Syracuse Orange vs. Clemson Tigers Complete Game Preview

After two straight weeks in which the defense had to save the day, the Clemson Tigers hope to be in a better position against Syracuse on Saturday when the fourth quarter rolls around.

Syracuse will enter Death Valley this weekend with a 1-2 record in the conference and a 3-4 mark overall.

The offense will attempt to get things rolling against a Syracuse defense that is No. 50 in the country in points allowed, only giving up 23.9 points per game. After facing two very good defenses in previous weeks, it will be interesting to see how well Clemson is able to move the ball in Cole Stoudt’s second consecutive start.

Keys to Victory for Syracuse

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Tigers have yet to establish a consistent running game, so Syracuse will need to put the Tigers in passing situations.

Utilize the Play-Action Pass

The Orange have been fairly consistent on the ground—with the nation’s 46th-best rushing attack—so the Tigers will likely play up close to the box. Boston College took advantage of this a few times and had open guys down the field in its matchup with the Tigers, so Syracuse would be smart to give it a try.

Make the Tigers Offense One-Dimensional

Clemson has yet to establish a consistent running game, currently at No. 97 in the nation in this category. Knowing this, Syracuse has to force Stoudt to make plays through the air. He was able to come through when he had to against Boston College, but the Tigers got both of their touchdowns on the ground.

Stoudt has just one passing touchdown on the season, so getting the Tigers in passing situations will be important.

Keys to Victory for Clemson

USA TODAY Sports

The Tigers need to get pressure on Long and force him to make plays.

Contain the Run Game

The Tigers held Boston College—which entered this past Saturday’s game with one of the nation’s top rushing attacks—to just 120 yards on the ground. The Eagles had previously averaged over 300 rushing yards per game, so this was a great performance from the Clemson front seven.

Syracuse is averaging 192.0 yards per game on the ground but only 214.3 yards through the air. If the Tigers can force Syracuse quarterback AJ Long to throw the ball, it will put the defense in a very good position to make stops.

Don’t Have Multiple Blown Plays Defensively

For the Tigers to really establish themselves as one of the best defenses in the nation, they need to play more disciplined as a unit.

Defensive coordinator Brent Venables spoke about that after the Boston College game and said the Tigers have to fix that down the stretch, or teams will start to add that in their game plan.

Syracuse isn’t the kind of offense that is going to come out and consistently win the line-of-scrimmage battle, so expect to see some trickery from the Orange.

Players to Watch for Syracuse

USA TODAY Sports

Long will need to find success through the air for Syracuse to move the ball Saturday.

AJ Long

Long—playing for an injured Terrel Hunt—has performed fairly decently in his two games at quarterback. He is completing 64.4 percent of his passes and already has one more touchdown pass than Hunt previously had all season.

The Tigers will likely come after him on third down, so how he plays against the blitz will be something to watch.

Prince-Tyson Gulley

When the Orange attempt to run the ball, this is the main back they will use. The senior is averaging 5.6 yards per carry and leads Syracuse in rushing so far this season.

With inexperience at quarterback, it’s important that Syracuse gets production from its running game in this matchup.

Players to Watch for Clemson

Tyler Smith/Getty Images

CLEMSON, SC - OCTOBER 11: Adam Choice #26 of the Clemson Tigers rushes against Charles Gaines #3 of the Louisville Cardinals en route to a first down late in the second half of the game at Memorial Stadium on October 11, 2014 in Clemson, South Carolina. (

Tyshon Dye

The depth at running back has been trimmed down with the recent season-ending injury to Adam Choice, so Dye’s return is of extra importance right now. Offensive coordinator Chad Morris stated that the plan is to get Dye back in the rotation this week, so it will be interesting to see how much we see him on the field Saturday.

Vic Beasley

The senior leader is having a big season rushing the passer with eight sacks through seven games. With the success of the front seven, the Orange will likely be forced into passing situations on third down, opening things up for No. 3.

What They're Saying

Tyler Smith/Getty Images

Clemson

Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris on Tyshon Dye’s skill set

Per David Hood of TigerNet.com, Morris said, “He is a big, violent runner. A big back. He is explosive and his center of gravity is unbelievable.”

Morris on the offense facing adversity

Per Nikki Steele of TigerNet.com, Morris said, “I’m extremely proud of them with how they fight and with the way they scratch, claw just to make it happen.”

Syracuse

Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer on Vic Beasley’s athleticism

Per Nate Mink of Syracuse.com, Shafer said, “He’s athletic enough to probably play anywhere on the field. I wouldn’t lose sleep if I was coaching him and lined him up at wide receiver.”

Predicted Outcome

Tyler Smith/Getty Images

Opponents have found that rushing the ball versus Clemson's front seven isn't an easy task.

The last two games have been close, but don’t be surprised to see Clemson pull away in the second half of this one. We could see the Tigers get off to a slow start offensively if they can't establish the run game, but their defense will allow them to stay out in front.

The Tigers won at Syracuse last season without much of a problem, and this game is under the lights at Death Valley.

The defense should have another solid effort because of Syracuse’s inability to consistenly move the ball through the air. The Tigers have played as well as anybody in the country against the run—they have held four opponents to under 100 yards—so this could make things difficult for the Syracuse offense. I really like Shafer's chances of turning this program around, and they have played well at times this year, but it just won't be enough Saturday.

Clemson 31, Syracuse 10