CLEMSON — No one has to tell Dabo Swinney that his football team is not performing at the level even he thought they would be.

Through the first three weeks, Clemson’s defense has been average, while his offense has performed at a below average level. The result, two losses in three games and nowhere to be found in the polls.

“Obviously, we have not had the start that we hoped for or worked for to this point,” Swinney said.

The Tigers have an opportunity to change all that when Syracuse comes to Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

“It is just the first quarter. We got a lot of football left,” Swinney said. “There is a lot of opportunity left, so we will kick off the second quarter this week. We are still looking for our best game. We are still looking for four quarters of complimentary football. We have not done that, yet.”

Syracuse (2-1, 0-0 ACC) at Clemson (1-2, 0-1 ACC)

• Kickoff: Saturday, Noon
• Location: Memorial Stadium, Clemson
• TV: ESPN
• Spread: Clemson 17.5
• Over/Under: 55.5 points
• Series: Clemson leads the series 10-2

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

History for one. No Clemson team has started a season 1-3 since the 2004 team opened that year 1-4. Though the oddsmakers have the Tigers as a 17.5 favorite, they have not shown anything they says they deserve to be that much a favorite against a Power 4 opponent.

KEY MATCHUP

Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli is the nation’s leading passer after back-to-back 300-yard plus performances. After recording a career-high 416 passing yards against UConn, Angeli posted 382 passing yards against Colgate. He now leads the country with 1,072 passing yards through three games. Angeli threw five touchdown passes in Syracuse’s win against Colgate, which tied the single-game school record. The Tigers have six sacks through three games, which is average at the moment. They will need T.J. Parker, who has not done much of anything to this point, and Will Heldt to get after Angeli and make him feel uncomfortable in the pocket. Look for Syracuse to counter Clemson’s talented D-Line like the Tigers’ first three opponents have…use the quick passing game and get the ball to its receivers in space. It will be interesting to see if Clemson uses more press man than it has in the previous three games.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Clemson running back Adam Randall ran for 80 yards on 15 carries in last week’s loss to Georgia Tech. He rushed for 112 yards on 21 carries against Troy the week before. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry in both games, and he has scored a TD in all three games this year. The senior seems to be getting in a groove at running back and it is time the Tigers make an effort to feed him the ball often, especially against a Syracuse team that is allowing 165.0 yards per game on the ground.

Syracuse wide receiver Darrell Gill, Jr., caught six passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns against Colgate. The 152 yards ranks as the second-highest total for a player in the ACC this season. He has now recorded 100-yards receiving in three of his last six games dating back to last season. Gill ranks 24th in the nation in receiving yards (269) and 27th in receiving yards per game (89.7).

THIS AND THAT

Clemson is 38-10 in games following a loss under Swinney, including season openers following a loss in the previous season finale… Clemson is 10-1 vs. Syracuse since the Orange joined the ACC in 2013.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Earlier this week, Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said he was coming to collect when his Orange visit Clemson on Saturday. What is he coming to collect exactly? How about a win after helping the Tigers get into the ACC Championship Game last year thanks to Syracuse’s stunning win over Miami in the regular season finale. Clemson cannot afford another slow start, but there is nothing to show that will not happen again. It’s hard to imagine the Clemson offense fixing all of its issues in one week. Yes, Syracuse is not very good on defense, but the Orange has a very good offense and their head coach knows how to get the best out of his players. It is not going to surprise this writer if Syracuse wins, and as a matter of fact…

Prediction

Syracuse 27, Clemson 24