The Tigers spent the last 55 days on the road, returning home to LoConte Field this past weekend only to be greeted with bitter defeats. On Saturday, Clemson fell to James Madison, 14-10 and suffered another loss the following day to No. 11 Virginia Tech, 15-11.

Clemson (8-5, 3-2 ALC South) is now 1-3 in its last four games, a stark pivot from its preceding six-game win streak. The Tigers have just one regular season game to right the ship before the ALC quarterfinals, also on the road.

Frustration defined Saturday’s game for Clemson. James Madison (8-2, 4-0 ALC North) came flying out of the gate — literally — as an airborne attackman scored the Dukes’ first goal on a crease-dive shot less than 2½ minutes into the game. James Madison then rode a six-goal second quarter into a 7-5 halftime lead.

The Tigers turned the ball over frequently, lost the turnover battle and committed more penalties than their opponent, resulting in their inability to overcome the deficit for the remainder of the contest.

Clemson defenseman Luke Romano put up a strong performance despite the loss, posting one goal, two assists and five ground balls against James Madison. Both assists were to Landen Snyder, who returned the favor, assisting Romano’s goal.

Sunday was no better for Clemson, as the No. 11-ranked Hokies (9-4, 4-0 ALC South) came to town and dominated. The Tigers trailed for all 60 minutes, drawing as near as one point in the first quarter following an Ian Jackson goal.

Snyder led The Tigers, who added two more goals and three assists against Virginia Tech to cap a strong weekend performance, while Adam Neil tallied one goal and three assists.

Clemson now has a short recovery week as it prepares for its most important game. The Tigers face off against heated rivals, the South Carolina Gamecocks (7-6, 1-2 SLC), on Thursday in Columbia, South Carolina.

While a win would not affect the Tigers’ conference standings, it would accomplish the team’s season-long goal to win the state.