‘It felt good knowing Death Valley had our back’
By: Will Vandervort November 9, 2025

CLEMSON — I get it.

This year’s Clemson Tigers have not been a good football team. So, if you do not want to make the three-and-a-half-hour journey to Memorial Stadium, or however long it takes you to get here, I get it.

However, if you were a part of the 81,500 that packed Memorial Stadium and watched the Tigers beat Florida State for a ninth time in the last 10 years, you showed your true colors.

You showed how loyal of a Clemson fan you are.

You showed those watching on the ACCN how special Clemson is and what makes Clemson different from every other place.

I have covered football games all over the Southeast, and I can tell you from my personal experiences, there are not many fan bases that will show up and show out for a 3-5 football team like Clemson’s did last night.

“It was awesome,” head coach Dabo Swinney said. “Like I said, there is nothing better than a night game in the Valley. There isn’t.”

Understand, it’s not like the Seminoles were a top 10 football team or South Carolina for that matter. Yes, FSU and Clemson are conference rivals in the ACC, but they are not hated rivals, like the Clemson-Carolina rivalry.

But here was a 3-5 Clemson team taking on a 4-4 Florida State team and Memorial Stadium was sold out. It was impressive, as 99 percent of the crowd were wearing Orange and White. I was in Clemson all day Saturday, and I did not see very many Seminole fans at all.

“I am so grateful for our fans to be able to show out,” offensive tackle Blake Miller said after the game. “For me, it was my last night game in the Valley. To see it packed out…it is always cool for me, when going down the hill, to be able to see both upper decks filled up and the lower bowl filled up, that’s amazing.

“So, I am very grateful for our fans.”

The Tigers played off the energy you brought on Saturday. The 81,500 fans inside Memorial Stadium where every bit a part of the Tigers’ win over the Seminoles.

You played a big role in why Florida State players dropped passes, overthrew wide open receivers and felt rushed. You played a big role in why the defense played one of its best games of the year.

“I heard them on every play,” cornerback Avieon Terrell said. “I heard them. It felt good knowing Death Valley had our back.”

Indeed, it did.

I always say, “there is one game every year Clemson fans win for the Tigers.” Saturday’s win over Florida State was one of those games.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney at the top of the hill prior to the Tigers’ famous entrance of running down the hill, Saturday, November 8, 2025, at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. (Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider)