Orange Fall To Clemson, 16-6

Ugly, ugly, ugly.

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A ferocious Clemson pass rush sacked freshman quarterback A.J. Long on an astounding five occasions, running back Wayne Gallman terrorized an exhausted Syracuse defense throughout the second half en route to 90 yards on 25 carries, and the Tigers overcame four turnovers to hand the Orange their fifth defeat of the year by a score of 16-6.

After being taken down behind the line of scrimmage just once in his previous two appearances, Long, who went 12-for-27 for just 82 yards and 2 interceptions on the night, experienced constant pressure from a formidable Clemson defense which limited the Orange to just three conversions on 16 third down attempts and a dismal 170 total yards.

Although the Orange took a 6-3 lead into the break, a futile output of just two third-quarter first downs lead to a weary ‘Cuse defense which finally succumbed to a Cole Stoudt-lead offense that had struggled mightily throughout the game’s opening half.

Oct 25, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers linebacker Stephone Anthony (42) sacks Syracuse Orange quarterback AJ Long (4) during the first quarter at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Following a plethora of first-quarter punts by both squads, the Orange opened the scoring with a 43-yard boot by Cole Murphy after an impressive 13-play, 61-yard drive, a product of a Brandon Reddish interception.

After a 12-play, 69-yard march, the Tigers tied up the ballgame after a 38-yard field goal by Ammon Lakip with 4:37 remaining in the half, the final tally before chaos erupted on the turnover sheet, beginning with ‘Cuse’s ensuing possession.

Following a fumbled snap which lead to a first down scramble by Long (which evoked a multitude of #AJFreestyle tweets), the same exact thing happened two snaps later, this time with the freshman QB firing an interception to Clemson defensive back Robert Smith after picking up the faulty snap.

After consecutive first downs put the Tigers in prime scoring position at the ‘Cuse 10, their turnover woes hampered them once again, with running back C.J. Davidson coughing up a screen pass, recovered by defensive end Robert Welsh.

Although the Orange were forced to punt, they wouldn’t have to wait long to retrieve possession of the football, as Dyshawn Davis stripped Stoudt of the football on first down, leading to a Murphy 50-yarder on the final play of the first half.

Oct 25, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cole Stoudt (18) passes the ball during the first quarter against the Syracuse Orange at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

The second half began in similar fashion to the first, with both teams trading possession rapidly, one single sequence of events completely altered the game’s outcome. After a Darius Kelly interception of Stoudt gave the Orange possession of the ball at the Clemson 42, Syracuse finally had the opportunity they needed to potentially close the door on the Tigers.

Instead, Long threw an instant interception on a rollout to Clemson’s Stephone Anthony on the first play of the drive. Despite the fact that the defense stood tall on the goal line, forcing the Tigers to settle for an 18-yarder to knot the game at 6-6, this turn of events set a precedent for the rest of the game.

A Syracuse three-and-out helped facilitate a 41-yarder by Lakip after a 16-yard rush by Gallman, who simply tore up a worn-down Orange defense after the break, and the Tigers finally broke through with the game’s first touchdown on their next drive, a 7-play, 73-yarder which concluded in a 19-yard connection between Stoudt (who finished 24-of-35 for 209 yards, a TD, and a pick) and receiver Stanton Seckinger.

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