CLEMSON NOTES:
CLEMSON TO FACE SMU SATURDAY IN 2024 ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME After a 7-1 regular season record in ACC play this season, Clemson will hope to cap its 2024 conference campaign by earning its 28th overall conference title and extend its ACC record by collecting its 22nd ACC title when the Tigers meet the SMU Mustangs for the first time in program history on Saturday, Dec. 7. Kickoff at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. In addition to seeking Clemson’s 28th all-time conference title and 22nd all-time ACC title, a win on Saturday would be expected by most to clinch Clemson’s seventh all-time College Football Playoff berth. Clemson’s six all-time College Football Playoff berths in the tournament’s inaugural decade were second only to Alabama’s eight. Saturday’s ACC Championship Game will be Clemson’s conference-record 10th title game appearance. Clemson will become the fifth program ever to appear in 10 conference title games all-time, joining Alabama (15), Florida (13), Oklahoma (12) and Georgia (12, including 2024). The Tigers have a sterling 8-1 all-time record in ACC Championship Games, including an 8-0 record in their last eight appearances from 2011-22 after losing their ACC Championship Game debut in 2009. Clemson’s .889 winning percentage in conference championship games is the second-best nationally among programs who have qualified for at least four conference title games. Clemson can join Alabama and Oklahoma as the only programs ever to earn a win in nine consecutive conference championship game appearances. SMU qualified for the ACC Championship Game in its first year of ACC membership. The Mustangs will become the eighth different opponent to face Clemson in at least one of the Tigers’ 10 all-time ACC Championship Game appearances, joining Virginia Tech (two), North Carolina (two), Georgia Tech, Miami (Fla.), Pitt, Virginia and Notre Dame. With a win, Clemson would join Oklahoma as the only schools to earn a conference championship win against eight different opponents all-time.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK – Clemson attempting to win a postseason game (conference championship, bowl game and/or national championship game) for a 14th consecutive season. Clemson’s current 13-year streak is the longest streak on record in major college football history. – Clemson making its 10th all-time ACC Championship Game appearance, adding to the Tigers’ existing ACC record (2009, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022). – Clemson becoming the fifth program ever to appear in 10 conference title games all-time, joining Alabama (15), Florida (13), Oklahoma (12) and Georgia (12, including 2024). – Clemson attempting to become the first program to win 22 ACC titles. Since helping form the conference in 1953, Clemson leads the ACC with 21 titles all-time, including 20 outright. – Clemson attempting to earn its 28th conference championship all-time, including four SIAA championships and two Southern Conference championships prior to the formation of the ACC. Clemson’s 27 conference titles across all conferences are the most of any current or former ACC member. – Clemson attempting to tie Utah (28) for the 10thmost conference titles among current FBS programs. – Clemson (six) attempting to become only the second team to earn seven College Football Playoff berths since the institution of the postseason format in 2014 (Alabama, 8). Though most would anticipate the ACC Champion would be among the five auto-qualifying conference champions, official word on CFP selections will not be made until Dec. 8. – Clemson attempting to improve to 9-1 all-time in ACC Championship Games. Clemson’s current .889 all-time winning percentage in conference championship games ranks second among programs who have qualified for at least four conference championship games. – Clemson entering the game on an eight-game winning streak in ACC Championship Games. With a win, Clemson would join Oklahoma (nine straight amid 2004- 20) and Alabama (nine straight amid 2009-23) as the only teams ever to win nine consecutive conference title game appearances. – Clemson facing its eighth different opponent in 10 all-time ACC Championship Games. Clemson has faced North Carolina (2015 and 2022), Virginia Tech (2011 and 2016), Georgia Tech (2009), Miami (2017), Pitt (2018), Virginia (2019) and Notre Dame (2020) prior to this year’s ACC Championship Game against SMU. – Clemson attempting to defeat a seventh different team in an ACC Championship Game and join Oklahoma (eight) as the only schools to earn a conference championship win against seven different opponents all-time. – Head Coach Dabo Swinney attempting to win his ninth ACC championship. His eight current ACC titles (all outright) are second only to Florida State’s Bobby Bowden (12, including 10 outright). – Swinney attempting to win his ninth conference