Alabama–Clemson football rivalry

Alabama–Clemson football rivalry
Alabama Crimson Tide
Clemson Tigers
First meeting November 29, 1900
Clemson 35, Alabama 0
Latest meeting January 1, 2018
Alabama 24, Clemson 6
Next meeting TBA
Statistics
Meetings total 18
All-time series Alabama leads, 14–4
Largest victory Alabama, 74–7 (1931)
Longest win streak Alabama, 13 (1909–2016)
Current win streak Alabama, 1 (2018–present)

The Alabama–Clemson football rivalry is a college football rivalry[1] game between the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama and the Tigers of Clemson University.

History

The two southern schools have long, decorated histories in the sport of college football.[2] They first met on the football field on November 29, 1900.[3] Clemson won the inaugural matchup by a score of 35–0.[4] The Crimson Tide and Tigers met again in 1904 and 1905, with Clemson winning both games.[5] Beginning with the next meeting between the two squads in 1909, Alabama won the next thirteen matchups against Clemson.[5] The Tide posted the biggest margin of victory in the rivalry in 1931, whopping the Tigers by a margin of 74–7.[6][7] In the first seven games of Alabama's 13-game streak, Clemson only scored seven total points and was shut out in six of the seven games.[5] After a 56–0 shutout Alabama victory in 1975, the squads didn't meet again until 2008, when they squared off on opening weekend in Atlanta, Georgia.[8] The Tide emerged with a 34–10 victory.[9]

The last three matchups between the squads have had national championship implications and have greatly intensified the rivalry. The teams squared off in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship in Glendale, Arizona, with Alabama emerging with a thrilling 45-40 victory.[10] The next year, the teams again found themselves doing battle in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship in Tampa, Florida, with Clemson emerging with a thrilling 35-31 victory and their first win over the Crimson Tide since 1905.[11] Once again the teams did battle in the 2018 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana with a trip to the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game on the line.[12] Alabama won the contest by a score of 24–6.[13] In the build-up to the 2018 Sugar Bowl, players and coaches from both teams referred to the series as a "respectful" rivalry.[14][15]

There are numerous connections between the two programs. Clemson's top three winningest head coaches, Frank Howard, Dabo Swinney, and Danny Ford, all played at Alabama, as did Clemson coaches Hootie Ingram and Charley Pell.[16][17]

Game results

Alabama victoriesClemson victories

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Appreciate another edition of Alabama-Clemson, a rivalry for the ages". Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Clemson-Alabama playoff rivalry continues in Sugar Bowl". December 3, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Alabama vs. Clemson: A Football History". January 11, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  4. ↑ Brown, Matt (January 8, 2016). "Clemson seeks its first win vs. Alabama since 1905". Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 "Clemson's lost 13 straight to Bama since 1905". Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Interesting facts about Clemson and Alabama you should know before the big game - Charleston Daily". charlestondaily.net. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  7. ↑ Nobles, Charlie. "College Football; Florida State Leaves Clemson in Awe". Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Alabama To Play Clemson In Season Opener At Georgia Dome :: Will be the first meeting in 33 years between the two teams - College Sports Official Athletic Site". www.cstv.com. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Alabama vs. Clemson - Game Recap - August 30, 2008 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Alabama vs. Clemson - Game Recap - January 11, 2016 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Clemson vs. Alabama - Game Recap - January 9, 2017 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Alabama suffocates Clemson in dominant Sugar Bowl victory to set up all-SEC title game". Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Alabama vs. Clemson - Game Recap - January 1, 2018 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Is Alabama-Clemson a rivalry? Players from both sides are (mostly) in agreement". December 30, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Dabo Swinney on Alabama vs. Clemson: Rivalry has developed that's "healthy, respectful'". December 11, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  16. ↑ Fralick, Brad (April 26, 2018). "Dabo Swinney will be inducted into Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Saturday". Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  17. ↑ Walsh, Christopher. "The Clemson connection". Retrieved July 12, 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.