Clemson vs. Syracuse on Saturday September 20, 2025 - Travis Bell/SIDELINE CAROLINA
Syracuse took a big win over Clemson this past Saturday under coach Fran Brown. He has the team at (3-1) on the year, while slipping Clemson to (1-3) for the initial start under coach Dabo Swinney.
With the defeat on Saturday, the Tigers are currently (20-11) over their past three years, and are (3-6) in their last nine contests vs. power conference rivals.
It also marked their most significant margin of defeat vs. a non-ranked competitor at home.
Let’s take a look at how Syracuse dominated the game and how each player contributed to the win.
Syracuse Dominated with their quarterbacks
The Orange loves to run heavy personnel with either twin or three tight ends blocking with the starting five on the O-line. To football fans, we call this “big boy football”. Still, the quarterbacks are the ones who can make this formation work.
That was the game plan early on, as quarterback Steve Angeli originally started this game against the Tigers in Death Valley. He threw for two touchdown scores until he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the third quarter.
Angeli began the day leading the NCAA in passing yards, and ended 18 of 31 for 244 yards. The Orange took a 24-14 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.
Backup Rickie Collins stepped in for Angeli and played the rest of the second half. In the third quarter, he threw a touchdown pass to help Syracuse put the game out of reach.
Johntay Cook II led Syracuse receivers with six catches for 113 yards. Meanwhile, Justus Ross-Simmons tallied five catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns.
As for Clemson, quarterback Cade Klubnik was 37 of 60 for 363 yards. Additionally, he had three touchdowns to one pick.
Running back Adam Randall had 130 yards rushing with 44 yards receiving.
The Orange won the time of possession battle of 30:40 to 29:20.
Syracuse Dominated at Creating Turnovers
Another key to winning this game was winning the turnover battle. Clemson has now turned the ball over seven times through four games and has three straight games with two turnovers.
To start the contest, Angeli threw a 12-yard pass to Ross-Simmons for the game’s first touchdown. Syracuse then fielded a risky onside kick and then scored on Tripp Woody’s short field goal to increase the lead to 10-0.
Klubnick then threw a 38-yard TD pass to Wesco, but the Orange answered with a Will Nixon rushing score to make it 17-7. After Angeli hit Darrell Gill Jr. to make it 24-7, Klubnick and Randall had a 6-yard TD pass late in the first half to bring the hosts within 24-14.
Immediately after the lightning delay, the Orange added 10 more points to their lead. Woody hit a career-long 49-yard field goal to make it 27-14.
Then, Collins threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Ross-Simmons, which blew the lead open to 34-14 at the end of three. Klubnick and Bryant Wesco Jr. connected for a 9-yard TD play with nine minutes left in the game.
Nevertheless, Syracuse sealed the 34-21 win with a couple of fourth-down stops on defense. They also ended up winning the turnover battle 2-0.
The Orange won the game, but will now have to call the same plays with the same heavy personnel, including Collins, who is now starting in place of Angeli. They will look forward to hosting Duke this Saturday.
As for the Tigers, they are now (1-3) with a week to recover before heading to North Carolina to take on the Tar Heels, who need to win.
