Recipe for an Upset
FOUR THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN FOR SYRACUSE TO BEAT CLEMSON
1. Sean has over 150 scrimmage yards.
We saw Sean look like Sean last week, with a big 38-yarder and the return of his highly-anticipated Monday tweet. However, if SU fans are to be completely honest with themselves, they would have to be slightly disappointed in the impact and yards that #34 has this season. Saturday would be a GREAT time to change that narrative. Clemson’s defensive line, for all the hoopla and accolades, is very much high-risk, high-reward in the run game. So you can expect a fair share of TFLs, but there will also be lanes for Tuck to break off chunk plays. Tucker snuck past 100 total scrimmage yards last week, with 98 yards on the ground and 14 through the air. If SU is going to come out of Death Valley Saturday afternoon victorious, it’ll be because Sean Tucker had a large part in it, and 150 yards seems to be the sweet spot for determining his impact.
2. Shrader makes plays against inexperienced Clemson secondary (3 players with at least 2+ catches, Pena/Alford/Court/Coop).
Be quiet for a second, turn your phone on do not disturb, and just listen for a minute… You hear that? That’s the sound of wideouts running past this Clemson secondary all year. This Clemson defense has given up at least 75 yards to a singular receiver every game (yes, including Furman and Louisiana Tech) except for their opener against Georgia Tech, who has looked so good this year that they decided to fire their head coach in the middle of the season. If I’m Courtney Jackson, Trevor Pena, Damien Alford, or DeVaughn Cooper, I’m chomping at the bit to get on the field right now. This secondary has proven to be a liability, and almost all of the guys I just mentioned came into the season thinking they were the number one receiver or at least seeing number one receiver targets. There’s been a clear drop-off in consistency from the receivers outside of Oronde Gadsden this year, but this game would be an ideal opportunity. A national audience against a struggling secondary would be the perfect turn-up time. If SU is going to come out of Death Valley Saturday afternoon victorious, it’ll be because at least three guys not named Oronde Gadsden have at least two catches.
3. The Mob plays like The Mob (Marlowe and Mikel combine for at least 15 tackles, and Shipley is under 80 yards).
Will Shipley has looked like the back that SU fans thought Sean Tucker would like going into the season. He’s a quick, powerful runner that's a home run waiting to happen, but I’m not convinced about what he looks like at the NFL level or that he’s even the most talented runner SU has faced this year (For much money, I’d much rather tackle Will Shipley than Malik Cunnigham). Marlowe and Kel came to SU to play games like this -- a highly accoladed Clemson team with a highly accoladed skill player waiting to be shut down by This Mob. Clemson, in a very similar way to how Anae tries to do it with Tuck, gets Shipley involved in a number of different ways and formations. For a poor Shipley day and a SU victory, Marlow and Kel, along with the third interchangeable LB (be it Sparrow, Leon Lowery, or Derek McDonald), will have to identify Shipley and where he’s at every time he’s on the field. If SU is going to come out of Death Valley Saturday afternoon victorious, it’ll be because Mikel and Marlowe combined for at least 16 tackles and three TFLs, forcing Dabo and this Clemson offense to become more pass-heavy and potentially allowing this talented SU secondary to make plays on the ball.
4. No superhero ball; everybody does their job.
When team get into circumstances like this, a lot of guys tend to want to make the big play, try too hard to get their name on the Fan Nation front page. It’s human nature. Everybody wants to be THE reason why THE game went their way. However, most true veterans and thinkers of the sport not only know, but truly understand that in order to be successful in crunch time and key moments, you have to be jarringly consistently in the things and the process that landed you in that crucial moment in the first place. That’ll be a key for every member of this Syracuse team. Shrader can’t go out there trying to play hero ball, carrying the ball 20 times and forcing throws that aren’t there. Sean can’t play hero ball, he needs to fight for extra yards when they’re there, and go down or out of bounds and live to fight another down sometimes, too. This secondary, especially Duce, cannot play hero ball, trying to emphasize jumping routes and balls versus being solid in coverage and simply being in the right place at the right time. In a game and an environment where Clemson will expect SU to do everything but, the onus will be on the leaders of this football team to ensure that everybody does their job completely and thoroughly, which I believe will lead to a sad and stunned Clemson crowd come Friday afternoon.
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