Portions of the season, specifically the games against Florida Atlantic and Florida State, were featured in the 2020 filmSafety, which is about sophomore safety Ray McElrathbey taking care of his little brother while their mother receives treatment for drug addiction.
Entering the season, the Tigers had high expectations, hoping to compete for a spot in theACC Championship Game. After a defeat atBoston College in the second game of the season, Clemson achieved off six straight victories, during which they averaged nearly 42 points a game. But things soon fell apart, with Clemson losing four out of their last five, including a loss toKentucky in theMusic City Bowl, and a 31–28 loss to arch rival South Carolina. The team finished the season with a disappointing 8–5 record.
ESPN'sCollege Gameday show made its first-ever appearance inClemson for the game between the Tigers and theGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets on October 21.Kirk Herbstreit mentioned both during and after the show, that he felt that Clemson hosted one of the best Gameday audiences he'd ever seen. The Gameday audience at Clemson also set a new noise record when measured in the latter half of the show.
