Preview and Prediction: Syracuse Orange

The No. 1 ranked Clemson Tigers (2-0, 1-0 ACC) head to the sight of their last road loss Saturday (7:30 p.m., ABC), as they travel to upstate New York to take on the Syracuse Orange (1-1, 0-0 ACC).

This week, Clemson will attempt to set a school record with an 18th straight victory, breaking the mark set across the 2014-15 seasons. It would be the second-longest winning streak by an ACC member in conference history, trailing a 29-game streak by Florida State from 2012-14.

The Tigers are also attempting to win their eighth straight true road game and avenge its most recent road loss (2017 at Syracuse). It would be Clemson's fourth road winning streak of eight games or more all-time, joining eight-game streaks from 1947-48 and 1978-79 as well as the school-record 12-game streak from 2015-17.

Who to watch when Clemson has the ball:

Tee Higgins (WR): While teammate Justyn Ross led Clemson with 1,000 receiving yards in 2018, no Clemson receiver found the end zone more than Tee Higgins. The Tennessee native recorded 12 receiving touchdowns, tied with two different seasons by Sammy Watkins for the second-most in a single season in school history.

Higgins is primed for an assault on some of the greats presently populating Clemson's all-time leaderboard for career receiving touchdowns. His 62-yard touchdown grab in the season opener was his 15th career touchdown reception, placing him one score outside the Top 10 in school history.

Trevor Lawrence (QB): Lawrence was knocked out last year’s game in Death Valley in his first career start. This season, Lawrence wants to show the nation that he is the Heisman candidate that everyone thought he was in the preseason, and what better place to do it than in front of a sold-out, homecoming crowd on national television.

Lawrence (32) enters the game tied for seventh in school history in career passing touchdowns. He is three touchdowns shy of matching Nealon Greene (35 from 1994-97) for sixth in school history,

Travis Etienne (RB): Etienne wasted no time rewriting history in 2019. He recorded a career-high 205 yards in the season opener against Georgia Tech, the 17th 200-yard rushing game in Clemson history.

It was Etienne's second career 200- yard day, tying him with Ray Yauger, Terrence Flagler, Raymond Priester and Andre Ellington for the most in school history. Etienne's 12 carries were the fewest by any Clemson player in the midst of a 200-yard performance, undercutting Buck George's 15 attempts in Clemson's first individual 200-yard rushing day in school history in 1952.

After being held to under 100 yards against the Texas A&M Aggies last week, getting Etienne touches will certainly be in the Tigers’ game plan.

Kendall Coleman and Alton Robinson (DE; Syracuse): Kendall Coleman has the most sacks per game of any active player since the start of the 2018 season (0.86) and DE Alton Robinson (0.75) is close behind.

The duo, which combined for 20 sacks in 2018, the most by an ACC tandem, are two of the six returning FBS players who registered double-digit sacks in 2018.

Who to watch when Syracuse has the ball:

The secondary: Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said prior to last week’s game that he expected the Aggies to get off the bus throwing the ball and test the Tigers’ secondary, and he better expect the head coach Dino Babers-led offense to do the same — and even more.

The Tigers’ secondary responded at home last week, as they held the Aggies to under 300 yards through the air. However, this will be another huge test, as they try to shut down the Orange on the road.

Tyler Davis (DT): The true freshman has already made a name for himself, earning the starting defensive tackle spot opposite Nyles Pinckney.

However, this week is his first game away from the friendly confines of Death Valley. While facing an Orange team that will push the tempo faster than any team the Tigers will face, the true freshman will be required to get his assignments, his set and be prepared for the snap of the ball much faster than he is used to.

Jarveon Howard (RB; Syracuse): Syracuse’s offense has been know for throwing the ball all over the field under Dino Babes’ leadership, but it was the Tigers’ inability to stop the run that ultimately cost them the last time they played inside The Dome.

Sophomore RB Jarveon Howard was ruthlessly efficient last season when it came maximizing his opportunities to run the football. Howard tallied seven rushing touchdowns on 68 attempts or one every 9.7 carries.

For his career, Howard has eight rushing scores on 80 carries. He's averaging a TD every 10 attempts

Preview:

Clemson enters this week having won each of its last 31 Saturday games. Clemson went 12-2 during the 2017 campaign, with its only losses coming on a Friday at Syracuse and a Monday on New Year's Day in the Sugar Bowl.

Clemson's 31-game Saturday winning streak is the longest active streak in the FBS. In total, Clemson has won 52 of its last 53 Saturday games. The Tigers' current 31-game streak started following a 2016 loss to Pitt that was preceded by a 21-game Saturday winning streak across the 2014-16 seasons, previously the longest such streak in program history

Saturday will represent just the eighth meeting between Clemson and Syracuse all-time and only the seventh in regular season play.

With a clear memory of what happened the last time the Tigers traveled to Syracuse still in their minds, the Tigers continue their “Leave no doubt” tour and take care of business.

Predictions:

Zach Lentz: Clemson- 38 . Syracuse- 17

Susan Lloyd: Clemson- 45 Syracuse-10 *Tanner Muse with an pick-6*

Jeremy Styron: Clemson-45 . Syracuse-10

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