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Coming off a loss against Liberty that represented a new low this season, Syracuse (1-4, 1-3 Atlantic Coast) will travel to Death Valley to face No. 1 Clemson (5-0, 4-0) at 12 p.m. on Saturday. 

The Tigers just thrashed Georgia Tech — the only team the Orange have beaten this season — by a score of 73-7.

Here’s what our beat writers think will happen on Saturday: 

Anthony Dabbundo (3-2)
Missing evidence
Clemson 59, Syracuse 7

After Syracuse defeated then-No. 2 Clemson 27-24 in 2017, Dino Babers no longer needed to ask for belief without evidence in his ability to turn the Syracuse program around, at least temporarily. The Orange beat Clemson that night, and they should have beaten them the next year. 

Babers has provided much less evidence that he can sustain a winning program through recruiting, and many are losing belief. The Orange are spiraling downward, perhaps even lower than they were in 2015. 

Clemson will choose how many points they score in this one, and the game will be over long before halftime. The Orange’s fans will get a good final look at Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence in college (for a half) before he’s potentially playing for a New York team on Sundays next year. 

Danny Emerman (2-3)
Party like it’s 2000
Clemson 59, Syracuse 0

From last year’s 41-6 loss to the Tigers, Syracuse returns hardly any production. Players who will suit up on Saturday were responsible for 13 of the Orange’s 69 tackles in 2019, five of their 15 receptions and two of their 42 carries, which went for just 15 yards. 

But Clemson returns stars Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne, as well as Amari Rodgers, who scored two touchdowns in the 2019 matchup. Lawrence more than doubled the Orange’s yardage in last year’s contest, and nothing about this Syracuse team suggests anything different will occur Saturday. 

Syracuse has one of the worst offenses in the nation, and its ball-hawking defense is plagued by its struggle to stop runs up the middle. Both are weaknesses that No. 1 Clemson will seize upon. 

Syracuse’s worst loss in the 21st century came in 2000, with a 59-0 loss to No. 1 Miami. The Orange have also suffered blowouts of 56-0 to both Georgia Tech (2013) and Clemson (2016). The only reason Saturday’s game won’t rival those lopsided losses will be boredom and mercy on behalf of the Tigers. 

Adam Hillman (2-3)
Mismatch
Clemson 66, Syracuse 3

Even at full strength, the Orange would be at least 20-point underdogs to this Clemson team. But a shorthanded SU team without two defensive backs going against the Heisman favorite? That’s just unfair. 

SU has shown in the past three weeks that it’s unable to stop the run without NFL-bound safety Andre Cisco, allowing at least 275 rushing yards to Duke, Liberty and Georgia Tech. The team now faces Travis Etienne, who defensive lineman Josh Black called “the best running back” in the country. Don’t overthink it: this game won’t be close.

Published on October 21, 2020 at 10:23 pm