Dominic Chiappone of SBNation’s Syracuse site “Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician” joined us to break down the Syracuse-Clemson game this weekend.
Matt Goldin: What is Syracuse’s strength on offense and who are its biggest weapons?
Dominic Chiappone: It’s the passing game, and by a mile. With Kyle McCord departing, many fans thought ‘Cuse would develop more of a balanced attack, but the Orange have instead doubled-down on airing the ball out. Heading into this week, Steve Angeli has a 64% completion
percentage and leads the nation in passing yards (1,072 in three games). That all came in a blowout to Tennessee, a close overtime game versus UConn and a blowout against Colgate, but still productive nonetheless. Clemson fans should keep an eye out especially in the passing game on Darrell Gill Jr., Dan Villari and Justus Ross-Simmons.
MG: What are areas of Syracuse’s game that you worry about? What will Clemson need to attack to win?
DC: The offensive line is always a wild card for Syracuse, mostly in the wrong way. Clemson’s biggest key to success is winning in the trenches when the Orange are on offense. Can that talented (but quiet so far) group of Clemson defensive linemen overpower and force Angeli into mistakes or uncomfortable passes. The running game for Syracuse is also a bit of a question mark with starter Yasin Willis out last week with injury. He provides some pop that could overpower and make up for shaky O-line play, and not having him is certainly a disadvantage. The biggest swing position matchup: Clemson’s receivers versus Syracuse’s defensive backs.
MG: Fran Brown has an impressive first year at Syracuse with 10 wins, a Holiday Bowl title, and knocking off Miami to keep them out of the playoffs. What is the current vibe around Brown and this program? Are fans thinking he might be a guy that could build Syracuse into a contender or is the belief that Syracuse may be more of a stepping stone for another job?
DC: Simply put: he’s a breath of fresh air for the program, and it goes beyond the success from the 2024 season. Recruiting for a school like Syracuse is ust way higher than even a few years ago. Coach Brown is also saying the right things, but following that talk up with action. Everything is in the details for this coach, and that has shown on and off the field. We’ve joked among our staff: with this tough as nails schedule, if Syracuse gets to at least seven wins, back up the truck with as much money as humanly possible.
MG: Clemson comes into this game favored at about -17.5. Do you think that’s too high, too low, or just right? Why do you think Vegas has so much confidence in the Tigers over the Orange?
DC: Personally, I think it’s too high by one score. I would go something like -10.5 or -10. Clemson’s offense has been shaky this entire year so far. If anything, this line is counting on the Orange turning the ball over and the script playing out like their first game versus Tennessee. This is also a younger Syracuse roster compared to last year and the team’s first true road game of the year, and of course, it’s in Death Valley where Syracuse has… umm… never won.
MG: With Coach Brown reinvigorating Syracuse, should we expect more Cuse fans to travel to Death Valley than usual?
DC: Good question: Clemson is an opponent where there’s a lot of interest among fans, despite the Tigers usually winning in big-time fashion. It’s a rejuvenated team so I’d expect a slight uptick, but then again, everyone is wearing Orange, so they’ll just blend in with the Death Valley crowd.
MG: What is your prediction for Saturday’s game?
DC: Some of our staff is predicting a close game (Clemson winning by one score). I’m leaning towards Clemson having a “yeah, that’s right, we still got it” performance where it’s close for a quarter or two before the Tigers suddenly blow this out of the water. Final prediction: Clemson 31, Syracuse 17.
MG: Where can we find your work?
DC: Definitely check our site out at NunesMagician.com. We not only have great writers who really put in an extra effort to provide in-depth analysis and stories, but we of course have plenty of #JokesAndGarbage as well.
