Good bad ugly. Ok, the GOOD is…….Clemson won. The GOOD is this team was determined. Today was a BYOG rehash.
RB Will Shipley came to play. He fumbled for the first time this year after an 11 yard run. However, 27 carries, 172 yards, and two touchdowns later, he more than made up for it. Phil Mafah looked like a hoss today, carrying the ball 18 times for 94 yards and a touchdown. This two-headed monster carried the team throughout the game and came up big when called upon.
Cade Klubnik. What more can you say but thank you for coming in when you did and lifting this team up on your shoulders and calming the offense down long enough for the defense to get its legs under them. Once the defense DID regroup, Klubnik moved the ball down the field enough to get the TIgers the lead and was key to winning the game. Speaking of the defense.
With Syracuse leading at the half 21-10, the defense was hit for 172 total yards, and 8 first downs. Seven points was a returned Clemson fumble for about 90 yards as the Tigers were about ready to push the ball in to take a 14-7 lead. Instead, Syracuse took the 14-7 lead and Clemson was knocked down a peg. The Tigers came out in the second half and totally dominated the Syracuse offense. The Orangemen had 7 drives in the 2nd half, running 29 plays for a total of 90 yards. This after Shrader and the offense ran 25 plays for 182 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. The Tigers racked up five sacks and nine tackles for loss. The defense, plain and simple, dominated the entire second half. Shrader and Sean Tucker were running open in the first half at times, but in the second, “Clamp City”.
Many thanks to RJ Mickens for the game ending interception with a mere 15 seconds left in the game and Syracuse driving for the go-ahead score. He was in the right place at the right time. Shrader completed 18-26 passes for 167 yards to include one TD pass to Tucker, but Mickens put the nail in the coffin with his timely interception.
The kicking game excelled once again. BT Potter hit on both field goal attempts and hit all three extra points. On six kickoffs, there were no returns by Syracuse. Punter Aidan Swanson had probably his best day as a Clemson punter, punting twice, hitting on a 54 yard punt downed at the Syracuse 4-yard line, and a 51 yard punt that gave the ball to the Orangemen on their own 19-yard line. Very good day for the special teams.
BAD had to refer to the first half of today’s game. Except for the 1st and last drive of the half, Clemson looked like they were sleepwalking. The first drive of the game ended in a Will Shipley 1-yard TD run. The last drive of the half came after a Syracuse TD, with the Tigers running off 10 plays, 49 yards and ended with a BT Potter field goal. In between that? 32 plays for 117 yards, an interception, and a 90 yard fumble return for a touchdown. The first three drives of the second half was a mirror of the first half. Three drives, 9 plays, 45 yards, and 2 turnovers. Inconsistent is the right word for the offense in the “middle 8.” Coach Dabo Swinney may not be mentioning the middle eight this week.
The last time Clemson had 4 or more turnovers in a game was October 15, 2016 against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. The Tigers won in overtime that day on an interception by Marcus Edmonds. Note of interest: teams this year that had 4 or more turnovers in a game have a combined record of 0-17. Untimely penalties and turnovers were the bane of the Tigers’ existence today.
UGLY? That had to be the looks on fan’s faces when DJ fumbled on the Syracuse 10 yard line and the Syracuse player bolted 90 yards, hushing the sold out crowd. UGLY was watching Shrader run free and often in the first half as he seemed like he was jogging for first downs. UGLY was watching Clemson defensive linemen being HELD all game long with the officials heads turned the other way. What’s NOT UGLY? Clemson winning the game, 27-21. They never gave up, they never quit, and the fighting Dabo’s prevailed again.
