On friday night, the No. 2 Clemson Tigers took their perfect record to Syracuse for a game against the Orange. The second-ranked team in the nation couldn't escape with that perfect record, though, as their starting quarterback had to leave the game in the hands of a freshman. The Syracuse Orange took advantage of all that and managed to surprise their ranked opponents with a 27-24 victory at home. Here's the latest Clemson vs. Syracuse recap including top performers, game stats, a standings update, and what's next for these teams.

NCAA game recap

In tonight's first quarter, the Syracuse Orange got on the scoreboard first with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Eric Dungey to Dontae Strickland. Clemson would tie things up after Tavien Feaster had a 37-yard run for a TD, but the Orange came right back with their second touchdown on a 66-yard pass to Ervin Phillps. That gave them the 14-7 lead in just the first quarter. Clemson managed to tie it up again after a 63-yard fumble return by Tanner Muse early in the second quarter, but a Syracuse field goal gave them the 17-14 advantage at the half.

In the third quarter, Clemson managed to tie the game up. First, there was an Alex Spence 30-yard field goal. The Orange regained the lead on a 30-yard touchdown reception from Steve Ishmael, but Travis Etienne went off for a 52-yard touchdown run about a minute later to tie things at 24-24.

However, the fourth quarter was a 3-0 shutout by the home team, with Cole Murphy connecting on his latest field goal for the Syracuse Orange. That ended up being good enough to give them a 27-24 win as the Clemson Tigers were unable to answer.

The biggest story of the game, beyond the upset, was the fact that starting quarterback Kelly Bryant was forced to leave the game ahead of the second half.

It was believed he suffered a concussion during the game, requiring him to be sidelined. Freshman Zerrick Cooper filled in and managed to get 10-of-14 passing for 88 yards but no touchdowns.

Bryant had a 12-of17 game with 116 yards but no TDs either. Clemson running back Travis Etienne finished with 68 yards and a touchdown for the Tigers, while Travien Feaster had seven carries for 57 yards and a TD.

For the Syracuse Orange, Eric Dungey had a stellar game throwing 20-of-32 and ending up with 278 yards plus three touchdown passes. Ervin Phillips led the receivers with 94 yards on four catches while Steve Ishmael had 73 yards and a touchdown in the big win.

Standings & what's next

Tonight's disappointing loss puts the Clemson Tigers at 6-1 for the season and 2-1 on the road. It's unknown how this will affect their ranking in the Top 25 polls until other teams around them play this weekend. Next up for the Clemson Tigers will be a home game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday, October 28.

The upset win puts the Syracuse Orange at 4-3 overall and 2-1 in their conference. They are currently third in the ACC with their record. Syracuse will take on another ranked team for their next game. They'll play at the No. 11 Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, October 21 at 3:30 PM ET.
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