CLEMSON — It has not been a good home season for the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium.

During a stretch from 2013 to 2022, Clemson posted a 59-1 record at Memorial Stadium, including 40 consecutive wins – still the nation’s longest home winning streak since 1994.

However, there has not been much of a homefield advantage this year, as the Tigers currently have the program’s worst home record in a season since the 1975 team went 1-4 at Memorial Stadium.

This year’s Tigers are currently 2-4 at home and are hoping to improve to 3-4 when they host Furman on Saturday in their home finale. Since 1975, only the 1998 Clemson team has posted a losing record at Memorial Stadium, that team was also 3-4.

Clemson will be celebrating two special groups of people on Saturday. It will be Senior Day, as well as Military Appreciation Day.

The football program will honor its seniors with a special ceremony prior to kick off against the Paladins, while the school will honor our nation’s military throughout the game and with a special halftime ceremony.

“I am excited about that, that is always a ton of fun to be a part of as well, just to see how Clemson does it,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “We have an amazing military heritage here. We have a lot of military families on our team with parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, etc.

“So, it is just a beautiful week.”

Saturday’s game will be Clemson’s 32nd Military Appreciation Day. The history of the special day dates to 1994 when Clemson had a special flyover for the Clemson vs. Georgia Tech game on November 12 of that year, just one day after Veterans Day.

The flyover of four F-16s from Shaw Air Force Base during pregame was the highlight of the celebration that day. Clemson has celebrated its military history every year during games held in November or when Clemson plays host to a school with its own military heritage.

The Tigers have a 27-4 record in the previous 31 Military Appreciation Day games. They have won 17 such games in a row, with the last loss coming against Virginia Tech in 2007.

Clemson, formally founded as Clemson Agricultural College in November of 1889, was originally a military school, reflecting a belief at the time that a military atmosphere produced the highest academic excellence. Beginning with the first graduating class of 1896, more than 10,000 Clemson men and women have served in the armed forces.

Furman (6-5) at Clemson (5-5)

• Kickoff: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
• Location: Memorial Stadium, Clemson
• TV: CW
• Spread: Clemson is favored by 41.5
• Total: 54.5
• Series: Clemson leads the series 44-10-4

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

With a victory, Clemson can clinch bowl eligibility for a 27^th consecutive season. Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia and Oklahoma are the only schools to have won at least six games every year in that span. The Tigers enter the game with the fourth-longest active streak of consecutive seasons with a bowl appearance (20, dating to 2005) and is tied for the third-longest active streak of consecutive seasons being bowl eligible (26, dating to 1999).

KEEP THE STREAK ALIVE

Clemson is attempting to win its 33rd consecutive contest against Furman and extend its unbeaten streak (including ties) against the Paladins to 34 consecutive games. The last tie between the two teams occurred in 1937, and the most recent Furman victory in the series came during the 1936 campaign. Clemson’s current 32-game winning streak against Furman is its longest winning streak — both active and all-time — against any opponent.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik is attempting to become the sixth Clemson quarterback since World War II to win 25 career games as a starting quarterback, joining Trevor Lawrence (34), Deshaun Watson (32), Tajh Boyd (32), Rodney Williams (32) and Charlie Whitehurst (25). Klubnik is currently 24-13 as Clemson’s starting quarterback.

Furman wide receiver Evan James caught nine passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win over VMI and, in the process, established new Furman freshman receptions and receiving yards standards. He heads into Saturday’s season finale versus Clemson with 59 receptions for 760 yards and six touchdowns — all team bests.

FURMAN-CLEMSON CONNECTION

Furman and Clemson have enjoyed several football connections over the years. Two former Paladin players Michael Dooley ’98 and Jordan Sorrells ’09, currently serve Clemson’s football program. Dooley, a three-year letterman for the Paladins as a defensive end from 1993-95, is in his 21st year at Clemson, where he serves as director of football administration and player personnel. Sorrells, meanwhile, was a standout quarterback for the Paladins who passed for 6,278 yards (2nd in FU history) and 42 touchdowns (T1st in FU history). A member of the Tigers’ program since 2014, he is general manager of Clemson’s football program.

FURMAN STARTED IT

Furman played a big role in the start of the Clemson football program. The Paladins, then known as the Purple Hurricanes, played Clemson on October 31, 1896, the first football game for the Clemson football program. Clemson, who was not known as the Tigers at the time, defeated Furman 14-6 in Greenville, S.C.

Prediction

Clemson 41, Furman 14

—Clemson and Furman Athletic Communications contributed to this story