Clemson football grades vs. Syracuse: Tigers put the 'A' in first ACC win of season

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Clemson football got its first ACC win of the season Saturday with a 31-14 victory at Syracuse.

The Tigers (3-2, 1-2 ACC) outgained the Orange (4-1, 0-1) 389 yards to 286, and the Clemson defense had a season-high five sacks against Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader.

Here's how we're grading the Tigers' performance.

Offense: A-

The first half was one of Clemson's best offensively. The Tigers had 237 yards, and Cade Klubnik was 16-for-15 with two touchdowns and 180 yards. He had some near-interceptions, but he also had more deep throws and looked more confident than he did early in the season. The offense slowed down in the second half, with 92 total yards and one touchdown that came with a short field thanks to an interception. The late lapse didn't matter for the result, but it's something to watch as Clemson's schedule gets tougher.

Defense: A

Aside from Syracuse's first touchdown, when the Clemson defense missed multiple tackles on tight end Dan Villari, the Tiger defense played another good game. It gave Clemson's offense opportunities thanks to a pair of fumble recoveries, forced punts on four straight drives in the middle quarters and had five sacks against slippery Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader.

Special teams: C+

Clemson missed another field goal, its fifth miss of the season and the second for recently re-added kicker Jonathan Weitz. To his credit, after missing a 42-yard attempt in the second quarter, he made a 38-yarder in the third. Clemson long snapper Philip Florenzo was called for kick catch interference on a punt in the first quarter, shortly after a kick catch interference call against the Orange.

Coaching: A-

I'll knock some points off for the odd fourth-and-1 call in the second quarter when Clemson had the ball at the Syracuse 5-yard-line. Not trusting the field goal is fair given the Tigers' track record, but Clemson opted for a pass rather than pushing for the one yard it needed for the first down. Klubnik was sacked and Clemson turned it over on downs. Fortunately for the Tigers, Syracuse couldn't turn the opportunity into points. Overall, though, it was a clean game for Clemson with big moments on both sides of the ball, and the Tigers looked focused in a bounce-back win.

Overall: A

It would've been easy for Clemson to come out flat after an emotional overtime loss to Florida State last week ended its playoff hopes. But the Tigers continued their progress on offense, took advantage of Syracuse mistakes and contained Syracuse's playmakers to get their first ACC win of the season.

Christina Long covers the Clemson Tigers for the Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. You can follow her on Twitter @christinalong00 or email her at clong@greenvillenews.com.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football grades vs. Syracuse: 'A' for first ACC win of season