Ford: Tigers have 'great opportunity'

Clemson experienced one of its biggest wins in recent years Saturday when the Tigers knocked off No. 8 Miami in overtime.

Success in Miami, though, is nothing new for Danny Ford. The former Clemson coach, who guided the Tigers to the national title in the 1981 season, defeated Nebraska in the Orange Bowl in Miami that year to cap an undefeated season.

Ford, who keeps busy on his farm in Pendleton, S.C., and with speaking engagements, was in Augusta on Thursday night to address the Augusta Clemson Club.

He said the win over the Hurricanes was just the spark the Tigers needed.

"I was speaking in Spartanburg (S.C.) a couple of weeks ago," Ford, 61, said before mingling with the crowd and signing autographs. "Our state was very blah. Nobody was really happy. South Carolina wasn't very happy, Georgia had beaten them early in the year. Clemson got beat by Maryland, The Citadel wasn't playing good, Furman wasn't playing good."

Recent successes by the Palmetto State's biggest programs changed attitudes, Ford said.

"Lo and behold, South Carolina's turned into a pretty good football team, and Clemson's come out with two good wins in a row with Wake Forest and Miami," Ford said. "It's like a different world."

The victory puts Clemson (4-3) in position to win its division of the Atlantic Coast Conference and play for the league title in Tampa, Fla. Optimism is rampant for Tiger fans, but Ford knows the school won its last conference title in 1991.

"It's been a long time. Clemson people are great people, but lord they get so high and they get so low," Ford said. "They've got it figured out how they can get to the championship game against Georgia Tech -- and they know for sure they're going to beat Georgia Tech because they've already played them once -- and some are already getting reservations in Tampa. Some remember what's happened in the last 20 years and they think they're going to get left out."

Ford won five conference titles during his 11 full seasons from 1979-89, and his record of 96-29-4 is still among the league's best. Ford resigned from Clemson in 1990, but he came back to coach Arkansas from 1993-97. He was dismissed after compiling a 26-30-1 record for the Razorbacks.

Ford said the main thing is the Tigers have given themselves a chance.

"If they just do what they're supposed to do, play football, fundamentals and don't turn the ball over, then they'll have a chance to win against the people they play," he said. "It's a great opportunity."

Nearly 100 Clemson fans turned out for the event at Enterprise Mill. Club President Earle Maxwell said the meeting served as a fundraiser, and that the group would meet three times in the coming months.

"We've got a lot of alumni in the area, but we've been averaging about 50 per meeting," Maxwell said. "Tonight we've got about 80 signed up. From this we'll see where we go."

The big win over Miami was a boost, he said.

"That didn't hurt things at all. Attitudes and everything," Maxwell said with a laugh. "Let's hope we don't take Coastal Carolina too lightly this week. We'd better be on our toes for Florida State."

Reach John Boyette at (706) 823-3337 or john.boyette@augustachronicle.com.