2008 Clemson Tigers football team The 2008 Clemson football team represented Clemson University in the 2008 college football season . The Tigers were led by oft - maligned head coach Tommy Bowden , who resigned six games into his tenth season . The interim head coach was assistant coach Dabo Swinney . The Tigers play their home games in Memorial Stadium . Before the season . Preseason outlook . Following a 9 – 4 season in 2007 , in which Clemson finished 2nd in the ACC Atlantic Division and play in the Chick - Fil - A Bowl , and with several players returning in the skill positions , many expected Clemson to be a strong candidate to win the ACC and a dark horse in the national championship picture . The Tigers ' main areas of concern heading into the 2008 season was on the offensive line and linebackers . The offensive line would be very young and inexperienced heading into the season , while the linebacker corps was thinned by graduation and off - field issues . Despite these areas of concern , Clemson was tabbed as preseason favorites to win the ACC and was ranked 9th in both the AP and ESPN / USA Today preseason polls . In addition , QB Cullen Harper was tabbed as the preseason favorite for the ACC ' s Player of the Year . Incoming recruiting class . Spencer Benton ( K ; Myrtle Beach , SC ; Myrtle Beach HS ) , DaQuan Bowers ( DE ; Bamberg , SC ; Bamberg - Ehrhardt HS ) , Stanley Hunter ( LB ; Duncan , SC ; James F . Brynes HS ) , Marquan Jones ( WR ; Blythewood , SC ; Blythewood HS ) , Kyle Parker ( QB ; Jacksonville , FL ; Bartram Trail HS ) , Tarik Rollins ( LB ; Jacksonville , FL ; Chaminade Madonna College Prep ) , Jon Richt ( QB ; Athens , GA ; Prince Avenue Christian ) , Dawson Zimmerman ( K ; Snellville , GA ; Brookwood HS ) , Spencer Adams ( S ; Matthews , NC ; David W . Butler HS ) , Andre Ellington ( RB ; Moncks Corner , SC ; Berkeley HS ) , Dalton Freeman ( OL ; Pelion , SC ; Pelion HS ) , Brandon Thompson ( DT ; Thomasville , GA ; Thomasville HS ) , Daniel Andrews ( S ; Jacksonville , FL ; Trinity Christian Academy ) , Jaron Brown ( WR ; Cheraw , SC ; Cheraw HS ) , Carlton Lewis Jr . ( S ; St . Augustine , FL ; St . Augustine HS ) , Jarred Crittenton ( DE ; Wahpeton , ND ; North Dakota Stat College of Science ) , Matt Sanders ( OL ; Crestview , FL ; Crestview HS ) , Kenneth Page ( OL ; Columbia , SC ; A . C . Flora HS ) , Xavier Brewer ( CB ; Jacksonville , FL ; Bartram Trail HS ) ; Dwayne Allen ( TE ; Fayetteville , NC ; Terry Sanford HS ) ; Rashard Hall ( S ; St . Augustine , FL ; St . Augustine HS ) , Brandon Ford ( WR ; Hanahan , SC ; Hanahan HS ) ; Matt Skinner ( ATH ; Jacksonville , FL ; The Bolles School ) , Jonathon Willard ( LB ; Loris , SC ; Loris HS ) , Antoine McClain ( OL ; Anniston , AL ; Anniston HS ) , Jamie Harper ( RB ; Jacksonville , FL ; Trinity Christian Academy ) Schedule . Game notes . Alabama . The Tigers were the preseason favorite to win the ACC and were favored going into the season opener at the Georgia Dome . Some believed that the Crimson Tide ' s youth and inexperience would prove a serious disadvantage against an experienced team like Clemson . However , Alabama quickly took control in what would eventually be a lopsided victory . By the end of the first quarter , Bama led 13 – 0 , and they extended their lead to 23 – 3 by halftime . The only scare came when C . J . Spiller returned the second half kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown . However , the Tigers failed to score again . James Davis and C . J . Spiller combined for only 20 yards on the ground , while the team ' s rushing total was 0 . Clemson ' s redshirt senior quarterback , Cullen Harper , completed 20 of 34 passes but had no touchdowns and one interception . Alabama ' s John Parker Wilson completed 22 of 30 passes with no interceptions . He threw two touchdowns to Nick Walker and Julio Jones , and rushed for one himself . The Crimson Tide went on to win by a score of 34 – 10 . The Citadel . Running Back CJ Spiller fumbled on Clemson ' s first drive and the Tigers turned the ball over on downs on their second drive . The Citadel was able to proficiently move the ball through the air , although they were unable to capitalize on their opportunities . It was the secondary and Michael