Ups and Downs: Clemson Mounts Fourth Quarter Comeback to Knock Off Syracuse

CLEMSON-, S.C.- Once again, Syracuse made it difficult on Dabo Swinney's Tigers.

The No 14 Orange, aided by four critical turnovers by Clemson, held a 21-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough, as the No. 5 Tigers scored 17 unanswered to spur a 27-21 comeback victory.

Clemson moves to 8-0 on the season and 6-0 in ACC play, and with the win have now taken complete control of the ACC Atlantic, as the team heads into a much-needed bye week.

Ups

Defense

After not finishing Florida State last weekend in Tallahassee, Wes Goodwin's unit stepped up in a big way, shutting out the Orange in the second half. The Tigers held Syracuse to under 300 yards of total offense and just 167 yards through the air. Clemson sacked Garrett Shrader fives times on the day and continuously harrassed the junior QB throughout the final two quarters.

Ground Game

Brandon Streeter came out forcing the run early and stuck with it throughout, as Clemson rushed 293 yards in the game, averaging 4.9 YPC. Will Shipley had one of his best games to date, totaling 172 yards, with two touchdowns. Phil Mafah was also effective, adding 94 more yards, with one touchdown of his own.

Antonio Williams

The freshman wideout continues to impress, as he once again had a team-high five catches. Williams also added an 18-yard punt return early in the third quarter, which helped swing the momentum back in Clemson's favor.

Cade Klubnik

Last, but not least, the freshman QB came on in the fourth quarter and provided the offense with a much-needed spark. Klubnik finished just 2-of-4 passing for 19 yards, but his energy was unmistakable. Most importantly, he protected the ball.

Downs

Turnovers

It's not very often that you lose the turnover battle 4-to-1 yet still find a way to win. However, that is exactly what this Clemson team did in this win. All four were untimely, but the two by DJ Uiagalelei in the first half were especially critical. Uiagalelei's first interception came with the Tigers driving and his fumble came with the Tigers inside the Orange five. Ja'Had Carter picked it up and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown.

DJ Uiagalelei

No doubt, a performance the junior QB would rather forget. Uiagalelei was just 13-of-21, for 138 yards. However, it was his three turnovers on the day that really put Clemson in a hole. To his credit, rather than sulking after being pulled, Uiagalelei was right in the middle of every huddle, rooting on his teammates.

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