5 things we learned from Clemson’s win against Syracuse

Clemson rallied for a 27-23 victory against Syracuse on Saturday afternoon. Here are five things we learned from the game:

Clemson can win with Chase Brice

Dabo Swinney has said all along that Clemson can win with Brice at quarterback. Saturday afternoon. Brice proved him right. The once afterthought in Clemson’s crowded quarterback room stepped up in a big way when the Tigers needed him the most against the Orange, leading Clemson on a 94-yard drive late in the fourth quarter to take the lead. Brice was far from perfect and finished 7-for-13 for 83 yards and an interception, but he appeared more and more comfortable as the game went along.

“Chase is a guy that has a lot of moxie. It’s kind of just who he is,” co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott said. “Our guys are gonna gain trust in him, and he’s gonna gain confidence from that type of experience.”

Watch out for Xavier Thomas

Clemson is finding more and more ways to use Thomas and get him on the field during passing situations. On Syracuse’s final drive of the game, Thomas was at defensive end with the first-team defense as Austin Bryant joined Christian Wilkins inside and Clelin Ferrell joined Thomas at defensive end. Thomas had a big sack early and nearly added another sack later in the drive. He seems to always make plays whenever he’s in the game.

“He just shot out like a rocket. There’s going to be a whole lot more of that to come. He’s got a bright bright future in front of him,” Swinney said.

Travis Etienne is a difference maker

With Trevor Lawrence out with an injury, Clemson relied on the running game, and Etienne stepped up. The sophomore rushed for a career high 203 yards and three touchdowns and was determined to not let Clemson lose. Etienne has been described as a desperate runner by Clemson’s coaching staff and that was on full display Saturday. He shed tacklers time and time again to lead the Tigers to a win.

“We ran it when they knew we were gonna run it. It was unbelievable,” Swinney said.

Clemson’s secondary is slowly building depth

With Mark Fields suspended and Trayvon Mullen going down with an injury, the Tigers had to rely on true freshman Kyler McMichael at cornerback. McMichael played pretty well in coverage and was a part of a Clemson defense that held the Orange to 311 total yards and only seven points in the second half. With Mullen, A.J. Terrell, Fields and McMichael, the Tigers have solid options at cornerback.

Hunter Renfrow can do it all

With Clemson’s offense struggling to get anything going in the third quarter, Renfrow made a sensational leaping grab for a 28-yard gain on third-and-long, leading to a field goal. Renfrow caught all three of his targets and finished with 45 receiving yards. He also returned punts in the second half after Amari Rodgers dropped two, and he was Clemson’s backup quarterback in the second half after Lawrence went down in the second quarter. If Lawrence can’t play against Wake Forest, Renfrow will be the backup QB.

This story was originally published September 30, 2018 at 8:55 AM.