Hamlin in particular that kept The Citadel from getting back into the game after the Tigers went up 21 – 0 on two touchdown runs by C . J . Spiller and a TD run by James Davis . With Clemson leading 21 – 7 late in the first half , The Citadel scored on a 41 - yard pass from Bart Blanchard to Andre Roberts . Then the Bulldogs were in position to score again after they forced Clemson to punt . A touchdown that would have brought the Bulldogs within a score going into halftime was prevented when Hamlin intercepted a Blanchard pass . On the fourth play of the second half Hamlin intercepted Blanchard again and returned the ball to the Citadel 19 - yard line . A Tyler Grisham fumble kept Clemson from scoring , but on Clemson ' s next drive Spiller scored on a 17 - yard TD run to put Clemson safely up 28 – 7 . Hamlin ' s third interception came on The Citadel ' s next drive . He stole the ball at the Bulldog 37 and returned it to the 25 . On the next play , Cullen Harper hit tight end Michael Palmer down the right sideline for a touchdown . Harper completed 14 of 18 passes for 192 yards . While The Citadel held the ball seven more minutes than the Tigers , Harper ' s efficiency allowed Clemson to easily put away the Bulldogs . Davis finished with 107 yards and Spiller had 75 yards rushing to aid the offense . NC State . The annual renewal of the " Textile Bowl " between the Clemson Tigers and N . C . State Wolfpack got of to a rocky start for the Tigers . On the first play of the game , Nate Irving intercepted a Cullen Harper pass and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown , putting the Wolfpack up 6 – 0 . The Tigers responded by blocking the PAT . The next offensive series , the Tigers started on their own 24 and drove the length of the field , capping the drive with a 16 - yard touchdown pass from Harper to Jacoby Ford . A 30 - yard run by Ford on a reverse also highlighted the drive . The Mark Buchholz PAT put Clemson up 7 – 6 . The next three drives saw the Tigers and Wolfpack trade punts . With 13 : 51 left in the 2nd quarter , Clemson began its next scoring drive from its own 33 . A 28 yard reception by Jacoby Ford highlighted the drive , with rushes by James Davis , C . J . Spiller , and Cullen Harper helping to aid the drive . With 4th and 2 on the N . C . State 5 - yard line , Buchholz came on for a 22 - yard field goal to put the Tigers up 10 – 6 . After the next N . C . State drive stalled , Clemson got the ball back on their own 41 - yard line . Clemson scored after two passes from Cullen Harper – the first a 31 yard strike to Aaron Kelly , and the second a 28 - yard touchdown pass to C . J . Spiller . The ensuring PAT put Clemson ahead 17 – 6 . N . C . State got back on the board late in the 4th quarter with a 25 - yard field goal by Josh Czajkowski to close the gap to 17 – 9 . Clemson started the next drive on the N . C . State 47 and drove it down to the 13 , but the drive stalled after an apparent touchdown run by Spiller was negated by a holding penalty . Buchholz kicked a 31 - yard field goal to increase the lead to 20 – 9 . N . C . State ' s next drive resulted in their first turnover of the game , when Crezdon Butler intercepted a pass at the Clemson 4 - yard line . The Tigers then sealed the game with a 13 play drive that consumed 7 : 01 of the clock , capping the drive with a 12 - yard run by Spiller . That would be the final score of the game , as the Tigers prevailed 27 – 9 and recorded extended their current win streak in the series to five . The last efforts by the Wolfpack to close the gap were snuffed out by an interception by Chris Chancellor . The Tigers gained 426 yards of total offense . Cullen Harper was 20 – 28 for 262 yards and 2 touchdowns and 1 interception . C . J . Spiller had a great day as a dual threat , finishing with 61 rushing yards , 35 receiving yards , and 2 touchdowns . Jacoby Ford lead all receivers with 106 receiving yards and a touchdown , in addition to 48 rushing yards . The Tigers defense held the Wolfpack to 288 yards on offense , no offensive touchdowns , and recorded two interceptions . SC State . The first ever meeting between the Clemson Tigers and S . C . State Bulldogs turned into a lopsided contest , as the Tigers defeated their second FCS