By Ed McGraahan.

People who claim to love defense over offense only love it when they’re teams win.

That’s not an original thought, but it seems applicable after watching Clemson 2014 A.D. (After Deshaun broke a bone in his hand and the air left the offense like a punctured balloon).

Connoisseurs of defense might savor the beauty of the 16-6 homecoming victory over Syracuse, but the nose didn’t have a vintage bouquet. The offense sputtered as if it had water in the fuel tank.

Marked by breathtaking mistakes, the game was a product of a defense that seemed to take great glee in carrying a nationally ranked team and a program that built its reputation on prolific offense.

“As long as we have one more point than the opponent, that’s all that matters,” said Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. “We got it done.”

“It’s just how it’s been happening,” said senior nose tackle Grady Jarrett, who had one of 12 tackles for loss. “We kept them out of the end zone tonight, just did our job.”

Yardage came in fits and lurches and Clemson won despite losing the turnover battle 4-3. That might work again at Wake Forest and probably against Georgia State when the Tigers return next to Death Valley.

The way Georgia Tech jumped all over error prone Pitt in the first quarter Saturday it’s unlikely Clemson can afford to test it’s luck in Atlanta.

And heaven help this team if it commits four turnovers against South Carolina.

Keeping the seat warm until injured freshman Deshaun Watson returns in a few weeks, quarterback Cole Stoudt completed 24 of 35 passes for 209 yards but he was intercepted twice and fumbled at the Clemson 25-yard line. Possibly the most unpopular player in a Clemson uniform, Stoudt keeps plugging along despite, claiming he doesn’t hear the crowd.

Some of Stoudt’s issues are the product of ambitious play calling and stubborn resolve. In the second quarter he seemed to find a rhythm when C.J. Davidson lit the fuse with a couple productive runs. Then Davidson quashed the momentum when he mishandled a pitch for a touchdown Kalon Davis could have scored.

Until Stoudt and tight end Stanton Seckinger connected on a 19-yard touchdown pass with 14:28 to play, Clemson had not scored a touchdown at home since the fourth quarter of the N.C. State game. It would be the only one.

“Things go wrong. You can’t be perfect every play,” Stoudt said. “There’s a little bit of frustration here and there, but we found a way to win.”  Stubborn in its insistence on establishing the run, it became a matter of survival. Redshirt freshman Wayne Gallman delivered with 101 yards – a season high for a Clemson back – on 28 carries.

Making it all the more impressive was the fact that an offensive line already stretched thin played without left tackle Isaiah Battle, who was suspended for a violation of team rules, and center Ryan Norton left the game in the fourth quarter. “A lot of guys right now are playing in pain,” said Seckinger.

Versatile Reid Webster began at right tackle, moved to left tackle briefly and finished at center. Converted defensive lineman Rod Byers and defensive tackle D.J. Reader were added as blockers in short yardage. “It’s something we’ve kind of gotten used to,” said Webster.

So many things have gone wrong for the offense so it’s truly impressive that Clemson has not tripped.

“Nothing’s easy right now,” said offensive coordinator Chad Morris. “You just try to stay simple and try to create momentum and let you guys go make a play.”

Clemson last won with more turnovers than its opponent in the Chick-fil-A victory over LSU two seasons ago. Leave it to the defense to pick up the pieces again. Syracuse’s longest drive was the 61 yards before the first field goal. The next longest was 27 in the game’s final minutes when it was moot.

“We can’t worry about what the offense does,” Robert Smith said. “Our job is to get the ball back.

“If they don’t score, then how can they win, that’s our mentality,” he said. “That’s what we are really thriving off of right now, and that’s a lot of momentum.”

On Tuesday we’ll see the College Football Playoff committee’s first Top 25, and undoubtedly Clemson will be in the mix. Any hope of being there at the end of the season and potentially earning another BCS bowl invitation requires the offensive line heal over the next 10 days, Watson returns by Georgia Tech  and the defense continue to keep on truckin’.

So while the taste may be tart and the nose acrid, connoisseurs of defense aren’t complaining.