The 2012 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The Tigers were led by head coach Dabo Swinney in his fourth full year and fifth overall since taking over midway through 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 . On November 10, Clemson set a school record with their 12th straight home win at Death Valley. They finished the season 11–2, 7–1 in ACC play to be Atlantic Division co–champions with Florida State . Due to their loss to Florida State, they did not represent the division the ACC Championship Game . They were invited to the Chick-fil-A Bowl where they defeated LSU . The Tigers had their first 11-win season since 1981.
Personnel [ edit ]
Coaching staff [ edit ]
Schedule [ edit ]
Date
Time
Opponent#
Rank #
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
September 1
7:00 p.m.
vs. No. 25 Auburn *
No. 14
Georgia Dome • Atlanta, GA (rivalry /Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game )
ESPN
W 26–19
75,211
September 8
12:30 p.m.
Ball State *
No. 12
Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC
ACCN
W 52–27
79,557
September 15
3:00 p.m.
Furman *
No. 11
Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC
RSN
W 41–7
83,574
September 22
8:00 p.m.
at No. 4 Florida State
No. 10
Doak Campbell Stadium • Tallahassee, FL (rivalry )
ABC
L 37–49
83,231
September 29
3:30 p.m.
at Boston College
No. 17
Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA (O'Rourke–McFadden Trophy )
ESPN2
W 45–31
40,138
October 6
3:30 p.m.
Georgia Tech
No. 15
Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC (rivalry )
ESPN
W 47–31
82,873
October 20
12:00 p.m.
Virginia Tech
No. 14
Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC
ABC/ESPN2
W 38–17
83,338
October 25
7:30 p.m.
at Wake Forest
No. 14
BB&T Field • Winston-Salem, NC
ESPN
W 42–13
31,162
November 3
7:00 p.m.
at Duke
No. 10
Wallace Wade Stadium • Durham, NC
ESPN2
W 56–20
31,894
November 10
3:30 p.m.
Maryland
No. 10
Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC
ESPNU
W 45–10
78,302
November 17
3:30 p.m.
NC State
No. 11
Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC (Textile Bowl )
ABC/ESPN2
W 62–48
77,831
November 24
7:00 p.m.
No. 13 South Carolina *
No. 12
Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC (Battle of the Palmetto State )
ESPN
L 17–27
84,513
December 31
7:30 p.m.
vs. No. 9 LSU *
No. 15
Georgia Dome • Atlanta, GA (Chick-fil-A Bowl )
ESPN
W 25–24
68,027
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. # Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
[2] [3]
Depth Chart [ edit ]
Defense
CB
Darius Robinson
Martin Jenkins
Offense
Recruiting class [ edit ]
US college sports recruiting information for 2012 recruits
Name
Hometown
High school / college
Height
Weight
Commit date
Carlos Watkins DT
Forest City, North Carolina
Chase High School
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
290 lb (130 kg)
-
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Germone Hopper WR
Charlotte, North Carolina
Phillip O. Berry Academy
5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Travis Blanks S
Tallahassee, Florida
North Florida Christian High School
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Chad Kelly QB
Buffalo, New York
St. Joseph School
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Zac Brooks RB
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro H.S.
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Ronald Geohaghan S
Fairfax, South Carolina
Allendale Fairfax High School
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Martin Aiken DE
Bamberg, South Carolina
Bamberg Ehrhardt
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
240 lb (110 kg)
-
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
D. J. Reader OL
Greensboro, North Carolina
Grimsley
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
330 lb (150 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Jay Guillermo C
Maryville, Tennessee
Maryville H.S.
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
285 lb (129 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Patrick DeStefano OL
Roebuck, South Carolina
Dorman H.S.
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
285 lb (129 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Isaiah Battle OL
Fork Union, Virginia
Fork Union Military Academy
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
260 lb (120 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Oliver Jones OL
Ninety Six, South Carolina
Ninety Six H.S.
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
300 lb (140 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Kevin Dodd DT
Chatham, Virginia
Hargrave Military Academy
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
280 lb (130 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
TJ Burrell LB
Goose Creek, South Carolina
Goose Creek H.S.
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Cordrea Tankersley ATH
Aiken, South Carolina
Silver Bluff H.S.
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
262 lb (119 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Shaq Lawson DE
Central, South Carolina
D. W. Daniel
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
255 lb (116 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Marty Williams S
North Augusta, South Carolina
Fox Creek H.S.
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Jay Jay McCullough ATH
Fort Mill, South Carolina
Foc Creek Charter
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
230 lb (100 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Bradley Pinion K
Concord, North Carolina
Northwest Cabarrus
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
—
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout : 17 Rivals : 14 247Sports : 15 ESPN : 10
‡ 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:
Game summaries [ edit ]
1
2
3
4
Total
#25 Auburn
7
3
6
3
19
#14 Clemson
3
10
3
10
26
Overall record
Last meeting
Result
12–34–2
2011
W 38–24
Ball State [ edit ]
1
2
3
4
Total
Cardinals
7
3
10
7
27
#12 Tigers
13
32
0
7
52
Overall record
Last meeting
Result
2–0
2002
W 30–7
1
2
3
4
Total
Paladins
0
7
0
0
7
#11 Tigers
7
13
14
7
41
Overall record
Last meeting
Result
41–10–1
2007
W 38–10
Florida State [ edit ]
1
2
3
4
Total
#10 Tigers
14
7
10
6
37
#4 Seminoles
7
7
21
14
49
Overall record
Last meeting
Result
8–17
2011
W 35–30
Boston College [ edit ]
1
2
3
4
Total
#17 Tigers
10
14
14
7
45
Eagles
7
14
7
3
31
Overall record
Last meeting
Result
10–9–2
2011
W 36–14
Georgia Tech [ edit ]
1
2
3
4
Total
Yellow Jackets
14
7
7
3
31
#3 Tigers
10
17
3
17
47
Overall record
Last meeting
Result
25–50–2
2011
L 17–31
Virginia Tech [ edit ]
1
2
3
4
Total
Hokies
7
3
0
7
17
#14 Tigers
3
14
14
7
38
Overall record
Last meeting
Result
19–12–1
2011
W 38–10
Wake Forest [ edit ]
1
2
3
4
Total
#14 Tigers
7
28
0
7
42
Demon Deacons
0
7
6
0
13
Overall record
Last meeting
Result
59–17–1
2011
W 31–28
1
2
3
4
Total
#10 Tigers
28
14
7
7
56
Blue Devils
10
7
3
0
20
Overall record
Last meeting
Result
35–16–1
2008
W 31–7
Maryland [ edit ]
1
2
3
4
Total
Terrapins
0
7
3
0
10
#10 Tigers
21
14
3
7
45
Overall record
Last meeting
Result
32–26–2
2011
W 56–45
NC State [ edit ]
1
2
3
4
Total
Wolfpack
21
3
14
10
48
#11 Tigers
13
28
21
0
62
Overall record
Last meeting
Result
51–28–1
2011
L 13–37
South Carolina [ edit ]
1
2
3
4
Total
#13 Gamecocks
7
3
10
7
27
#12 Tigers
14
0
3
0
17
Overall record
Last meeting
Result
65–40–4
2011
L 13–34
LSU (Chick-Fil-A Bowl) [ edit ]
1
2
3
4
Total
#15 Clemson
7
6
0
12
25
#9 LSU
7
7
10
0
24
Overall record
Last meeting
Result
0–2
1996
L 7–10
Rankings [ edit ]
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll
Pre
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Final
AP
14
12
11
10
17
15
16
14
14
10
10
11
12
15
14
11
Coaches'
14
12
11
9
16
15
13
13
13
9
8
9
9
14
13
9
Harris
Not released
14
13
13
9
9
9
9
14
13
Not released
BCS
Not released
19
18
13
13
11
11
14
14
Not released
2013 NFL draft [ edit ]
Clemson had four players selected in the 2013 NFL draft . DeAndre Hopkins went in the first round as the 27th overall pick.
References [ edit ]
External links [ edit ]
Venues Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons National championship seasons in bold