Klubnik thankful for Tiger fans: "It's one of the loudest games I've ever been a part of"

Death Valley showed out for the big win over No. 12 Notre Dame.

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Sun Nov 05 11:11:03 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON – At 4-4, some people had lost faith in the Clemson Tigers' chance to defeat No. 12 Notre Dame, but that didn’t stop 81,500 orange-clad faithful from showing up and showing out Saturday afternoon.

Clemson fans were loud, rowdy and boisterous from the opening kickoff, and the atmosphere and effort didn’t go unnoticed by the players and coaches in the Tigers' 31-23 defeat of the Irish.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik was on the sideline late in the game, imploring the fans to get louder as time ticked down. He said he knows the season has been difficult on everyone, but Saturday was one of the best environments he’s ever been a part of.

“It's huge. I'm so thankful for our fans. As a fan, it can be hard to cheer on a team that is 4-4,” Klubnik said Saturday afternoon. “It's a tough place to be as a fan, and they showed out today. When it's hard, they show out. It was one of the most electric games I've ever been a part of. It's one of the loudest games I've ever been a part of. I'm so thankful for them. They came out and brought the energy when we needed it and needed them. I get a little emotional sometimes when I'm on the sidelines, but I just wanted to continue to pump them up when the defense needed them.”

Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. – who had a pick-six in the game – said knowing the fans have their backs despite the difficult season means a lot to everyone in the program.

“It definitely made a big impact. They were loud when they (Notre Dame) were on offense, and when we were scoring touchdowns, they were bringing that energy,” Trotter said. “To be able to support and pack out the stadium, we really appreciate that, and we see that as players. It shows that we have people and fans backing us and how much this game really means to a whole lot of people.

“Seeing the fans rush the field, I just thank them as well for coming out and supporting us. It's been an up-and-down type of season and tough losses, but those Clemson fans come out and support us whenever we're back home, and I really appreciate them.”

Xavier Thomas has been around for six years, and he said there’s no doubt that Clemson has the best fans in the country.

“It's the best fans in the country. Through all the ups and downs of the season and the things that we've gone through, they didn't have to show up for us the way that they did, and they do it every week and every year. We really appreciate them so much,” Thomas said.

Being Clemson’s winningest coach with 166 wins, Dabo Swinney has seen a lot of ups and downs in his career and been a part of a lot of football games, and he agreed with his players that the fans impacted the game despite the noon kickoff.

"First of all, I really appreciate our fans,” Swinney said. “I just thought they were awesome. I mean, there was an edge in that stadium that was pretty special, and you could just feel it. I'm just really appreciative. Noon game – I know that's hard for a lot of people to get here. It was just an awesome environment, and I thought a difference in the game for us."