2014 Clemson Tigers football team

2014 Clemson Tigers football
2014 Clemson Tigers football
Russell Athletic Bowl champion
Russell Athletic Bowl, W 40–6 vs. Oklahoma
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference
	Atlantic Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 15
AP	No. 15
Record	10–3 (6–2 ACC)
Head coach	Dabo Swinney (6th full, 7th overall season);
Offensive coordinator	Chad Morris (4th season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Brent Venables (3rd season)
Base defense	4–3
Captain	Stephone Anthony; Sam Cooper; Adam Humphries; Grady Jarrett
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium
	Seasons ← 2013 2015 →

The 2014 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers were led by head coach Dabo Swinney in his sixth full year and seventh overall since taking over midway through the 2008 season. They played their home games at Memorial Stadium, also known as "Death Valley." They were members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They finished the season 10–3, 6–2 in ACC play to finish in second place in the Atlantic Division. They were invited to the Russell Athletic Bowl where they defeated Oklahoma.

2014 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
Atlantic Division
No. T–5 Florida State x$^	8	–	0	13	–	1
No. 15 Clemson	6	–	2	10	–	3
No. 24 Louisville	5	–	3	9	–	4
Boston College	4	–	4	7	–	6
NC State	3	–	5	8	–	5
Syracuse	1	–	7	3	–	9
Wake Forest	1	–	7	3	–	9
Coastal Division
No. 8 Georgia Tech x	6	–	2	11	–	3
Duke	5	–	3	9	–	4
North Carolina	4	–	4	6	–	7
Pittsburgh	4	–	4	6	–	7
Miami (FL)	3	–	5	6	–	7
Virginia Tech	3	–	5	7	–	6
Virginia	3	–	5	5	–	7
Championship: Florida State 37, Georgia Tech 35
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

Personnel

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Seasons at Clemson	Alma mater
Dabo Swinney	Head coach	7	Alabama (1992)
Chad Morris	Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks	3	Texas A&M (1992)
Brent Venables	Defensive coordinator/linebackers	2	Kansas State (1992)
Jeff Scott	Wide receivers/recruiting coordinator/co-offensive coordinator	5	Clemson (2002)
Tony Elliott	Running backs/co-offensive coordinator	3	Clemson (2003)
Robbie Caldwell	Offensive line	3	Furman (1976)
Dan Brooks	Defensive tackles	4	Western Carolina (1976)
Marion Hobby	Defensive running game coordinator/defensive ends	5	Tennessee (1989)
Michael Reed	Defensive backs	1	Boston College (1994)
Danny Pearman	Special teams coordinator/tight ends	5	Clemson (1995)
Zac Alley	Student assistant	4	Clemson (2014)
Reference:^[1]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 30	5:30 p.m.	at No. 12 Georgia*	No. 16	Sanford Stadium Athens, GA (rivalry)	ESPN	L 21–45	92,746
September 6	12:30 p.m.	South Carolina State*	No. 23	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC	ACCN	W 73–7	81,672
September 20	8:00 p.m.	at No. 1 Florida State	No. 22	Doak Campbell Stadium Tallahassee, FL (rivalry) (College GameDay)	ABC	L 17–23 ^OT	82,316
September 27	7:00 p.m.	North Carolina		Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC	ESPNU	W 50–35	79,155
October 4	3:30 p.m.	NC State		Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC (Textile Bowl)	ESPNU	W 41–0	78,459
October 11	3:30 p.m.	Louisville		Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC	ESPNU	W 23–17	81,500
October 18	3:30 p.m.	at Boston College	No. 24	Alumni Stadium Chestnut Hill, MA (Battle for the O'Rourke–McFadden Trophy)	ESPNU	W 17–13	42,038
October 25	7:00 p.m.	Syracuse	No. 21	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC	ESPNU	W 16–6	80,031
November 6	7:30 p.m.	at Wake Forest	No. 21	BB&T Field Winston-Salem, NC	ESPN	W 34–20	28,846
November 15	Noon	at No. 22 Georgia Tech	No. 19	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA (rivalry)	ESPN	L 6–28	49,378
November 22	3:30 p.m.	Georgia State*	No. 22	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC	ACCRSN	W 28–0	77,693
November 29	Noon	South Carolina*	No. 21	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC (Palmetto Bowl)	ESPN	W 35–17	82,720
December 29	5:30 p.m.	vs. Oklahoma*	No. 17	Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium Orlando, FL (Russell Athletic Bowl)	ESPN	W 40–6	40,071
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after October 28 released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

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Depth chart

Defense

FS
Jayron Kearse
Jadar Johnson

WLB	MLB	SLB
⋅	Stephone Anthony	⋅
Travis Blanks	B.J. Goodson	⋅

SS
Robert Smith (safety)
T. J. Green

CB
Mackensie Alexander
Garry Peters

DE	DT	DT	DE
Corey Crawford	Grady Jarrett	Josh Watson	Vic Beasley
Tavaris Barnes	Carlos Watkins	D. J. Reader	Shaq Lawson

CB
Cordrea Tankersley
Martin Jenkins

Offense

WR
Adam Humphries
Artavis Scott

WR
Mike Williams
Demarre Kitt

LT	LG	C	RG	RT
Isaiah Battle	David Beasley	Ryan Norton	Kalon Davis	Joe Gore
Shaq Anthony	Eric Mac Lain	Jay Guillermo	Tyrone Crowder	Shaq Anthony

TE
Sam Cooper
Jordan Leggett

WR
Charone Peake
Kyrin Priester

QB
Cole Stoudt
Deshaun Watson

Key reserves

Special teams
PK Ammon Lakip
P Bradley Pinion
KR Charone Peake
PR Adam Humphries
LS Michael Sobeski
H Corbin Jenkins

