Clemson's Uiagalelei benched in win, still QB1

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Dabo Swinney made a alteration astatine backmost that helped spark a 27-21 come-from-behind triumph against Syracuse, but afterward, helium insisted D.J. Uiagalelei remains Clemson's starting QB.

"D.J.'s our quarterback," Swinney told ESPN's Molly McGrath aft the game. "That's our our guy. That's our quarterback."

Down 21-10 midway done the 3rd quarter, Uiagalelei threw his 2nd interception of the time -- his 3rd turnover wide -- but Syracuse was incapable to crook it into points. On the Tigers' ensuing drive, Swinney turned to existent freshman Cade Klubnik successful hopes of igniting Clemson's struggling offense.

Klubnik threw conscionable 2 passes connected the thrust -- completing 1 for 18 yards -- but a idiosyncratic foul connected Syracuse linebacker Marlowe Wax for hitting Klubnik arsenic helium scampered retired of bounds connected a third-and-25 play extended the drive, and Phil Mafah punched successful a 1-yard score.

Klubnik remained successful the game, and Clemson scored connected 2 of its adjacent 3 drives -- a 50-yard Will Shipley tally and a 44-yard tract extremity -- to implicit the comeback.

For the game, Klubnik was 2-of-4 passing for 19 yards to spell with 15 yards rushing.

After an awesome scoring thrust to adjacent retired Clemson's triumph implicit Georgia Tech successful the opener, Klubnik is conscionable 5-of-13 passing successful constricted action.

Uiagalelei struggled severely past season, but Swinney spent the full offseason defending his QB, insisting helium was Clemson's starter. Uiagalelei responded with a beardown commencement to the 2022 season, and helium had conscionable 2 interceptions (with 17 TD passes) entering Saturday's game, starring Swinney to routinely knock fans and media who had speculated astir a QB change.

"Everybody had their prognostications connected erstwhile [Uiagalelei] wouldn't beryllium the starter anymore," Swinney said conscionable days earlier benching the QB. "People emotion to bash that benignant of stuff. It's embarrassing, really. But that's the satellite we unrecorded in."

Clemson moved to 8-0 with the triumph implicit Syracuse and each but wrapped up the ACC Atlantic Division. The Tigers person an disconnected week upcoming earlier heading to Notre Dame connected Nov. 5.