Clemson survived an Atlantic Coast Conference defensive battle on Saturday, relying on the right leg of Nolan Hauser and a scoop-and-score defensive touchdown to edge Syracuse 18-13 inside the JMA Wireless Dome.
Neither team’s offense found much rhythm for three quarters, but big special-teams moments, goal-line drama, and a frantic finish produced plenty of high-wire action. Here is a look at what worked and what went wrong for both sides in upstate New York:
THE UPS
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Nolan Hauser’s Clutch Foot: Clemson’s placekicker was virtually the team’s entire scoring offense. Hauser drilled four field goals from 32, 36, 37, and a booming 54-yarder in the third quarter that cleared the uprights with room to spare. Hauser even contributed in the punting game, launching two punts for an average of 54.5 yards, including a 57-yard blast.
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Kourtney Kelly and Jahiem Lawson’s Game-Changing Play: Clemson’s lone touchdown of the day came courtesy of sheer defensive aggression. Midway through the third quarter, Kelly beat his blocker and crushed Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli for a 10-yard sack, jarring the ball loose at the Syracuse 22-yard line. Lawson scooped up the rolling football and sprinted 22 yards to the end zone for the score that ultimately decided the contest.
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Ashton Hampton’s Defensive Masterclass: The Clemson defensive back delivered an all-around performance, leading the Tigers with eight solo tackles and two pass breakups. His crowning moment arrived with 6:03 remaining in the fourth quarter, when he jumped in front of an Angeli pass intended for David Clement at the goal line for a touchback interception to protect an 18-6 lead.
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Tait Reynolds’ Clock-Killing Finish: While Clemson’s passing attack had its lulls, Reynolds made the game’s biggest plays when it mattered most. Trailing 18-13 with 3:12 remaining, Syracuse had all three timeouts, but Reynolds ripped off a 10-yard scramble on third-and-8, followed two snaps later by a 13-yard burst on second-and-8 to run out the clock and seal the win. He ended the game with 61 rushing yards on 15 carries and 161 passing yards.
THE DOWNS
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Clemson’s Red-Zone Inability to Finish: Despite tallying 359 yards of total offense and possessing the ball for 32:29, Clemson failed to produce an offensive touchdown all afternoon. The Tigers repeatedly marched into scoring position only to stall out, converting just 4 of 16 third-down opportunities and settling for short Hauser field goals.
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Special Teams Miscues and Fumbles: Both teams endured sloppy moments on special teams. Bryant Wesco Jr. muffed a punt in the first quarter that gave Syracuse favorable field position. Matt Outten committed an illegal block penalty on a 25-yard kickoff return in the third quarter, and Clemson incurred a delay-of-game penalty while trying to ice the game late in the fourth.
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Clemson’s Two-Point Conversion Fiasco: After Lawson’s third-quarter touchdown, Clemson attempted to stretch its lead to 14 points. After a defensive pass interference gave the Tigers a second shot from the Syracuse 2-yard line, Sammy Brown took a direct rush up the middle but was stuffed at the 1-yard line by Chris Peal, leaving the door cracked open for the Orange.
Clemson heads home having reached bowl eligibility at 6-3, while Syracuse falls to 4-5 and must regroup after leaving multiple scoring opportunities on the dome turf.
What Decided Clemson’s Insane 18-13 Dome Thriller Over Syracuse