Team
*Finished the season ranked 22nd in the final Associated Press and
ESPN/USA Today Coach's polls, Clemson's 20th season in the final
rankings. The team also ranked 17th in the final Sagarin Computer
rankings.
*Defeated two top 10 teams during the season, a third-ranked Florida
State team on November 8, and a sixth-ranked Tennessee team on
January 2. This was the first time since the 1981 National
Championship team, and just the second season in school history that
Clemson defeated two top 10 teams in the same year.
*Defeated two teams (Florida State and Tennessee) that ended the
season with 10 wins. It marked the first time since 1989 that
Clemson had beaten two 10-win teams in the same season.
*Concluded the season with a 27-14 victory over sixth-ranked
Tennessee in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. It was the second highest
ranked team Clemson has defeated in a bowl game. The only school
with a higher ranking that Clemson defeated in a bowl game was
Nebraska (fourth) in the 1982 Orange Bowl.
*Defeated four teams that played in bowl games (Georgia Tech,
Virginia, Florida State and Tennessee).
*The win over the third-ranked Seminoles was Clemson's first win over
Florida State in 14 years and it is the highest ranked team Clemson
has ever beaten in football. Clemson was named National Team of
the Week by the Football Writers Association for its victory over
Florida State.
*Clemson defeated three top 25 teams overall, as Clemson also
defeated a top 25 Virginia team in overtime (30-27) on Clemson's
homecoming.
*Defeated rival South Carolina by a 63-17 score. The 63 points were
the most points a Clemson team has ever scored against South Carolina
and the 46-point victory margin was Clemson's greatest in the series
since 1900.
*Defeated league rival Georgia Tech by a 39-3 score. The 39 points
were the most Clemson has ever scored in Atlanta and the 36-point
victory margin was the Tigers greatest over the Yellow Jackets since
1903 when John Heisman was Clemson's head coach.
*Won each of its last four games by a combined 108-point margin.
Among the nine Division I teams that won their final four games, only
Associated Press National Champion Southern Cal had as great a
victory margin over the final four games.
*First Clemson team since 1990 to win its final four games of the season.
*Clemson offense set school season records for total offense (5467)
and first downs (303).
*Ranked 20th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 19.2 points per game.
*Ranked second in the nation and first in the ACC in kickoff returns.
Academic Accomplishments
*Ranked 11th overall and second among public institutions in
graduation rate among the 117 Division I schools in a study conducted
by the NCAA.
*Clemson had an 89 percent graduate rate for its African American
players in the study, seventh best among Division I schools in the
NCAA study.
*Wide receiver Tony Elliott, an engineering graduate student, was
named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team. Elliott was named
one of three captains of the Clemson team at the conclusion of the
season in a vote by his teammates.
*Starting tackle William Henry earned his master's degree by the end
of the regular season, the first Clemson football player to earn two
degrees before the completion of his playing career.
*Became the first Clemson team to defeat Tennessee since 1919.
Twelve players on the Clemson roster for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
already had their undergraduate degrees.
Player Accomplishments
*Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst concluded the season ranked 14th in
the nation in total offense. He set an ACC record for passing
yardage by a sophomore with 3561. He established 29 Clemson records
during the course of the season on a game, season and career basis.
*Whitehurst became just the second sophomore in ACC history to exceed
5,000 yards passing.
*Derrick Hamilton led the ACC and ranked 23rd in the nation in
all-purpose running. He became Clemson's career pass reception
leader with 167, breaking Rod Gardner's record by one reception.
Hamilton also became just the second Clemson receiver to reach 1000
yards in a season. He became Clemson's career leader in all-purpose
running yardage.
*Leroy Hill ranked second in the nation in tackles for loss and was
named first-team All-ACC.
*He was named the defensive player of the game and running back Chad
Jasmin was named the offensive player of the game in Clemson's
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory over Tennessee.
*Kicker Aaron Hunt became Clemson's career scoring leader with 329 points.
Head Coach Tommy Bowden
*Head Coach Tommy Bowden was named ACC Coach of the Year for 2003,
the second time in his five years that he has received that award.
*Defeated three of the top 11 winningest active coaches in Division I
college football over the last four games of the season. Started the
streak with a 26-10 win over Florida State and his father, Bobby
Bowden, the fourth winningest active coach, then continued with a
63-17 win over Lou Holtz and South Carolina, the 11th winningest
active coach. Finished with 27-14 win over Phil Fulmer and
Tennessee, second ranked among winningest active coaches.
*Became the first coach in college football history to defeat two
different coaches with at least 200 victories (Bobby Bowden and Lou
Holtz) within the same month (November, 2003).
*Moved into eighth place among the winningest active coaches in
Division I college football at the end of the 2003 season.