Though some of the younger fans might not remember, or even know it, but Clemson is known more for its great defenses over the years than anything it has done on offense.
On nearly every one of Clemson’s greatest teams, it was its defense that carried the squad.
The Clemson Insider went through its archives to find the best defensive football teams in Clemson history.
What are the criteria for the 10 best defenses in Clemson history? Obviously, yards and points allowed per game will stand out as will playmakers and rushing yards allowed per game and per rush. How many All-ACC or All-Americans were on the team, where were they ranked in the ACC, nationally, and much more goes into our decision.
Today, we continue our list with what TCI believes is the No. 5 best defense in Clemson history.
1978
When people mention the 1978 Clemson Tigers, names like Steve Fuller, Jerry Butler, the Bostic brothers and Dwight Clark are the first ones to come to mind. Not Bubba Brown, Randy Scott, Jim Stuckey, Steve Ryan and Rex Varn.
Do you remember them? You should. They were part of a defense in 1978 that was every bit as good as its offense.
In 1978, behind the direction of quarterback Steve Fuller, the ACC Player of the Year, Clemson set a single-season record with 427.8 yards and 30.7 points. It is still considered one of the best offenses in Clemson history as it led the ACC in points, total offense and rushing offense.
However, what most people don’t know is that on the defensive side of the football Clemson led the ACC in total yards allowed (254.2), points allowed (10.5), passing defense (110.3), forced turnovers (40) and interceptions (24). No team recorded more than 380 yards of total offense against Clemson, and just two teams recorded more than 350.
The Tigers allowed just 22 points in the first four games of the season. Just two teams scored 23 or more points all year, while eight teams scored 12 points or less.
Clemson opened the season with a 58-3 victory over The Citadel, and though it lost the next game at Georgia, the defense surrendered just 12 points and held the Bulldogs to 287 total yards.
After the loss to Georgia, the Tigers reeled off 10 straight victories to close the season, including wins in which they beat Villanova, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Duke, NC State and Wake Forest by an average margin of 27.6 points. In those six games, the defense allowed just 45 total points (7.5 per game).
Though No. 11 Maryland gave the defense its biggest test of the year in a 28-24 Clemson victory, which clinched the ACC Championship for the Tigers, they held the Terrapins to a season-low 315 total yards. They also held 20th-ranked Ohio State to 330 yards in a 17-15 victory in the Gator Bowl.
Brown, who was a first-team All-ACC selection, led the defense with a Clemson record 170 tackles. Scott had 134 tackles, while Stuckey recorded 87 from his defensive tackle position. Ryan and Varn led the Tigers with four interceptions as 13 different players had at least one interception.
Ryan, Scott and Stuckey joined Brown as first-team selections on the All-ACC team.