No. 1 Clemson 41, Syracuse 6: Postgame notes

(USA TODAY Sports-Rich Barnes)

by CU Athletic Communications - Sun Sep 15 01:48:06 GMT-04:00 2019

Clemson-Syracuse postgame notes

Clemson won its 13th consecutive game by 14 points or more, which is now tied for the fifth-longest streak in the AP Poll era (since 1936).

Clemson outgained Syracuse, 612-187. The 425-yard difference in total yardage represents the sixth time since 2017 that Clemson has outgained its opponent by at least 425 yards and the second time in that span it has done so against a Power Five opponent (+449 at Wake Forest in 2018).

The 187 yards allowed by Clemson were the fewest gained by Syracuse since Nov. 29, 2014, when Boston College held Syracuse to 128 yards.

Clemson allowed only 15 rushing yards, Clemson’s third time holding an opponent to 15 yards or fewer on the ground in its last 11 games.

Clemson posted 15 tackles for loss, tied for the fifth-most in a game in school history and the most under Head Coach Dabo Swinney. It was Clemson’s most since recording 15 tackles for loss vs. Utah State on Oct. 16, 2004.

Clemson recorded eight sacks, tied for the eighth-most sacks in a game in school history.

Clemson’s eight sacks surpassed its six sacks against Syracuse in 2017 for the most by Clemson in the eight-game series history between the two schools.

Six of Clemson’s eight sacks came in the first half, Clemson’s most in a single half since a seven-sack second half against Auburn on Sept. 9, 2017.

Clemson has now recorded multiple sacks in 11 straight games, dating to last season. It was Clemson’s nation-leading 16th multi-sack game since 2018.

Clemson did not allow a touchdown in the contest, Clemson’s first time doing so since holding Notre Dame without a touchdown in the Cotton Bowl last season.

Clemson’s 612 yards of offense represented its second 600-yard game of the season (632 vs. Georgia Tech). Three games into the season, Clemson is already one 600-yard game away from matching the school record for 600-yard games in a single-season (three in 2012, 2017 and 2018).

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 22-of-39 passes for a career-high 395 yards with three passing touchdowns.

Lawrence’s 395 passing yards broke his previous career high of 393 against South Carolina in 2018 and represent the 11th-highest single game total in school history.

Lawrence also rushed for 42 yards on four carries. His 42 yards matched his career-high rushing total, set against South Carolina in 2018.

The 300-yard passing game was Lawrence’s first of the season and the sixth of his career.

On his fourth completion of the game, a 16-yard pass to Amari Rodgers, Lawrence became the 11th player in school history to record 300 career pass completions.

During the contest, Lawrence became the 13th player in school history to reach the 4,000-yard career mark of total offense. He also became only the 10th player in school history to reach 4,000 career passing yards.

On a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, Lawrence added to his single season career-high in rushing touchdowns (three) and joined Kelly Bryant (2017) as the only Clemson quarterbacks since 2000 to rush for a touchdown in each of the first three games of a season.

Lawrence’s third touchdown pass of the game, a seven-yard pass to Frank Ladson Jr., tied him with Nealon Greene (35 from 1994-97) for sixth-most career passing touchdowns in school history.

Wide receiver Tee Higgins recorded seven receptions for 150 yards, all in the first half.

The 100-yard receiving game was Higgins’ first of the season and the fifth of his career. His most recent 100-yard game prior to Saturday was against South Carolina on Nov. 24, 2018.

Higgins’ 150 yards through two quarters were the most first-half receiving yards by a Clemson player since Sammy Watkins’ school-record 177-yard first half against Wake Forest on Oct. 25, 2012.

Wide receiver Amari Rodgers caught four passes for 121 yards with a career-high-tying two touchdown catches.

Rodgers caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence in the first quarter. The touchdown was his first since a score against Louisville on Nov. 3, 2018. It was his fifth career receiving touchdown.

With Rodgers opening the scoring, Clemson pushed its record to 41-0 when scoring first since 2015.

Rodgers scored his second touchdown of the contest on an 87-yard reception in the third quarter. It was the longest career completion for Lawrence.

Rodgers’ 87-yard touchdown was Clemson’s second-longest touchdown of the season, trailing a 90-yard run by Travis Etienne against Georgia Tech. The 2019 season now marks only the second time in which Clemson has scored multiple touchdowns from scrimmage of 85 yards or more in a single season (two in 2013).

Rodgers’ 87-yard touchdown was the second-longest by Clemson at Syracuse in school history, trailing a 91-yard pass from Tajh Boyd to Sammy Watkins in 2013, and longest overall since Boyd hit Watkins for 96 yards at Virginia on Nov. 2, 2013. Rodgers’ reception ties for the fourth-longest pass play in school history.

Higgins (150) and Rodgers (121) each tallied more than 100 receiving yards in the game, representing just the 12th such instance in school history and the second involving Higgins (178 with Deon Cain’s 140 on Nov. 18, 2017).