championship to pass College Football Hall of Famer Frank Howard (eight) for sole possession of the most in Clemson history. Howard won two Southern Conference titles (1940,48) and six ACC titles (1956,58,59,65,66,67) in his 30-year run with the Tigers. – Clemson attempting to produce its 20th 10-win season in program history. It would be Clemson’s 13th 10-win season under Head Coach Dabo Swinney. – Clemson attempting to win a 10th game this season to become the 13th program among current power conference programs to record at least 20 seasons all-time with 10 or more wins. Prior to the season, that list included Alabama (44), Oklahoma (42), Michigan (32), Ohio State (31), Georgia (28), USC (28), Nebraska (28), Florida State (26), Penn State (26), Texas (25), Notre Dame (23) and Tennessee (20). – Clemson’s 2023 and 2024 signing classes attempting to earn their first ACC Championship. Every Clemson recruiting class in Dabo Swinney’s tenure has won at least one ACC Championship with exception of Clemson’s current freshman and sophomore groups. – Clemson’s senior class (2022 ACC Champions) attempting to become the 31st senior class in Clemson history to earn multiple conference championships in a four-year span. – Clemson’s senior class (39-13 since 2021) needing a win to become the 12th Clemson senior class to average at least 10 wins a year over a four-year span, joining the 1990, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 senior groups. – Clemson facing SMU for the first time in history. – Clemson facing a new opponent for the first time since facing Charleston Southern in the second game of the 2023 season. It will be Clemson’s first time making its debut against an opponent in a postseason game since facing Iowa State for the first time in the 2021 Cheez-It Bowl. – Clemson facing its 109th different opponent in program history. Clemson is 66-38-4 all-time in its first meeting with its 108 existing opponents, including a 17-1 mark in first meetings since 2003. Clemson has won 19 of its last 21 games when making its all-time debut against a new opponent. – Clemson attempting to earn its 31st all-time victory against an AP Top 10 opponent. – Swinney attempting to improve to 19-13 against AP Top 10 teams. The only coaches — active or inactive — who have more wins against AP Top 10 teams since 2009 than Swinney are Nick Saban (34) and Kirby Smart (21). – Clemson attempting to improve to 23-13 in games at NFL stadiums under Dabo Swinney. A win would improve Clemson to 20-9 at NFL stadiums since 2015. – Clemson attempting to improve to 8-0 all-time in ACC Championship Games held at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Clemson previously earned ACC titles in the facility in 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022. – Clemson attempting to improve to 18-1 in December games since 2011. Among teams that have been at the FBS level in that entire time span, Clemson’s current .944 December winning percentage is the second highest in the nation behind Alabama (15-0, 1.000). – Clemson attempting to improve to 30-14 all-time in games played in the month of December. – Clemson attempting to improve to 37-9 under Dabo Swinney in games following a loss. – Head Coach Dabo Swinney (179-46) attempting to become the seventh coach in FBS history to win 180 games within the first 20 seasons of a head coaching career. In only his 17th season (and 16th full season), Swinney (179) trails only Tom Osborne (195), Nick Saban (191), Bob Stoops (191), Joe Paterno (187), Urban Meyer (187) and LaVell Edwards (183) in that category. (Note: Stoops and Meyer are not credited on the NCAA’s official list of most wins through 20 seasons since they did not coach 20 years.) – Clemson attempting to improve to 40-27 under Dabo Swinney against AP Top 25 teams. Swinney’s 39 career wins against AP Top 25 teams are the second-most of any active FBS coach since Swinney became Clemson’s fulltime coach in 2009 (Mike Gundy, 40). – Clemson attempting to improve to 34-19 under Swinney in games in which both teams rank in the AP Top 25. – Clemson facing SMU Head Coach Rhett Lashlee for the first time as a head coach. He becomes the seventh different head coach this season to face Clemson for the first time (App State’s Shawn Clark, Stanford’s Troy Taylor, Virginia’s Tony Elliott, Louisville’s Jeff Brohm, Virginia Tech’s Brent Pry and The Citadel’s Maurice Drayton). – Clemson attempting to improve to 169-74-3 alltime (and 52-8 since 2011) when facing a coach for the first time. – Clemson entering the game ranked in the Top 15 nationally in both total offense (eighth, 465.7 yards per game) and scoring offense (14th, 35.7 points per game). – Clemson entering the game as the only team in the nation to average both 275 passing yards per game (275.1) and 190 rushing yards per game (190.6). – Clemson (5,588) needing 156 more yards this season to enter the Top 10 in school history for yards in