It has become abundantly clear that one player could probably be the player of the game for Clemson each and every week. Three guesses who that could be.

However, when one player singlehandedly bails out an entire team and coaching staff, circumstances change. Against Syracuse, there was one player who consistently performed well and made an impact that stretched far beyond the scoreboard. There was one member of the 2015 Clemson Tigers whose performance against the Orange on the road exceeded the call of duty by leaps and bounds.

That player was placekicker Greg Huegel.

Sure, Huegel only found himself on the field seven times in Saturday’s 37-27 victory. By comparison, the Clemson offense ran 83 plays. That gap in playing time makes any offensive player considerably more valuable in terms of play-for-play impact on the outcome of a game.

Take into consideration, though, Huegel’s per play impact on the scoreboard. His seven appearances netted a total of 13 points in a ten-point victory—three field goals and four extra points.

Not only that, but Huegel was able to overcome a plethora of issues that came from his teammates on offense and defense, as well as a considerable coaching gaffe that freely ceded control of Saturday’s contest to Syracuse..

Regardless of the circumstances, Huegel’s steely cool and unpredictable consistency were money for a team that needed a little bit of both in a game that could have spiraled out of control. It all came courtesy of a player who was not even in anybody’s thought bubble in late July.

Huegel’s game started off in fairly typical boring fashion, as he banged home four extra points within the first 18 minutes of play. After that point, Clemson’s only offense came via a trifecta of his field goals.

A 38-yarder late in the second quarter gave the Tigers a two-score halftime lead at 31-17. In the fourth quarter, a pair of makes allowed Clemson’s fans who made the trip to Syracuse—and many who watched anxiously on television—to breathe a little easier.

With the Tigers leading by a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, Huegel converted from 31 yards away to extend the lead to 34-24. In the same situation with just under seven minutes to play, he performed the same feat, making a kick from 42 yards away—his fourth in five tries from at least 40 yards out this season—to give Clemson a 37-27 advantage.

Huegel overcame the adversities of others in Saturday’s game, and there was plenty to overcome. A backup quarterback inexplicably in the game in the third series fumbled the ball—replays showed that was a questionable ruling—and allowed the Orange to have new life. Defensive issues plagued the Tigers throughout the game, particularly against the run. Despite holding comfortable leads in many statistical categories, the margin on the scoreboard remained tight.

In that context, Huegel delivered, just as he has delivered all year long. He has not been fazed against powerhouses like Notre Dame or Florida State, or on the road at Louisville. It all prepared him for Saturday, when the youngster came through in moments of great importance during a special season for his team.