All week long at practice, loudspeakers have been blasting "Tiger Rag," the Clemson fight song, to get the Blue Devils ready for this weekend's noisy environment.
"It's definitely in the top five songs that I don't like to hear," Duke junior Deon Adams said. "But it puts you in the atmosphere, so when you get to the game, it's not something that you're focused on."
What is normally one of the loudest stadiums in college football will be even more intense thanks to Duke's upset victory over the Tigers last season. Clemson (4-4, 2-4 in the ACC) and its fans will have revenge on their minds Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Blue Devils (1-8, 0-6) visit Death Valley.
"I'm sure that place will be rocking," head coach Ted Roof said. "That's why we've been pumping the music.... When people are booing you and cheering against you, you've got to feed off that."
It was less than one year ago when the Tigers, in front of thousands of their own fans at Wallace Wade Stadium, were upset by the cellar-dwelling Blue Devils on Matt Brooks' 53-yard game-winning field goal. Rubbing salt in the wounds, Duke fans rushed the field and tore down a goalpost.
"Any team that you beat, next year you kind of walk around with a little swagger," Adams said. "I know they have that memory of losing, and they want to avenge that-its going to be a fight."
This season, a Duke victory would seem as improbable as it did last year-the Blue Devils also entered that game with a 1-8 record, having beaten only a Division I-AA opponent. Clemson was in a similar position with a record of 5-4 and hopes of a bowl bid.
"It's two different teams [than last year]," Roof said. "But as far as from where we are mentally, it probably helps confidence because [we] know [we've] done it."
Beyond records, however, Duke will have a more difficult hill to climb this year. Though Clemson's 2005 campaign appears mediocre so far, the Tigers could easily be 6-2-in consecutive home games, the Tigers lost in triple-overtime against Miami Sept. 17 and in overtime against Boston College Sept. 24.
Clemson's offense is led by a two-headed rushing attack-a style that has plagued the Blue Devil run defense all season. Senior Reggie Merriweather and freshman James Davis combine to average 131.4 yards per game on the ground and have each found the end zone four times.
Clemson has broken 12 runs of 20 yards or longer in its eight games. Blue Devil safety Brian Greene is aware that Duke has struggled so far this season at guarding against big plays, but knows the team has to put the past behind it.
"When you play this game, you have to focus on next week's game and next week's team," Greene said. "If you focus on the past, you end up letting the same thing happen. You have to let the last one go, move on, and hopefully be able to have a better outcome the next Saturday."
If the Blue Devils have any luck shutting down the Tigers' potent run offense, they will then need to cope with one of the ACC's top quarterbacks. Senior Charlie Whitehurst averages 229.6 passing yards per game-just shy of Duke's 230.9 total yards per game.
Duke can take solace in the fact that Clemson has yielded more than 330 yards per game, including 135 yards on the ground.
Sophomore running back Justin Boyle and freshman quarterback Zack Asack will each get starting nods this weekend. Asack has matured in recent games and has built a rapport with fellow freshman wide receiver Eron Riley, who caught his first career touchdown last week against Wake Forest.
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