Instant Juice: Syracuse 0, Clemson 54

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Syracuse didn't stand a chance against Clemson
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Syracuse was walloped by Clemson

A quick take on Syracuse’s 54-0 loss against Clemson on Saturday afternoon in South Carolina:

WHAT HAPPENED: With Clemson up 3-0 in the first quarter, Eric Dungey was intercepted by Ryan Carter, who returned the ball to the SU 5. Three plays later, Deshaun Watson ran it in from one yard out, which opened the floodgates for Clemson. The Tigers scored touchdowns on three consecutive drives in the second quarter, and brought a 30-0 lead into halftime. But the game was significantly costlier than just the loss, with Dungey suffering a head injury midway through the first half that left him in street clothes the rest of the game.

» Related: During bye week, Syracuse football can taste a bowl game invite

ANALYSIS: After an upset win over then-No. 17 Virginia Tech and a road win against Boston College, the Orange came into Death Valley with a .500 record and some momentum. But Clemson was not having any of it, stymieing SU’s high-powered offense, holding them to just 279 overall yards. Any hope of Syracuse keeping it close quickly dissipated after Dungey’s injury, leaving SU to turn to third-string quarterback Austin Wilson, who predictably also struggled against a talented Tiger defense.

HERO: Watson also missed the second half of the game with an apparent shoulder injury, but still managed to combine for three touchdowns (two passing, one on the ground). For the Orange, with nine receptions for 84 yards, Amba Etta-Tawo set a new Syracuse single-season record for receiving yards, breaking Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison’s previous record of 1,131 yards.

ZERO: Late in the third quarter, Cole Murphy missed a 31-yard field goal that would’ve put SU on the board. He is now two for his last nine attempts.

WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome on Nov. 12 to play NC State at 12:30 p.m. TV: ACC Network.

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About Wes Cheng 2907 Articles
Wes has worked for Rivals.com covering the New York Knicks, as well as for Scout.com covering Syracuse athletics. Wes has also been a contributing writer for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), for SportsNet New York (SNY) as a news desk writer covering all of New York professional sports, and reported on the NBA and MLB for the New York Sportscene. A native of Long Island, New York, Wes graduated from Syracuse University in 2005 with a degree in journalism. Contact him at wes[at]sujuiceonline.com.