Chaos in Clemson: Tigers struggle to 1-3 start after loss to Syracuse
Clemson’s 2025 football season has officially fallen off the rails.
And after Saturday’s 34-21 home loss to Syracuse at Memorial Stadium, the Tigers should be a lot more worried about winning six games and becoming bowl eligible than chasing an ACC championship or national championship.
After entering the season ranked No. 4, Clemson is now 1-3 and 0-2 in the ACC. This is Clemson’s worst start under coach Dabo Swinney and worst overall in 21 years. The Tigers also started 1-3 in 2004 under Tommy Bowden.
Clemson allowed coach Fran Brown’s Syracuse team to waltz into their home stadium as a 17.5-point underdog and immediately take control of the game. The Tigers trailed by 17 points in the first half and 20 points in the second half.
Quarterback Cade Klubnik and the Tigers’ offense got going in the second half, but they were playing behind the entire period and wound up scoring points on just one of their eight second-half possessions (and three of their 13 total possessions).
Clemson ultimately outgained Syracuse 503-433 and had 29 first downs to Syracuse’s 24. But too many empty calorie drives on offense and a shockingly bad first half on defense spelled doom for the Tigers in a game that included a 1 hour, 36 minute lightning delay and took 5 hours, 27 minutes to complete.
Clemson was considered a preseason championship contender after bringing back 16 of its 22 primary offensive and defensive starters and had the fifth-best odds to win the national title at the start of the season.
But the Tigers have now lost three straight home games to power conference opponents for the first time since 2001 and are 1-5 in their last six games against power conference teams dating back to a 2024 home loss to South Carolina.
LSU, Georgia Tech and Syracuse have now all imposed their will on a highly regarded and well-compensated Clemson coaching staff and roster that’s proven to be inconsistent on offense, soft on defense and without an identity.
“Obviously an incredibly disappointing outcome and start to our season,” Swinney said postgame. “There’s just no other way to say it. ... I’ve been in a lot of painful locker rooms. That was up there near the top. ... We just didn’t get it done.”
Game recap
Syracuse cruised down the field for a touchdown on its opening drive and wound up scoring on its first four possessions of the game (three touchdowns, one field goal).
Aided by a surprise first-quarter onside kick, Syracuse went up 24-7 on Clemson after quarterback Steve Angeli (who entered as the nation’s leading passer) threw his second touchdown pass at the 9:22 mark of the second quarter.
At that point, Clemson defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s unit had allowed 264 total yards, 15 first downs, 7.8 yards per play, 12.9 yards per completion and 7.2 yards per rush. Clemson’s defensive line was getting pushed around, its DBs getting beat.
“About as bad a start defensively as I’ve seen,” Swinney told ESPN at halftime.
Klubnik was productive, setting career highs in pass attempts (60) and pass completions (37) and throwing for a season-high 363 yards and three touchdowns. And skill position players like WR T.J. Moore and RB Adam Randall were productive.
But offensive coordinator Garrett Riley’s group never got in a true rhythm.
Clemson’s offensive line was called for five penalties, and the Tigers had a number of questionable game management decisions, such as not giving Randall (8.1 yards per carry) the ball on either 3rd and 1 or 4th and 1 in the third quarter when they were trailing 27-14 and had a chance to cut Syracuse’s lead to one possession.
Clemson also missed out on points before halftime when receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. dropped a sideline pass to set up a roughly 49-yard Nolan Hauser field goal. Instead, the Tigers attempted and failed a Hail Mary.
Clemson only scored on one of eight second-half possessions and was 0 for 5 in the third quarter (two punts, two turnovers on downs, one Randall fumble). Klubnik was picked off and now has at least one turnover in each of Clemson’s games.
“A ton of yards, you don’t get style points,” Swinney said. “The name of the game is finishing in the end zone, through the uprights, and we just didn’t do that.”
Added Klubnik: “We’re so close. We’ve got all the ingredients. Just not really baking the cake right now. ... It’s tough. It’s hard to see.”
Syracuse, which lost starting quarterback Angeli to an injury in the third quarter, led Clemson 24-14 at halftime and extended its lead to 34-14 after three quarters.
In one critical sequence, Randall fumbled the ball at Clemson’s 18-yard line and Syracuse backup QB Rickie Collins (Angeli’s replacement) threw a touchdown pass on the very next play.
Clemson’s defense ultimately forced punts on five of Syracuse’s six non-kneeldown possessions in the second half. But Allen’s group (which includes a number of projected first-round NFL Draft picks) surrendered a season-worst 34 points and 433 total yards to the Orange.
Boos rained down in Death Valley throughout the afternoon as Syracuse (3-1, 1-0 ACC) closed out a win against a reeling Clemson team. Swinney said he understands the fanbase’s frustration after another crushing loss.
The Tigers are off next week before traveling to play at UNC.
“We’re beat up emotionally and physically, but we’ll rally and we’ll get back to work,” Swinney said. “There’s certainly no quit in me, and I didn’t see any quit in our team or our staff down the stretch.”
Next Clemson football game
Who: Clemson (1-3, 0-2 ACC) at UNC (2-2, 0-0 ACC)
When: Saturday, Oct. 4 (time TBA)
Where: Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, NC
Channel: TBA
This story was originally published September 20, 2025 at 5:35 PM.
