The 1902 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson Agricultural College—now known as Clemson University—during the 1902 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. Under third year head coach John Heisman, the Tigers posted a 6–1 record, including an undefeated Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association record, and thus a conference championship. The lone loss was to rival South Carolina, in a controversial game ending in riots and banning the contest until 1909. Before the season Heisman was paid $815.11 to coach the football team. The team's captain was Hope Sadler. This was the first season with both Sadler and Carl Sitton at ends. One writer recalls, "Sitton and Hope Sadler were the finest ends that Clemson ever had perhaps." Schedule Game summaries Week 1: North Carolina A&M The season opened with an 11–5 victory over North Carolina A&M. Week 2: at Georgia Tech Clemson defeated Georgia Tech, 44–5. The day before the game, Clemson sent in scrubs to Atlanta, checked into a hotel, and partied until dawn. The varsity sat well rested in Lula, Georgia as Tech betters were fooled. Clemson scored first on an 80-yard end run from Carl Sitton. The starting lineup was Sitton (left end), Barnwell (left tackle), Kaigler (left guard), Green (center), Forsyth (right guard), DeCosta (right tackle), Sadler (right end), Maxwell (quarterback), Gantt (left halfback), Lawrence (right halfback), Hanvey (fullback). Week 3: at Furman Sources: Clemson beat Furman 28–0, making its first touchdown after three minutes of play. On one play, Heisman used a tree to his advantage. The starting lineup was Sitton (left end), Garrison (left tackle), Kaigler (left guard), Green (center), Forsyth (right guard), Barnwell (right tackle), Sadler (right end), Maxwell (quarterback), Politzer (left halfback), Lawrence (right halfback), Hanvey (fullback). Week 4: at South Carolina Sources: Clemson lost 12–6 to South Carolina in Columbia, for the first time since 1896, the first year of the rivalry. "The Carolina fans that week were carrying around a poster with the image of a tiger with a gamecock standing on top of it, holding the tiger’s tail as if he was steering the tiger by the tail," Jay McCormick said. "Naturally, the Clemson guys didn’t take too kindly to that, and on Wednesday and again on Thursday, there were sporadic fistfights involving brass knuckles and other objects and so forth, some of which resulted, according to the newspapers, in blood being spilled and persons having to seek medical assistance.