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| Clemson kicker Nelson Welch(2) and linebacker John McMakin(45) raise their arms in celebration of Welch's game-winning field goal. |
On October 10, 1992, the Clemson Tigers traveled to Charlottesville, Virginia to take on the Virginia Cavaliers in a top-25 showdown between two old ACC foes.
The Tigers came into the game ranked #25 in the country despite having a 2-2 record as they had lost to the Florida State Seminoles 24-20 and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 20-16 earlier in the season.
The Tigers were led by head coach Ken Hatfield, who was in his third season as the Clemson head coach after stops at the Air Force Academy and the University of Arkansas.
The story going into the Virginia game is who would be the starting quarterback as junior quarterback Richard Moncrief had suffered a hip pointer in the Tigers' 54-3 win against Chattanooga the week before.
Moncrief would get the start as the Tigers traveled to Virginia to take on the #10 ranked Cavaliers, who came into the game with a 5-0 record under head coach George Welsh who had turned the Virginia football program from one of the worst in the ACC to the one of the best upon his arrival in 1982.
Under Welsh's leadership, the Cavaliers had complied eight winning seasons, played in five bowl games winning two of them, an ACC championship in 1989 and a #1 ranking during the 1990 season.
1992 was looking to be another banner year for the Cavaliers has won their first five games thanks in large part to an offense that had averaged 44.4 points per game under the guidance of quarterback Bobby Goodman and running back Terry Kirby, who was the leading rusher in the ACC up to this point.
The Cavs looked to ride their offense to a win over Clemson, something that Virginia had only accomplished once in school history in 32 meetings with the Tigers.
The Cavaliers would get the ball to start the game as they were able to drive from their 30-yard-line to the Clemson 24-yard-line until Goodman was sacked by Tigers linebackers Kenzil Jackson and Ashley Sheppard for a eight-yard loss to force Virginia to punt the ball away.
The Tigers would pick up one 1st down before punting the ball back to the Cavaliers, who took over at their 34-yard-line as Goodman would complete a 10-yard pass to fullback Charles Way which was followed up by a 14-yard run by the junior quarterback.
Those two plays would help set up Goodman's 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyrone Davis to give Virginia a 7-0 lead with 6:26 left in the first quarter.
The two teams would trade punts as the game moved into the second quarter when the Cavaliers began a possession in plus territory at the Clemson 49-yard-line as two runs by Kirby netted just three yards to set up 3rd & 7 when Goodman completed a nine-yard pass to tight end Aaron Mundy for a 1st down.
On the very next play, Goodman went deep and found Davis again for a 36-yard touchdown that increased the Cavaliers' lead to 14-0 with 12:05 left in the second quarter.
When the Clemson offense came back on the field, they did so with a new quarterback as Louis Solomon took over for Moncrief as it was clear that the hip pointer was still bothering Moncrief.
Solomon's insertion did not improve things for the Tigers as they would go three-and-out to give the ball back to the Cavaliers, who took over at their 37-yard-line as a 29-yard pass from Goodman to Kirby would lead to a 20-yard touchdown pass from Goodman to Patrick Jeffers to make it a 21-0 lead for Virginia.
Down by three touchdowns, the Tigers would get desperate on their next possession when they would go for the 1st down on 4th & 1 from their 44-yard-line only to have Solomon fumble the snap from center as Virginia linebacker Randy Neal would recover the ball to give the Cavalier offense the football at the Clemson 45-yard-line.
For this drive, the Cavaliers would rely on Kirby's legs as he ran the ball four times for 36 yards to set up Goodman's four-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Tomlin to push the Virginia lead to 28-0 with 3:54 to go in the second quarter.
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| Virginia quarterback Bobby Goodman throw for four touchdown passes all in the first half. |
Even though there was still over a half of football to play, it seemed like the game was over as the Virginia offense was rolling while the Clemson offense was going nowhere as it had complied just 53 yards of total offense up to this point.
But the Tigers would get a glimmer of hope on their next offensive possession as Solomon would keep the ball on a quarterback option to the left side and ran untouched for a 64-yard touchdown to put Clemson on the scoreboard and cut the Virginia lead to 28-7 with 1:53 remaining before halftime.
The touchdown seemed to give Clemson some momentum after the ensuing kickoff when Ed Hauggen recovered a fumble to give the Tigers the ball at the Virginia 45-yard-line.
However, two sacks of Solomon would force the Tigers to punt the ball back to the Cavaliers who took over at their 42-yard-line with 27 seconds left and a chance to extend their lead before the end of the first half.