team on the season to improve to 3 – 1 . The Tigers received the opening kickoff and struck first on a 68 - yard drive capped off by a 1 - yard touchdown run by James Davis . S . C . State was unable to respond on any of its two possessions in the first quarter , as they ended in a punt and missed field goal . Clemson , meanwhile , had its next two drives end in interceptions from Cullen Harper . The Tigers broke the game open in the second quarter . Chris Chancellor intercepted an S . C . State pass early in the quarter . On the next possession , Davis and C . J . Spiller spearheaded the offensive attack , which ended in Davis ' second touchdown of the day . The Tigers defense would cut the Bulldogs ' next drive short with an interception by Crezdon Butler . Davis would score his third touchdown of the day on the next drive . A safety and a 1 - yard touchdown plunge by Cullen Harper would give the Tigers a 30 – 0 halftime lead . S . C . State received the ball to start the third quarter , but it would be the Tigers who opened up scoring as Chris Clemons would pick off a Bulldog pass and return it for a touchdown . The next three drives saw two Bulldog drives and a Tigers drive stall . Clemson would get back on the scoreboard with a Mark Buchholz field goal . Clemson would begin placing reserves in on offense late in the third quarter . Early in the fourth , the Tigers scored their fifth rushing touchdown of the day on a one - yard run by backup quarterback Willy Korn . Korn would later throw the Tigers ' first passing touchdown of the day on a five - yard passes to tight end Michael Palmer . The defense recorded its fourth turnover of the day when Brandon Thompson recovered an S . C . State fumble . The Tigers would then run out the clock , giving the Tigers a 52 – 0 victory . Cullen Harper completed 14 of 23 passes for 152 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions . Willy Korn went 7 – 7 for 73 yards and a touchdown . James Davis lead the Tigers rushing attack with 93 yards and 3 touchdowns . Tyler Grisham lead the receiving corps with 41 reception yards on 3 receptions . C . J . Spiller had 105 all - purpose yards on the day ( 66 rushing , 39 punt return ) . Overall , the Tigers offense compiled 432 yards of total offense ( 225 passing , 207 rushing ) and 31 first downs . The defense held the Bulldogs to only 149 yards of total offense and eight first downs , while compiling four turnovers on the day . Maryland . Clemson firmly held the momentum of the game for the first half , with their running backs able to exploit holes in the Terps ' defensive line . Clemson racked up two touchdowns and a field goal . Despite gaining excellent field position through recovering a fumbled punt on the Clemson 19 - yard line and a recovered fumble on the Clemson 30 - yard line , Maryland was able to produce just two field goals from those turnovers . The Terrapins drives were also blunted through penalties for two false starts and a holding call . In the second half , the Terrapins began with a series that fizzled out after a run attempt for a loss , an additional false start , and two incomplete passes . However , the Terrapins defense took the field and stopped a Clemson drive , allowing the Maryland offense another chance . On the first play of their second series , wide receiver Darrius Heyward - Bey executed a reverse , gaining 76 yards before being run down at the Clemson 4 - yard line . This set up a short Chris Turner touchdown pass to receiver Torrey Smith , and irreversibly shifted the game ' s momentum in favor of the Terps . In the fourth quarter , three completions to Danny Oquendo set the stage for a one - yard rush into the end zone by Da ' rel Scott . The Maryland defense remained stalwart , allowing Clemson just 31 rushing yards and no points in the second half , compared with 204 yards on the ground and 17 points in the first . The upset marked the fourth consecutive Maryland win against a ranked opponent ( the others : # 23 Cal , and , in the 2007 season , # 8 Boston College and # 10 Rutgers ) . It is also the fourth consecutive time that the visiting team has won the Maryland - Clemson series . Wake Forest . Riley Skinner ' s 7 - yard touchdown pass to DJ Boldin with 5 : 28 to go gave