Clemson left Syracuse with a win, bowl eligibility and a box score that looked like it wandered in from another sport.
The Tigers beat Syracuse 18-13 on Nov. 7 at the JMA Wireless Dome, surviving a game that featured eight combined field goal attempts and no offensive touchdowns until the final three minutes. Clemson moved to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the ACC with the victory.
For long stretches, the first half felt like a kicking exhibition. Clemson and Syracuse traded missed chances, settled for field goals and never found the end zone before halftime. The teams combined for zero touchdowns and seven field goal tries in the opening 30 minutes, with Clemson taking a 9-6 lead into the break.
The Tigers had plenty of chances to do more damage. Three separate drives reached inside the Syracuse 20, but all three ended with field goal attempts.
The most frustrating sequence came in the second quarter, when Clemson drove to the 8-yard line after a double-pass completion from Bryant Wesco Jr. to T.J. Moore.
Freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds was then sacked twice, and a shovel pass to tight end Olsen Patt-Henry went nowhere before Nolan Hauser was called on again.
Syracuse had its own issues finishing drives. Steve Angeli, who has been dealing with treatment for last season’s Achilles tear and was questionable all week, went 10 of 24 in the first half and missed several open throws. He did complete his final three passes before halftime, but the Orange still couldn’t cash in.
Clemson nudged a little more aggression into the second half, converting a fourth-and-1 before the drive stalled. Hauser then drilled a 54-yard field goal to push the Tigers ahead 12-6 in the third quarter.
The real separation came on defense. Clemson’s unit produced the game’s most important touchdown, and it came in the weirdest possible way.
Angeli dropped back under pressure, tried to get rid of the ball at the last second and ended up sending it laterally to the turf. Defensive end Jahiem Lawson scooped it up and ran untouched into the end zone.
After a long review, the play stood as a fumble recovery touchdown.
That made it 18-6, and Clemson went for two. Reynolds missed Wesco in the end zone, but a defensive pass interference call kept the try alive.
Then came the oddest wrinkle of all: Clemson lined up linebacker Sammy Brown at running back. Brown, who played the position in high school, tripped and fell forward just short of the goal line on the conversion attempt.
Syracuse finally got an offensive touchdown with a little more than three minutes left, but by then the clock was doing Clemson’s work for it. Reynolds sealed the win the same way he helped finish off Florida State the week before, using his legs to move the chains and drain the final moments.
Reynolds completed 17 of 28 passes for 161 yards and added 61 rushing yards. Angeli finished 18 of 40 for 268 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Clemson’s offense was shorthanded, too. The Tigers were without four offensive starters: Harris Sewell, Elyjah Thurmon, Gideon Davidson and Tyler Brown.
Jarvis Green made his first career start in Davidson’s place and immediately made an impact, ripping off a 53-yard run on the opening play from scrimmage. He touched the ball twice more on that first drive, then didn’t get another carry in the first half.
Green finished with nine carries for 85 yards.
The Tigers also had to work around protection problems. Reynolds was sacked three times, and Clemson’s line allowed five tackles for loss while missing Sewell and Thurmon. Clemson went just 1 for 7 on third downs in the first half.
Even so, the defense kept the game in Clemson’s hands. The Tigers finished with three sacks and six tackles for loss, and cornerback Ashton Hampton came up with an interception in the end zone in the fourth quarter. Clemson was outgained 380 yards to 359, lost the first-down battle and finished 6-4 on third down while having one fewer attempt than Syracuse.
Next up for Clemson is Georgia Tech, with the Tigers coming home after the road win in Syracuse. Last year, Clemson lost to Syracuse at home after falling to Georgia Tech on the road the week before. This time, the Tigers return from the Orange and get the Yellow Jackets at home.
Georgia Tech enters on a three-game losing streak and is 2-6 overall, 1-4 in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets’ only wins have come against FCS program Mercer and a 28-25 upset of Duke.
Fourth-year coach Brent Key’s team will host Louisville at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 7.
In Other News...
Dawn Staleys Clemson Visit Had A Personal Twist Gamecocks Fans Will Notice
Dawn Staley made a rare appearance on the Clemson side of the basketball rivalry this week, showing up at Littlejohn Coliseum to support her godson, Madden Collins, when American visited the Tigers. Staley, the South Carolina womens basketball coach, was there in an American University hoodie while her own team had practiced earlier in the day, a reminder that even in a state rivalry, family ties can pull a coach into an unexpected seat.
Collins gave her plenty to watch, leading American with 23 points in the loss to Clemson. For Gamecocks fans, the sight of Staley at a Clemson game will always carry a little extra intrigue, even if the reason was personal rather than partisan. It was one of those small crossover moments that says as much about Staleys reach as it does about the scene around Clemson basketball. [Read more 🡒]
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Clemson walked into its game against Syracuse after a rough week on the practice field, with Dabo Swinney confirming several injuries that forced the staff to juggle depth across both lines and the skill positions. Freshman offensive tackle Braden Wilmes tore his ACL and is done for the season, while offensive lineman Harris Sewell continues to work back from a TightRope procedure and could be in line to return in the coming games.
The injury list did not stop there. Quarterback Christopher Vizzina rolled his ankle and was limited in practice, though he was still available for the game, and receivers Gordon Sellars III and Tyler Brown also were dealing with issues during the week. For a Clemson team trying to keep its footing, the immediate concern is obvious, but the larger question is how much more wear and tear the Tigers can absorb before it starts to shape what they can do on offense. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Kept Its ACC Hopes Alive Despite One Lingering Problem
Clemson kept its ACC hopes alive with an 18-6 win over Syracuse at the JMA Wireless Dome, leaning on a defense that forced two turnovers and an offense that did just enough to control the game. True freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds gave the Tigers a steady hand, throwing for 161 yards and adding 58 more on the ground in a performance that helped Clemson leave with a needed conference victory.
Even with the win, the Tigers still have one issue that keeps hanging around, and it has become part of the conversation every time they take the field. Junior kicker Nolan Hauser tied a program record with 27 field goals this season, a reminder of how often Clemson has had to settle for three instead of finishing drives in the end zone as the race in the ACC tightens. [Read more 🡒]