Clemson QB Cade Klubnik questions Syracuse injuries after 34-21 loss

Clemson's hopes for a fast start faded in a 34-21 loss to Syracuse at home on Saturday, leaving the Tigers at 1-3 on the season and 0-2 in ACC play. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik threw for 363 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, completing 61.7 percent of his passes.

Klubnik spoke to reporters after the game, saying the Tigers were pushing tempo and felt they were moving the ball, only to have momentum repeatedly stymied by injuries and timeouts by the Orange. "We were doing it really all throughout the game. We were playing with tempo. Props to them, they stopped us on some third downs at certain times," Klubnik said. "Then they'd have an injury or something like that when we really got going. That's up to them if they wanna be honest about that, but that was definitely tough for us to really get in a rhythm. We're playing fast then unfortunately they'd have a guy get hurt or a timeout or something like that. I feel like we came out really healthy and hopefully they did too."

Syracuse jumped in front early, scoring on each of its first four drives and taking a 24-7 lead by midway through the second quarter. The Orange extended the advantage to as much as 20 points in the third, and Clemson could not fully erase the deficit the rest of the way.

Head coach Dabo Swinney called the defeat a "pain that's hard to describe" and noted Clemson would take a bye week before traveling to North Carolina on Oct. 4. "It's basically an eight-game season for us at this point. We've just got to fight our tails off to find a way to win a game, create some momentum," Swinney said.

Entering the game, Clemson had opened 1-3 for the first time since 2004, a troubling start for a program that has twice won national championships under Swinney. The uneven start comes as the Tigers look to rebuild offensive consistency and find a rhythm after injuries to several players and changes in the depth chart on both sides of the ball.

With a bye behind them, Clemson turns its attention to a road test against North Carolina on Oct. 4. The Tigers will aim to salvage the 2025 season by winning consecutive games for the first time this year, a stretch that would offer momentum heading into the latter portion of the schedule.