Scott Keepfer

USA TODAY Network

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Clemson lost a lot more than a quarterback Friday night.

The Carrier Dome turned into the Carrier of Doom for the No. 2-ranked Tigers as upstart Syracuse knocked out quarterback Kelly Bryant in the first half, then flashed its high-speed skill in the second half en route to a 27-24 upset that could derail the Tigers' hopes of a third consecutive ACC title and trip to the College Football Playoff.

Bryant, who started the game after suffering an ankle injury last week against Wake Forest, suffered what was believed to be a concussion late in the first half and did not return.

Clemson will have two weeks to ponder its fate — the Tigers have a bye week before hosting Georgia Tech on Oct. 28.

Clemson slipped to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the ACC, while unranked Syracuse moved to 3-3 and 2-1.

The loss snapped an 11-game overall winning streak for Clemson and a 12-game winning streak on opponents' home fields.

Syracuse knocked off a defending national champion for the third time in program history. The Orange defeated Penn State in 1987 and Michigan in 1998.

The Carrier Dome and the 42,475 in attendance came to life early Friday night as Syracuse scored on its first possession, becoming the first opponent to score on an opening-drive possession against Clemson this season. The last to do it was Pitt, the last team to beat Clemson.

It was a harbinger of things to come on a disheartening Friday the 13th for the Tigers.

"We didn't really do anything well tonight," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.

Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey confounded the Tigers’ defense time and again, passing for 278 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 102 yards. His 8-yard run on a third-and-8 play with 1:37 remaining sealed Clemson’s fate.

Clemson’s defense, which entered the game ranked eighth nationally in total yards, was shredded for a season-high 440 yards and 28 first downs.

The Tigers, meanwhile, could generate little consistency and trailed 17-14 at halftime. When Dungey connected with Steve Ishmael, the nation’s leader in receptions and receiving yards, for a 30-yard touchdown, the Carrier Dome crowd began to sense an upset in earnest and began offering deafening responses to each positive play by the Orange.

Clemson’s Travis Etienne dashed 52 yards with 6:16 left in the third quarter to tie the game at 24-24, but that would be it for the Tigers, who came up empty when Alex Spence missed his second field goal of the night on their next possession, and punter Will Spiers’ fourth-down pass on a fake came up short on their final possession with 6:10 remaining in the game.

"Nobody's more disappointed than Alex," Swinney said. "But these are kicks we have to make."

Syracuse’s Murphy provided the winning points with a 30-yard field goal with 9:41 left.

Redshirt freshman Zerrick Cooper replaced Bryant to start the second half and completed 10-of-14 passes for 88 yards. Bryant was 12-of-17 for 116 yards in the first half, but appeared to have much of his mobility compromised. He rushed four times for minus-8 yards.

Bryant was tackled hard by Syracuse defensive lineman Chris Slayton with 45 seconds left in the half and remained limp on the field for several minutes while being examined by medical personnel.

He walked gingerly to the Clemson locker room with assistance, but was unable to return.

The Tigers finished with 317 yards, their second-lowest total of the season.

Scott Keepfer writes for The Greenville (S.C.) News, part of the USA TODAY Network.