The Tigers add another win to their undefeated record, prevailing over the Orange in the Carrier Dome 41-6.
Tonight was all about the Tiger’s running game and defense. Coach Swinney summed up the game well, telling Maria Taylor that although the offense struggled a little bit at times, their defense showed up big.
From their very first possession of the game, the Tigers passing game was just not working as well for them as it usually does. Lawrence did not seem to be on the same page as his receivers, as he threw two interceptions and had multiple passes swatted down. Still, he completed 22 out of 39 passes, and had a career high of 395 yards, rushing for 42 of them, including a touchdown. Overall, not a perfect night for Lawrence, but not a bad night either. With eight minutes left in the game, and a comfortable 34-6 lead, the Tiger’s left it to Chase Brice to finish out the game.
Clemson may be considered a wide receiver university, but tonight it was the running backs that truly shined. Etienne was as reliable as ever; when the Tigers were having trouble establishing the passing game, he was getting the job done. Etienne finished the game with three receptions for 32 yards and rushed 76 yards, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. However, with seven receptions for 150 yards and five receptions for 64 yards respectively, wide receivers Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross did not disappoint.
Amari Rogers may have returned last week, but tonight he made his presence known and proved that he is more than healthy. He scored the first touchdown of the game, completing a 16-yard catch in the first quarter. Then in the third quarter, Rogers ran the ball a whopping 87 yards for a touchdown in what was just a simple third-down screen pass. He finished the game with four receptions for 121 yards.
The Tigers defense showed up big tonight, only allowing 187 yards of offense and no touchdowns. When Lawrence threw his first interception of the game, Mario Goodrich took the ball right back with his own interception. Later on, another Lawrence interception gave the Orange great field position in the red zone, but, defense came up big yet again with a goaline stand. Seven of the Tigers players had at least half a sack. The Tigers defense was so dominating that Syracuse could not capitalize on Clemson’s mistakes.
Overall, the time of possession was pretty equal between Clemson and Syracuse. The difference was that Clemson’s defense prevented Syracuse from finishing the job and putting points up on the board.
With a comfortable lead in the fourth quarter, Coach Swinney put some backup players in the game. Now, it is important to note that Clemson’s backups are still some of the best players in the nation, so, it’s safe to say that the team was in good hands. Putting the icing on the cake, backup running back, Chez Mellusi ran the ball 57 yards for a touchdown with 48 seconds left in the game.
Even though the Tigers did not play their best game, they still played pretty dang good. After two years of close games with the Orange, the Tigers were able to bury them in a 41-6 win. Clemson will be back at home next week for parent’s weekend when they play UNC Charlotte at 7:30 p.m.