Syracuse (3-6, 1-4 Atlantic Coast) hosts No. 1 Clemson (9-0, 6-0) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome and the game will be broadcast on ABC or ESPN2. The Orange is 1-9 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams, its only victory coming against Nebraska, 17-9, in 1984. Follow along with all of The Daily Orange’s Syracuse-Clemson coverage here and/or on Twitter @DOSports.

To learn more about the Tigers, The Daily Orange spoke with The Post and Courier beat writer Aaron Brenner.

The Daily Orange: Quarterback Deshaun Watson is widely considered one of the best players in the country. What makes him so good?

Aaron Brenner: Watson is a zone-read quarterback at his core; fans and media are only beginning to see his full capabilities as a runner in the last few games as he’s hovered around the 100-yard mark on the ground three times in Clemson’s last six games. But he also throws a terrific deep ball, and makes lightning-quick decisions at the line of scrimmage to exploit the best matchup, even if that means a simple inside handoff or a quick screen pass to the perimeter. Beyond his physical skills, Watson has the “it” factor, leading his teammates everywhere they go and saying all the right things in front of the media.

The D.O.: Syracuse’s secondary has struggled throughout the entire season. What would it take from the Orange’s defense for wide receiver Artavis Scott not to have a monster game?

A.B.: Well, to be honest, Scott’s statistics aren’t always on fire, so that particular quest might not actually be too difficult for Syracuse. Scott is a little banged up right now, too; but his teammates are more than capable of exploding for long scores or big yardage games. But to the heart of the question, Scott is extremely difficult to bring down in space. Even though he’s built more like a lightning bug, he’s surprisingly strong, which might catch the Orange defenders off-guard. Mainly, as any good defensive coordinator would tell you, they’ll have to take correct angles and tackle well, even if that requires two or three defenders at a time.

The D.O.: Cornerback Mackensie Alexander is one of the best cornerbacks in the country. In what ways have opposing offenses tried to limit his effect on the game?

A.B.: Alexander backed up his talk in the Notre Dame game when he shut down Will Fuller; that’s still the only game in which Fuller has not found the end zone. However, opponents have tried their hand at testing Alexander more this season than last, perhaps because it’s just not viable to ignore half the football field against a defense as talented as Clemson’s.

The D.O.: Who are a few players on Clemson that might not be in the spotlight as much but Syracuse fans should be aware of?

A.B.: I’d keep an eye on Clemson first-year left tackle Mitch Hyatt, who just became the first true freshman in Clemson history to win ACC Lineman of the Week against Florida State. He’ll be matched up on Ron Thompson. Also look out for freshman receiver Deon Cain, who has stepped in for the injured Mike Williams and scored in each of his last two games. On Clemson’s defense, freshman defensive tackle Christian Wilkins is a full-grown man, even though he’s only 19 years old. He’s also from the northeast, a Connecticut kid. And finally, walk-on placekicker Greg Huegel will try to stay perfect in ACC play, having made all 13 field-goal attempts so far. He, too, is a freshman.

The D.O.: What area would Syracuse have to expose in order to pull off the upset?

A.B.: On offense, Syracuse will have to find a way to run the ball effectively; Matt Dayes (N.C. State) and Dalvin Cook (FSU) pulled off some long gains the past two weeks. On defense, I’d advise the Orange to take some chances and see if it can’t force some turnovers; though Watson’s been better lately, he does have seven interceptions this year. And on special teams, it’s all about the kick returns, as Clemson has been dreadful on kick return coverage this year. Brisly Estime certainly has the Tigers’ attention, and he’ll probably be the best punt returner Clemson sees this season.

Published on November 12, 2015 at 5:50 pm

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds