The Clemson Tigers play host to the Syracuse Orange on Saturday afternoon in a crucial ACC showdown from Memorial Stadium. Both teams come in with unblemished records this season, though something will have to give in this one. Syracuse is off to a 6-0 start, while the Tigers are 7-0 and have their eyes set on the CFP. Over the years, this has been an interesting series, including Syracuse grabbing the upset back in 2017. With four wins in a row in the series and wins in nine of the last ten, Clemson will be feeling good about their chances to grab the win in this one.
There wasn't much expected of Syracuse this season, predicted to finish last in the Atlantic Division in the pre-season ACC poll, though suddenly this group has its eyes set on a title game appearance if they can get past Saturday. Syracuse is undefeated this season as they continue to creep up in the rankings but with the bulk of their difficult games coming up, questions remain as to how this team will close things out. The Orange have only played one true road game this season, taking down UConn with ease, while a trip to Clemson will certainly prove to be far more challenging. After a win last week against NC State, Syracuse certainly is a talented group and with games upcoming against Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and Florida State, a win on Saturday could do wonders for the trajectory of this season.
Staying healthy has been a struggle for Syracuse from week to week this season but this group finally expects to ha ve a healthy complement of players on Saturday. They do continue to be without Isaiah Jones (upper body) at wide receiver, in addition to four players on the defensive end. With the likely absences having yet to make an impact this season, it should be business as usual for this group.
The leader of the 'Ohana is up for national coach of the yearhttps://t.co/QOh0onSvzn pic.twitter.com/4AKHCcJshh
— Syracuse Football (@CuseFootball) October 19, 2022
Offensively, Syracuse has struggled to find much explosiveness this season, though everything starts and ends with their ability to run the ball. Ranking 36th nationally in rushing yards per game, they'll have their work cut out for them against a Clemson group that is stout against the run. Sean Tucker (5.2 yards per carry, 6 touchdowns) has been a force in the backfield but if the Tigers slow him down, it'll all be on Garrett Shrader (12 touchdowns, 3 interceptions) to find success. With his dual-threat ability, Clemson won't be able to take it easy against the elusive quarterback.
The Orange have been one of the country's best teams defensively this season but with a schedule filled with teams near the bottom of their own standings, Clemson will prove to be a whole new challenge. The good news is that Syracuse has been equally strong against the run and the pass, which gives them quite a bit of confidence that they ca n get it done in both facets. It doesn't hurt that Clemson is far from the elite in their own right and if Syracuse's pass rush can continue to be elite, they'll have a shot in this one. Three Syracuse players have multiple sacks, giving them one of the best pass rush in the conference.