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CLEMSON, S.C.— Marlowe Wax said that Syracuse knew DJ Uiagalelei didn’t like to run. The Orange changed up their blitz packages and approach to pressuring Uiagalelei throughout practice this week. Uiagalelei already tossed for a 50% completion rate and was fresh off of a dropped flat route from tight end Davis Allen when he broke the huddle on a 3rd-and-8. Less than 10 seconds remained in the first quarter, and Syracuse, fresh off of a wheel route touchdown to Sean Tucker, readied itself for its first defensive stop of the afternoon.

Uiagalelei had two interceptions prior to Clemson’s game against Syracuse, but even Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said on Monday that the quarterback had improved from the beginning of the season. So, he collected the shotgun snap from Syracuse’s 15-yard line and surveyed the field. Jake Briningstool bled out to about the 30-yard line and spun around, and Antonio Williams was on an out route, but there was a good chance the ball would be thrown into double coverage, as Jason Simmons was hot on his trail. 

Uiagalelei didn’t even really look to the right side of the field. He saw Joseph Ngata cut outside toward the sideline at the 17-yard line. There was plenty of space, if Uiagalelei pinned the pass into the right area, for a first down. Instead, he left it up too long, allowing boundary safety Ja’Had Carter to scamper back, undercut the route and tap his toes in bounds before falling out of play with his first interception since Dec. 5, 2020, against Notre Dame.

“He was going to sit back there and pick his receivers out. Yeah, we did blitz him a little differently,” Wax said.

After Clemson’s first score on its opening drive of the game, Syracuse’s defense, one that ranked No. 1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference prior to today’s game, clamped down on the No. 5 team in the country. Clemson didn’t manage another touchdown until two minutes and 24 seconds into the fourth quarter. Despite the loss, one that took the wind out of the once-undefeated sails of Syracuse (6-1, 3-1 Atlantic Coast), the defense forced four turnovers, the most since 2020 and the most the Tigers (8-0, 6-0 ACC) have allowed since 2016.

The Orange forced two fumbles — and nearly a third when Uiagalelei dropped the ball in the backfield — and two interceptions on Clemson’s starter. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney tapped true freshman Cade Klubnik to go in for the final possession of the third quarter. 

Syracuse got in Uiagalelei’s face and blew his pocket out enough to force throws, including the two that ended in SU’s hands. The blitz packages worked. Despite being down Stefon Thompson, Terry Lockett and Kevon Darton and Wax going down numerous times throughout the game, they congested the pocket enough to make Uiagalelei uncomfortable. If he’s still looking for a set receiver, they’d better get open quicker when defensive coordinator Tony Elliot dialed up a blitz. Twice, Uiagalelei was quick enough to get away, but not smooth enough to find an open man.

“Every game we want to make big plays, get takeaways on the defensive side,” Carter said. “We were just doing what the mob does.”

Syracuse already stole five interceptions from opposing teams. Maybe an interception was expected for the No. 1 defense in the conference against Uiagalelei. But Will Shipley or Uiagalelei coughing up the ball, two forced fumbles — both of which were recovered by SU — might not have been. Carter said he always wants to make big plays each game, but when he saw the ball on Clemson’s seven-yard line hit the ground, his first reaction was, “Oh, wow.”

“See ball, get ball,” Carter said.

So, after Uiagalelei fumbled a transfer back from Phil Mafah on an option run, Carter, who was stacking the box to help disrupt Uiagalelei, scooped it up and took off for a 90-yard touchdown. Clemson is now 35-for-36 on converting red zone opportunities into points. That play stands as the only one blemishing its perfect performance.

Syracuse also forced a cough-up from Shipley later on during the third quarter. Babers and numerous Syracuse defenders fielded questions throughout the week about how to stop Shipley. Shipley nearly broke off a run up the middle that would have given the Tigers a first down. It did for a moment, then SU’s Rob Hanna came down and plucked the ball out of Shipley’s grip, forcing a fumble that Wax recovered.

“I seen No. 19 Rob Hanna make a play,” Wax said. “Smaller guy come down from safety and just put a hit on it.”

In the midst of what would end up being a scoreless third quarter for both teams, Clemson drove down the field once again, hoping to cut the lead to as few as three points. It started deep in its own territory on the 11-yard line, but a touchdown could erase the previous mistakes, the fumbles and breathe life once again into a now-silent Death Valley. Two straight runs to Shipley set up a 3rd-and-3. Once again, Uiagalelei grabbed the snap back in the shotgun. Once again, he had multiple options roaming across the field around the 50-yard line to decide between. 

Once again, he wound up and lofted a rainbow pass to a receiver across the seam. He was wide open, and the pass was going to silence the SU defense, riled up and readying for another third down stop. His pass was supposed to slice through the zone defense, going in between the second and third levels of the 3-3-5 defense. Instead, his pass carried way too far for his receiver, and Simmons — who began the play breaking inward — leaped behind him and grabbed the interception with his outstretched arms. 

“If I were in Dabo’s position, I would’ve done the same thing. If your quarterback is struggling, you’ve got to be able to make a change,” Uiagalelei said. “We have 135 guys on this team and his responsibility is to all of them, not me.”

That was the last pass Uiagalelei threw against the Orange.

“It’s the mob. Look up the stats, we ballin’ I feel like a lot of people should respect us. They don’t. We’ll keep mobbin,’” Mikel Jones said.

Published on October 22, 2022 at 6:54 pm

Contact Anthony: [email protected] | @anthonyalandt