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Chase Brice was Clemson's quarterback a week ago. On Saturday, he made a return to Syracuse after an injury that sidelined the new starter of the team. (Richard Shiro / Associated Press)
Clemson has achieved an impressive balancing act during his decade under coach Dabo Swinney.
He managed to reach an impressive level of regularity while recording seven consecutive seasons of 10 wins without becoming a machine without joy. And it has avoided excessive dramas for the most part even being one of the most watched programs in the country.
The Tigers are unlikely to become a buzzkill, in part because of matches such as Saturday's 27-23 loss to Syracuse. But thanks to one of the darkest weeks of Swinney's tenure, there is definitely a drama in Death Valley.
Rookie Trevor Lawrence made his career debut on Saturday, just days after Swinney raised him to the top of the list of depths. Kelly Bryant, the previous star of the program, then opted for the transfer. With the new NCAA rules in effect this season, Bryant had the option of taking a red suit because he had played four games or less.
Lawrence failed to qualify in the first half before attacking on a hasty attempt, leaving Chase Brice (the third player on the team a week ago) to climb to 23-13. . His latest numbers (7 of 13 passes, 83 yards and one interception) were not impressive. But Brice delivered a 20-yard dart to Tee Higgins to convert a fourth try as the Tigers attempted to score, but rushed for 17 yards in the next game.
Clemson finally survived because his defense crashed Syracuse in the second half and his best carrier (Travis Etienne) climbed for 203 yards and three touchdowns. But the questions are not lacking either.
When will Lawrence come back? How long could Brice do with a full week of training with the first team? Is there a chance Bryant will come back?
(And let's not forget the Orange here.) Syracuse probably proved his merit on Saturday more than four wins to open the season.
After much thought, both at the national level and at the conferences, Syracuse was always opportunistic and directed most of the day. If the Tigers race had not worn out, it would have ended in September with a sweep of Florida State and Clemson that no one had seen coming).
Clemson still enjoys an excellent depth of defense and quality in most places. But the quarterback is not one of them, and the Tigers are more vulnerable than a week ago. They leave September at 5-0, their playoff hopes are intact. Clemson might be able to run the table, but it's also easier to imagine one or two obstacles along the way than at the start of the season.
Building a consistent winner while mastering instability is not easy. It would be particularly interesting for Clemson to be able to do this as long as his quarter depth remains in such a flow.
winners
West Virginia. Ignore for a moment the relatively modest victory margin of the Mountaineers at Texas Tech. Ignore the disappointing defensive performance in the second half.
In a truly road-friendly environment for the first time this season, West Virginia quickly jumped, resulting in three touchdowns after a quarter and a 42-34 win against a brave conference opponent.
[[[[Will Grier, West Virginia, is a pro. He just happens to be in college.]
The Mountaineers (4-0, 2-0 Big 12) did not really finish the match until the return of Keith Washington's 51-yard interception with 2:58 to play and they did not play. Have scored none of their five significant tries after the match. pause (they took a knee to end their sixth possession of the second half). Coach Dana Holgorsen has a lot to do.
But it was also another indicator. West Virginia could very well be the best Big 12 foil for Oklahoma this season. And with Kansas, Iowa State and Baylor coming in October, mountaineers have a manageable run to 7-0 before the last month of the regular season.
Will Grier of West Virginia scored 27 of 41 passes for 370 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday. (John Weast / Getty Images)
Army. After the disappointment of falling into overtime in Oklahoma last week, the Black Knights beat the Buffalo 42-13, a defeat so far undefeated.
It was also a very victorious way of army type. The Black Knights (3-2) had four records that hit all these boards: 10 games, 70 yards, five minutes of the clock. Toss in a field goal blocked back for a score, and the Army was just as methodical this week as he was in his almost upset at Norman last Saturday.
Alabama. There was never much doubt that the purple tide (5-0) would not face a serious Louisiana-Lafayette test. And of course, Alabama dropped 49 points in the first half of a 56-14 rout.
One of the best developments for Nick Saban's team was the opportunity to play alternate quarterback Jalen Hurts for the fifth time this year. Hurts was not looking to make Kelly Bryant's mid-season outing, but the possibility of creating a red shirt is now impossible. Alabama will maintain his quarterback test behind Tua Tagovailoa for the remainder of the trip.
[[[[Transfer of power? The NCAA redshirt rule offers more choice to players.]
losers
UCLA. Even though the Bruins defeats in Colorado occurred Friday night in Boulder, it is worthwhile to review their struggles while evaluating the week in its entirety. UCLA only managed 289 rushing yards. While junior Joshua Kelley (12 races, 124 yards) had a commendable night, his team found the goal zone only once.
That leaves UCLA at 0-4 for the first time since 1971 and Chip Kelly with as many defeats in his first month of training as the Bruins coach in his first two seasons in Oregon. The remaining schedule is ruthless, including inter-division games against Oregon, Stanford and Washington. Needless to say, it's basketball season in Westwood.
Texas Tech. Red Raiders starter Alan Bowman joined Trevor Lawrence of Clemson as a freshman rookie quarterback on Saturday. He left the defeat of the Red Raiders 42-34 in West Virginia.
While he was in the middle of an uneven day, he still left Texas Tech (3-2) without a quarterback who had 1,557 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in his first four starts.
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