Syracuse Football: Key takeaways from the Orange's upset week-four win at Clemson

Syracuse football's week-one loss to Tennessee feels like a distant memory now as the Orange have won three straight. While wins over UConn and Colgate were nice, it's a little bit different when you not only beat Clemson, but dominate them in Death Valley. That's the first time Syracuse has ever done that, and it only took one try for Fran Brown. Here are my takeaways from the game.

My key takeaways from Syracuse football's week-four win against Clemson.

Syracuse outcoached Clemson

Dabo Swinney is one of two active coaches with multiple National Championships. In his career dating back to 2009, he's won nine ACC titles and made five playoffs, including one of each last year. I know things haven't been as smooth lately, with Swinney defending his accolades before this game despite a 1-2 start, but this is still a legendary coach that Fran Brown had to scheme against. In all phases of the game, the Orange were just better than the Tigers. OC Jeff Nixon called another phenomenal game. DC Elijah Robinson, whom I haven't been the biggest fan of, dialed up some great pressure looks. Special Teams Coordinator Ricky Brumfield executed a beautiful surprise onside kick, too.

Moving past schemes, you could tell this game meant more to Syracuse than Clemson, especially in the first half. The Orange seemed to be more focused and made fewer assignment errors as well. Penalties were close to even for both teams, but more of Clemson's came from personal fouls, and it shows up in the yardage (seven for 52 for Syracuse, eight for 75 for Clemson). This game meant more for Syracuse than a reeling Clemson team, and you can tell from the coaching staffs and how they prepared their teams.

Syracuse's receiving core is as good as anybody's in the ACC

Week after week, the Syracuse receivers just make highlight plays. On Saturday, it was Justus Ross-Simmons' two touchdowns that got posted to social media, but the impact of the receivers stretches beyond the big catches. The Orange receivers are great route runners, and the position group is deep enough that nobody can double-team one receiver because somebody else will get open. On Saturday, Johntay Cook II was the team leader in receptions and yards with six for 113 yards, adding 18 yards on the ground too. Ross-Simmons, in addition to his two touchdowns, had five receptions and 53 yards, while Darrell Gill Jr. had two receptions, 41 yards, and a score.

In their previous three games, nobody reached the 100-yard mark on Clemson, and the Tigers allowed only two total passing touchdowns. Clemson's DBs are led by cornerback Avieon Terrell, who has been one of the few Tiger defenders to live up to the preseason expectations. This was a very impressive performance and shows how talented the group is.

On the year, all three, along with TE Dan Villari, have 14 or more receptions and over 200 yards. Ross-Simmons is tied for second in the country and first in the ACC with five receiving touchdowns. They will be immensely important down the road as Syracuse looks to replace Steve Angeli after his tragic torn Achilles.

Syracuse's offensive and defensive lines played their best game all year

If I had to be honest, I was most concerned about how Syracuse would match up with Clemson at the lines of scrimmage before the game. Clemson's defensive line was considered to be among the best in the country at one point, and the Tigers' offensive line is experienced and well-thought-of. I've had my own questions with Syracuse at the line of scrimmage and didn't think this would be the week to figure things out.

I'm very happy to be wrong, as I think Syracuse's linemen were great. On offensive, Steve Angeli had enough time to get rid of the ball, but the unit was best at clearing holes for Yasin Willis and Will Nixon. Willis ran for 94 yards, gashing Clemson in the first half while Nixon had 46 yards and a score. It only took a long halftime break due to thunderstorms and a lopsided score to shut down Syracuse's ground attack. While the defensive line didn't force any sacks or tackles for loss, they forced a lot of pressure on Cade Klubnik and rattled him all day long. I expected Klubnik to have all day to throw and while RB Adam Randall made some nice plays on the ground, it wasn't nearly enough to overshadow the rest of the unit's performance.