Clemson's road contest Friday night at Syracuse had classic trap-game potential. The nightmare for the Tigers began after star quarterback Kelly Bryant was knocked out of the game before halftime. It concluded when No. 2 Clemson was upset 27-24 by Syracuse in the Carrier Dome.
Bryant, who was already nursing an ankle injury coming into the week, was helped off the field right after being violently thrown to the ground on a third-down play. Bryant's helmet bounced off the turf, and he was down for several minutes before getting up. With the assistance of training staff, he immediately walked off the field and into the locker room.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said prior to halftime that Bryant had suffered a concussion.
Bryant didn't look anything close to 100 percent before his injury, though. His ankle issue kept him from running the ball and planting his feet on passes. A number of throws went high.
Zerrick Cooper was efficient in his stead, competing 10-of-14 passes for 88 yards, but did not make any big plays and is not nearly as effective as Bryant with his legs.
Clemson has a bye week before playing Georgia Tech on Oct. 28.
