Clemson fans were disappointed after Week 1 with head coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers suffering their first loss of the season in a 28-7 defeat to the Duke Blue Devils.
It is a game that Clemson had no business losing, but the Tigers lost by three scores. Following the brutal loss, veteran defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro spoke during his media availability Wednesday, touching on the loss and thanking Clemson fans for sticking by the team.
“We just want to thank you guys for just sticking with us,” he said, “because we’ve had some great wins, we have some tough losses and some ugly losses, and you guys are always finding a way to just build us up.”
It was a bad loss, but something the Tigers can learn from. Now behind them, Orhorhoro looks towards the team’s Week 2 home opener and all of the excitement that comes with a home game.
“I’m so excited to, you know, see our fans, and I’m excited to walk through the new Tiger Walk,” Orhorhoro said. “Some of my closest friends, like Jalyn Phillips and Tyler Davis, their name is on the Tiger Walk, so it will be cool to see them and see how they feel walking through.”
The last time we saw the Tigers in Death Valley, it too ended in disappointment. Clemson handed South Carolina a win with two crucial turnovers, snapping the Tigers’ 40-game home winning streak.
“The last time we played (at Death Valley), we didn’t finish how we wanted to,” Orhorhoro said, “but I hope we start how we want to and show the fans what we’ve been working on and just pushing and getting our best foot forward and thriving.”
The Tigers face Charleston Southern on Saturday, September 9, at 2:15 p.m.