Re: 41 years ago, 1981: PICS and a VIDEO!

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41 years ago, 1981: Lady Diana Spencer marries Charles,

Jul 26, 2022, 8:09 AM

Prince of Wales, in a globally televised Royal Wedding. President Ronald Reagan appoints Sandra Day O'Conner as the first ever female Supreme Court Justice. The Space Shuttle Columbia flies and successfully completes the first ever Space Shuttle mission. Pope John Paul II survives an assassination attempt. John Delorean introduces his self named automobile, the Delorean DMC-12. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” becomes a runaway box office movie sensation.

At Clemson University, Danny Ford begins what he knows is a “make or break” season for him as our Head Football Coach. It would turn out pretty well.

There were two ranked teams in the ACC at season's end. There was #### Crum's No.9 North Carolina squad, with a 10-2 record and a 31-27 Gator Bowl victory over Arkansas, who was still coached by Lou “Granny” Holtz. But, the ACC Champion was...CLEMSON. We were 6-0 in the ACC, and 12-0 overall. Danny Ford was the runaway ACC and National Coach of the Year Award winner. At the time, Coach Ford was the youngest coach ever to win National Coach of the Year.

Clemson was named consensus National Champion, winning both the AP and UPI Polls. How did this magical season happen? Well, it began in fine fashion, with an easy 45-10 Death Valley opener against Wofford. But, the very next week, the Tigers almost got caught admiring their surroundings instead of playing football. We escaped the Louisiana Superdome with a narrow 13-5 win over a Tulane team that would ultimately wind up 6-5.

But then, back to Death Valley, and the annual slobberknocker against the Georgia Bulldogs. Clemson had just snuck into the rankings for the first time, at No.18. The Dawgs were the defending National Champions, and had a No.4 ranking at this point. Clemson carried the day, 13-3, thanks in large part to the stifling defense, led by LB Jeff Davis, Safety Terry Kinard, and a freshman sensation at DT by the name of William Perry, who was actuallly splitting time with, and being mentored by, one William Devane. They once again kept Herschel Walker out of the end zone, and produced an all time record NINE defensive turnovers. The Tiger defense intercepted Georgia QB Buck Belue five times, and two of the four lost fumbles were by Herschel Walker. That game will always be at the top of Georgia's “What If” list, for sure, the way the season ultimately unfolded.

Clemson went on the road in the SEC next, garnering a 21-3 win over Kentucky to go with our No.14 ranking. That win shot us up to No.9, and the Tigers did not let up, pitching a Death Valley shutout 27-0 over Virginia. We were up to No.6 when we traveled to Duke and dismantled the Blue Devils 38-10, getting revenge for last seasons upset.

The next two games were at home. We were up to No.4, and took down a dogged NC State team by a score of 17-7. That got us to No.3, in time to host the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest. You just can't explain what happened next, other than to say, everything Clemson touched turned to gold that day. Clemson scored so early, and so often that by the end of the 82-24 massacre, the Deacon mascot had to take over doing celebratory pushups for the exhausted Clemson Tiger mascot.

The fact that it was ONLY 82 points was merciful. The Tigers could EASILY have gotten a hundred that day, if Danny Ford would have been a Steve Spurrier type of coach. He actually did all he could to hold the scoring DOWN, but it was just our day.

The Tigers took their now No.2 ranking to Chapel Hill, to face a very good North Carolina squad, who were sporting a No.9 ranking of their own. In a VERY physical game where several players would be taken out due to injuries, including UNC's already gimpy starting QB Rod Elkins, victory was not assured for Clemson until Jeff Davis fell on an incomplete backwards pass from backup QB Scott Stankavage with a minute to go. According to Davis, THAT 10-8 win was the game that solidified the teams belief that we could play with anyone and win in 1981.

Clemson remained stuck at No.2 behind another great Pittsburgh team for the last two rankings of the regular season. We took down Maryland in the Valley 21-7, meaning that we rolled into Williams-Brice Stadium undefeated, and NOTHING would have given South Carolina more satisfaction that spoiling our National Championship dreams. Coach Jim Carlen had his charges at 6-4 going into the game, a role reversal from the previous year. This was Carlen's 7th, and as it would turn out, final season in Columbia.

