Syracuse football made history Saturday with its first-ever win at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium, upsetting the Tigers 34-21. Entering as 17.5-point underdogs and 0-5 all-time in Death Valley, the Orange struck first and never trailed.
Quarterback Steve Angeli opened the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Justus Ross-Simmons to cap a 75-yard drive. Head coach Fran Brown immediately dialed up a surprise onside kick, which Syracuse recovered and turned into a field goal. By halftime, Syracuse held a 24-14 lead.
After a long lightning delay, the Orange extended their advantage in the third quarter when Rashad Perry recovered a Clemson fumble at the Tigers’ 18-yard line. Backup quarterback Rickie Collins, who replaced an injured Angeli, connected with Ross-Simmons for an 18-yard touchdown to make it 34-14 heading into the fourth. Clemson responded with a 10-play, 81-yard drive to cut the deficit to 34-21, but Davien Kerr’s interception at the Clemson 44 with 5:17 left sealed the victory.
Angeli exited in the third quarter with a lower-leg injury after scrambling out of the pocket and was later seen on crutches. Before leaving, he completed 18-of-31 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns. Ross-Simmons finished with two receiving scores, and Syracuse forced two turnovers.
GAME RECAP LINKS
- Orange Pick Off Clemson on the Road (Cuse.com)
- Syracuse grabs 1st-ever win in Death Valley, beats Clemson 34-21 (DailyOrange.com)
- Syracuse football hands Clemson stunning loss (SI.com)
- Syracuse football: Orange beat Clemson for first time ever in Death Valley, secure third-straight win (NunesMagician.com)
- Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli leaves Clemson game on crutches and in a protective boot (Syracuse.com)
- Observations from Syracuse’s win at Clemson: Angeli hurt, defense prevails (DailyOrange.com)
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
FRAN BROWN’S POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
FROM SOCIAL MEDIA
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].