Clemson football backup QB Cade Klubnik leads 27-21 comeback win vs. Syracuse
CLEMSON – Clemson got a big victory. And maybe a quarterback conversation.
Freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik came off the sideline in the second half as a replacement for struggling starter D.J. Uiagalelei and led Clemson on back-to-back touchdown drives Saturday for a 27-21 comeback victory against Syracuse at Memorial Stadium.
Fifth-ranked Clemson (8-0, 6-0) heads into its open date with a clear lead in the Atlantic Division of the ACC. Syracuse (6-1, 3-1) was trying to supplant the Tigers at the top.
Clemson set an ACC record with its 38th consecutive home victory. It was the first game between unbeatens with at least six victories in Memorial Stadium history. The Tigers are 8-0 for the ninth time. In the previous seven, they have gone to the national championship game.
Klubnik entered with Clemson down, 21-10, in the third quarter after Uiagalelei's third turnover. Klubnik led an 80-yard drive and the Tigers scored in two plays on the next series, Will Shipley running 50 yards for the TD. On the two-point conversion to make it a 24-21 lead, Klubnik escaped a sack and found Joseph Ngata in the back of the end zone.
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More:Clemson football struggles to slow Garrett Shrader, Syracuse in first half
Here are some instant takeaways:
Clemson in total control of ACC
The Tigers were in danger of losing control of the ACC but recovered with a second half comeback and now are on the verge of wrapping this thing up. It will have to wait a few weeks, though. Clemson, going into an open date and a game at Notre Dame, can clinch the Atlantic Division by winning either the Oct. 12 home game against Louisville or the Oct. 19 game against Miami if anybody is still within reach by then. Syracuse, meanwhile, has ACC games remaining against Pitt, Florida State, Wake Forest and Boston College.
Turnovers were costly for Clemson
Clemson had three turnovers in the red zone. D.J. Uiagalelei threw an interception and then had fumble that was returned 90 yards for a Syracuse touchdown. The Tigers turned it over on two of their first three possessions of the second half as well. Will Shipley fumbled on the first play after Clemson got the ball at the Orange 41. Uiagalelei's second interception happened on the next series when the Tigers were inside the 20 again.
Clemson running backs shared load
Clemson used a different approach with its running backs in the first half. Instead of going with mostly Will Shipley on a series and then mostly Phil Mafah on another, they subbed for each other on the same possession. The result was a near-even split in the first half, Shipley 13 carries for 57 yards while Mafah had 10 carries for 60. Mafah had a short TD run in the second half and Shipley a long one from 50.
Defense struggled early vs. Syracuse QB
Clemson's defense talked all week about the need to stop Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader from running, but the Tigers did little to stop him in the first half. He had nine carries for 67 yards and a touchdown while completing 9 of 11 passes for another TD. Some of the runs were decisions made in the pocket. The Tigers said they were ready for that, but it didn't seem they had a spy on him.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Cade Klubnik leads Clemson football to 27-21 win vs. Syracuse
