5 Clemson Storylines for Undefeated Matchup with Syracuse
No. 5 Clemson improved to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in ACC play following a 34-28 victory over Florida State, and now the stakes get even higher this week.
The Tigers take on No. 14 Syracuse (6-0, 3-0) in a surprising and historic battle of unbeaten teams at Memorial Stadium on Saturday at noon.
Clemson's already had several big ACC games this season, including wins over No. 13 Wake Forest on the road and No. 23 NC State at home.
The Orange are coming off a 24-9 victory over the Wolfpack and put their undefeated record on the line in a top-15 matchup.
Here are five storylines to follow in yet another critical week for the Tigers:
1. Atlantic Supremecy: It's a little too early for orange britches, but this is essentially the division title game for the Tigers. If Clemson wins, it'll still need to beat either Louisville or Miami at home next month to claim the Atlantic crown, but that seems quite doable. If Syracuse wins, it'll still have half of its ACC schedule remaining, including trips to Pitt, Wake Forest and Boston College.
These kinds of stakes will fire up the crowd and should make for a difficult environment for the visitors, even though it's an early kickoff. And with Clemson's 37-game home winning streak on the line as well, it's easy to see why the Tigers have been made a 13.5-point favorite in the most critical game of the season.
2. Heisman Watch: It's time to acknowledge DJ Uiagalelei as a contender for the top honor in college football. The Clemson QB is tied for sixth on the Heisman Trophy odds list at FanDuel Sportsbook this week. Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Tennessee's Hendon Hooker, USC's Caleb Williams, Michigan's Blake Corum and Alabama's Bryce Young are the only players ahead of him.
And when you look at his numbers, it's clear why. Uiagalelei has tossed 17 touchdown passes, which ranks tied for 10th nationally. His TD-INT ratio also ranks among the country's best. He's thrown for 1,665 yards and added 337 rushing yards and four scores via the ground game. Uiagalelei is a huge part of a top-5 team being undefeated. Expect to hear and see more attention about his Heisman candidacy this week.
3. Defensive Problems: Clemson has some serious issues to correct on defense once again. A few weeks ago, stopping the pass was a problem. Now it's the run. FSU churned out 206 rushing yards last week. It's only the fourth time in the last six seasons that Clemson's given up rushing yards in the 200s. Yes, FSU is a pretty good running team, but the Tigers had several breakdowns on a unit that had been allowing just 62 yards per game. It's perplexing because this was the healthiest they've been all year.
Dabo Swinney was also displeased with how his defense finished in Tallahassee. Nursing a 20-point lead, defenders weren't aggressive enough and had 24 tackling mistakes in the game. That can't be the case two weeks in a row as Syracuse has a running back in Sean Tucker who can pound a defense while QB Garrett Shrader is elusive as well. The focus for a group coming off a bad game should be heightened.
4. Shrader's improvement: Clemson has a dynamic to contend with that it didn't in last year's meeting at Syracuse: Shrader as a passer. He primarily tried to beat teams with his legs last season, and the Tigers took that away from him and forced him to throw. He was 17-of-37 passing for 191 yards, one touchdown and one interception. That might not be the game plan this time.
Shrader ranks third in the ACC at 9.4 yards per pass attempt and he's thrown 12 touchdowns to three interceptions. He's completing 69 percent of his passes and has over 1,400 yards through the air. He's still an effective runner, producing 81 rushing yards against NC State last game, but in new offensive coordinator Robert Anae's system, he's flourishing as an improved passer, something Swinney will certainly note this week.
5. CFP Looming: This game against Syracuse is Clemson's last before a bye week, something that will give fans flashbacks to 2017. But it's also the last chance for the Tigers to impress the College Football Playoff committee on the field before the first rankings are released. That will occur on Nov. 1.
That's not something you'll hear the players and coaches talk about this week as it's out of their control. But the Tigers were jumped by Michigan this week in the AP Poll, and you have to wonder how much that consciously or unconsciously rests in the committee members' minds. Clemson doesn't need to care too much about where it sits in that initial ranking. But with this being the final opportunity to leave a mark on the voters, a convincing win and a statement wouldn't hurt considering how the FSU game went last time out.
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