But, the Tigers made sure there would be no upset this day, winning with relative ease, 29-13. Clemson now led the series 46-30-3. When No.1 Pitt was unexpectedly blasted 48-14 at home by No.11 Penn State in their last game of the regular season, Clemson went into bowl season ranked at No.1 in the nation for the first time. With bowl tie-ins being what they were, Clemson would face No.4 ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Georgia was ranked 2nd, and Alabama 3rd, going into their respective bowls.

Clemson wore the magical “All Orange” uniform combination three times in the 1981 season. The first time was against defending National Champion Georgia, WIN. The second time was against Maryland, in the game that would decide the ACC Titleholder for 1981, WIN. The third, and most ambitious time, was in the Orange Bowl against Nebraska. The Orange Bowl Classic was just that in the capper of the 1981 season, an Instant Classic. Clemson held a lead for most of the game, but Nebraska came on strong in the second half, especially once the scores of the other bowls were posted, and No.2 Georgia, and No.3 Alabama had both lost.

Homer Jordan threw the Sports Illustrated cover touchdown pass to Perry Tuttle late in the 3rd quarter. This was followed up by a Bob Pauling field goal, to give the Tigers a 22-7 lead.

But, Nebraska had no quit in them. In the 4th quarter, their triple option running attack started gaining chunks of yardage against a gassed Clemson defense , courtesy of QB Turner Gill, and RB's Mike Rozier and Roger Craig. Because the results in the other bowl games were by now known, the Huskers knew a potential Championship was sitting in front of them. Craig got them a 26 yard touchdown with over nine minutes to go, and a successful two point conversion made the score 22-15. As well as Clemson had played, victory was now in jeopardy. If the Huskers could score again and add another two point conversion, they could steal the win, and who knows what the Poll voting would be?

No one will ever know if the pollsters would have actually awarded the title to a two loss Nebraska bowl winner, because it wasn't going to happen. Homer Jordan and the rest of the Clemson offense played their hearts out, running on fumes and adrenaline, and led the Tigers on a long, clock eating drive, but it ultimately did not result in points. Nebraska finally got the ball back, with just a puncher's chance, and not much time left, but the game was not decided in Clemson's favor until a final, last ditch pass attempt by the Huskers fell incomplete, giving the Tigers the 22-15 WIN, and our first ever National Championship. Clemson's warriors had left it all on the field, especially QB Homer Jordan, who was so physically drained, he required medical attention for dehydration after the game.

Clemson merchandising exploded across the country, anything with a Paw or a “Clemson #1” on it sold like hotcakes. So, the Tigers finally copyrighted The Tiger Paw as a Clemson only identifier. Danny Ford became Saint Danniford, and some of the finest football in the land would be played at Memorial Stadium, Frank Howard Field, Death Valley, Clemson, South Carolina, for the decade of the 80's. All 1981 season results below.

Wofford W 45–10
At Tulane W 13–5
No. 4 Georgia No. 18 W 13–3
At Kentucky No. 14 W 21–3
Virginia No. 9 W 27–0
At Duke No. 6 W 38–10
NC State No. 4 W 17–7
Wake Forest No. 3 W 82–24
At No. 9 North Carolina No. 2 W 10–8
Maryland No. 2 W 21–7
At South Carolina No. 2 W 29–13 (Clemson leads series 46-30-3.)

January 1, 1982

No, 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Nebraska
The Orange Bowl
W 22–15

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Hill Watch...41 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...41 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...41 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...41 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...41 days!!!

Doug Thomas Anthony Simmons Rodney Thomas Alex Spence

41 years ago, 1981: Lady Diana Spencer marries Charles,

76er, you could have been a great sports writer at The TiGER student paper

Thx Jedi_Kermit..

Went to HS with that cheerleader girl second from the right,

Wow, the memories.

Thanks for posting! I was a junior that year and forever