Re: Hill Watch...83 days!!!

Todays players spotlight will be a bit different today. There is no #83 player for Clemson this year. Since I just started doing these player spotlight posts a few days ago (I started at day/#87). I will go back and chose players #88-#99 to highlight on days when there is no current numbered player on the 2025 roster that corresponds with the number of days until the start of our season.

So for today I have chosen to spotlight #88 Clay Swinney. He is a WR for Clemson but is best known for carrying on the lineage of Swinney placeholders. In fact the last time Clemson had a placeholder not named Swinney was in 2016. When Seth Ryan was the one to place the ball for our kickers. (Another fun fact is that our last four placeholders were all a football coaches son. Coach Dabo’s sons Clay Swinney 2023-present, Drew Swinney 2022, Will Swinney 2017-21, and former NFL head coach Rex Ryan’s son, Seth Ryan 2015-16.)

Here is his bio: https://clemsontigers.com/sports/football/roster/clay-swinney/

CBProf®

Tiger Titan [48720]

TigerPulse: 100%

Posts: 1894

Joined: 2017

83 Seasons Ago Clemson Football Finished 3-6-1 in 1942

Jun 8, 2025, 5:21 AM

The U.S. War Machine is embattled in combat in Europe and in the Pacific. Truly a World War!

Back home, the Clemson football team struggles to secure victories as many Clemson players have left God’s Country to serve our country in combat.

On a more positive note:
- Tiger Rag becomes part of Clemson traditions!
- Clemson plays its first game at Memorial Stadium (later dubbed “Death Valley”)! The Tigers ran down the Hill for the first time!

Overview:

According to Wikipedia:

“The 1942 Clemson Tigers football team was an American football that represented Clemson College as a member of the Southern Conference during the 1942 college football season. In their third season under head coach Frank Howard, the Tigers compiled a 3–6–1 record (2–3–1 against conference opponents), finished ninth in the conference, and were outscored by a total of 138 to 100.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1942_Clemson_Tigers_football_team

Head Coach Frank Howard:

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Howard_(American_football))

Worthy of Note:

According to ClemsonTigers.com:

Sept. 19, 1942 – Memorial Stadium opened and the Tigers ran down the Hill for the first time. Butch Butler gained 192 yards, as the Tigers opened the new stadium in front of 5,500 with a 32-13 win over Presbyterian. It was the most yards rushing by a Tiger in the decade of the 1940s. High school students were admitted for 25 cents, while servicemen were allowed in for 50 cents.

https://clemsontigers.com/clemson-football-historical-timeline/

Wikipedia adds the following:

“Memorial Stadium was inaugurated September 19 with a win against Presbyterian College. Clemson's 200th win came on Big Thursday against South Carolina.

Charlie Wright was the team captain. The team's statistical leaders included tailback Marion Butler with 504 passing yards, 616 rushing yards and 36 points scored (6 touchdowns). End Chip Clark was selected as a first-team player on the 1942 All-Southern Conference football team.

Clemson was ranked at No. 89 (out of 590 college and military teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score System for 1942.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1942_Clemson_Tigers_football_team

ClemsonWiki adds the following insights on Memorial Stadium’s Grand Opening:

“September 19: Construction is finished on Memorial Stadium just ahead of the crowd for the first game to be played in the future Death Valley. The Tigers run down the hill for the very first time and defeat Presbyterian College, 32-13, in front of 5,500 fans. Presbyterian Coach Lonnie McMillan declares in 1948 that playing Clemson at home is like taking his team into Death Valley.”

https://clemsonwiki.com/wiki/1942

Also Worthy of Note:

According to ClemsonWiki:

“Tiger Rag introduced at Clemson by cadet and band member Robert Dean Ross (Class of 1948).
…
October 8: Twenty-eight members of the football team, Coach Howard, a photographer, a manager and a trainer depart Clemson by train for Boston at 10 p.m. "Because of war transportation, it was impossible to get enough berths for everyone, so some of the boys had to sleep two per berth. It may have been a little crowded, but as the players had practiced for an hour and a half Thursday morning they were pretty tired and had very little trouble sleeping."

October 9: "Friday morning, [the football team] was awakened early and asked to hurry dressing as it was almost time to get off the train. Looking out the window and seeing no lights, the boys supposed they were either still in the country or in a black-out, but they were surprised to learn that they were only passing through the Hudson river [sic] tunnel and entering 'Little Old New York.' The train pulled into Pennsylvania Station about 6:30, where breakfast had already been prepared for the party in the station cafe. After breakfast the boys had just enough time to see a few such places as the Empire State Building, George Washington Bridge, the capsized Normandie, and Times Square. At 9 o'clock the team boarded a day coach for Boston. Necks were pretty sore from then on as they stretched to see the ships and unusual sights in the harbors of the old New England towns. The boys were getting pretty tired of riding when they arrived in Boston at 3 o'clock Friday afternoon. After they had been assigned rooms in the Hotel Kenmore, Coach Howard took the players out to Fenway Park for an hour's workout to get rid of their 'train legs'. A large number of sports writers and fans were on hand to look the Tigers over, to take pictures, and to make predictions. Dinner was served in the magnificent Embassy Room of the hotel and after a walk, the team retired early in preparation for the hard day ahead."

https://clemsonwiki.com/wiki/1942

Results:

September 19: Presbyterian* W 32–13
September 26: vs. VMI (Lynchburg) T 0–0
October 3: vs. NC State L 6–7
October 10: at Boston College* L 7–14
October 22: at South Carolina W 18–6
October 31: at Wake Forest L 6–19
November 7: George Washington L 0–7
November 14: at Jacksonville NAS* L 6–24
November 21: Furman W 12–7
November 28: at No. 16 Auburn L 13–41

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1942_Clemson_Tigers_football_team

With the win over the Gamechicken, Clemson’s record vs the Chickens improves to 27-12-1.

Also in 1942:

According to ClemsonWiki:

May 15: Rationing of gasoline begins on the East Coast (nationwide by December) and sugar rationing is imposed by the government.

https://clemsonwiki.com/wiki/1942

flag link

military_tech

thumb_down

thumb_up

Clemson: Academic Excellence! Athletic Excellence!

Hill Watch...83 days!!!