Year: | 2020 |
Sport: | football |
Team: | Clemson Tigers |
Conference: | Atlantic Coast Conference |
Short Conf: | ACC |
Record: | 10–2 |
Conf Record: | 8–1 |
Aprank: | 3 |
Coachrank: | 3 |
Head Coach: | Dabo Swinney |
Hc Year: | 12th full, 13th overall |
Off Coach: | Tony Elliott |
Oc Year: | 6th |
Off Scheme: | Spread |
Def Coach: | Brent Venables |
Dc Year: | 9th |
Def Scheme: | 4–3 |
Stadium: | Memorial Stadium |
Champion: | ACC champion |
Conf Champ: | ACC Championship Game |
Conf Champ Result: | W 34–10 vs. Notre Dame |
Bowl: | Sugar Bowl (CFP semifinal) |
Bowl Result: | L 28–49 vs. Ohio State |
The 2020 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers were led by head coach Dabo Swinney, in his 12th full year. The Tigers competed as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.
The season was played amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The ACC settled on an eleven-game football schedule, with ten conference games with no divisions and one non-conference game. Clemson canceled their previously scheduled non-conference games against Akron and South Carolina, and kept their game against The Citadel. Precautions were taken to reduce the spread of the virus, including testing, isolation requirements, and limitations on the number of fans in attendance.
Clemson began the year ranked first in the preseason AP Poll, and handily won their first seven games of the season, including a 42–17 win over then-No. 9 Miami (FL). Starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence tested positive for COVID-19 on October 29, and was forced to miss the team's next two games against Boston College and temporary ACC member Notre Dame. The team escaped with a close win against Boston College, but lost on the road to then-No. 4 Notre Dame in double overtime, 47–40. Clemson won the remainder of their regular season games, and earned a place in the ACC Championship Game by finishing second in the division-less format with an 8–1 record, behind Notre Dame. In the rematch against the Fighting Irish, this time with Lawrence at quarterback, the Tigers were victorious by a score of 34–10, to win their sixth consecutive ACC title. In the final College Football Playoff rankings of the season, Clemson was ranked second, earning them a place in the national semifinal to be played at the Sugar Bowl against third-seeded Ohio State, a rematch of the previous season's Fiesta Bowl. Clemson lost the rematch, 49–28, to end the season at 10–2 and ranked third in the final polls.
Junior quarterback Trevor Lawrence led the team on offense with 3,153 passing yards and 24 passing touchdowns. He was named ACC Player of the Year and finished second in voting for the Heisman Trophy. The team's leading rusher was Travis Etienne, who was named a consensus All-American all-purpose back. Amari Rodgers was the team's leading receiver and was named first-team all-conference. On defense, the team featured two first-team all-conference members in lineman Bryan Bresee and cornerback Derion Kendrick. Bresee was named the ACC Defensive Freshman of the Year.
See main article: 2020 college football recruiting class. Clemson's 2020 recruiting class consisted of 23 signees.[1] The class was ranked as the best class in the ACC and the third best class overall according to the 247Sports Composite.[2]
Player | Round | Pick | Team | Position | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 | LB | |||
1 | 16 | ||||
2 | 33 | WR | |||
3 | 100 | ILB | |||
4 | 109 | G | |||
4 | 127 | S | |||
7 | 250 | G |
Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | College transferred to | Source(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Demarkcus Bowman | 1 | 5'10" | 190 | Freshman | [4] [5] | ||||
7 | 6'2" | 207 | Sophomore | [6] [7] | |||||
T. J. Chase | 18 | 6'1" | 185 | Junior | [8] [9] | ||||
22 | 6'4" | 265 | Junior | [10] [11] | |||||
Johnathan Boyd | 46 | 6'2" | 217 | Sophomore | [12] |
Listed in the order that they were released
Award | Player | Position | Year | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lott Trophy[13] | Justin Foster | DE | SR | |
Doak Walker Award[14] | Travis Etienne | RB | SR | |
Davey O'Brien Award[15] | Trevor Lawrence | QB | JR | |
Butkus Award[16] | James Skalski | LB | SR | |
Jim Thorpe Award[17] | Derion Kendrick | CB | JR | |
Bronko Nagurski Trophy[18] | James Skalski | LB | SR | |
Tyler Davis | DT | SO | ||
Outland Trophy[19] | Jackson Carman | OL | JR | |
Tyler Davis | DT | SO | ||
Paul Hornung Award[20] | Amari Rodgers | WR | SR | |
Wuerffel Trophy[21] | Darien Rencher | RB | SR | |
Maxwell Award[22] | Trevor Lawrence | QB | JR | |
Travis Etienne | RB | SR | ||
Manning Award[23] | Trevor Lawrence | QB | JR |
Clemson had games scheduled against Akron and South Carolina, which were both canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[24] This was the first season since 1908 that the Tigers did not play South Carolina.
