Syracuse, N.Y. -- For the first time this fall, Syracuse football's mental fortitude is being tested.

After a heartbreaking 27-23 loss at No. 4 Clemson on Saturday, the Orange flew back to Central New York and began to regroup on Sunday.

SU head coach Dino Babers stood in front of his team in the meeting room at the Iocolano-Petty Football Complex and took in the atmosphere. As Eric Dungey described SU's locker room immediately after the defeat, it felt different.

"They picked me up yesterday with their attitude," Babers said at his press conference on Monday. "They just seem like they're mature."

With a second consecutive road game coming up at Pittsburgh on Saturday at 12:20 p.m., the Orange (4-1, 1-1 ACC) must put this weekend in the past, Babers said. He pointed to how Clemson handled the back half of its 2017 season as a model his 2018 team can attempt to follow.

The Tigers, after being upset by SU 27-24, won their last six regular-season games by an average margin of 25.8 points. Only then-No. 20 North Carolina State played them to a one-score game, losing 38-31 in Raleigh, N.C.

"The big thing that Clemson did last year is they didn't let Syracuse beat them twice," Babers said. "Now we've got to take a page from that book. They beat us once, they're a good football team. But we can't make that football team good enough to beat us twice. We need to lock in, focus and put all of our energy and all of our attention into the Pitt Panthers."

While, as he likes to say, the proof will be in the pudding, Babers is optimistic about how this team will respond considering how his culture has developed in Year 3. He sees more consistency than in years past, but stopped short of calling the product complete.

"Now, I believe this team has it, OK?" Babers said. "I believe they have it. I think they are... I don't want to say it yet, because I don't want to jinx it, OK? And I don't think they're occasional, but we have to prove it. And this is an opportunity right now to prove it."

Here are a couple other highlights from the presser:

Stopping the run

The emphasis on the defensive side of the ball this week is clear; Syracuse must improve against the run.

Clemson leaned hard on its ground game, especially after freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence was knocked out. Travis Etienne ran for a career-high 203 yards, averaging 7.5 yards per carry and finishing with three scores. Adam Choice (9-58) and Tavian Feaster (9-44) also found consistent success.

"It wasn't like they were scheming us," Babers said. "We had a guy, if you look at the tape, we had a guy who could make the tackle. If they make the tackle, we're going to have an opportunity. And it happened continuously. That's the part that kind of bugs. We just needed one more play."

The Tigers bounced back and forth between zone and counter concepts, keeping SU linebackers Kielan Whitner and Ryan Guthrie guessing. Both missed numerous opportunities, as did defensive backs, including freshman free safety Andre Cisco.

Looking at the Panthers, they have two productive power backs in Qadree Ollison (5.9 ypc, four touchdowns) and Darrin Hall (6.7 ypc, two TDs). Both players tip the scales at 225 pounds while quarterback Kenny Pickett and running back A.J. Davis have also accounted for 305 rushing yards, taking out sack yardage from Pickett's total.

Babers understands the ground-and-pound culture at Pitt, too, having coached running backs there in 2003.

"We just saw what happened to us in the last game when someone decided to do that," Babers said. "We've got to find a way to stop the run on defense and we've got to find a way to run the ball on offense."

Two 50-50 timeout calls

Babers touched on his decision not to use either of his remaining timeouts on Clemson's 13-play, 94-yard game-winning drive that spanned 5:25 of the fourth quarter.

After the game, he called it a "teeter-totter" situation and explained that he wanted to hold on to the timeouts so they could be used on SU's ensuing offensive possession.

On Monday, Babers said there were two situations in which he was seriously considering using a TO. First, before Clemson's 4th-and-6 conversion near midfield.

"I was 50-50 about calling a timeout right there," Babers said. "And the reason I was 50-50 is because of the rookie quarterback (redshirt freshman Chase Brice). They've got a rookie quarterback that the quarterback coach and offensive coordinator would love to talk through this 4th-and-6 call. I'm sitting here going, 'Do I want to let them talk to this kid?'

"... It was a 50-50 and I said, 'No, I want this kid to have to do it on his own.' I don't want a coach to tell him exactly what to do."

Brice would throw his best pass of the game, finding wide receiver Tee Higgins on the sideline for a 20-yard gain.

Babers said he also considered using a timeout on the goal line, the snap before Etienne scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 2-yard rush. The thought was a break would give his personnel a chance to recover from the extended possession.

Ultimately, though, he doesn't regret how he handled the situation.

Said Babers: "Those are my two 50-50s. I'm not saying they're wrong. It's, 'Hey, 50-50, make a call.'"

Follow Syracuse football on Twitter and Facebook

Stephen Bailey covers Syracuse football for The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can also be reached anytime via email.