Tigers turn attention to undefeated Syracuse: 'We have to come out ready to play'

A battle of the unbeatens will take place in Death Valley next week with 7-0 Clemson and 6-0 Syracuse.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sun Oct 16 08:00:06 GMT-04:00 2022

TALLAHASSEE – Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei knows that Syracuse will bring it’s A-game next week, and he will start preparation for the Orange Sunday.

No. 4 Clemson held on to defeat Florida State 34-28 Saturday in Doak Campbell Stadium to improve to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the ACC. The Tigers have won four conference road games, while Syracuse has played just three conference games overall (all at home).

Syracuse is 6-0 and bowl-eligible after a 24-9, grueling victory against No. 15 North Carolina State. It’s the Orange’s first home win in a battle of Top-20 teams since a victory against Florida in 1991.

For the first time since 1987 and the third time since 1935, Syracuse football is 6-0. Quarterback Garrett

Shrader finished with 210 yards passing while rushing for another 81 yards. Sean Tucker ran for 98 yards and one touchdown, bringing his career rushing total to 2,766, sixth all-time at Syracuse. Oronde Gadsden II reeled in eight catches on 10 targets for 141 yards and two touchdowns.

The Orange defense held N.C. State to just 255 yards of total offense, led by 10 total tackles from Marlowe Wax. The Orange racked up four sacks, including one and a half from Jatius Geer. Syracuse's defense had three pass breakups, with two from Jason Simmons Jr.

Clemson and Syracuse have played just ten times and the Tigers hold an 8-2 advantage in the series. Since Syracuse moved to the ACC in 2013, the Tigers have won eight of nine. Clemson won four in a row from 2013-2016, then lost a 27-24 heartbreaker at Syracuse in 2017 when starting quarterback Kelly Bryant was injured. Since then, the Tigers have reeled off four more wins, but the Tigers needed heroics from Chase Brice to win in 2018, and then defeated the Orange 17-14 last year in Syracuse.

In other words, it seems like it’s never really an easy out for the Tigers, and Uiagalelei said he can’t wait to get started in his preparations.

“Tomorrow (Sunday, is when he’ll get started). Just watch film of Florida St. and go back and look at the things we did well and go back and look at the things we did,” Uiagalelei said. “Learn from our mistakes and learn from our success. And then you bury that tomorrow. And we come in Sunday night and look at Syracuse. I am excited to see what they are doing. They are a great team. I haven't gotten to see them too much on film, but we will start preparation tomorrow.”

Uiagalelei said he knows the Orange always give the Tigers their best effort.

“That is what everyone says. I've only gotten to play them twice, but they've played us tough both times,” Uiagalelei said. “Last year in the dome, the dome was a cool place; they played us tough. We have to come out ready to play, man. They are a great team, a real physical team, and they have a great head coach and great offensive and defensive coordinators over there.”