The mission for Clemson’s secondary in Saturday’s 18-13 win over Syracuse was simple.

Shutdown Umari Hatcher?

The sixth-year receiver was having an All-American type of season prior to Saturday’s game at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. Hatcher ranked second in the ACC behind Miami’s Malachi Toney in catches (60), receiving yards (952) and TD receptions (8) and was averaging 107 receiving yards per game.

“They move him around and do different things,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said.

The Tigers countered by putting their two-best cover guys on him, and like they did to Toney last month in the Miami game, Ashton Hampton and Elliot Washington shut Hatcher down.

 “I came out here and made sure I won my matchup,” Hampton said to the ACCN after the game. “I came out here and did my 111 regardless.”

Hampton and Washington won their matchups for most of the day against Syracuse’s top receiver. Hatcher was held to a season-low two catches for a season low 12 yards. This after the two held Toney to a season low five catches for a season low 40 yards on Oct. 3.

“We just tried to keep Ashton on him or Elliot as much as we could, especially with him moving around,” Swinney said. “We just changed the looks of it. He is a really good player. We just had high alert on him.”

Hatcher was targeted nine times, with one of those targets being a drop. Hampton, who led the Tigers with eight tackles, was charged with two breakups, while Elliot was credited with one.

Hampton also picked off a pass in the end zone to stop a potential Syracuse scoring threat in the fourth quarter.

“I made sure no matter what happens in the ups and downs of the game, I made sure I was locked in,” Hampton said.

For the most part, it appeared Clemson’s entire defense was locked in, and not just on Hatcher, either. After being torched by Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli a year ago in less than 30 minutes before he suffered a season-ending injury, the Tigers were determined not to allow that happen a second time.

“It felt good to come to Syracuse and get a hard-fought victory against a team that came to our place last year and beat us down pretty bad,” Hampton said.

Clemson (6-3, 4-2 ACC) allowed Angeli to complete just 18 of 40 passes for 263 yards. Seventy-four of those came on the Orange’s last drive, as they desperately tried to get back in the game.

Before his final drive, Angeli was 13 of 35 for just 189 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. The Tigers also sacked him three times, hurried him six more times and defensive end Jahiem Lawson picked up an Angeli lateral and rumbled 22 yards for a defensive touchdown as well.

Lawson’s touchdown turned out to be the difference in the game.

“There is plenty we can do better,” Swinney said. “We just lined up and tried to play as much man coverage but disguised enough and played enough zone coverage to keep them off balance. We did just enough not to let them get locked in.”

In other words, mission accomplished.

–photo courtesy of Clemson Athletics Communications