a single season. – Clemson (3,301) needing 103 passing yards to enter the Top 10 in school history for passing yards in a single season. – Clemson attempting to record a fourth 50-point performance in a season for the sixth time in school history (seven in 2019, five in 2013, four in 2016, four in 2006 and four in 2018). – Clemson attempting to produce a seventh 40-point game in a season for the eighth time in school history (10 in 2019, nine in 2018, eight in 2020, eight in 2013, eight in 2012, seven in 2015 and seven in 2016). – Clemson attempting to score 28 or more points in a quarter for the fourth time this season to match the school record set in 2012 (four). So far this season, Clemson has recorded a 35-point first quarter against Appalachian State, a 28-point first quarter against NC State and a 28-point second quarter against Wake Forest. – Clemson attempting to record a seventh 500-yard game in a single season for the first time since 2019 (10). – Clemson attempting to reach both 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in a game for the seventh time this season. Clemson (six) is tied with Tennessee for the national lead in this category in 2024. – Clemson attempting to record its first season with at least seven games with both 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards since 2019. It would be Clemson’s fourth such season in school history (10 in 2019, eight in 2015, seven in 2018). – Clemson (six) attempting to post seven 200-yard rushing games in a single season for the first time since 2019 (10). – Clemson (two) attempting to produce a 300-yard passer, 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver in three games in a single season for the first time in school history. – Clemson entering the game having scored at least one rushing touchdown in a national-best 87 of its 94 games since the start of the 2018 season. Clemson has also rushed for multiple touchdowns in a national-best 72 games in that span. – Clemson attempting to win the turnover margin for a fifth straight game. It would be Clemson’s third five-game streak of winning the turnover margin in an 18-game span dating to early November of 2023. – Clemson attempting to finish even or better in the turnover margin in a 12th straight game for the first time since a 17-game streak across the 1989-90 seasons. Dating to last season, Clemson has lost the turnover margin only once in its last 17 games. – Clemson attempting to record multiple takeaways in five straight games for the first time since ending the 2023 season on a five-game streak. – Clemson (nine) entering the game as one of only 14 teams with single-digit giveaways this season. – Clemson attempting to play a fifth game without a giveaway in a single season for the first time since 2019 (six). – Tight end Jake Briningstool (119) entering the game as the Clemson record holder for career receptions by a tight end. – Briningstool (119) needing six more receptions this season to become the ninth tight end in ACC history to record 125 career receptions. – Briningstool (41) needing nine receptions to match his single-season career high set last year (50). His 50 receptions a year ago tied Dwayne Allen’s 50 catches in 2011 for the Clemson record for receptions by a tight end in a single season. – Briningstool (438) needing 61 receiving yards to break his single-season career high of 498, set in 2023. – Briningstool (438) needing 62 receiving yards to post the sixth 500-yard receiving season by a tight end in Clemson history. – Briningstool (15) continuing to chase Jordan Leggett (18 from 2013-16) for the school record for career receiving touchdowns by a tight end. Briningstool presently stands alone in second place. – Briningstool (15) needing two touchdown receptions to tie NC State’s George Bryan (17 from 2008-11) and Florida State’s Nick O’Leary (17 from 2011-14) for the sixth-most touchdown receptions by a tight end in ACC history. He is three touchdowns shy of Clemson’s Jordan Leggett (18 from 2013-16) and Louisville’s Marshon Ford (2018-22) for fourth. – Briningstool (five) needing one more touchdown reception to surpass his previous single-season career high of five set in 2023. – Briningstool seeking to add to his school records for 100-yard receiving games by a tight end in a season (two) and career (three). – Briningstool (two touchdowns vs. App State) and Olsen Patt-Henry (two touchdowns vs. Virginia) each attempting to become the first Clemson tight end to catch multiple touchdown passes in multiple games in a single season since Brandon Ford in 2012 (two). – Linebacker Sammy Brown (10.5) entering the week ranked second nationally in tackles for loss by freshmen. – Brown (10.5) chasing the school record for tackles for loss by a true freshman. He presently trails T.J. Parker (12.5 in 2023), Myles Murphy (12.0 in 2020) and Anthony Simmons (11.0 in 1995). – Brown (5.0) chasing Dexter Lawrence (7.0 in 