RB
DJ Howard
Zac Brooks

Recruiting class

College recruiting information (2014)
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Deshaun Watson QB	Gainesville, Georgia	Gainesville H.S.	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	-
Deshaun Watson QB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Artavis Scott WR	Tarpon Springs, Florida	East Lake High School	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	—
Artavis Scott WR	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Trevion Thompson WR	Durham, North Carolina	Hillside High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	188 lb (85 kg)	—
Trevion Thompson WR	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Korie Rogers LB	Buford, Georgia	Buford High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	210 lb (95 kg)
Korie Rogers LB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Demarre Kitt WR	Tyrone, Georgia	Sandy Creek	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	—
Demarre Kitt WR	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Richard Yeargin III LB	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	University School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	—
Richard Yeargin III LB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Adam Choice ATH	Thomasville, Georgia	Thomas County Central	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	206 lb (93 kg)	-
Adam Choice ATH	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Cannon Smith TE	Columbia, South Carolina	Hammond School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	—
Cannon Smith TE	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Chris Register LB	Greensboro, North Carolina	Dudley H.S.	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	—
Chris Register LB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Kyrin Priester WR	Fork Union, Virginia	Fork Union Military Academy	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	—
Kyrin Priester WR	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Milan Richard TE	Savannah, Georgia	Calvary Day School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	232 lb (105 kg)	—
Milan Richard TE	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Justin Falcinelli OT	Middletown, Maryland	Middletown H.S.	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	—
Justin Falcinelli OT	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Kendall Joseph LB	Honea Path, South Carolina	Belton Honea Path H.S.	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	228 lb (103 kg)	—
Kendall Joseph LB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jefferie Gibson S	Hope Mills, North Carolina	Gray's Creek H.S.	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	—
Jefferie Gibson S	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Taylor Hearn OT	Williston, South Carolina	Williston Elko H.S.	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	305 lb (138 kg)	—
Taylor Hearn OT	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
C. J. Fuller CB + RB	Easley, South Carolina	Easley H.S.	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	—
C. J. Fuller CB + RB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Alex Spence K	Florence, South Carolina	West Florence H.S.	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	—
Alex Spence K	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jabril Robinson DT	Leland, North Carolina	North Brunswick H.S.	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	265 lb (120 kg)	—
Jabril Robinson DT	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jalen Williams LB	Central, South Carolina	D.W. Daniel	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	—
Jalen Williams LB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jae'lon Oglesby RB	Central, South Carolina	D.W. Daniel High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	—
Jae'lon Oglesby RB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 28 Rivals: 13 247Sports: 17 ESPN: 12
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2014 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 6, 2016.

Game summaries

Georgia

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	7	14	0	0	21
Bulldogs	14	7	3	21	45

South Carolina State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	0	0	0	7	7
Tigers	10	24	24	15	73

Florida State

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Tigers	0	10	0	7	0	17
Seminoles	3	0	7	7	6	23

North Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tar Heels	0	7	14	14	35
Tigers	10	12	14	14	50

NC State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wolfpack	0	0	0	0	0
Tigers	21	10	10	0	41

Louisville

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	3	7	7	0	17
Tigers	7	7	6	3	23

Boston College

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	10	0	7	17
Eagles	0	7	0	6	13

Syracuse

	1	2	3	4	Total
Orange	3	3	0	0	6
Tigers	0	3	6	7	16

Wake Forest

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	17	3	14	34
Demon Deacons	7	10	0	3	20

Georgia Tech

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	3	0	3	0	6
Yellow Jackets	6	3	16	3	28

Georgia State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	0	0	0	0
Tigers	14	14	0	0	28

South Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Gamecocks	7	3	0	7	17
Tigers	7	14	7	7	35

Oklahoma (Russell Athletic Bowl)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Sooners	0	0	0	6	6
Tigers	17	10	13	0	40

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
RV = Received votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Final
AP	16	23	23	22	RV	RV	RV	24	21	22	19	18	RV	23	19	18	15
Coaches	16	24	24	24	RV	RV	25	22	20	21	19	17	RV	24	19	18	15
CFP	Not released									21	21	19	22	21	18	17	Not released

2015 NFL Draft

Clemson had five players selected in the 2015 NFL draft. Vic Beasley was picked first at 8th overall.

Player	Team	Round	Pick #	Position
Vic Beasley	Atlanta Falcons	1st	8th	DE
Stephone Anthony	New Orleans Saints	1st	31st	OLB
Grady Jarrett	Atlanta Falcons	5th	137nd	DT
Bradley Pinion	San Francisco 49ers	5th	165th	P
Tony Steward	Buffalo Bills	6th	188th	OLB

Undrafted signees

In addition to five draft picks, four more Clemson Tigers made it into the NFL as undrafted rookies.

Player	Team	Position
Corey Crawford	Washington Redskins	DL
Adam Humphries	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	WR
DeShawn Williams	Cincinnati Bengals	DL
Tavaris Barnes	New Orleans Saints	DE

Awards

Preseason All-ACC Offense

Fourth Team

•Wayne Gallman – Running back

•Charone Peake – Wide receiver

Preseason All-ACC Defense

First Team

•Vic Beasley – Defensive end

•Grady Jarrett - Defensive tackle

•Stephone Anthony - Linebacker

Third Team

•Corey Crawford – Defensive end

•Jayron Kearse - Safety

Fourth Team

•Tony Steward - Linebacker

Preseason All-ACC Special Teams

Fourth Team

•Adam Humphries - Punt Returner

References

^ "Football – 2014 Coaches". Clemson University Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
^ "2014 Clemson Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved July 30, 2014.

[Coaches-1] "Football – 2014 Coaches". Clemson University Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2014.

[2] "2014 Clemson Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved July 30, 2014.

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