In a stadium once known for being among the most feared places to play in the country, a dismal, half-empty Death Valley held a distracted silence as the fourth quarter video came on the screen amid Clemson’s upset loss to Syracuse on Saturday. The video that used to hold such significance has now turned into a satirical shell of itself.
Take a look back just a few years.
Clemson is about to take on South Carolina in the last game of 2022. Its last loss to the Gamecocks was in 2013, yet the Tigers fell by one point.
Boasting a record of 61-1 at home, a win at Death Valley seemed inevitable for Clemson, and some believed there was actually magic in that rock.
Since that faithful cold November day, Syracuse marked the sixth Tiger loss in Death Valley. The stadium, nicknamed by Presbyterian College head coach Lonnie McMillian after losing year after year, has fallen from greatness as a feared place for visiting teams to travel.
In the 2025 season, Clemson has already dropped two games in front of its home crowd, an aftermath head coach Dabo Swinney is not used to.
“I’ve been in a lot of painful locker rooms, and that was up there near the top, and my heart just hurts for our team and our fans. Our fans showed up today and did a great job, and we just didn’t get it done,” Swinney said. “It’s my responsibility for us to be better.”
Swinney’s disappointment ran true throughout the Clemson fan base, as missed tackles and dropped passes highlighted a disappointing Clemson loss. With simple fundamentals failing, especially by star players, Clemson’s home turf has been infiltrated, living up to Brian Kelly’s assertion of it as Death Valley junior.
Starting linebacker Sammy Brown mentions the lack of fundamental play as a big reason the team fails to execute in games they are expected to win.
“We gotta get better. We gotta start faster … The biggest thing is everyone doing their job. We don’t have to be Superman,” Brown said.
As Clemson attempts to trek on with their worst starting record since 2004, complementary football continues to be the most important issue — a key attribute of great teams that once played at Death Valley.
The Tigers still have five more games at Memorial Stadium in 2025, including one against a potentially ranked Florida State in early November.
But, the question lingers for all Clemson fans: What type of team will we see step onto that field?
