The top-ranked Clemson Tigers overcame an upset bid to earn a 47-21 victory over the Syracuse Orange on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in South Carolina.

Clemson, led by Heisman Trophy contender Trevor Lawrence, improved to 6-0. The Tigers have completely overwhelmed the competition, outscoring their opponents 289-81 with at least 37 points in every game.

Syracuse dropped to 1-5. Three of its five losses have come against ranked opponents. The Orange's last win over a ranked foe came against the West Virginia Mountaineers in December 2018.

Notable Stats

QB Trevor Lawrence (CLEM): 27-of-43 for 289 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

QB Rex Culpepper (CUSE): 10-of-26 for 175 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT

RB Travis Etienne (CLEM): 16 carries for 86 yards, 3 TD

RB Sean Tucker (CUSE): 10 carries for 63 yards, 1 TD

WR Cornell Powell (CLEM): 2 catches for 45 yards, 1 TD

WR Nykeim Johnson (CUSE): 1 catch for 83 yards, 1 TD

TE Davis Allen (CLEM): 1 catch for 17 yards, 1 TD

DB Andrew Booth Jr. (CLEM): 5 tackles, 1 FR, 1 TD

DB Garrett Williams (CUSE): 8 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD

Lawrence Lacks Precision, Takes Hard Hits

Lawrence came into the contest with eye-popping numbers through five games. He'd completed 73 percent of his throws for 1,544 yards with 15 touchdowns and one interception. He also had four rushing scores.

He wasn't nearly as effective Saturday.

The 21-year-old top NFL prospect connected on just eight of his first 18 attempts. While there were a couple of drops in that group, he also was off target on multiple throws. He appeared to find a rhythm in the final drive of the first half leading to a field goal, but it didn't carry over after halftime.

In addition, Lawrence took several hard hits throughout the game. The most notable came when the Tigers ran a trick play that saw him catch a pass from wide receiver Amari Rodgers, which was underthrown and forced him to run back into the middle of the field, where he got crushed.

He never showed any signs of injury, but it was concerning to see him take so many clean hits.

The Tigers pulled away over the game's final 20 minutes after the Orange kept them within striking distance for a majority of the contest, in large part because Clemson couldn't put together long drives.

All told, the final numbers for Lawrence and the Tigers offense weren't terrible, and the contest probably won't have much of an effect on his Heisman chances.

It wasn't his sharpest performance, however, and a more formidable opponent could have pulled off the upset. He'll need to get back on track with a tougher set of games on the horizon.

Syracuse Allows Upset Opportunity to Slip Away

The Orange entered Saturday's game as a massive underdog, which makes the result no surprise, but there were several openings to spark an upset bid.

After falling behind 17-0, Syracuse got on the board with a Sean Tucker touchdown run. It then secured a stop via a Clemson missed field goal and started the ensuing drive with a 21-yard dash by Tucker.

There was a feeling in that moment the Orange were about to surge. Instead, the drive quickly fizzled out.

The same thing happened after a pick-six by Garrett Williams late in the second quarter that once again brought the Cuse back within 10. They allowed Clemson to drive 56 yards in just over a minute to kick a field goal as time expired in the first half.

An 83-yard touchdown catch by Nykeim Johnson midway through the third quarter gave the Orange one final chance to capitalize on a lackluster showing from the Tigers.

Syracuse had two opportunities to take the lead after that score, but the first possession ended in a punt and the second was a strip-sack of Culpepper that Andrew Booth Jr. picked up and ran 21 yards to restore Clemson's two-touchdown edge.

The final score is deceiving. The Orange played light years better after falling behind by 17, and the game's result still hung in the balance until early in the fourth quarter.

Syracuse also provided somewhat of a blueprint to keep Lawrence in check. It got pressure with only four or five rushers, which allow the defense to play a lot of coverage, forcing him to throw into tight windows at the intermediate level, and it also took away the deep ball.

Clemson's talent advantage won out in the end, but the Orange will lament the missed opportunity.

What's Next?

The Tigers and Orange both return to action on Halloween next Saturday.

Clemson will once again be a massive favorite when it hosts the Boston College Eagles inside Death Valley. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on ABC.

Syracuse returns home to the Carrier Dome for a clash with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. It's also a noon ET start on the ACC Network.