Looking back at a 10–8CIOUS afternoon in 1981

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Clemson takes on North Carolina in Chapel Hill this Saturday in a nationally televised game at 3:30. This will be the first meeting between these old rivals since the ACC Championship game won by the Tigers in 2015. In 1981 these two schools met in a game with conference and national championship implications.

Looking back at a 10–8CIOUS afternoon in 1981

by Jim Roberts 

As fall camp opened Coach Danny Ford privately told those close to him that he “felt good” about the approaching season. Fifty-three lettermen returned, including all eleven starters on offense. Ford believed he could open up the offense with junior Homer Jordan at the helm.

As a sophomore, Jordan had compiled 1683 yards of total offense. Of course, “opening up the offense” to Ford meant allowing his QB to pass 15- 20 times a game. The week before the UNC game the offense had a record-setting performance in an 82-24 slaughter of Wake Forest.

Clemson’s offense was indeed impressive in 1981, but the defense was the primary strength of the team. Going into the game in Chapel Hill the 2nd ranked Tigers had held four opponents without a touchdown. In the first seven games, the defense had allowed an average of only 5.4 points per game.

In the eighth game, Wake Forest put up 24 points, mostly against Tiger reserves, in the 82-24 massacre. The defensive prowess would serve coach Ford’s charges well in the upcoming game against the 8th ranked Tar Heels. The game would prove to be one of the fiercest defensive struggles in the history of ACC football.

North Carolina entered the game at 7-1. Clemson was 8-0. Fans of both schools whispered national championship aspirations to each other. Neither team had been crowned national champion before.

The North Carolina press dubbed this contest as the biggest game ever in the State of North Carolina. The morning of the game promised typical mid-autumn weather in picturesque Chapel Hill. It was also Homecoming for the reigning ACC Champions who were coached by Dick Crum. ABC televised the game to most of the nation. The contest was extremely physical right from the start. The Tigers lost all ACC tackle Dan Benish with a knee injury, and the Heels knocked out FB Jeff McCall with two broken ribs in the fourth quarter. Before McCall left the field with the injury, however, he had scored the game’s only touchdown and ran for a game-high 84 yards.

Starting UNC quarterback, Rod Elkins left the game in the second quarter after reinjuring his ankle trying to avoid the Tigers’ rush. Coach Tom Harper’s ferocious defense was having its effect.

After Elkins’ injury, the Tar Heels relied more on their nationally ranked rushing attack, even though Elkins’ back-up, Scott Stankavage, was an excellent passer. North Carolina ranked number two nationally in rushing coming into the game, but Clemson’s dominant defense shut them down by allowing only 84 yards rushing in the entire contest. Front seven defenders Jeff Davis, Jeff Bryant, and Bill Smith cleared blockers and hit running backs all day long.

The climax of this titanic battle came late in the fourth quarter. With Clemson clinging to a 10-8 lead UNC began a drive from their three-yard line after a Dale “Thunder Foot” Hatcher punt. The Heels quickly drove the ball to their 40. With just over a minute to play, they were rapidly approaching field goal range.

Crum had been forced to go to the pass in an attempt to pull the game out. Stankavage came through passing and scrambling his way to a first down at his 40. Then the play of the game happened!

Bill Smith is currently a member of the Clemson University Board of Trustees. On that November afternoon in 1981, however, he was an undersized end on perhaps the best defense in America that year. The North Carolina coaches called a screen pass on the play Smith and Jeff Bryant will obviously never forget. Stankavage tossed what was supposed to be a screen pass to FB Alex Burrus. Smith broke through and jarred the ball loose from Burrus as soon as it touched the FB’s hands. The ball rolled toward the Clemson sideline with several Tiger coaches yelling, “get on the ball, get on the ball!”

Defensive tackle Jeff Bryant broke free of a block and either heard the coaches screaming or had the presence of mind to realize that the ball had actually been thrown backwards to Burrus and was, therefore, not a forward pass but a lateral or backwards pass.

Smith’s hit had caused a fumble, not an incomplete pass. Bryant pounced on the ball before it went out of bounds and Clemson’s victory was secure.

Following the turnover, Homer Jordan took a knee a couple of times and the game was over. It turned out to be Clemson’s toughest challenge of the season as the Tigers went on to an undefeated season and their first National Championship. Jeff Bryant became the first-round draft choice of the Seattle Seahawks the next spring. He had a stellar 12-year career in the NFL.

Years later All-American and Ring of Honor inductee Jeff Davis said, “That (North Carolina) game did more for us winning the National Championship than any other game that year.” Not to disagree with the “Judge,” but the 82-24 drubbing of Wake the week before, coupled with the dominating defensive performance against the Top Ten Tar Heels demonstrated to the nation that the Tigers were indeed a complete team worthy of national prominence.