Syracuse vs. Clemson Notes

Clemson Team• Clemson has won 23 consecutive regular-season games and 26 non-national championship games in a row.• The Tigers have won 26 of their last 27 games, with the only loss coming against Alabama in the national championship last season.• Clemson won its 15th consecutive game over an ACC team. That includes last year’s ACC Championship Game win over North Carolina. The Clemson record is 20 (1981-84).• Today was Clemson’s 21st consecutive win in Memorial Stadium, already a school record. The record for consecutive games without a loss at home is 25 (1980-84) (23-0-2).• Clemson is 9-0 for just the fourth time in school history. The other years Clemson started 9-0 or better were 1948 (11-0), 1981 (12-0) and 2015 (14-0).• Clemson has won 44 games in a row over unranked teams (either poll) and 45 games in a row at home over unranked teams.• The current senior class is 28-3 against ACC teams (including the ACC Championship Game last year). The school record for wins over ACC teams by a senior class is 29, set by the 2015 class that was 29-4 (including championship games). The group will have a chance to tie that mark next week against Pittsburgh.• This senior class is 44-6. The 88.0-percent winning mark is the best in school history. The record for total wins is 46 (46-8) by the 2015 seniors.• The current seniors are 25-1 at home. The Clemson class record for wins at home in a four-year period is 26. The 2014 and 2015 senior classes were 26-2, so this group has a chance to tie that mark next week against Pittsburgh.• Clemson is 4-0 against Syracuse since the Orange joined the ACC. This is the first time Clemson has won its first four games against an ACC opponent since the Tigers won their first four games against Virginia between 1955-58. Clemson also won its first four games against Wake Forest between 1953-56. Clemson has played at least four games as a conference rival against every current ACC team with the exception of Pittsburgh, next week’s opponent.• Clemson is 22-2 under head coach Dabo Swinney as a top-five team in the AP poll. The only losses were to No. 5 Florida State in 2013 and No. 2 Alabama in 2015. The Tigers are 36-5 as a top-five ranked team in history.• The Tigers amassed 565 yards of total offense. Clemson is 90-1-1 (and 5-0 this season) when gaining at least 500 total yards.• Clemson recorded its second shutout of the season and the fifth since Brent Venables became defensive coordinator in 2012.• Clemson wasted little time in recording at least one sack for a 39th straight game. Carlos Watkins stuffed the Syracuse quarterback on the third play from scrimmage.• Two quarterbacks (Deshaun Watson, Nick Schuessler) had at least 160 passing yards for the Tigers, a first in school history.

Clemson Individual• Deshaun Watson improved to 27-2 as Clemson’s starting quarterback.• Watson had touchdowns through the air and on the ground. It marked the 13th time in his career in which he scored at least one of each in a game.• Watson has had at least one touchdown pass in 25 straight games, the longest active streak in the nation.• Watson increased his career output to 9,742 yards of total offense. He needs just 22 yards to pass Charlie Whitehurst for second place in Clemson history.• Deon Cain hauled in a 65-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, Clemson’s longest play of the season.• Cain put together his first 100-yard receiving effort, finishing with five catches for a game-high 125 yards. His previous high was 98 receiving yards against Louisville in 2016.• Cain matched his career high with two touchdown receptions (2016 vs. Louisville, Boston College) and leads the Tigers with eight on the season.• Mike Williams had a 14-yard receiving touchdown in the second quarter, his fifth of the season.• Williams finished with 106 receiving yards, his seventh career 100-yard receiving effort. Clemson is 7-0 in those games.• Artavis Scott had seven catches and has 207 in his career. He passed DeAndre Hopkins (2010-12) for third place in Clemson history for career receptions.• Nick Schuessler had two passing touchdowns in relief of Watson in the second quarter, his first career multi-score game. Schuessler finished with 169 passing yards and two touchdowns.• Wayne Gallman scored his 25th career rushing touchdown.• Ryan Carter recorded his first career interception in the first quarter, returning it 17 yards to set up Clemson’s first touchdown.• Cordrea Tankersley notched his first interception of the season and the sixth of his career in the second quarter.• Tanner Muse recorded his first career interception and took it 64 yards for a touchdown. It was Clemson’s second “pick six” of the season (Mark Fields vs. Boston College).• Muse was the first Tiger freshman to return an interception for a touchdown since Wayne Simmons at Florida State in 1989.• Freshman offensive tackle Sean Pollard made his first career start in place of injured sophomore Jake Fruhmorgen.