Clemson vs. Syracuse: Game Grades, Analysis for the Tigers

It was an ugly game that brought out a lot of mistakes, but at the end of the day the Clemson Tigers found a way to hang on for a 37-27 win over the Syracuse Orange on Saturday. 

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was phenomenal for the Tigers, throwing for 360 yards and scoring three total touchdowns. This was a game that came down to Clemson's offense sustaining drives and making plays in the fourth quarter, and Watson's leadership was apparent down the stretch. 

Syracuse played a great game, and its rushing attack kept the Tigers off-balance all afternoon. The Orange totaled 242 rushing yards and averaged 7.1 yards per carry. They reeled off a number of big plays, and some of Clemson's defensive weaknesses were on display because of it. 

The Tigers jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead, but a couple of fumbles set Syracuse up with some scores of its own. This game was close in the fourth quarter, and Syracuse deserves a lot of credit for the fight it showed throughout this contest. 

The Orange move to 3-7 on the year. This was the seventh straight loss for Syracuse, but you have to respect the amount of heart the Orange displayed Saturday afternoon. 

For the Tigers, the undefeated record stays unblemished, and they will lay it on the line again next week against Wake Forest. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Passing Offense	A	A
Rushing Offense	B-	B-
Passing Defense	A	A
Rushing Defense	C	D
Special Teams	A	A-
Coaching	B	C+

Passing

The passing attack was effective Saturday, and Watson had another great game. The Tigers totaled 266 yards passing in the first half and 360 overall. The deep ball was once again a big part of the offense, and a lot of guys delivered at receiver. 

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Eight different Tigers had a reception against Syracuse, and senior wide receiver Charone Peake had one of his best games of the season with 120 yards and a touchdown. 

Rushing

The Tigers did not enjoy the same kind of success on the ground that they have been accustomed to this year, but it was still a solid day. Clemson had 15 carries for 86 yards at the half and finished with 210 yards overall. 

The Tigers averaged 5.7 yards per carry, and Watson's legs were once again dangerous. He finished with 105 rushing yards, and Wayne Gallman added 66 yards and a touchdown. 

Passing Defense 

The Orange did not find much success through the air, as they only had 21 passing attempts in the entire game. Backup Zack Mahoney was adequate as the starter, but he finished with only 80 passing yards. 

The Tigers secondary did a solid job, but it was clear that Syracuse did not intend to challenge the Tigers through the air. 

Rushing Defense

And that brings us to the rushing defense. The bottom line is that it was subpar. Clemson's defense allowed numerous big plays on the ground, and those big plays made this game interesting in the fourth quarter. 

The Orange totaled 242 yards rushing and averaged 7.1 yards per carry. Their triple-option attack was effective, and the Tigers were out of position on multiple plays. 

Special Teams 

Greg Huegel has been an important player for this team, and that was clear on Saturday. He finished the game 3-of-3 on his field-goal attempts, and a couple of those were clutch kicks in the fourth quarter. 

The kickoff return unit continues to struggle with getting any kind of running room, but the kickoff coverage looked better against Syracuse. 

Coaching

From an offensive standpoint, the coaches handled this game well. The Tigers struggled to get yards up the middle, but they opened things up for Watson by spreading out the field. It was another impressive game plan from co-offensive coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott. 

This was not a good game for the defense, though, so the coaching overall for the entire game gets a C-plus. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables is the best in the business, but he has to receive some of the blame for guys being out of place at the second level.