Syracuse at Clemson: 5 Things to Watch For

Control of the ACC Atlantic is on the line when No. 5 Clemson hosts No. 14 Syracuse on Saturday in a battle of two unbeaten teams.

It will be the first time in the 81-year history of Memorial Stadium that two teams with records of 6-0 or better square off, with kickoff set for noon.

The Tigers enter the game looking for looking to hand its fifth opponent its first loss of the season. The only other teams in history to accomplish that feat were the 2016 and 2018 squads that won national titles.

5 Things to Watch For

1. Chip On the Shoulder: The Tigers have more than one reason to come in highly motivated. Not only is the defense out to prove last week's inconsistent performance against Florida State is not a sign of things to come, but the Syracuse players have been providing plenty of bulletin board material this week.

Orange QB Garret Shrader has gone on record saying "this is our year to take them down." Senior DB Duce Chestnut took it a step further, saying "I feel bad for ‘em because we’re definitely planning to spoil that," with regards to Clemson looking to extend its home winning streak to an ACC record 38 games.

2. DJ Uiagalelei vs ACCs Best Pass Defense: While there may be some questions regarding Syracuse's strength of schedule up to this point, the Orange have been really good at taking away the opponent's ability to stretch the field. Dino Babers' squad comes in allowing just 174 yards per game and just 6 yards per attempt, both best in the ACC.

Uiagalelei comes in completing 64% of his passes and has thrown 17 TDs to just two interceptions. Although, Clemson's wideouts will need to step up and be more productive than they were a week ago in Tallahassee when the group combined for just three catches.

The Clemson QB is tied for sixth on the Heisman Trophy odds list at FanDuel Sportsbook this week.

3. Pressuring the QB: This is a matchup in which the Clemson defensive front will need to win the battle at the line of scrimmage. The Orange have had issues protecting the QB, and come in allowing more than two sacks per game. Pressuring Shrader is a must, particularly early on, as the Tigers can not afford to allow the junior QB to get into a rhythm.

4. Who Can Run It Best: This game features the two best run defenses in the ACC. The Tigers come in allowing just 2.8 YPC, while the Orange are allowing only 3.2, so rushing yards could be hard to come by.

Sean Tucker is the league's second-leading rusher, averaging more than 107 YPG. However, most of that damage came in the wins over Louisville, UConn and Wagner. Purdue and Virginia both did a pretty good job of bottling him up. Containing Schrader, who is averaging 50 rushing yards per game, has been more difficult for opposing teams. Setting the edge and keeping Shrader inside the pocket will be key for Clemson.

In the win over Florida State, we saw Clemson offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter routinely use Will Shipley and Phil Mafah to attack the perimeter of the Seminoles' defense with swing passes. If the Tigers find it difficult to run the ball this week, maybe we see Streeter once again find different ways to get both running backs involved in an effort to soften up the middle of the Syracuse defense.

At the end of the day, whichever team is more productive on the ground, will likely come away with the win. Uiagalelei has become a much more effective runner himself in recent weeks, and his legs could prove to be the difference.

5. Syracuse In First REAL Road Game of Season: The Orange come in averaging more penalties per game (8.14) than any other team in the ACC. It's a team that has struggled with procedural penalties at times, despite having played five of its first six games at home. Syracuse's one road game of the season? At UConn, which is certainly not the most intimidating environment. Despite the noon start, this game is a sellout, and the crowd could prove to be a sizeable advantage for the home team.

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