SYRACUSE – The Clemson Tigers didn’t make it easy, but strolled out of Syracuse with a win over the previously undefeated Orange on the road 31-14. It was a game led by quarterback Cade Klubnik, and that’s two weeks in a row of that case.
It’s never easy to hand a team their first loss, but it was necessary for Clemson to get their feet back under them with an ACC victory. Now 1-2 in the conference, here’s the 411 on the Tigers’ handling of Syracuse in the JMA Wireless Dome.
-Freshman wide receiver Tyler Brown had a career day on the road. Highs of eight catches for 151 yards, and there’s a very real case he’s the best receiver on this offense. Klubnik and Brown’s chemistry was evident all day. Even when it required some improv on broken plays, the two were on the same page and it saved Clemson on multiple occasions.
-Garrett Riley is finally opening up the offense. It’s been mainly a west-coast scheme with little deep shots, but he threw that out the window against the Orange. Deep shots aplenty, and it was successful. Brown and Beaux Collins had 47-yard catches apiece, and the challenges downfield forced multiple pass interference penalties on Syracuse.
-Klubnik had a strong day, continuing his momentum from last week. He finished the game with 23-37 for 263 yards and two touchdowns, commanding the field throughout the day. With struggles on the ground, it was imperative that Klubnik took over and it stabilized what could’ve been a very shaky day otherwise.
-Credit to the Tigers’ front. The rushing game for the Orange was almost entirely erased and it put a lot of pressure on quarterback Garrett Shrader. That’s where Syracuse struggles, and forcing them into a one-dimensional offense late, and Shrader made a mistake with an interception to linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. that buried the Orange. A 32-yard touchdown scamper from running back Phil Mafah right after didn’t hurt.
-Another Clemson freshman who made a massive impact was defensive end T.J. Parker. He had two sacks on the day and fingerprints all over the successful pass rush on the road. It’s always a great sight to see young talent performing, and the Tigers have plenty of it.
-Clemson gave the Orange an extra life in the fourth quarter with a fumble by tight end Jake Briningstool. It was a clean day up until that point, and Syracuse scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive to make it 24-14. Thankfully for the Tigers, it didn’t snowball into anything more.
TURNING POINT
Clemson held just a seven-point lead late in the first half. That changed quickly thanks to the deep touchdown connection by Klubnik and Collins. Before that play. it felt like the fast start by the Tigers had been erased.
The long score froze the Orange, and Syracuse never fully recovered from the gut punch. It’s important to mention that, because big-play touchdowns haven’t been the norm in 2023. Those plays are backbreakers and this one showed it. A late rally wasn’t enough.
TELLING STAT: 1.6
That’s all Shrader could muster per carry against Clemson, finishing with 15 carries for 24 yards. It was key for that phase of the game to be denied, and it started early with two first quarter sacks. The man who once said this was the year to take down the Tigers was eating his words thanks to the likes of Parker and Tyler Davis.