EDITORIAL BY GRAYDON FOX

Overview:

On Saturday, September 29^th, the (4-0) Syracuse Orange will be on the road to take on the (4-0) Clemson Tigers.

The Crowd:

The Crowd projects a final score of Clemson 38.7 – Syracuse 22.3 with an over/under of 61.0.

Lou Holtz and Mark May:

Lou is predicting a final score of Clemson 34 – Syracuse 24.

Mark is predicting a final score of Clemson 24 – Syracuse 21.

2018-19 Statistics (130 total teams):

Passing offense: Clemson 274.5 YPG > Syracuse 245.3 YPG

Rushing offense: Syracuse 278.0 YPG > Clemson 230.3 YPG

Scoring offense: Syracuse 49.5 PPG > Clemson 40.8 PPG

Scoring defense: Clemson 15.3 PPG > Syracuse 20.0 PPG

Passing defense: Clemson 148.3 YPG > Syracuse 255.3 YPG

Rushing defense: Clemson 103.5 YPG > Syracuse 130.8 YPG

Turnover Margin Per Game: Syracuse +1.3 > Clemson -0.3

Summary:

Syracuse is off to fast (4-0) start the season with wins over Western Michigan, Wagner, Florida State, and UConn.  It’s fair to question strength of schedule when it comes to Syracuse’s hot start especially with Florida State looking like a disaster.  The Orange rank 10^th in points per game (49.5) and 36^th in scoring defense (20.0). PPG).  Quarterback Eric Dungey has completed 63% of his passes for 763 yards with 9 touchdowns to 1 interception.  Dungey is also the team’s leading rusher with 354 yards on the ground and 4 rushing touchdowns.  Moe Neal is a workhorse running back with 70 carries for 346 yards (4.9 average).  The Orange (+1.3) rank 13^th out of 130 teams in turnover margin.  The Syracuse defense has been strong against the run this year but they have been vulnerable against the pass.

Clemson is (4-0) with victories over Furman, Texas A&M, Georgia Southern, and Georgia Tech.  The Tigers rank 28^th in points per game (40.8) and 16^th in scoring defense (15.3). PPG).  Clemson features a two-pronged quarterback offense with both Kelly Bryant and Trevor Lawrence taking reps.  Lawrence is the far more accomplished passer, and on the season, he has completed 65% for 600 yards with 9 touchdowns to 2 interceptions.  Bryant is third on the team in rushing with 130 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Travis Etienne is one of the better running backs in the country totaling 391 yards (8.5 YPC) and 5 touchdowns.  Austin Bryant, Clelin Ferrell, and Christian Wilkins anchor a defensive line that is the best in the nation.  Clemson’s defense hasn’t even reched their full potential yet as they could have delivered better performances on the road against both Texas A&M and Georgia Tech.

Bottom Line:

Syracuse shocked Clemson last year with a 27-24 victory on their home field but don’t expect the Tigers to take them for granted this time around.  Syracuse will be more than ready for dual threat quarterback Eric Dungey and containing him will stymie the Orange offense.  With young Trevor Lawrence assuming more reps at quarterback the ceiling for Clemson gets higher every day.

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