No. 2 Clemson had a difficult start to its game at Syracuse Friday night, and found itself trailing 17-14 at halftime at the Carrier Dome.

The fast-paced Syracuse offense helped the Orange jump to an early lead, 7-0, then 14-7 after the first quarter. It could have been worse for Clemson until the Tigers converted a 63-yard fumble return for a touchdown after Syracuse was called for offensive pass interference, which negated a touchdown.

Earlier, Ervin Phillips scored on a 66-yard touchdown pass to give Syracuse the lead after Clemson answered the opening score.

Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey showed his mobility with several scrambles, including a 21-yard run for a first down after the Orange had a delay of game penalty to start the game. Dungey later converted a fourth down and one, and on the next play connected with Ravian Pierce for a 28-yard pass play. But the offense stalled, and Syracuse had to settle for a field goal.

Syracuse controlled the time of possession, which helped keep Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant and the offense on the sideline. Bryant, who suffered an ankle injury last week, started the game 10-for-13 passing. But late in the first half, Clemson faced a third down and 22 to go after Bryant suffered a sack, and drew a penalty for intentional grounding.

Bryant appeared to limp at times, especially late in the first half, before a hard sack with less than a minute remaining where his helmet appeared to hit the turf. Bryant left the game with assistance from medical personnel.

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