A Reporter's Take On Game Day in Clemson

Story and photos by Matt D’Ambrosi

CLEMSON, S.C. — It started to hit me once I got in the Uber.

There I was at a Hampton Inn in Anderson, SC, 17 minutes away from Memorial Stadium.  My driver – Jennifer – had just pulled up out front in her grey Kia Soul. I opened the door to the front seat and my eyes immediately went to her shirt.

It had a giant paw print on it – one clearly belonging to a Tiger. It was the first of countless I’d be seeing on the day.

I got in the car and we were on our way. Our final destination: Death Valley. I was going there to cover a football game. But as I began my Saturday in South Carolina, I couldn’t help but notice everything else that was going on around me.

The Drive In

As Jennifer and I made our way to the stadium, we passed at least two different businesses that had some sort of “Tiger” reference in the name. At this point, we were still on what I would consider to be the outskirts of the University area, and as we cruised along, there was no doubt it was game day.

We passed a BBQ spot on the right side of the road where some fans had gathered. We then rode by a man waiving at cars as he was selling Clemson-themed corn hole boards.  

We eventually made it to downtown Clemson and I got out of the car at 11:27 AM.  

On My Way To The Press Box

It was nearly four hours before kickoff and everywhere I looked people were sporting something Clemson.  

Even though it was so far in advance of the actual game, festivities were in full swing. Police were directing traffic. People were tailgating under orange and purple tents. As I walked around, I noticed that a lot of people didn’t even appear to be college-aged. If you were there, it was probably because you were a fan of the Tigers. That was the common denominator.  

To me, it seemed like for these people that today’s game was about more than two teams going at it. It was an opportunity to be together. It was an opportunity for community.

After looking at one table that had boxes of Bojangles’ on it and all of the tailgaters, I eventually headed into Death Valley for the very first time. It was beautiful. It was crisp. It was clean.

I got up to my seat in the press box and just took everything in as the stadium slowly filled up around me.

Before I knew it, over 80,000 people had settled in, and it was time to play.

Main Event

Clemson looked like every bit a top five team throughout the game – even without having standout quarterback Deshaun Watson for over half of it.

In all, the Tigers came away with the “W” over Syracuse 54-0. If you want to know how it happened, you can find out here.

But looking back on it, just as significant as what was happening on the field, was what was happening around it.

Put simply, the fans were just as much a part of the performance as were the players and coaches down on the field. They were engaged. They were enthusiastic. They were together.

I know they call it Death Valley. But from the perspective of an outsider, everybody at Memorial Stadium seemed very much alive.