2016), Tyler Davis (6.5 in 2019) and T.J. Parker (5.5 in 2023) on Clemson’s all-time leaderboard for sacks by a true freshman. – Linebacker Barrett Carter (9.5) entering the game one tackle for loss shy of his single-season career high (10.5 in 2022). – Cornerback Ashton Hampton (one) and defensive tackle Payton Page (one) each attempting to join Arlington Nunn (three in 1990) and Dorian O’Daniel (two in 2017) as the only Clemson players since 1950 to record multiple interception returns for touchdowns in a season. – Kicker Nolan Hauser (15-of-20) needing four more field goals to tie or five more field goals to break Chris Gardocki’s school record for field goals made by a true freshman (19 in 1988). – Hauser (97), who already owns the Clemson record for points by a true freshman, needing three more points to become the first Clemson player to score 100 points in a true freshman season. – Hauser (97) needing 10 points to enter the Top 10 in kicking points scored in a single season in Clemson history. He is also 14 points shy of entering the Top 10 in points scored by all means. – Quarterback Cade Klubnik (18-8) attempting to tie DeChane Cameron (19-4-1 from 1988-91) and Woodrow Dantzler (19-11 from 1998-2001) for the 11th-most wins by a starting quarterback since World War II. – Klubnik (29) entering the game ranked tied for fourth in the nation in passing touchdowns. – Klubnik (29) needing one more passing touchdown to record the eighth 30-touchdown passing season by a Clemson quarterback all-time and the first since Trevor Lawrence in 2019 (36). – Klubnik (29) chasing Trevor Lawrence (No. 7, 30 in 2018) and Tajh Boyd (No. 6, 33 in 2011; and No. 5, 34 in 2013) on Clemson’s all-time leaderboard for touchdown passes in a single season. – Klubnik entering the game ranked tied for fourth in the nation in touchdowns responsible for (36 — 29 passing, seven rushing).
SMU NOTES:
SETTING THE SCENE • No. 9 SMU is set to begin its postseason journey when it faces Clemson in the ACC Championship on Saturday at 7 p.m. on ABC at Bank Of America Stadium in Charlotte. • The Mustangs enter the contest at 11-1 and ranked No. 9 in the nation, the highest ranking since 1985. • The Mustangs have averaged 40.8 points per game during the current nine-game winning streak. • SMU has won its last 10 road games, second-longest active streak in all of the FBS. • The Mustangs have forced at least one turnover in nine of the past 11 games and in 19 of the past 22 contests. • Last week, SMU defeated Cal 38-6 at home to polish off its perfect 8-0 ACC record in the program’s inaugural season in the conference. • SMU’s 8-0 season in conference play is a first for a team jumping into a Power-4/5 conference from a Group of Five in their first season since 1978. Of those teams, only Louisville (2014) finished with a winning conference record, going 5-3 in ACC play. QUICK HITS • SMU is 30-5 at home in Ford Stadium since 2019. • SMU’s defense has continued to force turnovers this year, ranking 23rd in the country with 21 turnovers gained, along with being fifth in defensive touchdowns with four. • The Mustangs have had at least seven receivers catch a pass in 26 of the past 29 games. • Brashard Smith has made an impact in 2024, ranking eighth in all-purpose yards per game with 138.92 and 12th in total touchdowns (17), resulting in being named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. • Collin Rogers has tallied 22 field goals this season, which is fourth in the nation. He leads the nation in made field goals over 50 yards with seven, one shy of the NCAA single season record of eight set by Tennessee’s Fuad Reveiz in 1982, leading to being selected as a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award. • Kevin Jennings sits sixth nationally in passing yards per attempt (9.34) and 12th in yards per pass completion (14.01). • Jennings has the highest passer efficiency rating in conference games only in the ACC at 171.5. • In the nine games since Jennings was named the starter (all P4 opponents), SMU has trailed in only about 6 minutes and 10 seconds of game time, that’s 370 seconds out of 32,400 seconds played with six of those games against bowl-eligible teams. • SMU’s 54 wins in the last six years are the most by any FBS Texas team. In addition, the Mustangs have won 24 of those on the road, tops for any team in the state since 2019. • The Mustangs are 20-2 in their last 22 games, and 19-1 in their last 20 regular-season contests. • Rhett Lashlee boasts a 21-3 conference record in his career. His 21-3 record in his first 24 league games on the Hilltop is the best in SMU history. • SMU has posted a record of 26-1 during Lashlee’s three seasons in charge when they score 30 or more points in a game, and have won 24 straight when hitting the magic number. THE SERIES • This is the first meeting all time. ABOUT THE TIGERS • Clemson enters the game at 9-3 overall and 7-1 in the ACC this season.
