Clemson topples Syracuse in Tigers' strangest game of 2026, secures bowl eligibility

Nov. 7—SYRACUSE, N.Y. — In an environment as unique as Syracuse’s JMA Wireless Dome, it’s only right that Clemson played its strangest game of 2026 — by far.

Clemson football came away with a Scorigami-esque 18-13 win over Syracuse on Nov. 7 in a game which saw eight combined field goal attempts and zero offensive touchdowns until the final three minutes of the contest.

With the win, Clemson improved to 6-3 (4-2 ACC) and secured bowl eligibility.

“I think we made it a lot harder than it needed to be,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.

The dome houses Syracuse’s basketball team as well as football. It makes sense the first half on Saturday was a 3-point contest.

Clemson and Syracuse (4-5, 2-5) combined for zero touchdowns and seven field goal attempts in the opening half. Both Tigers and Orange kickers Nolan Hauser and Tripp Woody missed one try each. Ultimately, the Tigers finished the first half up 9-6.

The Tigers missed plenty of opportunities in the first half. Three drives finished inside the opposing 20-yard line, but Clemson settled for field goal attempts on all three. The most egregious instance came in the second quarter:

Clemson pushed the ball up to the 8-yard line with a fresh set of downs on a double pass completion from Bryant Wesco Jr. to T.J. Moore. Freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds was then sacked twice before the Tigers attempted a shovel pass to tight end Olsen Patt-Henry. It went for no gain as the Tigers once again let Hauser handle the scoring duties.

Syracuse also struggled to convert on its first-half chances. Starting quarterback Steve Angeli — who has missed time this year treating last season’s Achilles tear and was questionable all week leading up to the game — went 10 of 24 passing in the first half and missed multiple wide-open targets. Angeli completed his final three passes of the half, but the Orange couldn’t make anything of it before time expired.

Clemson came out a tad more aggressive in the second half, going for it on fourth and 1 and converting. The drive later sputtered out, and Hauser made a 54-yard field goal for a 12-6 lead in the third quarter.

The Tigers entered the fourth quarter with a two-possession lead thanks to a defensive touchdown. Syracuse threatened late as Angeli threw the game’s lone offensive touchdown with just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late.

Reynolds secured the win with his legs for the second week in a row, tucking and rushing past the sticks twice to seal the deal as the clock ticked away. The week prior, he scored a program-record 79-yard touchdown run to beat FSU.

“For our bunch to come in here and have the grittiness to find a way to win … end of the day, we found a way to get it done,” Swinney said.

Key stats

*

Clemson went 1 for 7 on third downs in the first half. Reynolds was sacked three times, and Clemson’s offensive line, down starters Harris Sewell and Elyjah Thurmon, allowed five tackles for loss. Clemson allowed just one more tackle for loss in the remainder of the game.

*

Tigers running back Jarvis Green made his first career start in place of Gideon Davidson. He picked up a 53-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage and touched the ball twice more on the opening drive. He didn’t record another carry in the first half. He finished with nine carries for 85 yards.

*

Nolan Hauser went 4 of 5 on field goals in the game. His 27 made FGs this season ties Greg Heugel’s single-season record set in 2015. The NCAA record is 31 made field goals in a single regular season. Clemson still has three more games to play this year.

*

Clemson was missing four offensive starters in the game: Sewell, Thurmon, Davidson and wide receiver Tyler Brown.

*

Reynolds finished 17 of 28 passing for 161 yards and added 61 yards on the ground. Angeli finished 18 of 40 passing for 268 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

*

Clemson was outgained by Syracuse 380 yards to 359, picked up four fewer first downs and was out-converted 6-4 on third downs with only one less attempt.

*

The Tigers’ defense posted three sacks and six tackles for loss in the game. Cornerback Ashton Hampton recorded an interception in the end zone during the fourth quarter.

Turning point

Clemson finally found the end zone in the third quarter … just not on offense.

Angeli dropped back to pass and was met with immediate pressure. He made a last-second effort to get rid of the ball, which ended up flying laterally and landing on the ground at the feet of defensive end Jahiem Lawson.

Lawson scooped up the ball and ran uninterrupted into the end zone. After a lengthy review, the play was ruled a fumble recovery and a touchdown. Up 18-6, Clemson decided to go for two. Reynolds missed Wesco in the end zone, but the officials called a defensive pass interference.

And just when you thought a strange sequence in a strange game couldn’t get any more weird, Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris said, “Hold my Red Bull.”

The Tigers lined up linebacker Sammy Brown at running back. Brown did play running back in high school, but clearly there was some rust: He tripped and fell forward just short of the goal line as Clemson failed to convert.

Still, the defensive score was enough to give Clemson a solid lead, which it held for the remainder of the game.

Next up

Last year, Clemson lost to Syracuse at home after losing to Georgia Tech on the road the week prior.

This year, the Tigers return from a road game against the Orange to host the Yellow Jackets.

Georgia Tech (2-6, 1-4 ACC) enters the weekend on a three-game losing streak and has struggled all season. Its only wins of the year are against FCS program Mercer and a surprise 28-25 takedown of Duke. Otherwise, it’s been all bad for fourth-year coach Brent Key.

The Jackets hosted Louisville later Saturday.

“At the end of the day, you just need one more point than they’ve got,” Swinney said. “They all count the same. You’ve gotta play the game that you’re in and play the hand that you’re dealt.”

Reach Jackson Castellano at jcastellano@postandcourier.com. Follow him on X @jaxacastellano. Want more Clemson news delivered to your inbox? Subscribe to The Tiger Take.