CLEMSON — Dabo Swinney was all proud as he explained how Clemson leads the nation in home wins since 2014. Then Ross Taylor, Clemson Football’s Communications Director, explained the Tigers are actually a half-game back of Alabama in that regard, thanks to the Crimson Tide’s home victory last Saturday.
“Well, there you go,” a joking Dabo Swinney said. “We are second by a half-game. I don’t even know how long, a decade or so.”
Swinney’s point, however, was clear. The Tigers have lost just three games since late 2013 and own a 65-3 (.956) record in the College Football Playoff era.
Clemson will put that mark to the test Saturday when the 25th-ranked Tigers host App State Saturday (8 p.m., ACCN) in their home opener at Memorial Stadium. Coming back home for their first of seven this season is exactly what the doctor ordered for a Clemson team that might be doubting itself following last week’s humbling loss to top-ranked Georgia to open the season.
Swinney is hoping a packed Death Valley will get the Tigers on track.
“That is how important our crowd is. Our crowd is awesome,” he said. “The environment is awesome. It makes a difference.”
Clemson (0-1) will need all the juice it can against a Mountaineers team that is playing with a lot of confidence following their season opening win against East Tennessee State.
And though App State (1-0) is 0-5 all-time against Clemson in Death Valley, do not think it will be intimidated by the atmosphere or the venue. This is a program that has gone on the road in the past and won at places like Michigan, Texas A&M, South Carolina and North Carolina.
However, the Tigers have played the Mountaineers well in Death Valley, including a 41-10 victory in 2015, the last time the two teams met. Swinney feels the home crowd can be an inspiration for this year’s team like it has others before them.
“It’s juice, it is momentum. These are kids. These are not robots,” the Clemson head coach said. “These are just young people that love to play football, and this is a great environment to do that.”
Swinney explained how Clemson fans in Death Valley create such an amazing environment to play in and he spoke to how they affect the game, like when No. 3 Louisville had three illegal procedure penalties in a row back in 2016.
“That momentum. That is fifteen yards that way. That is all on the crowd, right,” Swinney said. “That was three in a row and that was done by the crowd. So, that is how big momentum is. It is huge. It is an environment that is really special. It is really special.
“Our crowd has made a huge difference. Obviously, it is about what happens on the field, but our crowd has been a huge part of why we are the best in the country during the playoff era at home.”
Well, at least second-best in the country by a half game.