It was 10 years ago today that Terry Don Phillips promoted
Recruiting Coordinator and WR Coach Dabo Swinney to Interim Head Coach. At the
age of 38, Dabo was one of the youngest head coaches in the nation. As a young
alumnus, just months removed from my MBA and less than 10 years removed from my
first graduation from Clemson, I can vividly remember the mood of uncertainty
and anxiety on campus at the time. I can recall the excitement over the long-awaited
removal of Tommy Bowden after years of frustration, culminating in another loss
to Wake Forest in which the Tigers only managed 7 points even with the great
C.J. Spiller. Virtually no one, however, expected Dabo to later be retained as
Head Coach when the 2008 season concluded. But there was still a buzz in the
air when Dabo took over the reigns going into a home game against Georgia Tech.
I remember the “Yabba Dabo Doo” T-shirts were out in abundance that day. I
immediately liked some of the changes I saw Dabo implement, such as making the
players wear coats and ties on game day and establishing the “Tiger Walk”
before home games. The Tigers lost Dabo’s first game against Paul Johnson’s
difficult triple-option offense, but they had the lead in the 4th
quarter and would have won if not for a trick play gone awry, with Tyler
Grisham throwing a pick-six for Tech’s first score in the 1st
quarter. Despite the loss, you could see the fight in the team and that they
believed in Dabo.
I was also in the stands for Dabo’s next game, up at Boston
College on Halloween weekend. I made the trip to Boston with some fellow
Clemson MBA’s, and we all wore Halloween costumes that Friday night as we hit
the bars in Boston. Mine, ironically, was the costume of a generic Clemson
football coach, but I had a bag over my head with a question painted on it. I
was Clemson’s next Head Coach—whomever that may be. It was bitterly cold in
Chestnut Hill for the game the next day, and we were in the upper deck with the
wind blowing in our faces. There was still an impressive Clemson contingent,
though, as the Tigers have always traveled as well as anyone. The Tigers jumped
out to a 17-0 lead, but the Eagles rallied with 3 unanswered touchdowns to take
a 21-17 lead in the 4th quarter, and an uneasy feeling came over all
of us as BC had all the momentum. Fortunately, C.J. Spiller saved the day with
a 64-yard kickoff return to the BC 15, and Cullen Harper found Aaron Kelly for a
touchdown to quickly retake the lead. Buchholz added a field goal, and the
Tigers won 27-21, giving Dabo his first career victory on All Saint’s Day. I remember
celebrating in the stands with the other Clemson fans and watching Dabo run up
and down, high-fiving those in the front row. 106 wins and a national title
later, Dabo has rocketed to one of the most revered coaches in all the land,
supplanting Danny Ford, Frank Howard and John Heisman as the greatest Clemson
coach of all time.
In honor of the occasion, here’s a list of Dabo’s 10 biggest
wins in his 10 years as Head Coach.
9. October 29, 2016 at #12 Florida State 37-34
The Tigers were ranked #1 in the nation entering that game on Halloween weekend and had only won once at FSU (2006) since the 80's. I was in my first year of grad school at Clemson in 2006 and made the trip to Tallahassee with some friends to see that thrilling, come-from-behind win by James Davis, C.J. Spiller, Jacoby Ford and company. 10 years later, the Tigers had to rally again. An acrobatic touchdown by Jordan Leggett saved the day for the Tigers and allowed them to go on to win their second national title. Dabo and the Tigers have a remarkable 24-4 record in games decided by 8 points or less since 2011. That is the best win percentage in the nation over that period.
The torrential rain from Joaquin, a category 4 hurricane, did not prevent or impede an enormous ESPN College Gameday crowd and an electric atmosphere in Death Valley. As Dabo famously said after the game, "Rain, sleet or snow, Clemson fans...they show!" It was the Tigers' first home game against Notre Dame since 1977 when Joe Montana came from behind to beat the Tigers, who got their revenge 2 years later in South Bend. The Tigers broke the all-time tie with Notre Dame to take a 2-1 lead in the series, and they would go on to a 14-0 record and #1 rankings before narrowly losing to Alabama in the National Championship.
It was the Tigers' first Orange Bowl win since their win over Nebraska for the national title in 1981, and it erased the bad memories of the West Virginia Orange Bowl loss following the 2011 season. More importantly, it was a win over one of the preeminent programs and coaches. Urban Meyer was 7-1 in bowl games prior to this one.
5. December 31, 2016 vs. #3 Ohio State (Fiesta Bowl) 31-0
It isn't often you see the Buckeyes completely dominated in every way, let alone in a game of such magnitude, but that is exactly what happened on this New Year's Eve in the Semifinal of the College Football Playoff. It was the worst loss in Urban Meyer's career and his only shutout. The Tigers, of course, went on to win the national title, improving to 3-0 all-time against Ohio State. Clemson is the only program to have a winning record against Ohio State, Notre Dame and Oklahoma with at least 3 games played against each.
4. December 31, 2015 vs. #4 Oklahoma (Orange Bowl) 37-17
It was a stunning blowout of Baker Mayfield and the Sooners, who many picked win the game even though the Tigers were the only undefeated team and ranked #1. The Tigers would lose one of the most epic national championships of all time against Alabama, with a kickoff return touchdown being the only thing keeping them from becoming the only 15-0 team ever. It was the second straight bowl win for the Tigers over Oklahoma, having blown them out the previous year 40-6 in the Russell Athletic Bowl. The Tigers improved to 3-2 all-time against the Sooners.
3. December 31, 2012 vs. #8 LSU (Peach Bowl) 25-24
Dabo often points to this game as a watershed moment for his program. Sammy Watkins was injured on the second play of the game, and in the process fumbled, giving LSU the ball inside the red zone for a quick 7-0 lead. It was the worst start imaginable for the Tigers, but they battled back against arguably the best defense in the nation. Tajh Boyd found Nuk Hopkins on 4th and 16 in one of the biggest plays in Clemson history to set up a game-winning Chandler Catanzaro field goal as time expired.
2. November 29, 2008 vs. South Carolina 31-14
The Gamecocks were just 7-4 at the time, so this game doesn't stack up to the others in terms of opponent's stature or national relevance, but it sure was a big one for Dabo and the future of Clemson Football. The Tigers needed the win for bowl eligibility, and the resounding win over their arch-rival probably won Dabo the job as permanent head coach. It poured in Clemson that day, and it began a streak of 8 consecutive rain games at Death Valley.
1. January 9, 2017 vs. #1 Alabama (National Championship) 35-31
The Tigers got their revenge after narrowly missing a perfect 15-0 season in 2015, losing to Alabama in the National Championship despite having out-played the Tide. It was the Tigers' first national title in 35 years, and Dabo became just the fourth active coach in the nation with a national title, joining Nick Saban, Urban Meyer and JImbo Fisher. He also became the second man in history to win a national title as both a player and a head coach, joining Buddy Wilkinson.
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