It's official: Clemson to face Iowa State in 2021 Cheez-It Bowl

by TigerNet Staff - Sun Dec 05 15:42:43 GMT-04:00 2021

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson Football and the Cheez-It Bowl announced today that No. 19 Clemson will face the Iowa State Cyclones in the 2021 Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando, Fla. on Wednesday, Dec. 29. The contest is slated for a 5:45 p.m. kickoff on ESPN.

The game will mark Clemson’s fourth appearance in the bowl all-time across the game’s various monikers. Clemson made its first appearance in the bowl in 2002, falling to Texas Tech in the Tangerine Bowl. Clemson returned to Orlando in 2005 for the Champs Sports Bowl, defeating Colorado, 19-10, behind 150 rushing yards from MVP James Davis. Clemson’s most recent appearance came in the Russell Athletic Bowl in 2014, as Cole Stoudt led Clemson in place of an injured Deshaun Watson and new Co-Offensive Coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott helped guide Clemson to a 40-6 rout of Oklahoma.

The contest will be the first all-time meeting between the Tigers and Cyclones. Clemson has won four of its last five games against Big 12 opponents, including postseason victories against Oklahoma in 2014 and 2015 in Clemson’s last two contests against Big 12 foes. The last Clemson game versus a Big 12 opponent was the Tigers’ Jan. 1, 2016, Orange Bowl Playoff semifinal against Oklahoma, a 37-17 win.

The bowl berth extends Clemson’s school-record bowl streak to 17 years, the longest streak in the ACC and the fifth-longest streak in the country. Clemson's 17-year streak dates to its Champs Sports Bowl win against Colorado in Orlando to close the 2005 season. Though Clemson did not make a bowl appearance in 2004, Clemson has been bowl eligible in 23 consecutive seasons, dating to a 1999 appearance in the Peach Bowl.

At 9-3, Clemson will enter the Cheez-It Bowl in search of its 11th consecutive 10-win season. A victory would tie Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney (10-7 career bowl record) with Bobby Bowden for the most bowl victories in conference history, as 11 of Bowden’s 21 career bowl wins came during Florida State’s membership in the ACC.

In the bowl portion of the schedule (excluding national championship), Clemson is 3-2 over the last five seasons.