Will Shipley ran for 172 yards and two touchdowns Saturday as No. 5 Clemson rallied past No. 14 Syracuse for a 27-21 home win in ACC action.
Phil Mafah contributed 94 rushing yards and a score as Clemson (8-0, 6-0 ACC) won its 38th straight home game, setting a new ACC record, despite committing four turnovers and forcing only one — an interception by RJ Mickens with 15 seconds left to seal the win.
Tigers quarterbacks DJ Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik combined for just 157 passing yards and three turnovers (all by Uiagalelei).
Garrett Shrader went 18 of 26 for 167 yards with a passing TD and a rushing score for Syracuse (6-1, 3-1), which squandered a 14-point, first-half lead in losing for the first time this season. The Orange only gave standout running back Sean Tucker five carries, which resulted in 54 yards.
Klubnik took over at quarterback in the third quarter for a struggling Uiagalelei with his team trailing 21-10. The freshman guided a 15-play, 80-yard drive that resulted in Mafah’s 1-yard TD plunge on fourth-and-goal early in the fourth quarter.
The two-point conversion was no good.
The Orange committed two critical personal foul penalties on the drive and finished with 10 penalties for 88 yards on the day.
Syracuse went three-and-out on its next drive and Clemson quickly took the lead on Shipley’s 50-yard TD run. Klubnik improvised on the two-point conversion before finding Joseph Ngata to make it 24-21.
B.T. Potter tacked on a field goal with 1:33 remaining to make it 27-21.
The teams exchanged first-quarter touchdowns as Shipley plunged in from 1 yard out before Shrader found Tucker for a 12-yard TD to even the score.
The Orange took their first lead of the game with 9:14 left until halftime, as Ja’Had Carter scooped up a fumble by Uiagalelei and ran 90 yards to the end zone. The Tigers were stuffed on fourth down on the ensuing possession, and Syracuse marched down the field with Shrader covering the final 7 yards on a scramble, giving the visitors a 21-7 advantage.
Potter’s 44-yard field goal in the waning seconds of the half made it 21-10.
–Field Level Media
