It’s not a position where Clemson’s football is unlucky.
But again, it’s Friday the 13th.
There have been many vital victories for Clemson over the more than six years, in which the Tigers have achieved an incredible 74-5 with two national titles.
This may be the most significant loss and no one saw it coming.
Defending national champion Clemson, favourite for more than 3 touchdowns for a mid-October 2017 game opposed to Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, had won 34 of his last 36 games and had raced in two groups in the last few weeks.
Syracuse, however, in the direction of a 2-6 ACC record, drew a surprise. The Orangemen beat Clemson, 27-24, a loss for the Tigers, who were doomed in the dome and faced the option of not playing the playoffs.
“We didn’t respect the opponent the way we wanted,” Clemson’s coach Dabo Swinney said this week as the Tigers were preparing to host Friday’s lunch in Syracuse. we weren’t strong defensively. We just weren’t in a position to go . . . we care about this game, and he put us in. They won the game, beat us and deserved it. “
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Clemson continued a winning streak after that and reached the four-team playoffs with a No rating. 1 recovered before wasting a semi-final opposed to long-running champion Alabama at the Sugar Bowl.
“Perhaps (losing to Syracuse) brought a little more of a few details, a little more sense of urgency than we had to,” Swinney said. “We went back to work. “
It was a time between superstar quarterbacks: Deshaun Watson, who had brought Clemson to the name and is now in the NFL with Texas Houston; and Trevor Lawrence, who is still in his senior year of high school.
Tigers junior starter Kelly Bryant entered Syracuse’s game with an ankle injury and left with a concussion, at which point Zerrick Cooper came into action. Both were eventually transferred, Bryant to Missouri and Cooper to Jacksonville, Alabama State at the FCS level.
But the real challenge to defense. The Orangemen ran for 162 yards, hit a 66-yard landing pass for a failed canopy and scored the maximum points in four previous games against Central Connecticut.
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There was also a curious resolution from Swinney’s coach: the Tigers were in the middle of the field six minutes from the end, losing 3 points, facing a quarter and sixth and covered for a clearing kick. Clearing kicker Will Spiers threw a deep pass for the safety, Tanner Muse, who is part of the clearing and blocking team.
Lessons have been everywhere.
“We were embarrassed in 2017,” Clemson open receiver Amari Rodgers said this week in an interview with WCCP radio. “Coach Swinney reminded us. “
Since then, Clemson has won 34 consecutive regular-season games, the longest streak in ACC history. The Tigers to Syracuse remain a constant reminder that they cannot beat much lower groups simply by appearing.
“It was a little painful along the way, ” said Swinney. ” The way you deal with things makes you better. We are the result. “