CLEMSON — Everyone has a bad day occasionally — it has happened to the best of us.

However, Clemson’s 34-21 loss to Syracuse last year was more than just a bad day at the office. As head coach Dabo Swinney put it on Tuesday, during his weekly press conference, it was “embarrassing.”

The Tigers, who visit Syracuse this Saturday, were heavy favorites that afternoon in Clemson. Also, the Orange had yet to win in Death Valley. It was supposed to be an easy win, a bounce back victory after losing on a last second field goal to Georgia Tech the week before.

It was anything but easy.

“I think I did not have them ready, period,” Swinney said. “Sometimes they say, ‘Don’t let a game beat you twice.’ That game was a gut-punch. All of a sudden your 1-2 and it all the noise and all the stuff that comes with that, we were not ready to play.”

Syracuse took the opening drive and went right down the field and scored, as Steve Angeli found Justus Ross-Simmons for a 12-yard touchdown to cap a seven-play, 75-yard drive. On the ensuing kickoff, the Orange surprised Clemson with an onside kick, which led to a 23-yard field goal, and a 10-0 lead.

“It’s 10-0 and we have not even had a snap on offense,” Swinney said.

It only got worse from there. Though quarterback Cade Klubnik hooked up with Bryant Wesco for a 38-yard TD, Syracuse scored two more touchdowns the next two times they touched the football to build a 24-7 lead with 9:13 to play in the half.

“It was hard to watch that first half,” Swinney said.

Angeli, who left the game with a torn ACL before halftime, completed 18 of 31 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns in less than two quarters.

“Give them credit. They were tougher and more physical than we were and punched us right in the mouth,” Swinney said.

Clemson (5-3, 3-2 ACC) eventually got things going and finished the game with 503 total yards. However, they scored just seven second half points, as they were unable to come back.

Syracuse extended its lead to 34-14 by the end of the third quarter. Wesco and Klubnik connected again on a TD pass with 9:00 to play, but it was a little too late.

“I was embarrassed by how we competed,” Swinney said. “I have lost plenty games in my career. We are human. You can make a bad play, and they have good players, but did you compete? Did you freaking compete?

“I do not think we competed in that first half, and it was bad. Call it whatever you want. They were ready to play and we weren’t, and that is my fault.”