1997 Clemson Tigers football team

The 1997 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Tommy West, the Tigers compiled an overall record of 7–5 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, placing fifth in the ACC. Clemson was invited to the Peach Bowl, where the Tigers lost to Auburn. The team played home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.

1997 Clemson Tigers football
Peach Bowl, L 17–21 vs. Auburn
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference
Record	7–5 (4–4 ACC)
Head coach	Tommy West (4th season)
Offensive coordinator	Steve Ensminger (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Les Herrin (1st season)
Captains	Raymond Priester Raymond White
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1996 1998 →

1997 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 3 Florida State $		8	–	0					11	–	1
No. 6 North Carolina		7	–	1					11	–	1
Virginia		5	–	3					7	–	4
No. 25 Georgia Tech		5	–	3					7	–	5
Clemson		4	–	4					7	–	5
NC State		3	–	5					6	–	5
Wake Forest		3	–	5					5	–	6
Maryland		1	–	7					2	–	9
Duke		0	–	8					2	–	9
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

Clemson played its first overtime game in program history on November 8, against Duke.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 6	1:00 p.m.	No. 11 (I-AA) Appalachian State*	No. 18	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC		W 23–12	62,405	[1]
September 13	12:00 p.m.	at NC State	No. 19	Carter–Finley Stadium Raleigh, NC (Textile Bowl)	JPS	W 19–17	50,000	[2]
September 20	3:30 p.m.	No. 5 Florida State	No. 16	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC (rivalry)	ABC	L 28–35	80,939	[3]
September 27	7:30 p.m.	at Georgia Tech	No. 17	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA (rivalry)	ESPN	L 20–23	45,275	[4]
October 4	1:00 p.m.	UTEP*		Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC		W 39–7	59,710	[5]
October 11	6:00 p.m.	Virginia		Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC	ESPN2	L 7–21	74,987	[6]
October 25	3:30 p.m.	at Maryland		Byrd Stadium College Park, MD	ABC	W 20–9	27,270	[7]
November 1	12:00 p.m.	at Wake Forest		Groves Stadium Winston-Salem, NC	JPS	W 33–16	23,411	[8]
November 8	12:00 p.m.	Duke		Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC	JPS	W 29–20 OT	60,363	[9]
November 15	3:30 p.m.	North Carolina		Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC	ABC	L 10–17	71,514	[10]
November 22	6:00 p.m.	at South Carolina*		Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC (rivalry)	ESPN2	W 47–21	83,700	[11]
January 2, 1998	3:00 p.m.	vs. Auburn*		Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA (Peach Bowl, rivalry)	ESPN	L 17–21	71,212	[12]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Rankings

See also: 1997 NCAA Division I-A football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Final
AP	20	20	18	19	16	17	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Coaches	21		20	21	15	21	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

References

1. "Clemson 'passes' first test against ASU". The State. September 7, 1997. Retrieved November 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Tigers give 'Pack the boot". The Greenville News. September 14, 1997. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "No taunting, just TDs". Albuquerque Journal. September 21, 1997. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Tigers stung by Yellow Jackets". The Index-Journal. September 28, 1997. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Tigers trample UTEP in second-half attack". Anderson Independent-Mail. October 5, 1997. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Clemson not Cavalier about loss to Virginia". The Atlanta Constitution. October 12, 1997. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Priester, Tigers easily grind up Terrapins". The State. October 26, 1997. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Records, Deacons topple for Greene, Clemson". Asheville Citizen-Times. November 2, 1997. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Clemson holds off Duke". The Atlanta Journal. November 9, 1997. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "North Carolina deals Clemson near-fatal blow". Florence Morning News. November 16, 1997. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Clemson bowls over USC". The Times and Democrat. November 23, 1997. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Other Tigers rally in 4th". The Herald. January 3, 1998. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.