ESPN’s Josh Pate Sounds Off on the State of Clemson After Duke Loss

ESPN's Josh Pate didn't hold back when talking about the Clemson Tigers following their stunning 46-45 loss to Duke in Week 10.

On his Late Kick show, Pate used his signature "Sarah McLachlan special" segment – reserved for teams with struggling programs – to describe the Tigers' recent slide. 

While the segment is a humorous and dramatic take on a team's dismal performance, it exemplifies just how underachieving the Tigers have become in 2025.

"I have no choice," Pate said. "Clemson has to be the Sarah McLachlan special. Clemson has six consecutive losses to a Power Four team. I don't even understand how that's possible." 

The numbers back him up. 

Once one of college football's most intimidating programs, Clemson has become alarmingly beatable. The Tigers' once-feared home turf, nicknamed "Death Valley," has lost nearly all of its mystique.

"This place used to be called Death Valley, used to be called Death Valley," Pate continued. "They've lost half a dozen games there in a row to Pour Four teams. They were 62-5 in that spot from 2011 through the middle of last year, before this run started."

The stretch of dominance included two national championships, five playoff appearances, nine conference championships and nine bowl game wins. However, those days and accomplishments now feel increasingly distant as the 2025 Clemson team is tied for the program's second-worst start since the FBS era began.

Clemson's loss to Duke also marked the first time in program history that the Tigers had lost a game when scoring 45 or more points.

"They had been 134-0 when scoring 45 points or more," Pate said. "Clemson total losses, per year starting in 2019, tell me if you can spot the trend here: One loss, two losses, three losses, three losses, four losses, four losses, five losses."

The steady uptick in losses paints a clear picture of decline, one that has progressed from minor cracks to a full collapse. Clemson hasn't missed a bowl game since 2004 (voluntarily), but Pate warned that the streak could be in serious jeopardy.

"They've got Florida State, away at Louisville, Furman, and away at South Carolina still to go. They need to win three of those four to make a bowl," Pate explained. "Yes, Dabo Swinney's team is in danger of missing a bowl."

The schedule doesn't do Swinney any favors. Louisville remains one of the ACC's best, Florida State is one of the deadliest offenses in the country, and South Carolina would love nothing more than to end Clemson's postseason hopes in Columbia.

Pate pointed out just how far the Tigers have fallen from the national spotlight, joking that what was once a must-watch matchup has now become an afterthought.

"They play FSU this Saturday, I thought this may be one of the marquee games of the season in July," he stated. "I called myself, possibly taking the tour to this game. It's on ACC Network, they don't even count that in the Nielsen ratings, that's how badly they're trying to hide this game from you."