. | Louisiana–Monroe* | No. 25 | Memorial StadiumClemson, SC | ESPNGP Fred Cunningham, Don Munson | W 49–26 | 77,628 |
| September 15 | 1:00 p.m. | Furman* | No. 20 | Memorial StadiumClemson, SC | ESPNGP | W 38–10 | 80,419 |
| September 22 | 12:00 p.m. | at NC State | No. 15 | Carter–Finley StadiumRaleigh, NC (Textile Bowl) | LFS Steve Martin, Rick Walker, Mike Hogewood | W 42–20 | 56,903 |
| September 29 | 3:30 p.m. | at Georgia Tech | No. 13 | Bobby Dodd StadiumAtlanta, GA (rivalry) | ABC Dave LaMont, James Hasty, Jimmy Dykes | L 3–13 | 54,635 |
| October 6 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 15 Virginia Tech | No. 22 | Memorial StadiumClemson, SC | ESPN Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe | L 23–41 | 82,047 |
| October 20 | 12:00 p.m. | Central Michigan* | | Memorial StadiumClemson, SC | ESPNU Clay Matvick, Larry Coker | W 70–14 | 81,361 |
| October 27 | 3:30 p.m. | at Maryland | | Byrd StadiumCollege Park, MD | ABC Dave LaMont, James Hasty, Joe Schad | W 30–17 | 50,948 |
| November 3 | 12:00 p.m. | at Duke | No. 25 | Wallace Wade StadiumDurham, NC | ESPNGP | W 47–10 | 20,457 |
| November 10 | 12:00 p.m. | Wake Forest | No. 20 | Memorial StadiumClemson, SC | ESPN2 Pam Ward, Ray Bentley, Rob Simmelkjaer | W 44–10 | 82,422 |
| November 17 | 7:45 p.m. | No. 18 Boston College | No. 15 | Memorial StadiumClemson, SC | ESPN2 Mark Jones, Bob Davie, Stacey Dales | L 17–20 | 83,472 |
| November 24 | 7:00 p.m. | at South Carolina* | No. 21 | Williams–Brice StadiumColumbia, SC (rivalry) | ESPN2 Gary Thorne, Bob Davie, Stacey Dales | W 23–21 | 82,410 |
| December 31 | 7:45 p.m. | vs. No. 22 Auburn* | No. 15 | Georgia DomeAtlanta, GA (Chick-fil-A Bowl, rivalry) | ESPN Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Paul Maguire, Bonnie Bernstein | L 20–23 $^{OT}$ | 74,413 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### No. 19 Florida State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seminoles | 0 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 18 |
| Tigers | 14 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 24 |

### Louisiana-Monroe

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Warhawks | 7 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 26 |
| No. 25 Tigers | 14 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 49 |

### Furman

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Paladins | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| No. 20 Tigers | 10 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 38 |

### At NC State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 15 Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wolfpack | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### At Georgia Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 13 Tigers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Yellow Jackets | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 |

### No. 15 Virginia Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 15 Hokies | 17 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 41 |
| No. 22 Tigers | 0 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 23 |

### Central Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chippewas | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Tigers | 7 | 28 | 28 | 7 | 70 |

### At Maryland

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrapins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### At Duke

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 25 Tigers | 3 | 23 | 14 | 7 | 47 |
| Blue Devils | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |

### Wake Forest

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Demon Deacons | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 20 Tigers | 10 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 44 |

### No. 18 Boston College

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 18 Eagles | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 20 |
| No. 15 Tigers | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |

### At South Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 21 Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gamecocks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Vs. No. 22 Auburn (Chick-fil-A Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| No. 15 Clemson Tigers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 20 |
| No. 22 Auburn Tigers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 23 |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | RV | 25 | 20 | 15 | 13 | 22 | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 20 | 15 | 21 | 16 | 15 | 21 |
| Coaches Poll | RV | RV | 20 | 14 | 13 | 22 | RV | RV | RV | 24 | 20 | 16 | 22 | 17 | 16 | 22 |
| Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 13 | 22 | RV | RV | RV | RV | 20 | 16 | 22 | 18 | 16 | Not released |
| BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | 25 | 21 | 15 | 22 | 16 | 15 | Not released |

## Depth chart

These are the projected starters and primary backups as of 4/9/07.
Defense :
* FS
* Chris Clemons
* Chris Russell
| WLB | MLB | SLB |
| ⋅ | Antonio Clay | ⋅ |
| Kavell Conner | Kevin Alexander | ⋅ |
* 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
Offense :
* 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
* La'Donte 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