The Cavs would move to the Clemson 47-yard-line giving Goodman a chance at a Hail Mary in the final seconds but it fell incomplete to end the first half with Virginia on top 28-7.
Clemson would get the ball to start the second half as the Tigers would drive from their 20-yard-line to the Virginia 18-yard-line, thanks in large part to three runs by running back Rodney Blunt for 33 yards and a 22-yard pass from Solomon to wide receiver Terry Smith.
But the drive would end with a turnover as Blunt lost the football at the end of a four-yard run as Cavaliers defensive back Keith Lyle recovered the fumble at the Virginia 18-yard-line.
Virginia would pick up one 1st down before punting the ball back to Clemson who would take over at its 37-yard-line as a 19-yard run by Blunt and a 34-yard run by Rudy Harris put the Tigers at the Cavaliers' one-yard-line where they faced a 4th & goal.
The Tigers would go for the touchdown which they got when Howard Hall punched it in for an one-yard touchdown to trim the Virginia lead to 28-14 with 6:52 left in the third quarter.
Following a Virginia three-and-out, the Tigers would get the ball back at their 45-yard-line as Solomon would run for 14 yards on two carries and complete a 13-yard pass to Smith to help set up a 37-yard field goal attempt by Nelson Welch.
However, Welch would miss on his attempt to cut into the Virginia lead as the Cavaliers would take over at their 20-yard-line still ahead by two touchdowns.
The Clemson defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball at their 39-yard-line as an one yard run by Solomon and a seven-yard pass to Larry Ryans set up 3rd & 2 when Solomon handed it off to Blunt on a sprint draw as the junior running back would run for a 53-yard touchdown to make it a 28-20 game as Welch's extra point attempt would bounce off the left upright.
The two teams would trade punts as the game moved into the fourth quarter when the Tigers got the ball at their 35-yard-line as Harris would run for 10 yards to start the drive and pick up a 1st down.
Three plays would pick up five yards to set up 4th & 5 at the 50-yard-line when the Tigers decided to go for the 1st down which they got when Solomon kept the ball himself on a quarterback option and ran for 10 yards to the Virginia 40-yard-line.
Following an incomplete pass and a run for no gain, Solomon would run for 13 yards on a quarterback draw to put Clemson at the Virginia 27-yard-line when Solomon handed it off to Harris who would then run it in for a 27-yard touchdown to bring the Tigers to within two points of tying the game.
Clemson would go for two but an illegal procedure penalty followed by a Harris run that would go nowhere would keep the score at 28-26 in favor of Virginia with 5:31 to play in the game.
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| Clemson quarterback Louis Solomon would only throw for 88 yards on 5-of-14 passes, but would run for 116 yards on 16 carries. |
With their four-touchdown lead nearly evaporated, the Cavaliers were hoping their offense could turn the momentum as they began their next possession at their 26-yard-line.
A 28-yard pass from Goodman to Davis would put Virginia in Clemson territory but the drive would end in disaster as Goodman would be intercepted by Clemson defensive back Darnell Stephens to give the Tigers the ball at their 35-yard-line with 3:53 left in the game.
Three straight running plays would pick up 11 yards to give Clemson a 1st down at its 46-yard-line when Solomon went deep and hit a diving Ryans for a 45-yard completion to give the Tigers a 1st & goal at the Virginia nine-yard-line.
A holding penalty on tight end Franklin Thomas would push the Tigers back to the Virginia 22-yard-line as three more running plays gained seven yards before Hatfield called on Welch and the field goal unit to take the lead.
After missing a field goal and an extra point, Welch would get redemption as he would make a 32-yard field goal to give Clemson its first lead of the game at 29-28 with 55 seconds to play.
The Cavs would get a chance to save themselves as they would begin their next possession at their 27-yard-line as Goodman completed three straight passes to pick up 18 yards before a pass interference penalty on the Tigers put Virginia at the Clemson 40-yard-line.
Following two incomplete passes, Goodman would throw a Hail Mary into the end zone only for it fall incomplete as time expired with the Tigers on top 29-28 to complete the greatest comeback in Clemson football history.
The collapse against the Tigers would send the Cavaliers' season into a downward spiral as they would lose three of their final five games to finish the season with a 7-4 record as the Cavs would not play in a bowl game for the first time since 1988.
As for the Tigers, their comeback win against Virginia was the highlight of their season as they would finish the season with a 5-6 record, the first losing season for the Clemson football program since 1976.
However, the win over the Cavaliers remains the greatest deficit Clemson has ever overcome to win a football game.
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