Syracuse football: opponent Q&A with Shakin the Southland

Syracuse Orange fans are gearing up for the team’s upcoming matchup versus the Clemson Tigers. To help get you get ready for the Duel in Death Valley, we sent out the Nunes Signal to our friends at Shakin the Southland to give you some more insight into this game and the Orange’s next opponent.

TNIAAM: Obviously, the Tigers are not sitting where they’d like to be right now at 1-2. Is the team actually struggling, and if so where, or is this just a fluky/shaky start?

STS: Clemson’s offense is really struggling so far. Probably the biggest disappointment in this slow start has been wide receiver play. Antonio Williams was injured in the LSU game and has been out since (questionable for this weekend), Bryant Wesco has been coming along nicely in the past two games, and Tyler Brown looks solid coming back from injury, but TJ Moore has been unusually quiet. Transfer wide receiver Tristan Smith has also played very few snaps, which has been puzzling for fans since he had a good Spring Game. Smith was billed as being that big body receiver Clemson used to rely on (think Tee Higgins or Mike Williams), so not seeing him has really been frustrating. Other struggles that the offense has had include offensive line play, which looked better in the loss to Georgia Tech despite multiple injuries. Cade Klubnik has not had his best start either. Right now Clemson’s offense is really leaning on running back Adam Randall, who is a converted receiver. While there are some issues on the defensive side, I think most people will agree the offense is the main culprit of this shaky start.

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TNIAAM: Clemson is heavily favored (-17.5 according to FanDuel). How much would it need to win by in order to calm Tigers fans?

STS: I was a bit shocked when I saw the opening line. I don’t know that there is a particular number that Clemson fans will need to see to be calm. I think fans are more going to be looking for Cade Klubnik to play more confidently, the wide receiver room to wake up a bit, and for tackling to continue to improve. Right now expectations are pretty low, so personally if we show improvement and get out with a win I’m going to be pretty happy.

TNIAAM: Now to the field: where has Clemson performed well this year, and where has it underwhelmed?

STS: I talked a lot on how the offense has performed earlier, so I’ll focus more on the defense here. Purdue transfer defensive end Will Heldt has looked phenomenal. Tackles Demonte Capehart and Stephiylan Green have been great. Defensive end TJ Parker and tackle Peter Woods, both guys who are projected first round picks, have been quiet. They aren’t playing badly, they just haven’t been making the impact that we have been used to with them. Outside linebacker Wade Woodaz has not had his best start either. MIKE linebacker Sammy Brown has been incredible. Cornerback Aveion Terrell looks really good, but the other defensive backs haven’t been consistent. CB2 Ashton Hampton got picked on a lot against both LSU and Georgia Tech, and I fully expect Syracuse to go after him as well. Star safety Khalil Barnes has been out with an injury since the LSU game, and getting him back would be huge for the Tigers.

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TNIAAM: If Syracuse were to win, what would need to happen?

STS: One of the biggest things that Syracuse will need to do is what LSU and Georgia Tech did, and that is to dominate time of possession. Both games saw Clemson’s defense buckle in well, but by the fourth quarter those guys were gassed and it showed. If Clemson’s offense is forced into a lot of three and outs and other short drives, Syracuse has a real chance at pulling this off if their offense can just continue to wear on Clemson’s defense.  That’s been the recipe for a good bit of Clemson losses over the past few years.

TNIAAM: Which side of the ball should Syracuse fans worry about the most?

STS: Defense is definitely Clemson’s strength. That’s what has been able to keep the Tigers in games. If Syracuse is able to put up points on Clemson’s defense it could make for a long afternoon.

TNIAAM: Syracuse is coming off scoring 66 points versus Colgate, and it has scored at least 27 points per contest through three games. How does Clemson plan to stop the Orange?

STS: For Clemson it’s really going to come down to how CB2 and the safeties play. So many times against Georgia Tech the Tigers would get the Jackets into third and medium or third and long and then give up the first down. Clemson has got to clamp down on that against this Cuse offense. Khalil Barnes is questionable for Saturday as of this writing, but getting him back could be a difference maker in this one.

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TNIAAM: On the flip side, if the Orange were to have success stopping Clemson, what would that look like?

STS: I think that would look like Cuse limiting Clemson’s ground game and forcing Clemson to win with the passing game. If the Orange can keep Adam Randall from getting anything going and limit what Cade can do with his legs, then you’re forcing Clemson to rely on a passing game that just is not consistent right now. Of course it’s possible that this is the game where it all comes together for the receivers and Cade, but through what we’ve seen in three games, running the ball is where Clemson’s bread is buttered, and if that is limited the Tigers would be in trouble.

TNIAAM: Does Dabo Swinney have any gifts planned for Fran Brown gift-wrapping that ACC Championship bid to the Tigers last year?

STS: I don’t know of anything for sure, but I wouldn’t be mad if Fran Brown got to run down the Hill with us. At the very least send that man home with some of Pickens County’s finest barbecue and moonshine. It is funny how Coach Brown has sort of changed Clemson fans’ perception of Syracuse. Y’all used to be one of our least favorite teams because it seemed like every game was a war. But getting Clemson into the ACC Championship (which led to a playoff appearance) along with keeping Miami from having a chance to break their ACC title drought was just awesome. And Fran Brown really seems like a likeable coach. Now, I might not have that warm and fuzzy feeling for him on Saturday, but I really like what he has brought to Syracuse’s program and think he is one of the up and coming stars in college football.