Snap judgments as defense saves day for Tigers against Syracuse

On3 imageby:Matt Connolly10/15/21

MattConnollyOn3

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Clemson offensive lineman Jordan McFadden said ahead of Friday’s game at Syracuse that after the defense had the offense’s back the first half of the season, it was time for the offense to pick up the slack the second half of the year.

That didn’t happen for the Tigers in the Carrier Dome, but what did happen was another close Clemson victory.

Andre Szmyt missed a 48-yard field goal in the final seconds that would have tied the game as the Tigers held on for a 17-14 victory, earning their first win away from home this season.

With the victory, Clemson improves to 4-2 (3-1) heading into a monster showdown at Pitt next weekend. The Tigers also keep their hopes alive to win a seventh straight ACC crown, although there will obviously need to be a lot of improvement down the stretch for that to happen.

Brent Venables’ unit was stellar against Syracuse, despite playing without several starters and despite Clemson’s offense putting it in tough situations for much of the night.

Here are some takeaways from Friday’s game:

Clemson offense lacking confidence

The Tigers faced a critical third-and-6 in the fourth quarter on what turned out to be their final drive. Dabo Swinney let the play clock wind down and called timeout. After a discussion, the Tigers went to Justyn Ross on and out throw, but DJ Uiagalelei’s pass was high and the Tigers weren’t close to connecting.

There seem to be no go-to plays for the Tigers at this point in the year.

Tigers defense shows heart

Clemson’s defense was put in tough situations all night with the offense struggling to move the ball, but James Skalski, Baylon Spector and company kept answering the call. That includes in the final seconds when Clemson got a stop on third-and-short, forcing Syracuse to attempt a long field goal to potentially send the game into overtime.

Sean Tucker is for real

The Syracuse running back finished with 157 rushing yards against one of the best defenses in the country. Tucker entered Friday first in the ACC in rushing yards per game and extended his lead. He also leads the ACC in yards from scrimmage.

Tucker averaged 7.1 yards per carry, including a 54-yard run in the first half. At times, Clemson did a good job of keeping him bottled up. But when there was a hole, Tucker found it.

Next week will be tough for Tigers

After escaping with a win at Syracuse, Clemson now has to play Kenny Pickett and Pitt on the road. Clemson’s offense will need to score points to beat the Panthers and it’s hard to imagine them scoring a lot with the way the unit looks right now.

This marked the fifth consecutive game against an FBS opponent that Clemson did not score at least 20 points in regulation. That’s the first time the Tigers have failed to score 20+ points in regulation in five straight games against FBS opponents since 1994.