By Will Vandervort.
What most people remember from last year’s 49-14 victory at Syracuse is the ease in which the Clemson offense moved up and down the field. Sammy Watkins 91-yard touchdown reception from Tajh Boyd is still fresh in most Clemson fans’ memory.
But defensive coordinator Brent Venables remembers something else from the game.
“They rushed for over 300 yards,” the Clemson coach said on Tuesday.
Actually, the Orange, who will invade Clemson’s Death Valley on Saturday (7 p.m., ESPNU), rushed for 323 yards on 48 carries – an average of 6.7 yards per rush. One running back rushed for 125 yards, while another had 95 yards on three carries.
Syracuse (3-4, 1-2 ACC) broke off three runs over 28 yards, including one that was a 66-yard touchdown.
“Giving up those big runs is something we don’t want to do,” Clemson defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said. “When you give up a big run like that, it gives a team momentum and it gives them confidence. So trying to stop the run is going to be huge for us.
“They broke off a couple of big runs on us last year. They were just simple mistakes and we cannot afford for that to happen if we want to be the defense we want to be.”
Lately, no one has been able to run the football on the 20th-ranked Tigers. Clemson (5-2, 4-1 ACC) has given up a total of 395 rushing yards combined the last six games – an average of 65.8 yards per game. The Orange come into Saturday’s game with a rushing offense that is averaging 192 yards a game on the ground.
In last week’s 30-7 win over Wake Forest, Syracuse rushed for 199 yards, including a career-high 114 yards from running back Devante McFarlane. He had the 95 yards on the Tigers last season.
“It does not take much at any time,” Venables said. “They busted one for about 80 yards on Wake Forest, who had been playing good defense too. If you are not in your gap, they have good enough players that they can house call it at any time.”
Despite the fact George McDonald was demoted from offensive coordinator to wide receivers coach and quarterbacks coach Tim Lester was named the new OC, Syracuse has shown marked improvement on the offensive side of the ball in the last two games.
It has even show improvement in the passing game; despite the fact starter Terrell Hunt was knocked out for four to six weeks with a broken fibula in the Orange’s loss to Louisville on Oct. 3. But true freshman A.J. Long has come in and shown good poise as he threw for 167 yards and two scores against Florida State and 171 yards on 22 of 32 passing in his first career-start at Wake Forest.
Syracuse totaled 412 yards against second-ranked Florida State and then followed with 370 yards and 30 unanswered points at Wake Forest last Saturday.
“Have they really changed schematically and those kinds of things? I think every week there is a new little small package, but they still do what they do,” Venables said. “There is a philosophy there, whether that is because things happened midstream and they cannot do wholesale change or whatever it is, I think they are doing a good job spreading the ball out with their tight ends and the backs.
“They are doing the same stuff. They do a lot of stuff we just saw (at Boston College). They are going to do tempo, multiple formations and a lot of the jet motions, wheel routes, reverse passes, the pop passes, the throw back to the quarterback and the double pass. We have seen all of those things from them. They did it against us a year ago. They do it now with the new coordinator. I think they do a good job utilizing all of their talent and I don’t see much of a change.”
Venables stressed this isn’t coach speak or anything like that. He is not trying to talk up Syracuse more than just reminding his players that they have to come prepared to play on Saturday. And they have to remember that this is the same offense, for the most part, with a couple of added players like wide receiver Steve Ishmael, that rushed for 323 yards in the Carrier Dome last year.
“They are very aggressive and they are going to make sure you have your Ps and Qs in order and they are going to test you from the very first snap all the way to the very last snap,” he said. “They try to take the top off the defense. The very first play against Louisville and Notre Dame, they are going downtown and were successful in doing so.
“It was great coverage and it was a great call, but it was a back shoulder fade. It was perfect. It was like some of the things you see our offense do. The plays where everyone goes, ‘Wow!’ That is what they do. I’m sure they are shooting for more consistency in doing that, but they have the capability of doing that and the philosophy to do it.”