Clemson Football: Studs & Duds from the ugly win vs. Syracuse

Duds

Travis Etienne only ate a bowl of frosted flakes

We just gave you a positive from Etienne’s game- and he was certainly needed in the offense- but perhaps the biggest dud of the day was found out after the game when Etienne said he was struggling with cramps because he had only eaten a bowl of frosted flakes for breakfast.

That statement is a microcosm, in my opinion, of what the Tigers’ mindset was coming into this game.

Do you think Etienne would’ve only eaten a bowl of frosted flakes if Clemson was playing Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State or Alabama? The answer is no.

This team did struggle with a lack-of-focus and that can be found in a simple statement from one of its top stars following the win.

The pick-six

Of course, when you’re talking about the game itself, the biggest dud was the pick-six from Trevor Lawrence right before the half. Lawrence threw the ball behind Amari Rodgers, who turned around and got a finger on the ball. Unfortunately, that ball was tipped in the air and picked off, then returned for a touchdown.

An ugly storm for the offense

The most disappointing part of the afternoon for the offense was the inability to get anything going. Syracuse sold out to not letting Travis Etienne beat them and the offensive line wasn’t able to get any kind of push going to establish the run.

Well, that wouldn’t have been quite as frustrating, but Lawrence had his most inaccurate day of the season, meaning that neither the passing game nor the running game were working smoothly.

That resulted in an ugly storm for the offense.