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Before Syracuse’s matchup against Clemson, its players had to answer one simple question about the unranked Tigers — is Clemson still Clemson?

“Of course they’re still Clemson,” linebacker Marlowe Wax said three days before the game.

Wax said the Tigers still have some of the best players in the country, including 5-star quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei. Despite Clemson dropping out of Associated Press’ top 25 for the first time since 2014, the Orange had to game plan against Uiagalelei: they wanted to make him “uncomfortable,” defensive lineman Cody Roscoe said.

After allowing an average of 38.3 points against Clemson over the last three seasons, the Orange held the Tigers to 17 during Friday’s game. SU achieved its goal of pressuring Uiagalelei, as Clemson converted on just five of 15 third downs.

These are the key defensive plays, despite Syracuse’s 17-14 loss against Clemson:

Early success

With a third-and-12 and five receivers out on the field, Clemson’s offense makes it pretty clear they want to throw the ball for a first down. Still, the Orange sends five rushers at the defensive line, hoping to win the battle at the line of scrimmage instead of in pass coverage.

“Our D-line room up front is some of the best guys in the business,” Roscoe said. “Regardless of who we play … we have to come ready to play.”

After arriving at Syracuse last season following three years at Football Championship Subdivision school McNeese State, Roscoe has the most sacks in the Atlantic Coast Conference at 7.5. At the start of this play, he takes an easy approach — along with linebacker Stefon Thompson — going outside of the opposing player in front of them.

While Thompson can’t get free, Roscoe keeps his hands up like a boxer, swiping Clemson right guard Reed Morrissey’s hands away from his padding. As Roscoe gets closer to Uiagalelei, fellow defensive lineman Steve Linton uses a stunt to get free in the middle of the pocket. Linton’s success causes Uiagalelei to move to the left slightly, allowing Roscoe to take down the quarterback.

The best way to stop one of the top teams in the ACC is to get at them early and create an expectation of constant pressure. Roscoe and Syracuse do exactly that on the first defensive drive, setting up a game filled with strong play from defensive coordinator Tony White’s 3-3-5 system.

You got Mossed

On ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown,” NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss goes through the best catches from wide receivers against tight coverage. The segment is named “You Got Mossed,” inspired by Moss’ ability to make unimaginable catches albeit good defense.

The morning after the game, Syracuse defensive back Duce Chestnut made it on television. And yes, he wasn’t the one making the catch.

With a scoreless game in the second quarter, Clemson’s Joe Ngata charges down the right sideline from the 20-yard-line. Chestnut, at 6 feet flat, is in man-to-man coverage against the 6-foot-3-receiver. Uiagalelei delivers a rocket that went over Chestnut and into the hands of Ngata for the first score of the night.

But this matchup shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Going against Clemson, Syracuse knew that its personnel wasn’t on par with some of the 4- and 5-star athletes that make up the Tigers’ squad. Chestnut, a 3-star recruit, is no match here against Ngata, a 4-star, in man-to-man coverage.

If the Orange want a fair battle against top-tier teams, they have to beat them with strategy, not personnel. Leaving cornerbacks on an island leads to plays like this one, putting SU’s defensive backs on the wrong side of a highlight tape. Moving to a zone would have benefitted Syracuse tremendously, allowing it to make up for what it doesn’t have in athleticism.

After cornerback Garrett Williams got mossed on a successful fake punt attempt by Clemson tight end Davis Allen, Uiagalelei again goes high to a receiver in the red zone. Syracuse only sends four rushers, allowing for Mikel Jones and Wax to drop into coverage. By doing this, the Orange put faith in their pass coverage, allowing Uiagalelei enough time in the pocket before making his final strike.

Even deeper in the 3-3-5, Syracuse has defensive backs Ja’Had Carter and Rob Hanna at the safeties positions. Carter is directly behind Wax and Hanna is behind Jones, each pair on either hash of the field. This leaves the center of the field wide-open in between the second and third levels of the defense.

While this hole opens up in the middle of the field, Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross fakes a step outside, cutting into the vacant pocket at the front of the end zone. Uiagalelei tosses the ball to Ross extremely high, commencing an athletic battle between Ross and Carter. The Clemson side wins, again, leading to another touchdown a play later.

Fixing previous mistakes

Throughout the first three quarters, Clemson was able to get easy yardage by having Uiagalelei drop back as if he was going to throw, but instead, he took off and ran once blockers were set. On some of those plays, the Tigers even double teamed Jones, knowing if anyone was to make a play from SU, it would be him.

“We did a pretty decent job,” Roscoe said. “At times he did get out of the pocket, and he did break a couple of runs. There were some things that were on us.”

With a third-and-6 in the fourth quarter, Syracuse sends six rushers to the line of scrimmage, signalling that it wanted to put as much pressure as possible on Uiagalelei during one of the most pivotal points of the game. The Orange do this expecting a pass from Uiagalelei, but when the quarterback takes off, it somehow works to their advantage.

Jones was the only linebacker who didn’t act as a defensive linemen, staying back at the second level in the middle of the defense. This setup allowed him to see everything unfold from a distance before making an initial strike. Once Uiagalelei runs, Jones shuffles to the left, staying in line with the quarterback.

Allen attempts to block Jones, but he can’t chip him from wrapping up Uiagalelei. As Jones brings the quarterback to the turf, the rest of the defense pursues the ball, ensuring the Tigers have to settle for a field goal.

Published on October 19, 2021 at 10:32 pm

Contact Anish: asvasude@syr.edu | @anish_vasu