#37 Clemson

Clemson, SC

Death Valley

September 7, 2019

Clemson 24 - Texas A&M 10 (ESPN Recap)

Death Valley for a 3:30pm prime time game between the top-ranked defending National Champions and the 12th ranked Aggies. The only real test before the CFP for Clemson. Finally was able to convince a friend to make a trip with me (Sebastian from work) for a game.

The game was pretty boring, regardless of who you were pulling for to win. For the second consecutive year, I attended a Clemson game with Sebastion that was 0-0 at the end of Q1. Unfortunate for my over 63.5 bet. But I came to see Trevor Lawrence do his thing and he had moments of brilliance, especially a rolling left, throw across his body on a dime for 30-yards to an open receiver at the goal line pylon.

Fun stats about Clemson, SC is that the University has 20,000 students, the stadium

holds 85,000 people, and it felt like there were 100,000 tailgate tents set up around the stadium. The town is also structured to host about 7,500 people for post-game beers and meals (lines and waits at TDs, Tiger Town Club, Backstreets etc are long. Esso Club is weird). The tailgates were mostly cornhole-less, but other than that they knew what they were doing and they cared about football around the nation. Found one good cornhole set and won some money against some CBS New Yorkers as well as met the first player better than me (Josh) in 2019. After Johs busted three times in the first game, I felt bad when Sebastian and I held table for the win. We won $200 on next game from the CBSers and then we got smoked by Josh (again) for the first loss of 2019. Angie and her husband took my co-worker Sebastian and I in and fed us. Their two oldest kids are a freshman and junior at the school and they love everything Clemson.

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It was hot, the stadium doesn’t sell alcohol, and a pastor started the game with a prayer for the first time since I was at BYU. Texas A&M did not have any notable plays or players. Mond disappointed. The Clemson skill players looked great in Tee Higgins, Justyce Ross, and Travis Etienne, though their defense merely looked above average and I do not believe they will repeat as champs. Met Etienne’s pop football coach from New Orleans on the flight back to Miami Sunday morning who told us stories of him dunking a basketball as a 14-year old.

The most entertaining part of the game was the last possession for A&M: down 21 with 5:49 remaining and all three timeouts, the Aggies started on their own 9-yard line and strolled down the field with zero urgency, putting together a 16-play drive. With 25 seconds left they used their 2nd timeout before a 3rd and 3 play. With 10 seconds left, they called their final timeout before a 4th and goal play from the 2…which they converted with six seconds left on a trick formation play…to the dismay of ~80% of Clemson fans that took Clemson -16.5/-17 and watched what can only be described as an epic Jimbo Fisher troll to backdoor cover.

The stadium playing #PublicKillers Mr. Brightside as the final knee was taken by Clemson was very much appreciated.

Tulsa easily covered the -6 tonight back in SJSU which was a pleasant end to the night.