1940 Clemson Tigers football
SoCon champion
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Record6–2–1 (4–0 SoCon)
Head coach
CaptainRed Sharpe
Home stadiumRiggs Field
Seasons
← 1939
1941 →
1940 Southern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Clemson $ 4 – 0 – 0 6 – 2 – 1
No. 18 Duke 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Wake Forest 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
William & Mary 2 – 1 – 1 6 – 2 – 1
North Carolina 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Richmond 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
VMI 3 – 2 – 1 7 – 2 – 1
Furman 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Washington and Lee 1 – 1 – 1 2 – 7 – 1
VPI 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
NC State 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Maryland 0 – 1 – 1 2 – 6 – 1
South Carolina 1 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Davidson 1 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
The Citadel 0 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1940 Clemson Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Clemson College in the Southern Conference during the 1940 college football season. In their first season under head coach Frank Howard, the Tigers compiled a 6–2–1 record (4–0 against conference opponents), won the Southern Conference championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 182 to 73.[1][2]

Red Sharpe was the team captain. The team's statistical leaders included tailback Chippy Maness with 388 passing yards and 472 rushing yards and wingback Aubrey Rion with 28 points scored (4 touchdowns, 4 extra points).[3]

Three Clemson players were selected as first-team players on the 1940 All-Southern Conference football team: end Joe Blalock; tackle George Fritts; and back Charlie Timmons.[4]

Clemson was ranked at No. 54 (out of 697 college football teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score system for 1940.[5]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 21at Presbyterian*
W 38–08,000[6]
September 28Wofford*
W 26–04,000[7]
October 5vs. NC State
W 26–714,500[8]
October 12Wake Forest
  • Riggs Field
  • Clemson, SC
W 39–018,000[9]
October 24at South CarolinaNo. 13
W 21–1322,000[10]
November 2at TulaneNo. 10
L 0–1331,000[11]
November 9at Auburn*
L 7–2112,000[12]
November 16at Southwestern (TN)*
T 12–126,000[13]
November 23at Furman
W 13–719,000[14]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

  1. ^ "2016 Media Guide" (PDF). clemsontigers.com. Clemson Athletics. 2016. pp. 200–208. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  2. ^ "1940 Clemson Tigers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  3. ^ "Clemson 1960 Football Media Guide". Clemson University. 1960. pp. 40–41.
  4. ^ 1960 Clemson Media Guide, p. 22.
  5. ^ Dr. E. E. Litkenhous (December 19, 1940). "Final 1940 Litkenhous Ratings". The Boston Globe. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Clemson defeats Blue Hose, 38–0". The State. September 22, 1940. Retrieved December 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Clemson wins 26 to 0 over Wofford Terriers". The Sunday Star-News. September 29, 1940. Retrieved December 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Clemson Tigers rip State Wolfpack by 26 to 7". The Charlotte Observer. October 6, 1940. Retrieved December 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Clemson smothers Wake Forest, 39–0". The Atlanta Constitution. October 13, 1940. Retrieved December 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "22,000 Fans See Clemson Conquer Carolina 21 To 13". The Time and Democrat. October 25, 1940. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Question: Is 13 unlucky? Clemson's 13-game streak stopped when Tigs fall to Tulane 0–13". The Charlotte Observer. November 3, 1940. Retrieved April 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Listless Clemson falls before Auburn, 21 to 7". The Charlotte News. November 10, 1940. Retrieved September 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Lynx see victory slip to 12–12 tie". The Commercial Appeal. November 17, 1940. Retrieved December 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Tigers cop thriller from Furman, 13–7". Asheville Citizen-Times. November 24, 1940. Retrieved September 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
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