Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
WAER works hard to bring you award-winning sports coverage in Central New York. With a Sports staff of more than 20 people, you get comprehensive coverage of Syracuse University Football, Men's Basketball, and Men's Lacrosse. The best play by play on the air combined with regular morning and afternoon sports updates make WAER the source for sports in Central New York. See the legacy video here. See what it's like being in WAER Sports00000176-de2c-dce8-adff-feeff0ff000000000176-de2c-dce8-adff-feeff0ff0003

Syracuse Unable to Repeat Upset Against Clemson

cuse.com

After the first 4-0 start since 1991, Syracuse and head coach Dino Babers looked to upset the Clemson Tigers for the second year in a row. Unfortunately, that was not the case this year as the Clemson Tigers defended their turf in Death Valley with a score of 27-23.

Clemson’s head coach Dabo Swinney named five-star freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the starter over senior Kelly Bryant. This decision came after Lawrence’s stellar performance against Georgia Tech last week. However, Clemson fans experienced déjà vu just before the first half ended.

Trevor Lawrence scrambled out of the pocket to avoid a sack but ended up being tackled behind the line of scrimmage. Lawrence was then slow to get up and ruled out for the rest of the game with a head injury. Last season in the Carrier Dome, Syracuse sacked Kelly Bryant and injured him for the rest of the game as well. Syracuse then went on to defeat the Tigers last season.

Once Lawrence was ruled out for the rest of the game, you would expect former starter, Kelly Bryant to step up. However, on Wednesday, Kelly Bryant announced he would be transferring. Therefore, it was up to red shirt freshman Chase Brice to take the reins for the Clemson Tigers. Prior to today’s game, Brice had only seen limited action in the first four games and only threw five completed passes for 37 yards. Now, he was in the spot light.

This was also a big game for Syracuse Quarterback Eric Dungey, who is in Heisman contention. A win against a top three team would have added to his successful season. However, the Orange had a lack of big plays on offense which led to their downfall. Dungey ended with two rushing touchdowns on the day, but a costly interception late in the third quarter prevented the Orange from taking a commanding lead.

It was a tale of two stories when it came to the running game on both sides. Syracuse’s defense could not stop Clemson’s running game. Sophomore Travis Etienne had a career day with 203 yards and three touchdowns. Outside handoffs and up the middle, Etienne got the best of this Orange defense in just about every way. Clemson’s backup running back, Adam Choice, almost had more rushing yards than the entire Syracuse offense with 58. Five different rushers for Syracuse combined for 61 yards. Dino Babers’ running back by committee was unable to create big plays when this offense needed it most.

Because of the lack of yardage on the ground, Syracuse’s quarterback, Eric Dungey, was forced to turn into a passing quarterback. Typically, Dungey will do the most damage on the ground and lead the Orange in rush yards, but that was not the case today. Jamal Custis, who had a couple deep passes dropped last game, led the Orange in reception yards with 73 and helped the team convert on a couple of crucial third downs.

Many Syracuse fans were hoping for back to back upsets against one of the best defensive, and offensive, teams in the country. However, it appears Syracuse will have to wait at least another week to be recognized as one of the top 25 teams in the country. Syracuse will travel to Pittsburgh next week as they look to restart after their first loss of the season.