What We Learned From Clemson's Historic Win Over Syracuse
In Clemson's Week 8 game against Syracuse, the No. 5 Tigers committed four turnovers, fell behind by 14 points, gave up a defensive touchdown and benched their starting quarterback, all against a fellow unbeaten team.
About 99% of the time, you'd think that would equal a loss, but as the Tigers proved once again, they can win in many ways, although this probably isn't one they'd like to repeat.
"We can't be sloppy with the ball and expect to win games like that," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "That's a good football team. They were undefeated for a reason. I knew it was going to be a tough game and I knew if we got loose with the ball it was going to come down to a couple of plays. And it did."
The funny thing is, Clemson controlled a lot of this game. The Tigers rushed for 293 yards, had 10 more first downs than Syracuse and moved the ball up and down the field, but the self-inflicted mistakes kept giving the Orange life. Once the Tigers cut down on that, they relied on the defense to make stops, the offense to score with the running backs and the crowd to help spur them to a 27-21 victory, the program's 38th consecutive win at Memorial Stadium. It set the ACC record.
"Just an amazing character win by our team and our staff," Swinney said. "A special moment to be a part of for sure. The 11-point, fourth-quarter comeback, that's the first time we've done that since the 4th-and-16 LSU game in (2012)."
Ultimately, the Tigers stayed undefeated, improving to 8-0 overall and 6-0 in ACC. They've got a stronghold now on the Atlantic Division and need just one more conference win to lock it up. That'll have to wait a while as they have an open date this week followed by a trip to Notre Dame on Nov. 5.
But before we look too far ahead, let's see what else was learned from Clemson's latest escape:
This is still DJU's offense
DJ Uiagalelei had a disastrous day. He threw two interceptions. Both were bad reads. He fumbled deep inside the red zone, ending Clemson's 100% streak in that vital scoring area. Even worse, it got picked up and returned for a 90-yard touchdown, allowing a 14-point swing. Uiagalelei also lost control of the ball on a pass play deep in Syracuse territory late in the first half. The play ended in a sack and a big loss of yards. He just didn't have it. He was benched in the third quarter. And he should've been.
It's something Swinney didn't have the luxury of being able to do last season when things went awry. Freshman backup Cade Klubnik steadied the ship, didn't turn the ball over and used his legs to keep the offense afloat. But Klubnik didn't make any game-changing throws. Clemson relied on the running backs and the defense to pull this game out. While we learned that Uiagalelei is capable of having a really bad day, and that's what it was, Klubnik isn't ready to assume the starting role, either. Clemson got here because of seven solid games by Uiagalelei before the Syracuse debacle. Coaches say this is Uiagalelei's team. So does Klubnik. For now, that remains the case, as it should be.
Passing-game regression
Which quarterback is playing isn't Clemson's biggest problem. The passing game, more specifically the receiving corps, is more of a concern right now. For the second consecutive week, just two wide receivers caught passes: Joseph Ngata and Antonio Williams. That means nothing from Beaux Collins, the team's best outside threat, or freshman Adam Randall, who's getting more playing time since returning from an ACL tear. How do you explain that? Why aren't those weapons being used more?
For starters, teams are defending Collins better and actively seeking to take him out of the rhythm of the offense. Why? Because they don't fear the rest of the receiving corps. Williams is a great underneath option and he hit a huge play at FSU last week, but defenses are willing to live with that if Collins doesn't get going. How much of the lack of WR targets are on the QB? It's hard to tell, but Clemson's corps needs to get better separation. And maybe the passing routes need to become more complex or run better if they can't get away from defenders. Regardless, this is one big area of needed improvement during the off week.
Defense stands
Swinney said he thought the special teams were the key for the Tigers against Syracuse, and while it was again an excellent facet of the game, Clemson stayed undefeated because of the adjustments by the defense. Wes Goodwin, the first-year defensive coordinator who's been maligned at times this season, looked like he was getting out schemed by Syracuse OC Robert Anae in the first half. QB Garrett Shrader was producing big plays on called runs, and Clemson had few answers. But that changed in the second half.
Shrader had four runs of 10+ yards in the first 30 minutes and just one in the final 30. Clemson spied him more and took away his rushing lanes. The defensive front took over the game and didn't get pushed around. Tackles Tyler Davis, Bryan Bresee and Ruke Orhorhoro got pressure on Shrader from right up the gut, and he had nowhere to go. The Tigers rose to the challenge physically and schematically, shutting out the Orange in the second half, producing a season-high five sacks and not allowing a single point off turnovers. Without key defender Barrett Carter, this unit gave up just 14 points to an offense that was averaging 36 points per game. Then they got a huge interception as Syracuse was in Clemson territory in the final seconds to clinch the victory.
The running game's other guy
Will Shipley was fantastic again, rushing for 172 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 6.4 yards per rush and had the 50-yard run to put Clemson up for good in the fourth quarter. However, he wasn't the only big-time back in this game. Phil Mafah rushed for 94 yards on 18 carries. He took a pounding by running into the teeth of the defense. Mafah got the ball seven times with a distance of fewer than five yards needed to pick up the first down. He got the first down (or touchdown) on six of those carries.
He's become a very reliable short-yardage rusher. That's helping keep Shipley fresh, which is helping him bust big plays later in games. Mafah seems like the perfect backfield companion, and Clemson will even put both of them back there to try and trick defenses. But Mafah proved in this game that he was up for a big challenge as he converted twice on fourth-down runs and is now a staple of this backfield with Kobe Pace still out with a high ankle sprain. It's not just one guy that defenses have to be concerned about right now and that's a huge advantage.
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