the Deacons a 12 – 7 win against Clemson . In a defensive battle , the Deacons ' defense managed to hold Clemson to less than one yard per carry . Wake Forest dominated the game statistically but were unable to capitalize on several scoring chances . The sole turnover in the game was a Cullen Harper pass intercepted by Alphonso Smith , who tied a school record with his 17th career interception . Riley Skinner also threw for 186 yards and a touchdown on 22 - of - 34 passing , and also added 73 yards on the ground . Georgia Tech . On 13 October , Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden resigned and was replaced by receivers coach Dabo Swinney . Tech ' s defense controlled the eb and flow of the game forcing six turnovers , which included four interceptions and two fumble recoveries . Safety Dominique Reese returned an intercepted pass from wide receiver Tyler Grisham for Tech ' s first touchdown . Morgan Burnett added two additional interceptions , the final in the last second of the game . Offensively , Tech continued to produce with its ground game against the Tigers racking up 207 yards rushing . Josh Nesbitt ran untouched for 5 yards for Tech ' s second score and passed 24 yards to Demaryius Thomas for Tech ' s go ahead and eventual game winning score . Tech is 6 – 1 for the first time since 1999 . Boston College . On October 27 , it was announced that the Boston College Gridiron Club will be sponsoring the O ' Rourke - McFadden Trophy and will be awarded to the winner of the Boston College - Clemson game on November 1 . The trophy is named after Charlie O ' Rourke and Banks McFadden , who were the respective quarterbacks for Boston College and Clemson during the 1940 Cotton Bowl ( the 1st meeting between the Eagles and Tigers ) . Clemson captured the O ' Rourke - McFadden Trophy and its first victory over the Eagles since 1958 ( and first win since Boston College joined the ACC ) with a 27 – 21 victory . After the Eagles received the opening kickoff , both teams traded possessions . After Steve Aponavicius missed a 31 - yard field goal , the Tigers took over on their own 20 - yard line . C . J . Spiller broke a 56 - yard run that drove the Tigers into BC territory , and James Davis capped the drive with a 24 - yard touchdown run to put the Tigers up 7 – 0 . Later in the 1st quarter , Brandon Maye recovered a fumble to give the Tigers the ball back on their own 30 - yard line . Cullen Harper connected with a 23 yard reception to Tyler Grisham and a 45 yard reception to C . J . Spiller to get to the Eagles 2 - yard line . Harper then capped the drive with a 2 - yard run to increase the lead to 14 – 0 . After trading possessions again for the remainder of the 1st quarter and part of the second , Clemson started their next scoring drive with 8 : 12 left in the 2nd quarter . Driving from their own 20 , the Tigers made their way to the Eagles 10 - yard line before having to settle for a Mark Buchholz field goal to increase the lead to 17 – 0 . Boston College mounted a comeback in the second half , sparked by a McLaughlin interception of Harper to set up the Eagles at the Tigers 7 - yard line . Josh Haden would punch the ball in from 1 yard out to make the score 14 – 7 . Early in the 4th quarter , the Eagles would block a Jimmy Maners punt , which was returned by Roderick Rollins 20 yards for a touchdown to close the margin to 17 – 14 . After Davis intercepted another Harper pass to give the Eagles great field position , the Eagles would score on a 16 - yard pass from Chris Crane to Brandon Robinson to take 21 – 17 lead . However , Spiller would take ensuing kickoff 64 yards to set up the Tigers on the Eagles 15 - yard line . The Tigers would capitalize on the drive , completing the drive with a 4 - yard touchdown pass from Harper to Aaron Kelly to take a 24 – 17 lead . On the next drive , DeAndre McDaniel forced a fumble that was recovered by Daquan Bowers . The Tigers would put away the game for good with a Buchholz field goal on the next possession . The victory would give interim head coach Dabo Swinney his first win . Offensively for the Tigers , Harper finished the game completing 21 of 33 passes for 252 yards , 1 touchdown , and 3 interceptions . C . J . Spiller lead the Tigers in rushing ( 