CLEMSON — Syracuse has come into Death Valley and made a statement in the first half.
The Orange have had their way with the Tigers, moving the ball at will, and hold a 24-14 lead at halftime.
The boobirds were out halfway through the second quarter, and many fans have already filed out of the stadium, seeing as Clemson could be on its way to a 1-3 start, something that has never happened under Dabo Swinney.
The Tigers did put together a scoring drive right before the half, and do get the ball back after the break, but if the defense can’t get some stops, it likely won’t matter.
Where’s the D: Tom Allen’s defense is getting downright gashed. Syracuse had almost 200 yards of offense before the end of the first quarter. The Orange have averaged right at seven yards per play, and not because they’ve done anything fancy.
The Tigers are leaving lanes so wide open you could drive a truck through them. Cuse had rushed for more than 100 yards before the end of their third possession. Allen’s unit is allowing close to seven yards per carry and has already given up over 300 yards of offense.
Have some of these guys checked out after the disastrous start? It sure looks and feels that way.
What Was Klubnik Looking At: Early in the second quarter, and with the offense facing a third and 11, Klubnik had TJ Moore wide open to his right, looked right at him, but never pulled the trigger.. He instead elected to dump it off to Adam Randall for only a six-yard gain. Hit Moore, and that is easily a first down and more.
To be fair, Klubnik had been pretty good in the first half. He is 15-of-19 for 152 yards with two touchdown throws. The quarterback is finally seeing the field better, and now the defense has fallen off a cliff.
Special Teams Blunders: After the Orange ran it right down Clemson’s throat on the opening possession, Cuse pulled off a very well-executed onside kick. Jamal Anderson was caught on his heels and was made to pay. Syracuse scored three points on that drive, and that extra possession was huge.
In the second quarter, Ronan Hanafin had a shot to down Jack Smith’s 40-yard punt on the one-yard line. Instead of batting the ball out of the end zone, he nonchalantly just caught it and came down just on the other side of the goal line, resulting in a touchback.
Adam Randall Continues to Shine: At some point, Garrett Riley is going to realize he needs to feed Randall. Despite running for more than 10 yards per carry, he only has eight rushing attempts. He absolutely needs the ball in his hands more.
Photo by Bart Boatwright