Studs & Duds for Clemson football in the win over Syracuse
The Clemson football team remained undefeated on the season with a win over the Syracuse Orange Saturday afternoon in Death Valley.
Though the Tigers didn’t cover a massive 46.5-point spread, they did win by a comfortable 26-point margin in a 47-21 victory over the Orange.
As we continue to look back at the Clemson football win, here’s a look at some studs and duds from the afternoon.
Studs
The scoop-and-score from the defense
Syracuse had just cut the lead to six and had gotten the ball back. For the first time all afternoon, it felt like a real game.
That’s when the Clemson defense- specifically Mike Jones Jr., Bryan Bresee and Andrew Booth Jr.– stepped up big.
The Tigers forced a fumble from Syracuse QB Rex Culpepper and Booth Jr. scooped it up and ran it back for a touchdown. That was the momentum swing Clemson football needed to make a run and put the game out of reach.
Amari Rodgers was a big-time bright spot
There were plenty of negatives when you look at the Tiger offense, but Amari Rodgers wasn’t one of the them.
Rodgers finished the day with a team-leading eight receptions for 91 yards. He broke off a couple of big runs and did an excellent job making plays on the outside when Clemson needed it most.
More Studs
Mike Jones Jr., Nolan Turner interceptions
If it wasn’t enough for Mike Jones Jr. to help force that big fumble, he also had an interception early in the fourth quarter and returned it 40 yards all the way down to the Syracuse 3-yard line, where the Tigers eventually punched it in.
Nolan Turner also had an interception, picking off Culpepper in the first half. That was his third interception of the season.
Davis Allen is emerging as a star
Davis Allen is that do-it-all tight end that you dream of having on your roster. Allen was a key blocker on a couple of the Tigers’ big rushes and he caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence in the first half.
Xavier Thomas returning to his old self
It was really good to see Xavier Thomas play the most snaps that he has had all season Saturday against Syracuse. He came away with two tackles and a sack (which actually was the leading number for the Tigers) and he’s slowly returning to his old self.
Etienne scores three touchdowns
Etienne might have been dealing with some cramps and other issues, but he did score three touchdowns Saturday and became the all-time leading scorer in Clemson football history, as well.
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.
More Duds
The missed field goal & blocked punt
Will Spiers had a nice week other than the first blocked punt of his career and B.T. Potter did connect on his other field goal attempt, but still those were two special teams plays that were frustrating for the Tigers.
Etienne’s fumble
This is the second-straight week that Travis Etienne has fumbled the football. Last week against Georgia Tech, it was recovered by the Yellow Jackets.
This week, the Tigers didn’t lose possession, but it’s still something you don’t want to see from your star running back, who only had four fumbles in the past three seasons combined.
Defense with two major blunders
The Tiger defense didn’t play terrible, but it did have two major blunders: First, allowing Syracuse to score after the blocked punt and, second, allowing the busted 83-yard touchdown pass.
This was an ugly win for Clemson football, but a win nonetheless. The Tigers will be back in action next Saturday to take on the Boston College Eagles in Death Valley.