55 yards ) and receiving ( 105 yards ) , while compiling 242 all - purpose yards for the entire game . James Davis scored the 42nd rushing touchdown of his career , breaking the Tigers ' all - time rushing touchdwon record . Aaron Kelly recorded his 19th career touchdown reception in the game , which gave him Clemson ' s record for career touchdown receptions . Defensively , the Tigers held the Eagles to 236 yards and forced three fumbles ( 2 of which the Tigers recovered ) . Duke . The Tigers came into their homecoming game against the Duke Blue Devils in need of winning the last three games for bowl eligibility . Clemson received the opening kickoff , but both teams ended up trading punts in the first four possessions of the game . Duke ' s second possession of the game saw starting quarterback Thaddeus Lewis suffer a sprained ankle while trying to elude a Clemson defender , which knocked him out of the game and hampered the Blue Devils ' offense for the remainder of the game . On the Tigers ' third offensive possession , James Davis had three consecutive rushes for 18 yards . After a loss of three yards , Clemson faced 3rd and 10 on the Duke 48 - yard line . Cullen Harper completed a pass to Tyler Grisham , who turned it into a 19 - yard gain . On the following play , C . J . Spiller ran the ball 24 yards for the game ' s first touchdown . After trading possession , which saw Duke having to punt twice and a Clemson drive stall on a missed 53 - yard field goal , the Tigers took over again with 9 : 23 left in the second quarter . In this possession , Clemson added to the lead with a 39 - yard field goal by Mark Buchholz . After the Tigers ' defense forced the Blue Devil offense to go three and out , Clemson got the ball back around midfield . After Cullen Harper completed several completions to Spiller , Jacoby Ford , and Aaron Kelly , the Tigers had the ball on the Duke 1 - yard line . James Davis then punched it in to give the Tigers a 17 – 0 halftime lead . Duke received the opening kickoff , but the drive ended up stalling around midfield , forcing another punt . Clemson ' s next drive proved to be very short , as Harper connected on a screen pass to Spiller , who raced 83 yards for his second touchdown of the day . Michael Hamlin intercepted Duke ' s back - up quarterback Zach Asack on the next possession on the game ' s first turnover . After a 15 yard reception to Ford and a 26 yard reception to Davis , the Tigers found themselves on the Blue Devil three - yard line . Davis then scored his second touchdown of the day to give the Tigers a 31 – 0 lead . Duke would finally score late in the fourth quarter on a 28 - yard pass from Asack to Eron Riley to close the final gap to 31 – 7 . A late drive by Duke was cut short deep in Clemson territory by an interception by Coty Sensabaugh . Offensively , the Tigers compiled 466 yards for the game ( 326 passing and 140 rushing ) , 25 first downs , and converted 6 of 16 third downs . Cullen Harper completed 20 of 26 passes for 292 yards , 1 touchdown , and no interceptions . C . J . Spiller lead the Tigers in rushing and receiving for the second time in three games , rushing for 71 yards and a touchdown , and 108 receiving yards and a touchdown . James Davis had 43 rushing yards , 26 receiving yards , and two rushing touchdowns . Aaron Kelly had 96 receiving yards on the day and broke the ACC reception record held by Desmond Clark with two back - to - back receptions late in the 4th quarter . Defensively , the Tigers held the Blue Devils to 168 total yards ( 85 passing and 83 rushing ) , 2 of 14 on third down conversions , and forced two turnovers . Clemson held the time of possession advantage , controlling the ball for 35 : 36 compared to Duke ' s 24 : 24 of possession . Virginia . The Tigers kept their bowl hopes alive with a close 13 – 3 victory over the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville . With the victory , Clemson captured their first victory in Charlottesville since 2000 and improved the series record against the Cavaliers to 36 – 8 – 1 . Neither offense was able to generate much production , as the Tigers barely outgained the Cavaliers 192 – 190 . Cullen Harper completed 18 of 28 passes for 121 yards , no touchdowns , and no interceptions . C . J . Spiller only had 57 all - purpose yards , but completed his 1st career touchdown pass in the first quarter , completing a 15 - yard pass to Tyler Grisham for the game ' s only touchdown . James Davis lead the Tigers with 65 rushing yards , while Jacoby Ford lead the receiving corps with six catches for 42 yards . Mark Buchholz was 2 – 3 on field goals ( good from 32 and 23 yards ; missed from 58 yards ) and connected on the game ' s only PAT attempt . Clemson ' s defense forced four turnovers against the Cavaliers . Michael Hamlin lead the defense with 8 total tackles , an interception , and a pass break up . Crezdon Butler and DeAndre McDaniel also recorded interceptions , while Byron Maxwell forced a fumble that was recovered by Jock McKissic late in the first quarter . South Carolina . Clemson won its second straight game over South Carolina and extended the overall series lead against the Gamecocks to 65 – 37 – 4 . After the Tigers lost a fumble on the opening drive , the Gamecocks had the chance to score first . However , Chris Chancellor intercepted a Chris Smelley pass . On the next drive , Clemson scored the game ' s first touchdown after an 85 - yard drive highlighted by a 39 - yard run by C . J . Spiller and capped by a 1 - yard touchdown by James Davis . Clemson then blocked a Gamecock punt on the next possession and followed it up with a 22 - yard field goal by Mark Buchholz to take a 10 – 0 lead . In the second quarter , the Tigers again intercepted a Chris Smelley pass ( this time by Chris Clemons ) to get the ball back around midfield . Two plays later , Cullen Harper threw downfield to Jacoby Ford as he was being tackled by a Gamecock defender . Ford turned the pass into a 50 - yard touchdown reception to give the Tigers a 17 – 0 lead . The Tigers started their next drive at the South Carolina 41 - yard line following an interception by Michael Hamlin . Davis capped the drive with a 20 - yard touchdown run to give the Tigers a 24 – 0 lead . The Gamecocks would score late in the second quarter after the defense recovered a fumble by Harper . Starting at the Clemson 33 - yard line , the Gamecocks capped the drive with a 16 - yard touchdown pass from Smelley to Patrick DiMarco to cut the Tigers ' lead to 24 – 7 . The Gamecocks opened the third quarter with a 69 - yard scoring drive , capped by a 23 - yard touchdown pass from Smelley to Wesley Saunders to cut the margin to 24 – 14 . However , Clemson would counter that several drives later with a 44 - yard touchdown drive , capped by Davis ' third touchdown run of the day , to push the lead to 31 – 14 . In the fourth quarter , Chris Chancellor recorded his second interception of the day ( and the defense ' s fourth against Gamecock quarterback Chris Smelley ) to cut short a potential Gamecock scoring drive and leave the final margin at 31 – 14 in favor of the Tigers . With the victory , the Tigers secured bowl eligibility and gave interim head coach Dabo Swinney his fourth win since taking over at midseason following Tommy Bowden ' s resignation . Offensively , the Tigers finished the day with 383 yards of total offense . Cullen Harper completed 12 of 17 passes for 199 yards , 1 touchdown , and no interceptions . James Davis led Clemson ' s rushing attack with 91 yards and 3 touchdowns in his final game in Death Valley . Aaron Kelly led the Tigers ' receivers with four catches for 76 yards . C . J . Spiller had 199 all - purpose yards ( 88 rushing , 35 receiving , and 76 kick / punt return yards ) . Defensively , the Tigers held the Gamecocks ' offense to 304 yards . Clemson led in time of possession 32 : 47 – 27 : 13 and forced four turnovers compared to two by the Gamecocks . Nebraska . Nebraska defeated Clemson in a come - from - behind 26 – 21 finish at the 2009 Gator Bowl on January 1 , 2009 . The game remained in doubt until the very end , as Clemson marched from their own 23 to the Nebraska 10 . With 1st and goal to go and about two minutes remaining on the clock , Cullen Harper came up short , resulting in a 16 yard sack and three Clemson incompletions to seal the outcome of the game . The game was played only days after Head Coach Bo Pelini and Defensive Coordinator Carl Pelini returned from their father ' s funeral in Ohio .