Dabo Swinney reveals key for Clemson, expects stiff challenge from Syracuse
Clemson heads to Syracuse Friday night to face an upset-minded Orange team which nearly knocked off undefeated Wake Forest last weekend.
Syracuse has the top rushing offense in the ACC, posting 242.8 yards per game. Redshirt freshman running back Sean Tucker leads the conference in rushing yards, is averaging 5.9 yards per carry, and has posted nine touchdowns this season.
“This running back is special,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said Friday. “He’s a top-three or four guy in the nation. He is fast, fast, fast. He breaks tackles. He makes people miss. He’s got great vision.”
As Swinney mentioned, Tucker is also Syracuse’s leading receiver with 12 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns, an average of 17 yards per catch, which ranks in the top-10 in the ACC.
Quarterback Garrett Shrader can make plays with his feet as well. He has 412 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground this year.
“Stopping the run is priority No. 1 if we’re going to have a chance to beat these guys,” Swinney added.
Clemson will be without defensive linemen Bryan Bresee and Tyler Davis, a huge blow against a team with a run game as strong as Syracuse’s.
On the defensive side of the ball for the Orange, Syracuse leads the ACC in sacks, a statistic that does not bode well for a Clemson team with a struggling offensive line.
Clemson gave up seven sacks against Georgia, and while the Syracuse defense is not the top in the nation, they could cause similar problems for the Tigers. Syracuse linebacker Mikel Jones has 53 tackles on the year, tied for second in the ACC.
“They create a lot of unblocked guys, with all their twists and picks and movement every play, so you have to do a great job up front with your communication,” Swinney said.
Syracuse has a recent history of challenging Clemson
While Clemson definitely has the edge over the Orange in national success in recent years, Syracuse has given them problems.
Clemson leads the series 7-2 all-time, but a 2017 loss at the Carrier Dome still haunts Clemson fans. Syracuse beat the No. 2 Tigers 27-24 in a shocking back-and-forth contest in which Clemson starting Kelly Bryant was knocked out of the game with a concussion. The following year in 2018 required back up quarterback Chase Brice, now at Appalachian State, to save the day in a 27-23 win after quarterback Trevor Lawrence was knocked out of the game.
In other words, it would not be unprecedented to see some unexpected happenings on Friday night.
The unranked Tigers will look to avoid a similar fate Friday night. They are 13.5-point favorites for the game which kicks off at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.