The ACC released their schedule format on July 29, with specific dates selected at a later date.[25] Specific game dates were released on August 6, 2020.[26]
Head coach | University of Alabama (1993) | 13th | ||
Associate head coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers Coach | Kansas State University (1992) | 8th | ||
Assistant head coach, Special Teams Coordinator, Tight Ends | Clemson University (1987) | 11th | ||
Offensive coordinator/running backs Coach | Clemson University (2002) | 5th | ||
Assistant coach, Passing Game Coordinator, Quarterbacks | Clemson University (1999) | 6th | ||
Assistant coach, Recruiting Coordinator, Defensive tackles | University of Alabama (2004) | 3rd | ||
Assistant coach, Offensive Linemen | Furman University (1977) | 9th | ||
Assistant coach, Safeties | University of Alabama (1995) | 5th | ||
Assistant coach, Wide Receivers | Clemson University (2009) | 1st | ||
Assistant coach, Defensive Ends | University of Alabama (1993) | 3rd | ||
Assistant coach, Cornerbacks | Boston College (1994) | 7th |
See also: 2020 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team.
See also: 2020 The Citadel Bulldogs football team.
See also: 2020 Virginia Cavaliers football team.
See also: 2020 Miami Hurricanes football team.
See also: 2020 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team.
See also: 2020 Syracuse Orange football team.
See also: 2020 Boston College Eagles football team.
See also: 2020 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team and 2020 Clemson vs. Notre Dame football game.
See also: 2020 Pittsburgh Panthers football team.
See also: 2020 Virginia Tech Hokies football team.
See also: 2020 ACC Championship Game and 2020 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team.
See also: 2021 Sugar Bowl and 2020 Ohio State Buckeyes football team.
Player | style= | Position | style= | Award | style= | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trevor Lawrence | QB | ACC Player of the Year | [29] | |||
ACC Offensive Player of the Year | ||||||
Bryan Bresee | DT | ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year | [30] |
Player | style= | AP | style= | AFCA | style= | FWAA | style= | TSN | style= | WCFF | style= | Designation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Consensus | |||||||
3 | 2 | 1 | – | 2 | None | |||||||
– | 2 | – | – | – | None | |||||||
The NCAA recognizes a selection to all five of the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN and WCFF first teams for unanimous selections and three of five for consensus selections. HM = Honorable mention. Source:[31] |
Player | Position | Team | |
---|---|---|---|
Trevor Lawrence | QB | First Team | |
Travis Etienne | RB & APB | ||
Amari Rodgers | WR | ||
Bryan Bresee | DT | ||
Derion Kendrick | CB | ||
Jackson Carman | OT | Second Team | |
Matt Bockhorst | OG | ||
James Skalski | LB | ||
Andrew Booth Jr. | CB | ||
Nolan Turner | S | ||
Cornell Powell | WR | Third Team | |
Jordan McFadden | OT | Honorable Mention | |
Will Putnam | OG | ||
Cade Stewart | C | ||
Myles Murphy | DE | ||
Baylon Spector | LB | ||
Mike Jones Jr. | LB | ||
Lannden Zanders | S | ||
B. T. Potter | PK | ||
Source:[32] |
See also: 2021 NFL draft.
1 | 1 | QB | Jacksonville Jaguars | ||
1 | RB | Jacksonville Jaguars | |||
2 | 46 | OT | Cincinnati Bengals | ||
3 | 85 | WR | Green Bay Packers | ||
5 | 181 | WR | Kansas City Chiefs |