After a rapid tumble out of the AP Top 25, Clemson hopes to pick up the pieces and resurrect its season, beginning with Saturday’s home date against Syracuse.
The Tigers (1-2, 0-1 ACC) began the season ranked No. 4 in the nation. However, a Week 1 loss to LSU, an uninspiring win over Troy and a setback at Georgia Tech prompted the voters to leave Clemson out of the latest rankings.
Clemson’s latest defeat came when the Yellow Jackets kicked a 55-yard field goal at the final buzzer, but the Tigers’ shortcomings in that game went much deeper.
Cade Klubnik threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to Bryant Wesco but finished just 15-of-26 for 207 yards with an interception and a fumble. The Tigers also struggled with defending on third downs, allowing the Yellow Jackets to convert 8 of 15 opportunities.
“We’re still looking for our best game, four quarters of complementary football,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “We’ve not done that yet. … Love how the guys have responded this week, love our team, our staff. It’s a group of people that are together and know what we’ve got to do.”
Syracuse (2-1, 0-0) knew what it had to do its last time out, as the team pounded Colgate 66-24 in response to a season-opening loss against Tennessee, followed by a late comeback win versus UConn.
Steve Angeli leads the nation in passing yards (1,072) and is coming off a 382-yard, five-touchdown performance against Colgate. Darrell Gill Jr. was his top target against the Raiders, hauling in six catches for 152 yards and two scores.
Despite the resounding win, the Orange are underdogs by more than two touchdowns against the slumping Tigers.
“I don’t care what Vegas says,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said before referencing a recent high-profile boxing match. “Vegas said Canelo (Alvarez) was about to win. (Terence) Crawford said different.”
Clemson leads the all-time series 10-2, including six straight victories. The Orange are 0-5 all-time on the road against the Tigers.
