Clemson Football: 3 takeaways from Week 3 takedown of Syracuse

3. Clemson defense proved stingy as ever

Many of the guys in the above picture are gone from what was one of Clemson’s all-time best defensive fronts last season. That has not stopped the Tigers from fielding one of the fiercest front sevens against the run in the country this year. Syracuse learned that lesson all too well as they struggled to find any purchase on the ground.

For the night, the Orange managed to gain just 15 total rushing yards on 42 attempts as a team. Abdul Adams had the best luck moving the ball against Clemson, finishing with 14 attempts for 34 yards in the loss.

When they tried to throw the ball, Syracuse did have better luck. Tommy DeVito completed 15 of his 27 attempts for 172 yards, throwing one interception along the way. He repeatedly found himself under pressure, taking eight sacks over the course of the game. By the end, Clayton Welch was taking snaps at quarterback.

What we saw was an offensive line that proved incapable of doing anything to prevent Clemson from exerting its will at the line of scrimmage. As they drive toward another shot at the College Football Playoff, the Tigers continue to prove they have another stingy defense that is playing at a championship caliber.