The Clemson Tigers are struggling to make sense of their historically sluggish start — and their quarterback has seemingly resorted to pointing fingers.

The pass attack played off the run game success with Johntay Cook II and Justus Ross-Simmons taking the lead. Both wideouts were targeted 11 times on the day, Cook making six catches for 113 yards and Ross-Simmons five receptions for 53 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

CLEMSON, S.C. (WWTI) – Syracuse football got the biggest road win of the Fran Brown era with a 34-21 upset over defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion Clemson Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Clemson football's early-season struggles reached a new low on Saturday as Syracuse walked into Memorial Stadium and left with a 34-21 victory. The Tigers, once ranked No. 4 nationally, now sit at 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the ACC, their worst start since 2004 and their poorest conference opening since 2010.

This week's card leans on totals and first-half spreads, mixing in plays from intriguing under-the-radar matchups, a few spots where top teams face overmatched opponents and, yes, even an angle on what might be the ugliest game of the week. First, a quick look at the season record, which inched closer to .500 after a bounce-back showing last week.

The Clemson Tigers (1-2) take on a fellow ACC foe when they host the Syracuse Orange (2-1) on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025 at Memorial Stadium (Clemson, SC). Date: Sept. 20 In the past three meetings, Clemson owns a 3-0 record against Syracuse.

Prior to Saturday, the Tigers hadn't lost a home game by more than 12 points to an unranked team since 2001 against North Carolina.