When looking through the history of Clemson football, when it has been at its best, there has always been one clear indicator for success. And that is playing defense.
Clemson has a rich tradition when it comes to playing defense. In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, Danny Ford’s Clemson teams were known for their defensive prowess. The Tigers always had a top 5 or top 10 level defense nationally, which is one of the reasons why they won the 1981 National Championship and produced an 87-25-4 record in the 1980s.
Clemson’s defense led the nation in total defense in 1990 and remained as one of the top units throughout the early part of the decade.