After Dabo Swinney and Clemson fell to South Carolina on Saturday, they needed some help from Fran Brown if they wanted to make the ACC Championship. If the Tigers wanted to make the ACC Championship, they needed Syracuse to defeat Miami.
The Orange delivered. Afterward, Brown made sure to shout out Clemson and Swinney for sending them to Charlotte. He also said he got a message from his old boss, Kirby Smart, before the biggest game of the year.
Syracuse rallied from 21 points down to complete the comeback and seal the 42-38 victory on Saturday. As a result, Clemson will now take on SMU in the ACC Championship next week. Miami, meanwhile, will await its College Football Playoff fate.
“This is a championship game,” Brown said in his postgame interview. “We worked our butts off for it. … Hey, Dabo Swinney, congrats. I got you in, baby.”
The Hurricanes jumped out to a 21-0 victory over the Orange, but Syracuse didn’t back down. Kyle McCord and the passing attack rose to the occasion, outscoring Miami 35-14 over the second and third quarters before taking a 42-35 lead in the fourth quarter. The Hurricanes later got a field goal and looked to get a stop, but couldn’t follow through. Syracuse got the 42-38 win, and the Clemson faithful rejoiced.
Fran Brown – the Orange’s first-year head coach – spent the previous two years under Smart at Georgia as defensive backs coach. Prior to the Miami game, which he previously called a championship game, Brown got a call from his old boss. The student made sure to thank the teacher, as well, amid the sea of Syracuse students who stormed the field.
“Hey, Kirby Smart, thank you for that message earlier Kirby,” Brown said. “You mean so much to me, Coach Smart. I appreciate you. I love you. Thank you.”
But most importantly, because Syracuse won, Brown gets one important reward. He gets to take a shower.
“Guess what? I’m getting washed!” Brown said before turning to the camera and disappearing into the crowd.
With Miami’s loss, Clemson will now advance to the ACC Championship next week against SMU. Kickoff is set for Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