Running back Chez Mellusi recorded a 57-yard touchdown run on his lone carry of the game. It was his first career rushing touchdown.

Linebacker Isaiah Simmons recorded a career-high two sacks among his 3.5 tackles for loss. Both sacks effectively ended Syracuse drives, as one came on a third down which led to a Syracuse punt and another came on fourth down.

With 1.5 sacks in the contest, linebacker James Skalski pushed his season sack total to a career-high 2.5.

Defensive end K.J. Henry recorded his first career pass breakup in the first quarter and his first career sack on a half-sack in the second quarter.

Defensive end Xavier Thomas recorded a sack and has now posted a sack in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.

Defensive tackle Tyler Davis recorded the first full sack of his career in the second quarter. He posted a half-sack in the season opener against Georgia Tech.

Linebacker Chad Smith recorded his first sack of the season in the third quarter, his first sack since Nov. 3, 2018, against Louisville.

Cornerback Mario Goodrich recorded his first career interception in the third quarter, one play following a Syracuse interception that gave the Orange the ball on the Clemson nine-yard line.

With Goodrich’s interception, Clemson has now intercepted a pass in seven straight games for the first time since posting a nine-game interception streak across the first nine games of the 2016 season.

Kicker B.T. Potter converted field goal attempts of 40 and 37 yards, his first career game with multiple field goals.

In his 31st career game for Clemson, safety Nolan Turner made his first career start.

The game was Syracuse’s first sellout since its 1998 season opener against Tennessee. The two sellouts share a family connection, as the 1998 Tennessee Volunteers were quarterbacked by Tee Martin, whose son (Rodgers) scored Clemson’s first touchdown on Saturday. That 1998 Tennessee squad went on to win the national championship.

Captains for the contest were running back Travis Etienne, long snapper Patrick Phibbs, linebacker Chad Smith and safety K’Von Wallace.

WITH THE WIN…

Clemson won its 18th consecutive game, dating to the start of the 2018 season. It represents Clemson's all-time longest winning streak, surpassing a 17-game streak across the final three games of the 2014 season and the first 14 games in 2015.

Clemson’s 18-game winning streak now stands in sole-possession of the second-longest streak in ACC history.

Clemson won its eighth straight true road game and did so in the location of its most recent road loss (2017 at Syracuse). It represents Clemson's fourth road winning streak of eight games or more all-time, joining eight-game streaks from 1947-48 and 1978-79 as well as the school-record 12-game streak from 2015-17.

Clemson earned its 20th victory in its last 21 true road games and its 33rd victory in its last 36 games away from home, including neutral sites.

Clemson won its 13th consecutive ACC regular season game, the third such streak in school history, joining streaks of 20 from 1981-84 and 14 from 2015-16 (Note: Clemson also won 13 straight Southern Conference games from 1938-41 prior to the formation of the ACC). It marks Clemson's 15th straight victory against ACC opponents, including postseason play.

Clemson earned its 100th win since the start of the 2011 season, the year that began Clemson's active eight-year streak of consecutive 10-win seasons.

Clemson improved to 11-2 all-time in games as the AP No. 1-ranked team. Twelve of Clemson's 13 games played at No. 1 all-time have come during the Dabo Swinney era.

Clemson improved to 6-2 all-time against Syracuse, including a 3-1 all-time record in games played at Syracuse.

Clemson earned its fifth consecutive victory in a road opener dating back to 2015. Prior to the 2018 and 2019 seniors, the 1989 senior class had been the most recent Clemson group to win every road opener of its career. The five-game winning streak in road openers pulled Clemson within one of its school record of six, set across the 1984-89 seasons.

Clemson won its first ACC road game of the year for a fifth straight season. Clemson's last loss in its first ACC road game of the year came at the hands of top-ranked Florida State in 2014.

Clemson is now 41-25-1 all-time in its first conference road game of the season since the formation of the ACC in 1953.

Clemson pushed its winning streak in Saturday games to 32 to extend the longest Saturday winning streak in school history. Clemson's current 31-game run of consecutive Saturday victories is the longest active streak in the country.

Clemson won its 20th consecutive game in the month of September, dating back to 2014. The streak already stood as the longest in school history.

Clemson led 17-6 at halftime and has now won 69 of its last 71 games when leading at halftime.

Clemson led 27-6 entering the fourth quarter and improved to 90-2 since 2011 when leading after three quarters.

Clemson now has a 90-2 record when totaling more first downs than its opponent since 2011.

Clemson is now 57-1 when rushing for 200+ yards under Dabo Swinney.

Clemson pushed its record to 43-0 when both passing and rushing for 200+ yards under Dabo Swinney.

Clemson pushed its streak of consecutive wins when holding teams under 23 points to 71 straight games (dating to 2010).

Head Coach Dabo Swinney improved to 36-17 all-time in true road games, tying Danny Ford (36-15-1) for the second-most road wins in school history. Frank Howard holds the school record with 77 career road wins.