Tigers Host Blazers on Monday in Home Opener

Match Central

CLEMSON, S.C. — The No. 3 Clemson Tigers will welcome the UAB Blazers on Monday, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. in the team’s final non-conference match of the season. Clemson opened its season on Thursday, Oct. 1 with a convincing 3-0 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks to extend its streak to seven-consecutive victories against the in-state rival.

The series between Clemson and UAB is limited, with Monday’s match set to be just the fourth meeting all-time. UAB currently holds a 2-1 series lead and the last time the two teams met was on Sept. 10, 2012. The first meeting between the two sides saw Clemson earn a 3-2 victory on Dec. 2, 2001, as the sixth-ranked team in the nation.

UAB will arrive in Clemson with a trio of matches under its belt in 2020. The Blazers opened the season with a 3-2 victory over Central Arkansas before dropping their next two matches. The Blazers have scored two goals while allowing seven during their two losses. UAB is led by second-year head coach Jeff Kinney who arrived in Birmingham after a stint with Virginia Tech’s men’s soccer program.

After a 2019 season in which Clemson was nationally dominant on the offensive side of the ball, the Tigers showed no signs of slowing down in their 2020 season opener. Two quick goals in the first half allowed the Tigers to showcase their depth and quality just moments after the season’s first whistle. The Tigers’ final goal of the 2019 season was scored off of a Mohamed Seye header which was assisted by a Grayson Barber cross and the duo combined again in the same fashion to score the Tigers’ first goal in 2020. 

Head Coach Mike Noonan will enter Monday’s match with 76 wins under the lights of Historic Riggs Field while leading Clemson. As a program, the men have earned 487 home victories in 60 seasons of competition. Clemson currently holds a 17-game unbeaten streak at home. Historic Riggs Field celebrated its 105th anniversary on Friday, Oct. 2 and the team honored the occasion by reminiscing on the history that the field has played host to with this video.

Historic Riggs Field Social Distancing & Operations

Historic Riggs Field will have a unique feel during the 2020 season and we ask that all fans please adhere to the following safety protocols put in place to ensure the well-being of all fans and participants.

• Please refrain from coming to any Clemson sporting event if you feel sick or are experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus.
• A capacity of 1,000 spectators will be enforced at Historic Riggs Field. Patrons must wear a face covering at all times unless eating or drinking. 
• There will be no formal ticketing for the 2020 season. All seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. All points of entry to Historic Riggs Field will be available.
• There will be no access to the field permitted prior to, during, or after any match. 
• Seats will be available in pods of four with a six-foot radius around each pod. Please refrain from sitting in groups larger than four.
• The first three rows of seats have been blocked off to ensure safety for fans and participants. Please do not sit, or attempt to enter, this area of the stands.
• Drinks and pre-packaged snacks will be available at the outdoor concession stand.
• Restrooms will be available for all fans. Hand sanitizers will also be strategically placed around the facility.