After beating Florida State last weekend, Clemson heads up to Syracuse looking for a second straight win on the road. The Tigers have won 11 of their last 13 regular-season road games, dating back to November of 2023.
The Orange came into Clemson last season and knocked off the Tigers 34-21, in a game that wasn’t exactly as close as the final score might indicate.
Series History
- Overall: Clemson leads series, 10-3
- Home: Clemson leads series, 5-1
- Road: Clemson leads series, 5-1
- Neutral: Clemson trails series, 0-1
- Last Meeting: Sept. 20, 2025 (34-21, L)
- Streak: Syracuse, Won 1
Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli threw for 245 yards and two touchdowns before leaving before halftime with an Achilles injury. That same injury has forced Angeli to miss some time this season, but over the past two games, he’s been at his best when the games were on the line.
Having said that, Angeli has also thrown five interceptions in five games, so he has put the ball in danger some this season, and that would be ill-advised against this Clemson secondary. Just ask Ashton Daniels after the Tigers picked him off three times last week. The Orange are allowing 2.95 sacks per game, ranking 95th nationally, so Tom Allen’s defense should be able to generate some pressure, which in turn could lead to some bad decisions.
Clemson managed to win the turnover margin for the first time all season against FSU, and doing so here would certainly go a long way towards pushing Dabo Swinney’s team to a victory. Either way, it is probably safe to assume the Tigers’ defense will hold up their end.
The concerns for Clemson reside on the other side of the ball, where injuries have quickly become a major concern. Starting running back Gideon Davidson is out. Starting center Harris Sewell and starting left guard Elyjah Thurmon are out. To make matters worse, there are serious questions surrounding the availability of wideout Tyler Brown. Even if the junior receiver plays, he’s not likely to be 100 percent.
That is a lot of an efficient offense to overcome, and let’s be honest, the Tigers have struggled mightily even when fully healthy. With Thurmon and Sewell out, that means four of the five starters up front will be first- or second-year players, and Syracuse ranks 15th in the nation in sacks per game (2.88). The Orange sacked Kevin Jennings six times in the win over SMU last weekend.
True freshman Grant Wise having to make his first career start at center is definitely something to watch. There is a reason very few freshmen start at that position. Wise is going to be responsible for getting the protections set, and that is a lot to put on a rookie, even if his ceiling is extremely high, especially against a team that can get after the quarterback.
Tait Reynolds certainly took a step against Florida State, and he will need to continue that progression on Saturday. With Davidson out, Reynolds’ legs absolutely have to be a factor. Chris Johnson Jr. will also need to be more productive. SMU managed just 69 yards on the ground against the Orange last week. The week before, UNC had only 101 in an overtime loss.
With Brown possibly out, or at best somewhat limited, Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore are going to have to step up and help their freshman quarterback a little more than they have in recent weeks. JuJu Preston will likely have more opportunities, but this might also be the week we finally see more of freshman Naeem Burroughs, who might be one of the more explosive players on that side of the ball. It also means, like last week, the tight ends have to be more involved.
However, Clemson’s biggest weapon in this one might just be Nolan Hauser. The junior kicker is in the midst of a superb season, having hit 23-of-24 field goal attempts. 10 of those makes are from 46 yards or longer. Just get him in his range and let him do his thing.
This one feels like a toss-up. The Tigers are a 2.5-point road favorite and will look to avenge last year’s loss, which Dabo Swinney called “embarrassing” earlier this week.
“They were tougher and more physical than we were and punched us right in the mouth,” the head coach said.
Two weeks ago, I picked Clemson to beat Virginia Tech. Last week, I picked them to lose to Florida State. A swing and miss both times. Maybe I can get back on the winning side of things myself this week.
The margin for error is slim, but the team that wins the turnover margin likely comes away victorious. I lean towards believing the Tigers will force Angeli into a couple of mistakes. Maybe even costly ones.
Clemson 19, Syracuse 17