For years, the Clemson Tigers didn’t just win at home. They dominated.
Death Valley earned its name as one of the most intimidating environments in college football. At times, and as recently as a few years ago, it seemed almost impossible for an opponent to come to Clemson and escape with a win.
Today, Clemson has lost three of its four home games this season; a nearly unprecedented feat for the program once defined by its home-field invincibility.
The question must be asked: has Death Valley lost its intimidation factor?
To understand the shift, one must first understand the history.
Clemson’s dominance at home stretches far greater than the playoff or the Dabo Swinney era. The Tigers post an all-time record of 345-105-6 in Death Valley. They’ve won more than 75% of their contests, created timeless traditions, shaped legends and shaken the very concrete beneath fans’ feet.
And it was the fans who truly made Death Valley special.
Clemson crowds are notoriously as loud as any in the country. In a 2007 game against Boston College, the crowd produced 132.8 decibels of sound — as loud as a jet taking off from within 100 feet, and the third loudest in college football history.
That success, as well as local and national expectations, has only grown in recent years.
Stretching between 2016 and 2022, Clemson rallied off an incredible 40 consecutive wins, defending its home turf — the longest streak of the 21st century to this day. Teams didn’t just lose in Death Valley — they were overwhelmed.
That streak stunningly ended at the hands of South Carolina in a 31-30 defeat to close out the regular season, and seemingly began the downfall of Death Valley.
This spiral has now come full circle, as the home struggles have mounted larger than ever before.
The Tigers have lost three of their first four home games this season, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story of their struggles.
In the past calendar year, Clemson is 0-5 at home against Power Four schools, with its lone wins coming against Troy and The Citadel. The Tigers were favored to win all five games that they lost.
The intimidation is gone. For the first time in years, teams come to Clemson with not only hope, but also the belief that they will win.
Still, optimism is in the air.
This weekend, as Homecoming and Halloween festivities merge, Death Valley’s seats will fill with orange as usual, to cheer on their team in hopes of returning to the glory days of just a few short years ago.
Clemson hosts Duke at noon on Saturday on the ACC Network. The Tigers’ fight to restore the roar starts now.
