ACC Media Days always seem to yield some great quotes from top players and coaches and this year is no different. Clemson fans had to wait until Thursday to hear from Dabo Swinney, TJ Parker, Peter Woods, Cade Klubnik, and Antonio Williams as they finally got their opportunity to speak to the media and, of course, that big game on Aug. 30 came up.
In case you've been living under a rock or just aren't aware, Clemson will be hosting LSU on Aug. 30 and it's been gaining momentum over the past week because of Brian Kelly.
Why Kelly?
The LSU head coach spoke at SEC Media Days about how he believes that the real Death Valley is in Baton Rouge and they're just letting Clemson use that nickname. He doubled down on Wednesday during an event in which he spoke, saying that Clemson is "Death Valley Jr." and that caught the attention of just about everyone.
Including Parker who had some strong words for Kelly and LSU.
Asked Clemson junior DE TJ Parker about Brian Kelly calling Clemson’s stadium “Death Valley Jr.” Parker: “They can have their opinion. We’re gonna handle all that on August 30” pic.twitter.com/Wz3FO02mn4
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) July 24, 2025
Parker was briefed of Kelly's "Death Valley Jr." quote and all he did was laugh it off before he got serious and said, "We're gonna handle all that on August 30."
The All-American defensive end also went on to say that they can do all the talking and hyping that they want, but it still needs to be handled on the field and they're going to be ready.
Clemson can only speak for what it's focused on, but it sounds like Dabo Swinney has these guys trained well in terms of not giving anyone bulletin board material before a matchup. This is why the Tigers have been so successful over the years while Kelly's LSU Tigers are allergic to winning season openers.
Who else can't wait for Aug. 30?