Clemson Week: The close games Syracuse football fans forget
In honor of Clemson week, we take a look at some of the best performances Syracuse football has put up against the Tigers in recent years.
Most people liken Dino Babers as the coach who figured out Dabo Swinney and Clemson in one way or another. But before Babers was Scott Shafer, a Syracuse football coach with a not so good track record except for against one team in particular – the Clemson Tigers.
Shafer was a defensive specialist but only lasted a few years on the Hill, winning just 14 games in three years. And while none of those wins included an SU30 football shocker over Clemson, there were two instances in which the Orange had legitimate chances at an upset.
In 2014, Shafer’s second year with the ‘Cuse, the 3-4 Orange traveled to No. 21 Clemson, in a game where it’s safe to say few people thought would be a close game.
But after Syracuse struck first on a Cole Murphy field goal, the defense stood up, making big play after big play and forcing the Tigers’ offense off the field more times than not. The stout defense put the Orange up 6 to 3 heading into the break.
Clemson made some halftime adjustments, taking a 9 to 6 lead at the end of three, followed by a quick touchdown score to start the fourth. Neither team scored for the final 14:28, in as much as a defensive battle as you’ll ever see in college football.
But the moral of the game was that Syracuse defense was real. They gave the offense plenty of chances. Syracuse made two interceptions, forced a fumble, recovered two, and added a sack for good measure. But just 170 total yards gained by the Orange was the difference. Needless to say, it was a fantastic opportunity missed.
But WAIT, there’s more!
The very next year, Syracuse football once again lost a tight battle with Clemson, this time with the Tigers ranked first overall.
Clemson got off to a quick 14 to 0 start in that one, but the Orange fired back, tying it up at 14 before the first quarter was over.
The Tigers again scored 14 straight to go back up by two touchdowns, and Syracuse was there again, getting it to a 34 to 27 deficit with ten minutes to go in the game.
Clemson would hit a field goal with about seven minutes to go, and neither team scored for the remainder of the game.
It was the heads up running of Zach Mahoney that kept the Orange in this one. Mahoney didn’t pass the ball too well, but 76 yards on the ground that included two endzone scores certainly got the job done. DeShaun Watson led Clemson with 360 passing yards and 105 rushing yards.
It’s tough to say if Syracuse would have ever had a chance to win it at the end, because every time the Orange scored, the Tigers seemed to have an answer. But for the second straight season, it was a big underdog story that came pretty close to completing the storybook ending.
This season, the scene looks about the same. Clemson is really, really, really good, and Syracuse is in a down year. Perhaps getting embarrassed by Liberty will wake up the Orange. Playing the top team in the nation may also get Dino Babers’ guys fired up. It’ll be a long shot, but games like these give some type of light at the end of the tunnel.