After knocking off Florida State last weekend, Clemson continues its two-game road swing with a trip to Syracuse on Saturday.
The Tigers are 11-2 in regular-season road games since November 2023. Clemson’s only regular-season road losses in that span came on a 55-yard last-second field goal at Georgia Tech in 2025 and this year’s season opener at LSU. When expanded to include College Football Playoff first-round action, Clemson is 10-3 on the road since the start of the 2024 season, and the Tigers’ .769 road winning percentage in that span is tied with Ohio State for seventh-best in the country.
While the Orange came into Death Valley and beat Clemson 34-21 last season, the Tigers lead the all-time series 10-3, winning six of the past seven meetings.
5 Things to Watch For
1. Tait Takes Step: Tait Reynolds continues to progress at quarterback. The freshman turned in a strong performance in the win over the Seminoles, particularly in the first half, throwing two touchdown passes before the break.
However, where he really took a step was with his legs. Reynolds’ 79-yard scoring run late in the fourth quarter sealed the victory, while also setting a program record for the longest run by a quarterback. And Reynolds becoming more effective as a runner couldn’t come at a better time.
With Gideon Davidson out this weekend, the Tigers are going to once again need Reynolds’ legs to be a factor. Syracuse has stepped it up in the run defense department in recent weeks, allowing just 69 in the comeback win over SMU last weekend. The week before, North Carolina rushed for 101 yards in an overtime loss to the Orange.
2. Walking Wounded: Clemson’s win over Florida State came with a cost. Along with Davidson, the Tigers are down two starters along the offensive line. Elyjah Thurmon will miss the game with a concussion, while Harris Sewell is out for multiple games with a high ankle sprain that will require a tightrope procedure.
Gavin Blanchard slides in at left guard in place of Thurmon. Blanchard has seen plenty of action there this season already, starting against Miami in place of an injured Thurmon. The sophomore has played 225 snaps this season.
The biggest concern might be Grant Wise replacing Sewell at center. Sewell has mostly been solid this season, so with Wise being a true freshman, this won’t be an easy ask. Wise has logged 119 snaps this season, with most of those coming against North Carolina and Miami. However, the only snaps he’s seen at center were the 11 he played against FSU after Sewell went down. Wise was a big-time recruit coming out of high school, but there is a reason we don’t see many rookies starting at center at this level.
3. Cuse Bringing the Heat: With those injuries up front, Syracuse is going to come after Reynolds. The Orange rank 15th nationally in sacks per game (2.88) and were able to get to SMU’s Kevin Jennings six times last week. The Tigers’ pass protection has already been less than stellar for most of the season, with Florida State sacking Reynolds four times last week. With Jarvis Green getting his first career start at running back, how he handles picking up blitzers will also factor in here.
4. Stop the Run: Syracuse comes in averaging more than 160 rushing yards per game. Tylik Hill (5.30 YPG) and Ahmad Miller (4.30 YPC) form a formidable duo. The two have combined for close to 1,000 yards, while Miller has six rushing touchdowns.
Like Clemson, the Orange have also struggled to protect the quarterback at times this season. Syracuse is allowing 2.25 sacks per game, which ranks 95th nationally.
If the Tigers’ front seven can limit the run, Tom Allen’s unit might have some chances to just peel their ears back and get after the quarterback.
5. Syracuse Dilemma?: Clemson fans saw firsthand just how effective Orange quarterback Steve Angelli can be. He sliced up the Tigers last season.
During Syracuse’s two-game winning streak, Angelli is 23-of-31 passing for 288 yards and three touchdowns strictly during the fourth quarter and overtime of those contests. That is getting it done.
However, how healthy Angelli truly is might be worth monitoring. In the initial injury report released on Wednesday, the Syracuse quarterback was listed as questionable. Backup Malachi Nelson is doubtful, and third-stringer Amari Odom is out.
Having said that, Angelli has been listed on the report a bunch of times this season and still manages to play. It’s safe to assume he will this week, as well.
– Photo courtesy of Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider