Starting this year, ACC football teams are required to report injuries 48 hours prior to kickoffs of conference matchups in a new rule adapted by commissioner Jim Phillips.
This rule was created to help take the stress off student athletes, primarily from individuals who seek out information constantly in an effort to know more prior to placing bets.
As the Orange head down to Death Valley this weekend, we are able to see the first injury report created by Fran Brown that has been released to the public.
The full list for both Syracuse and Clemson can be seen listed here.
For Syracuse, the big names to monitor heading into the weekend are Yasin Willis and Duce Chestnut, who are currently still listed as questionable and presumably will be game time decisions come Saturday.
Willis made a huge impact early in the season, scoring three touchdowns in week 1 against Tennessee and the go-ahead score late in the game against Connecticut.
Having him in the backfield against Clemson would be huge in terms of both running the football, but also in terms of pass protection, as Clemson is a team that will blitz the quarterback, bringing defenders from all different directions.
While Will Nixon can surely hold his ground, having Willis in the mix would definitely not hurt the Orange and their offensive attack.
Chestnut is one of the top defenders for the Orange, and after 18 tackles in the first two games, it was clear that redshirt junior was a difference maker for a team throughout the course of the game.
If both of them are able to find a way to play in this game, that would help Syracuse’s chances significantly.
While Syracuse fans are still up in the air about their key players after reading this opening injury report, Clemson fans are ecstatic about what they were able to see.
Three of Clemson’s projected starters that had been injured the last two games prior to the matchup against Syracuse were listed on the injury report this week as probable for the matchup on Saturday.
The three main players that were listed as probable are safety Khalil Barnes, left tackle Tristan Leigh and wide receiver Antonio Williams.
If all three of those players are able to suit up this weekend, that is a huge plus for a Tiger team that is desperate for a win to prevent themselves to falling to 1-3 on the season and 0-2 in ACC play.
As for the injury reports overall, I think there is still a lot that is left up in the air.
While the report is able to generate certain players as “out”, “doubtful”, “questionable” or “probable”, we still need to see how accurate Fran Brown takes report is come Saturday.
However, the more information we are able to receive as fans, the better, and all Syracuse fans should be monitoring closely in hopes of seeing Willis, Chestnut and others put the pads on as the Orange try and pull off a significant road upset at Clemson.
What do you think about the injury reports? What more would you like to see from them? How do these reports shake up your thoughts for the weekend?
