Clemson extends historic winning streak against North Carolina

Clemson’s run of success against North Carolina has officially reached unprecedented territory.

With Saturday’s victory at Memorial Stadium, Clemson earned its eighth consecutive win against North Carolina, establishing the longest winning streak by either team in the history of the series.

The Tigers are now 42-19-1 all-time against the Tar Heels, and their 42 victories against North Carolina moved past their 41 against Virginia for the fifth-most wins against a single opponent in Clemson history.

The current streak started with Clemson’s 59-38 victory in 2011 and surpassed the Tigers’ previous series-best seven-game winning streak from 1986-92.

A year ago, Clemson extended the streak in emphatic fashion in Chapel Hill.

The Tigers scored on their first offensive play and each of their first four possessions in a 38-10 victory at Kenan Stadium. Clemson led 28-3 after the first quarter and 35-3 at halftime, with Cade Klubnik throwing four touchdown passes and completing 22 of 24 attempts for 254 yards.

Saturday’s victory looked considerably different, as Clemson had to overcome a 14-3 first-quarter deficit before eventually extending its run against the Tar Heels.

North Carolina is now one of six opponents against which Clemson owns an active winning streak of at least eight games, joining Furman, The Citadel, Wake Forest, Presbyterian and Boston College.

The Tigers have also won six consecutive home games against North Carolina, moving within one victory of matching their longest home winning streak in series history. Clemson won seven straight home games against the Tar Heels from 1982-95.

But Clemson’s success against North Carolina is part of an even larger trend under Dabo Swinney.

Swinney is now 42-6 as Clemson’s head coach against teams from the state of North Carolina. That success has been even more pronounced when those programs have traveled to Death Valley, where Swinney owns a 24-1 record against North Carolina-based opponents.

Saturday also gave Swinney his 189th career victory and his 115th in ACC regular-season play.

For Clemson, though, the latest win added another chapter to a series that has tilted increasingly toward the Tigers.

What was once a seven-game winning streak that stood as the best by either program is now history.

Clemson has eight — and counting.