THE COACHES • Rhett Lashlee is in his third season as the head coach at SMU and has a 29-10 career record. Lashlee, who served as offensive coordinator for the Mustangs for two seasons (2018-19), also served as the offensive coordinator at Miami in 2020 and 2021. A one-time finalist (2013) and two-time semifinalist (2019, 2020) for the Broyles Award, Lashlee has the distinction of being the only coach ever nominated for the Broyles Award four different times at four different schools (Arkansas State, Auburn, SMU, Miami). • Lashlee was named a finalist last season for the prestigious Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award, handed out the nation’s top coach as voted on by the National Sports Media Association, the Bryant Awards’ Executive Leadership Team, and the Bryant Family. The Arkansas native was also named Co-Coach of the Year by the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football publication, a finalist of the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, and a semi-finalist for Coach of the Year Award by the Maxwell Football Club for the job he did in 2023. • Lashlee signed a contract extension with SMU on Nov. 22, 2024. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. • Now in his 17th season (and 16th full season) as Clemson’s head coach, Dabo Swinney is Clemson’s all-time winningest coach and the first in program history to lead Clemson to multiple national championships. • Swinney entered the 2024 season as the nation’s active leader in winning percentage among head coaches with at least 10 years of experience. His 179 wins are the most of any active coach whose entire head coaching tenure has come at one school, and he has produced 83 NFL Draft picks and 18 first-round picks, both the most of any active coach since his hire. MUSTANG CAPTAINS • Kevin Jennings, Jonathan McGill, Justin Osborne, Elijah Roberts, Preston Stone and Kobe Wilson were voted captains for the 2024 season. SOMETHING SPECIAL GOING ON HERE • The Mustangs have been a force in conference play over the last three seasons. • SMU has posted an 21-3 record against conference opponents since 2022, highlighted by the current 17-game winning streak. • The 17 straight conference wins breaks the program record set back from 1981 to 1982. • The winning streak is the longest active streak in the nation. Back to the future • SMU has posted back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the first time since the 1983 (10-2) and 1984 (10-2) seasons. • The result has led to being ranked ninth in the both AP and Coaches Polls, the highest since 1985, which leads to some interesting tidbits. • The last time the Mustangs were in the top 10 of the AP poll, the no. 1 song in America was the “Miami Vice” theme. • The cost for a gallon of gas was 83 cents. • The No. 1 movie at the time in November was Rocky IV. • Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States. LEVELED UP • The Mustangs continue to be a dominant force in conference games for a second straight season. • SMU is winning conference games by a score of 37.62-18.25, an average of 19.37. • The 19.37 average margin of victory is the third highest for any P4 team in the country, behind Indiana (23.11) and Oregon (20.0) • Only the Ducks and The Mustangs went unbeaten in conference play amongst P4 teams in 2024. SAME PONY, NEW EXPRESS • The Mustangs have put together one of the best two-seasons run in the program’s history in 2023 and 2024. • For the first time ever, the Mustangs have put together back-to-back seasons with at least 11 wins. • During the run, SMU went a perfect 16-0 in conference play in two different conferences (AAC in 2023 and ACC in 2024). PLAYOFFS, WE’RE TALKING PLAYOFFS • SMU made its debut in the first set of the 2024 CFP rankings on Nov. 6, coming in at No. 13. • The ninth ranking in the latest CFP is the highest the Mustangs have had in program history.