Backup quarterback Chase Brice leads Clemson to a 2723 victory over Syracuse.
Backup Brice steps in after injury to new starter to lead way
CLEMSON , S.C.» Should No. 3 Clemson fulfill its championship aspirations this season, prepare to hear plenty about “The Drive.”
With new starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence knocked out of the game, reserve Chase Brice — who was about sixth on the depth chart last January — guided a 94yard, fourthquarter scoring drive that ended with Travis Etienne’s 2yard touchdown run with 41 seconds and gave the Tigers a 2723 victory against Syracuse on Saturday.
“I’ll never forget this one,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “Some might say it’s the fifth game of the year, but it’s more than that. I saw a team that didn’t quit.”
This one was hard to forget, both for the week Clemson (50, 20 Atlantic Coast Conference) endured in going from having one too many startingcaliber QBS to having none by the fourth quarter to the game’s dra matic finish.
Lawrence, a 6foot6 fivestar freshman, supplanted senior Kelly Bryant as starter. A day later, Bryant said he was transferring and that he felt he did not get a fair shake at keeping the job.
Then in the second quarter, a shaky Lawrence took hard hit to the head, wobbled to the sidelines and did not return.
Things looked bleak for the Tigers when Eric Dungey’s second 1yard rushing TD put Syracuse up 2313 with less than 13 minutes left. That’s when Clemson put together a pair of touchdown drives to stay unbeaten and avoid a second straight season of being upset by Syracuse.
Etienne answered Dungey’s score less than two minutes later with a 26yard run that cut it to 2320.
Five minutes later, Clemson embarked on what might turn out to be the season’s defining drive.
“I think I’ll remember that forever,” Clemson cooffensive coordinator Jeff Scott said.
That was apparent. Brice, a redshirt freshman with eight career passes before Saturday, completed a 20yard pass to Tee Higgins on fourthand6 to keep the drive going. Brice ran for 17 yards to get the Tigers inside the 20. And Etienne carried it across the goal line to send Memorial Stadium into a frenzy.
“They told us someone had to step up,” said Etienne, a sophomore who had a career high 203 yards and three TDS. “We all decided it had to be us.”
Dungey was sacked twice by freshman Xavier Thomas on Syracuse’s final drive. The Orange (41, 11) were trying for their first 50 start since 1987. Dungey finished with two rushing touchdowns. He was 26of41 passing for 250 yards and an interception.
Lawrence, the former fivestar recruit, was soso in his starting debut. He fumbled on his second snap and was 10of15 for 93 yards.