CLEMSON – It is game day at Death Valley where No. 8 Clemson battles Troy.

The Tigers look to earn their first win of the season and rebound from the loss to LSU.

Location: Memorial Stadium (Death Valley)

Kickoff: 3:30 PM

Television: ACC Network

Announcers: Chris Cotter, Max Browne, Kendra Douglas

2025 Record: Clemson 0-1,  Troy 1-0

ACC Record: Clemson 0-0

Series History: Clemson leads series 2-0

Last Meeting:  Clemson defeated Troy 30-24 on September 10, 2016

Clemson will return to Death Valley on Saturday, Sept. 6 when the Tigers host the Troy Trojans for a non-conference contest. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium
in Clemson is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network.

Last week, Clemson opened a season with an AP Top 10 opponent for the third time in five years, and the Tigers dropped a one-score game to No. 9 LSU after a potential game-tying drive ended in the LSU red zone with 59 seconds to play. Clemson has historically rebounded well under Head Coach Dabo Swinney, as the Tigers are 37-10 in games following losses in his
tenure including season openers after defeats in the prior year’s season finale.

Clemson’s defense battled in last week’s contest in its first game under the guidance of Defensive Coordinator Tom Allen. The gameday stat crew credited safety Ronan Hanafin with a team-leading 12 tackles in his first career start, and sophomore linebacker Sammy Brown added 11 stops. Clemson was just one of 11 teams nationally in Weeks 0-1 of the 2025 season to have two different defenders be credited with double digits in tackles in a single game.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK

– Clemson attempting to improve to 3-0 all-time against Troy.- Clemson attempting to improve to 13-0 all-time against Sun Belt Conference teams.

– Clemson facing Troy Head Coach Gerad Parker for the first time. Parker is one of four head coaches slated to face Clemson for the first time this season
(Syracuse’s Fran Brown, North Carolina’s Bill Belichick and Boston College’s Bill O’Brien).

– Clemson attempting to improve to 170-75-3 all time (and 53-9 since 2011) when facing a coach for the first time.

– Clemson attempting to improve to 141-19 against AP-unranked teams under Dabo Swinney and improve to 118-9 in those games since the start of the 2012 season.

– Clemson attempting to improve to 45-10 in regular season non-conference games regardless of location since 2011. With a win, Clemson would also improve to 42-6 in non-conference home games under Dabo Swinney.

– Clemson attempting to improve to 38-10 in games following a loss under Dabo Swinney, including season openers following a loss in the previous season finale.

– Clemson attempting to improve to 71-6 at Death Valley in the College Football Playoff era. Clemson’s current 70-6 home record is tied for the second-best in the country in that span.

HISTORY VS. NEW COACHES

Saturday’s game against Troy’s Gerad Parker will be the first of four games this season in which Clemson is scheduled face an opposing head coach for the first time. That list also includes Syracuse’s Fran Brown, North Carolina’s Bill Belichick and Boston College’s Bill O’Brien).

Since 2011, Clemson is 52-9 when facing an opposing head coach for the first time, including a 6-2 mark last season.

AT HOME IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

Clemson has been right at home in non-conference contests at Memorial Stadium in recent years, going 31-3 in its last 34 non-conference home games.

Clemson had won 26 straight prior to a one-point loss to South Carolina in November 2022. Previously, Clemson’s longest unbeaten streak (including ties) in non-conference home games was a 20-game unbeaten streak from 1978-84 that saw ties against Boston College and Georgia interrupt winning streaks of 12 games, four games and two games.

Clemson is 41-6 in non-conference games at Death Valley under Head Coach Dabo Swinney.

TCI Predictions 

Robert – Clemson 42, Troy 17

Will – Clemson 52, Troy 10

JP – Clemson 44, Troy 10