A quick take on No. 18 Syracuse’s 27-21 loss to No. 4 Clemson:
WHAT HAPPENED: Up 21-10 heading into the fourth quarter, silly penalties, poor offensive play calling and a tired defense allowed Clemson to survive Syracuse’s upset bid. The Orange retook possession with 1:38 left down 27-21 with a chance to win, but RJ Mickens intercepted Garrett Shrader with 16 seconds left after Syracuse had moved the ball to the Clemson 30.
ANALYSIS: In a barometer game to see how Syracuse stacked up against a potential College Football Playoff Team, the Orange showed that they can keep up with college football royalty, but lacks just enough playmakers (and discipline) to truly compete. The Orange saw its six-game winning streak snapped and will likely fall a bit in the AP and Coaches Polls. Still, given they just played a spirited battle against the Tigers, who have a mostly clear path to the ACC Championship, it’s not likely to hurt SU as much. For those who believe in moral victories of playing a competitive game against a far superior (in talent) opponent, this would certainly fall into that category as the Orange started this game as 13.5 point underdogs.
HERO: Syracuse’s defense forced four turnovers and ended up forcing Clemson to bench starting QB DJ Uiagalelei who had thrown two interceptions and just 138 yards. Ja’Had Carter was particularly impressive, accounting for an interception in the red zone and a fumble recovery which he took 90 yards for the score in the first half.
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ZERO: Syracuse’s play calling was questionable in the second half, and Sean Tucker rushed just five times for 54 yards Shrader on top of the game ending interception only threw for 167 yards. And of course, several penalties really hurt the Orange including two personal fouls on a key Clemson drive in the second half. Overall SU committed 10 penalties for 88 yards.
WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse returns home to face Notre Dame on Saturday, Oct. 29 at either 12 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. on ABC or ESPN.
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