ClemsonSaturday, November 7
Clemson plays at Syracuse at noon today with a thin roster and a secondary to tighten
The 5AM Anderson team
If you're watching today, Clemson (5-3, 3-2 ACC) plays at Syracuse (4-4, 2-4) at noon in the JMA Wireless Dome. The Orange have won two straight, 31-30 in overtime at North Carolina and 30-27 over SMU, and beat the Tigers 34-21 last season.
- TV: ESPN2
- Radio: 105.5 FM in the Clemson area
- Series: Clemson leads 10-3; Syracuse won in 2025
The Tigers are thin. Friday's ACC injury report lists receiver Tyler Brown, second on the team with 36 catches, as out. Center Harris Sewell and running back Gideon Davidson are out with ankle injuries too.
Five Tigers are out at Syracuse
| Player | Spot | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Brown | Starting wideout | Out |
| Gordon Sellars | Freshman receiver | Out |
| Elyjah Thurmon | Left guard | Out |
| Harris Sewell | Center | Out (ankle) |
| Gideon Davidson | Running back | Out (ankle) |
Source: The Clemson Insider
Then there's the secondary. A 29-10 lead at Florida State on Oct. 31 shrank before Clemson won 36-24, and Swinney called two coverage breakdowns “just almost catastrophic.” Cornerback Ashton Hampton said, “That's definitely not our standard in the back end.” Still, the unit is far better than last year's.
Clemson's secondary ranks among the nation's best at breakups
- 57th
- in the nation in passing defense, up from 120th last year
- 7th
- in the nation with 39 pass breakups
- 35th
- in the nation with seven interceptions
Source: Post and Courier