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Orange Blooded [3384]
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1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 22, 2023, 11:33 PM
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Something that kind of flew under the radar was that this year would've been the 75th anniversary of the 1948 Tiger football team. Unfortunately, all people that were involved with that team have passed on and didn't really see any type of acknowledgement from official athletic communications, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the team - as for many years until the 1981 national title, this year was the gold standard for Clemson Football
1948 Clemson Tigers (11-0, 5-0 SoCon)
SoCon/Gator Bowl Champions
11th Final AP - final polls were done before bowl games, also done before Tigers' final RS game
Minor National Title Selection from College Football DataWarehouse
Notable Events:
* The 1st home night game in school history took place during their season opener against Presbyterian. It was also in the leadup to this game when Presbyterian coach Lonnie McMillan first coined the "Death Valley" moniker for Memorial Stadium.
* With the 11-0 record, the Tigers posted their 1st unbeaten season since 1906 and 1st perfect season since 1900 (John Heisman's first year as Tiger HC). While the 1950 team would go unbeaten just a couple years later, there wouldn't be another perfect season in Tigertown until 1981.
* The 11 wins was also the 1st time a Clemson team won 10 or more games in a season. A Tiger team wouldn't do this again until the 1978 season.
* Clemson was only 1 of 2 teams to finish the year with a perfect record. The other...AP national champ Michigan. With the Big 10 having a 'no-repeat' rule for the conference's Rose Bowl berth at the time, Michigan didn't participate in postseason, meaning the Tigers were the only unbeaten to participate in a bowl game.
* Clemson secured just their 2nd bowl berth in school history. Their appearance in the 1949 Gator Bowl helped secured the future of the fledging postseason game. The contest in Jacksonville struggled in their 1st couple years, but the contest featuring Clemson drew 32,939 - almost double the previous year's attendance. This was also the 1st of a record-tying 9 appearances by Clemson in the Gator Bowl.
School records still held by the 1948 team:
* Punt Return TDs/Season (5)
* Punt Return Average/Season: 16.3 yards/return
* Total Defensive Yards/Game: -12 yards allowed against Furman
* First Downs Allowed/Game: 0 allowed against Citadel
* Pass Efficiency Rating/Game: 310.7 by Bobby Gage vs Furman
* Punt Return Average/Season: Bobby Gage (16.9 yards/return)
Superlatives:
* SoCon Coach of the Year: Frank Howard
* Bobby Gage: All-American, All-South, All-SoCon, Gator Bowl MVP
* Frank Gillispie: All-SoCon, SoCon 100th Anniversary Team
* Robert Martin: Jacob Blocking Trophy (SC)
* 3 individuals involved with the team inducted to Clemson Ring of Honor: Fred Cone, Frank Howard, and Banks McFadden
* 11 players and 4 coaches are members of the Clemson Athletics Hall of Fame.
* Top 25 NCAA statistics (does not include bowl game): Scoring Defense/Game (2nd), Total Defense/Game (3rd), Rushing Defense/Game (10th), Individual Scoring (Ray Mathews - 7th)
* Assistant Coach Bob Jones was a decorated soldier in the Army Reserves, serving in WW2 and retiring as a Major General in 1965.
* Assistant coach Walter Cox and player Phil Prince later served as presidents of Clemson University.
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Athletic Dir [871]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 22, 2023, 11:56 PM
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Had slipped by me that this was the 75 anniversary for the 48 team !
Not enough recognition for the only undefeated team for ...... can't do that math! 68 years??
Lot's of good men and characters on that team !
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All-TigerNet [10906]
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From 1948 to 1981 is only 33 years!***
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Nov 23, 2023, 4:09 AM
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All-TigerNet [10936]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 23, 2023, 12:05 AM
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Frank Howard's only perfect season. The same year the better half's Dad graduated in the spring before he was shipped off to Japan and then Korea.
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Oculus Spirit [90820]
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Great Post & Stats Thompson_Creek_Tiger
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Nov 23, 2023, 1:04 AM
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so thanks & happy Thanksgiving!
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Trainer [27]
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Orange Blooded [4199]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 23, 2023, 3:51 AM
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Orange Blooded [4199]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 23, 2023, 3:52 AM
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Orange Blooded [4199]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 23, 2023, 3:55 AM
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Orange Blooded [4199]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 23, 2023, 4:04 AM
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Orange Blooded [4199]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 23, 2023, 4:05 AM
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Trainer [35]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 24, 2023, 12:06 AM
[ in reply to Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post ] |
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Thanks for posting these! As noted by the OP, two players on that team went on to become president of Clemson. What I learned from the game story is that one of those two, Phil Prince, blocked a punt with 4 minutes left that led to the game-winning TD.
Legendary! (Or should be.)
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Hall of Famer [22811]
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Excellant post thompson_creek, great pics GatorBowl
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Nov 23, 2023, 4:29 AM
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The reference to Banks McFadden being involved with the team threw me since he played at Clemson from 1937 to '39. However, he came back to Clemson as an assistant coach after 1 year in the NFL and military service in WWII.
Also, Fred Cone played on 2 undefeated Clemson teams - 1948 and '50, something only Cone and a few of his teammates accomplished.
