1948 Clemson Tigers football team

The 1948 Clemson Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Clemson College in the Southern Conference during the 1948 college football season. In its ninth season under head coach Frank Howard, the team compiled an 11–0 record (5–0 against conference opponents), won the Southern Conference championship, was ranked No. 11 in the final AP Poll, defeated Missouri in the 1949 Gator Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a total of 274 to 76. This team was the only unbeaten and untied team in the 1948 NCAA season who also participated in post-season play in a bowl game versus Missouri.[1][2] The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. Memorial Stadium hosted its first night game in the opener against Presbyterian College.

1948 Clemson Tigers football
Southern Conference champion
Gator Bowl champion
Gator Bowl, W 24–23 vs. Missouri
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Ranking
APNo. 11
Record11–0 (5–0 SoCon)
Head coach
CaptainBob Martin, Phil Prince
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
1948 Southern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 11 Clemson $ 5 –0 –011 –0 –0
No. 3 North Carolina 4 –0 –19 –1 –1
VMI 5 –1 –06 –3 –0
No. 17 William & Mary 5 –1 –17 –2 –2
No. 20 Wake Forest 5 –2 –06 –4 –0
Maryland 4 –2 –06 –4 –0
Duke 3 –2 –14 –3 –2
Richmond 3 –3 –15 –3 –2
Washington and Lee 2 –2 –04 –6 –0
Furman 2 –4 –02 –6 –1
George Washington 2 –4 –04 –6 –0
Davidson 2 –5 –03 –5 –1
South Carolina 1 –3 –03 –5 –0
NC State 1 –4 –13 –6 –1
VPI 0 –6 –10 –8 –1
The Citadel 0 –5 –02 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The team's statistical leaders included tailback Bobby Gage with 799 passing yards and wingback Ray Mathews with 646 rushing yards and 78 points scored (13 touchdowns).[3]

Bob Martin and Phil Prince were the team captains. Guard Frank Gillespie and back Bobby Gage were selected as first-team players on the 1948 All-Southern Conference football team.[4] Seven Clemson players were named to the All-South Carolina football team for 1948: tackle Phil Prince and Tom Salisbury; guard Frank Gillespie; center Gene Moore; and backs Bobby Gage, Ray Mathews, and Fred Cone.[5]

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 25 Presbyterian*
W 53–0
October 2 NC State
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC (rivlary)
W 6–0
October 9 at Mississippi State*
W 21–712,000[6]
October 21 at South CarolinaNo. 14
W 13–725,000[7]
October 29 at Boston College* No. 13
W 26–1925,169
November 6 Furman No. 12
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC
W 41–015,000[8]
November 13 2:00 p.m. No. 19 Wake Forest No. 10
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC
W 21–1420,000 [9]
November 20 Duquesne* No. 9
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC
W 42–0
November 27 vs. Auburn* No. 11
W 7–6
December 4 at The Citadel* No. 10
W 20–0
January 1, 1949 vs. Missouri* No. 11
W 24–2336,000[10]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References
  1. "2016 Media Guide" (PDF). clemsontigers.com. Clemson Athletics. 2016. pp. 200–208. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  2. "1948 Clemson Tigers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  3. "Clemson 1960 Football Media Guide". Clemson University. 1960. pp. 40–41.
  4. Clemson 1960 Football Media Guide, p. 22.
  5. Clemson 1960 Football Media Guide, p. 23.
  6. "Tigers upset Miss. State by 21–7 score". Winston-Salem Journal. October 10, 1948. Retrieved October 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Scoop Latimer (October 22, 1948). "Clemson Trips Carolina, 13-7". The Greenville News. pp. 1, 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Clemson swamps Furman by 41–0". The News and Observer. November 7, 1948. Retrieved September 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Deacs Seek To Maintain Peak Against Clemson". The Morning News. Florence, South Carolina. November 13, 1948. p. 6. Retrieved May 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  10. "Clemson Overcomes Missouri by 24-23". Daily News (New York City). January 2, 1949. p. 87 – via Newspapers.com.
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