All Clemson

Lots of Memorable Moments in Clemson-Miami Series

Tigers looking for first series-lead against Hurricanes

Will Vandervort

Bob Donnan / USA TODAY Sports
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They have not played 100 times. They are not rivals. But the Clemson-Miami series, though the two college football powers have played just 12 times through the years, has had its moments.

From Clemson’s Orang Bowl victory in 1951 to Miami’s triple overtime thriller at Death Valley in 2005 to Kyle Parker’s game-winning touchdown pass to Jacoby Ford in 2009, the Clemson-Miami series has been as competitive as any in the ACC through the years.

Just look at the series record. Clemson has six wins. Miami has six wins. Clemson beat Miami in a bowl game. Miami beat Clemson in a bowl game. Clemson has a shutout. Miami has two shutouts. Clemson has two overtime wins. Miami has a triple overtime win.

When the No. 9 Tigers and Hurricanes get together for a 3:30 kick in the Valley on Saturday, things could get a little interesting, though Clemson is heavily favored to win the game.

The Tigers (9-1, 7-0 ACC) have won three straight games in the series, and they were not close. Clemson beat Miami 58-0 in Coral Gables, Fla. back in 2015, 38-3 in the 2017 ACC Championship Game in Charlotte and then 42-17 at Death Valley in 2020.

With a win, Clemson can take its first ever lead in the series. Since Miami joined the ACC in 2004, the Tigers have won five of the seven meetings. Miami won four of the first five meetings in the series from 1945-’56.

The Tigers first win in the series came in the 1951 Orange Bowl Classic. Clemson won the game when Sterling Smith tackled Miami’s Frank Smith in the end zone with under six minutes to play. The safety gave the 10th-ranked Tigers a stunning 15-14 victory over No. 15 Miami.

The Orange Bowl win allowed Clemson to finish the season 9-0-1, its second undefeated season in three years at the time. Clemson posted an 11-0 record in 1948.

A year later in the 1952 Gator Bowl, Miami shut out the Tigers 14-0 to hand Clemson its first ever bowl loss.

Clemson and Miami played again in the Orange Bowl in 1956, but this time it was during the regular season, as the Hurricanes shut out the Tigers 21-0. But the game is not remembered for its score, but instead of the scare a Clemson cheerleader gave Vice President Richard Nixon and his security team when he shot off the Clemson cannon as the game kicked off.

The 2004 meeting was the first between Clemson and Miami in 48 years when the Tigers visited the Orange Bowl one last time for a regular season game. They made the trip to Miami a memorable one as they rallied from a 17-3 halftime deficit for a 24-17 overtime win over the 10th-ranked Hurricanes. Running back Reggie Merriweather rushed for 114 yards and scored three touchdowns for the Tigers.

The following year, Miami defeated the Tigers in triple overtime, 36-30, in front of a sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium. The game, though thrilling, was best remembered for the thunderous roar that registered as an earthquake when former Clemson defensive end Charles Bennett sacked Miami quarterback Brock Berlin to give the Tigers the ball back with a chance to tie the game at the end of regulation.

One of the most memorable moments in the series’ history came in 2009. With Clemson facing third-and-11 in overtime, following a Miami field goal, quarterback Kyle Parker found Jacoby Ford inside the 10-yard line, allowing the wide receiver to weave his way into the end zone for a game-winning 26-yard touchdown. After the game, Ford told the media he saw something in the Hurricanes’ coverage, so he and head coach Dabo Swinney drew the play up on the sideline.

Clemson won the game, 40-37, giving Swinney his first win over a top 10 opponent. The ‘Canes were ranked No. 9 at the time.

The Tigers’ 2015 win is more memorable for Clemson fans and less for Miami fans, as the Tigers beat down the Hurricanes 58-0 in Coral Gables. At the time, it was the largest margin of victory by Clemson over an ACC opponent. It is still Miami’s worse defeat in school history.

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Will Vandervort
WILL VANDERVORT

Vandervort brings nearly 25 years of experience as a sportswriter and editor to the All Clemson team. He has worked in the industry since 1997, covering all kinds of sports from the high school ranks to the professional level. The South Carolina native spent the first 12 years of his career in the newspaper industry before moving over to the online side of things in 2009. Vandervort is an award-winning sportswriter and editor and has been a published author three times. His latest book, “Hidden History of Clemson Football” was ranked by Book Authority as one the top 10 college football books for 2021.

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