CLEMSON, S.C. — With new starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence knocked out of the game, Travis Etienne scored on a 2-yard run with 41 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to give No. 3 Clemson a 27-23 victory over Syracuse on Saturday.

Etienne had three TDs and a career-high 203 yards rushing to bail out the quarterback-depleted Tigers (5-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast). They went from having one too many starting-caliber QBs earlier in the week to not enough by the second half against the Orange (4-1, 1-1).

Lawrence left his first career start late in the second quarter with a possible concussion. Lawrence was promoted to starter earlier in the week by Coach Dabo Swinney and that prompted senior Kelly Bryant, who had started the first four games and led the Tigers to the College Football Playoff last year, to leave the team. That left one-time third-stringer Chase Brice to lead the comeback – and it looked bleak when Syracuse’s Eric Dungey bulled his way in for a 1-yard score with 12:58 remaining to make it 23-13.

Etienne’s 26-yard touchdown run with 11:08 to go drew Clemson within a field goal and Brice, a redshirt freshman with just eight career passes, directed a 94-yard scoring drive that included a 20-yard completion on fourth-and-6.

Dungey was sacked twice by freshman Xavier Thomas on Syracuse’s final drive. The Orange were trying for their first 5-0 start since 1987.

(1) ALABAMA 56, LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 14: Jaylen Waddle returned a punt for a touchdown and caught two scoring passes, including a 94-yarder, to help host Alabama (5-0) beat the Ragin’ Cajuns (1-3).

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(2) GEORGIA 38, TENNESSEE 12: D’Andre Swift ran for two touchdowns, including a late 14-yarder, and the Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0 Southeastern) used dominant defense to overcome a sluggish offensive start against Tennessee (2-3, 0-2) at Athens, Georgia.

(6) OKLAHOMA 66, BAYLOR 33: Kyler Murray sat out Oklahoma’s first offensive series, then came on to pass for 432 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Sooners (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) past visiting Baylor (3-2, 1-1).

(10) AUBURN 24, SOUTHERN MISS 13: Jarrett Stidham threw for 245 yards and two touchdowns, and the host Tigers (4-1) beat Southern Miss (2-2) in a game disrupted for nearly three hours by lightning.

(12) WEST VIRGINIA 42, (25) TEXAS TECH 34: Will Grier threw for 370 yards and three touchdowns, Keith Washington thwarted a rally with a 51-yard interception return for a score, and the Mountaineers (4-0, 2-0 Big 12) held off host Texas Tech (3-2, 1-1).

(13) UCF 45, PITTSBURGH 14: McKenzie Milton threw for 328 yards and four touchdowns and UCF (4-0) extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 17 games with a victory at home over Pittsburgh (2-3).

(14) MICHIGAN 20, NORTHWESTERN 17: Karan Higdon ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns, Shea Patterson threw for 196 yards and the Wolverines (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) overcame a 17-point deficit to beat Northwestern (1-3, 1-1) at Evanston, Illinois.

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Higdon gave Michigan the lead with a 5-yard run with 4:06 remaining.

(18) TEXAS 19, KANSAS STATE 14: Sam Ehlinger threw for 207 yards and a touchdown, D’Shawn Jamison returned a punt 90 yards for another score and the Longhorns (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) snapped a five-game road losing streak to Kansas State (2-3, 0-2).

JAMES MADISON 63, RICHMOND 10: Jimmy Moreland scored on a 100-yard interception return to highlight a 28-point second quarter as the Dukes (4-1, 2-0) won at Richmond (2-3, 0-2) for their 20th straight Colonial Athletic Association victory.

ELON 30, NEW HAMPSHIRE 9: Davis Cheek passed for 258 yards and scored a rushing touchdown, Greg Liggs Jr. had two interceptions and Elon (3-1, 1-0 CAA) beat UNH (0-4, 0-2) at Elon, North Carolina.

STONY BROOK 29, VILLANOVA 27: Joe Carbone passed for 270 yards and three touchdowns, and the Seawolves (4-1, 2-0 CAA) rallied from a 21-point deficit to stun visiting Villanova (3-2, 0-2).

TOWSON 44, THE CITADEL 27: Tom Flacco ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns, and threw for two more scores as host Towson (3-1) beat The Citadel (1-3).


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