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Orange Blooded [3290]
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Re: Excellant post thompson_creek, great pics GatorBowl
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Nov 23, 2023, 7:48 AM
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I think we should claim the 1903 & 1948 National Championships like Bama and UGA do. If Bama can claim one when they lost the bowl game after the vote we should be able to when we were the only undefeated team that won a bowl game.
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All-In [48364]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 23, 2023, 7:46 AM
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Can't thank you enough for posting this. My dad (deceased 25 years) talked about this season alot. He was a standout at Columbia High in the early 40s and Coach Howard wanted him to come play football and baseball in '45... but turned him down to go into the navy.
Makes you definitely realize and appreciate how hard it is to go undefeated. Thanks gatorbowl for the pictures.
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Orange Blooded [4199]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 23, 2023, 8:41 AM
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My dad was at Columbia HS at that time. He left a year early when he turned 17 to enter the Navy. He would have graduated in 44 or 45? Your dad wouldn’t happen to be “Red” Hollis? My dad said he was the best all around athlete to ever come out of Columbia.
My dad was just one of so many but to think of those young men giving up all their future ideas and dreams to protect the country….it makes you feel so proud!
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All-In [48364]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 23, 2023, 12:03 PM
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Small world sometimes. Close. Red stayed in touch with a lot of those folks until he and Kath moved to Iowa. Salt of the earth. Don't get no better than that... and you know them were some good people.
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Orange Blooded [2663]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 23, 2023, 8:48 AM
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Kicker Jack Miller. Morrison principal in the early 70's. I've never been completely sure if he had a heart attack or just choked to death at a school meeting of some kind. The story I remember is that like many of us, he was embarrassed about choking on some food, left the area where people were, and died. I've nearly done that myself once.
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Associate AD [828]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - my Father attended!
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Nov 23, 2023, 9:15 AM
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First, Thompson Creek, are you from the Wexford area of the creek??
Your post reminded me of mine below from four years ago!
CLEMSON GATOR BOWL OJ JUICER
My late father (left Clemson his junior year in 1942 for WWII) and two of his brothers-in-law decided to catch the train from Greenwood down to Jacksonville for the Jan 1, 1949 Gator Bowl against Missouri.
All of the three wives were expecting (one was me!) and couldn’t travel in their “condition.” Clemson had a 10-0 season and won over Missouri 24-23, under legandary head coach, Frank Howard.
The husband’s decided to buy the wives something “special” and my father bought an aluminum orange juicer and some Florida oranges. Well, it may have been the hormones but the wives were, shall we say, less than thrilled. My dad bore the scar on his bald head the rest of his life as witness to my mother’s ire!
Fast forward to the 2012 Orange Bowl in Miami where my son (Clemson 2000) and I attended (at least until the middle of the 4th quarter!). I brought my wife back an identical aluminum juicer! She was more understanding of continuing the tradition. Plus I knew to bring some additional and more appropriate gifts!
It’s a looong drive from the Lowcountry down to Miami but after the 70-33 drubbing by West Virginia the drive home seemed to take forever!
Footnote: I wonder if the Mountaineers would be willing to have lost that game 70-33, IF they could also swap records with Clemson since then? No brainer!
WVA record (2012-2020) 62-49
One 10 win season.
Clemson record (2012-2020) 111-14
At least 10 wins every season and two National Championships!
Go Tigers!
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Orange Blooded [3384]
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Got some kin in the Wexford/Mayesville area
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Nov 23, 2023, 1:20 PM
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Above Ruby & Mt Croghan b/c my grandpa's family moved out that way when he was a kid (originally lived in Zoar community). His brother stayed there when he got older.
I stay outside Chesterfield.
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Associate AD [828]
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Re: Got some kin in the Wexford/Mayesville area
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Nov 24, 2023, 1:16 AM
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Married into family close to Thompson Creek Baptist Church. Wife graduated from Ruby High School (!!) before college and grad school. Been in The Lowcounty now for 40+ years. Still enjoy getting back to the country home in Chesterfield for family gatherings!
GO TIGERS!
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Orange Blooded [4510]
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I was 10 years old and this was the year my dad started
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Nov 23, 2023, 9:26 AM
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taking me to home games. I did not understand much about football, only that Clemson was winning. My dad had grown up in the Fants Grove area a few miles from Clemson and had followed them for years.
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Orange Blooded [2419]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 23, 2023, 10:04 AM
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Thank you for reminding us. It’s great to imagine the excitement that year. Probably similar to what we all have been blessed to witness. It’s a good day to look back and be thankful for those who paved the way for our program today. Happy thanksgiving to all Tigers!
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110%er [5101]
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Re: 1948 Clemson Football - 75th Anniversary Appreciation Post
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Nov 23, 2023, 10:15 AM
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Thanks for sharing.
Happy Thanksgiving.
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All-In [40777]
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POTD
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Nov 23, 2023, 6:02 PM
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Best Clemson football thread I’ve read in a while. It was fun seeing the memories of that team and the great men that made it special. They were truly the greatest generation and it’s pretty special that Clemson has an undefeated team from that era. It’s a shame that the final rankings back then were not fair to a school like Clemson.
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Replies: 24
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