The Tigers returned to the field this past Monday in a game vs. the Duke Blue Devils. The game took place at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, NC, kicking off the 2023 season. The event was the season opener for both teams in the ACC conference and was a greatly anticipated start to the season for the no. 9 Clemson Tigers. Despite the predictions given for the game, for example Sports Illustrated gave an FPI prediction of the Clemson Tigers with an 86.9% chance of winning the game outright compared to Duke at 13.1 %, the Blue Devils beat the Clemson Tigers by a score of 28-07 (Perks, 2023).
Following the unexpected outcome, there were a lot of conversation surrounding the game for Tiger fans. From September 3rd through September 8th, the game results plus the anticipation for the next matchup had a reach of 803.42 million and 94.48K mentions overall. Mostly pertaining to the excitement of spectators before both the Duke game and the anticipated game against Charleston Southern University (CSU) on September 9th, there was an overall positive sentiment. Conversations peaked on Monday, September 4th about the game vs. Duke with the most utilized platform being X (formerly Twitter).
On Monday September 4th, one of the primary conversations was surrounding a post made by the College Football Report regarding Clemson’s participation in the Playoffs. Many fans held discussion on the validity of the statement from the College Football Report.
Additionally, this game marked Duke’s first AP top-10 win since 1989. This sparked conversations among Duke fans regarding the team’s exciting win and also on upsets across conferences. Conversations also highlighted skepticism from viewers on pre-season ranking in general.
In looking forward to the next game, fans are discussing the opportunity for Clemson to just play for fun and without stress after last week’s loss. Quarterback Cade Klubnik took some heat for his performance in the game against Duke, but spectators are excited to see him get to play on his home field and with a little bit less pressure. Additionally, Tiger fans are eager for the new Tiger Walk and first game back in Death Valley.
Spectators wait to see if a home team advantage will give Clemson the edge they need as they take on the Charleston Southern Buccaneers today, Saturday (Sep. 9).
Author: Lexi Merriman
