Who were the major contributors in Syracuse's upset of Clemson

While he was not on the field, Syracuse offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon was the MVP of the victory over Clemson. Yes, substitute “Playcaller” for the final letter.

The Syracuse run game set the tone in the first quarter

Nixon and his staff put together a beautiful game plan to attack the Tiger defense. It started from the jump with the running game, utilizing zone blocking and the cutback lanes that were created.

On the first drive as the first three plays were Yasin Willis runs of four and 32 yards, then Will Nixon tacked on another five-yard run. Two drives later, Willis tacked on runs of 14 and 11 yards and Nixon hit double digits for the first time, picking up 12 yards on the last play of the opening quarter.

The duo finished the day with 140 yards on 28 carries, netting five yards a pop. Most of that was accomplished in the first half, as Willis was 9-for-77 and Nixon 6-for-37 as the Orange got out to a ten-point halftime lead.

The pass attack took advantage of the success on the ground

The pass attack played off the run game success with Johntay Cook II and Justus Ross-Simmons taking the lead. Both wideouts were targeted 11 times on the day, Cook making six catches for 113 yards and Ross-Simmons five receptions for 53 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

In all, Nixon played a major role in guiding SU to their 24-7 lead before the midpoint of the second quarter. His playcalling put Clemson on their heels and enabled SU to dictate the rest of the game.

The Orange defense finally got some big plays

The Syracuse defense played a complementary role in the game, getting a few big plays to aid their “bend but don’t break style”. The unit forced two turnovers on the day to go with what amounts to a third in the early successful onside kick by special teams.

Freshman linebacker Antoine Deslauriers punched the ball out of Adam Randall’s hands late in the third quarter and defensive lineman Rashard Perry wrestled the ball away from a Tiger lineman, setting up Rickie Collins’ 18-yard touchdown pass that pushed the Orange lead to three possessions at 34-14.

With just over five minutes remaining and SU holding a 34-21 lead, cornerback Davien Kerr ended a Clemson drive with an interception. Gifted a possession, Kerr’s offensive mates were able to bleed 90 seconds off the clock before Jack Stonehouse pinned the hosts inside their own ten with a punt, effectively ending the game.

A big return to the field of play keyed the defense

Defensive back Devin Grant’s return from injury was a big story, as he logged a team-high ten tackles, including two for loss. His backfield mate Braheem Long was a major impact, as well. Long had eight tackles, including a sack, and broke up a pass in the game.

Grant’s tackles for loss, in particular, were big for the Syracuse defense. The first forced a 3rd-and-11 and eventual Tiger punt early in the second quarter and his second blew up their next drive, as well, contributing to a three-and-out.

The defense as a whole played well in the second half. Despite facing an opponent with a passing lean, the Orange gave up just 5.3 yards per play in the second half after yielding 7.3 yards per snap before the break. That includes giving up just over 5.4 yards per play to Clemson through the air.

SU allowed the Tigers to convert just 2-of-8 third downs after halftime and snuffed them out on all four of their fourth down attempts.

And the special teams added on, especially in field position

Both Syracuse kickers were effective, as well. Woody Tripp had a clean placekicking game, including a personal best 49-yard field goal. Punter Jack Stonehouse averaged 44.7 yards on his six punts, sending four inside the Clemson 20 and allowing just one to be returned. The Tigers’ average starting point after a Stonehouse punt was inside their own 17-yard-line.

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