By Neil Burnett (Contributor)
Syracuse Homecoming
I want to start this prediction with a Syracuse fan perspective of the game on Saturday.
“The interest remains off the charts, the amount of people going and excited about going who I know is unrivaled by anything I’ve seen since I’ve moved back in 1991, not deterred by this past Saturday’s result. The talent is sufficient, the energy unparalleled and this Clemson team will see something this Saturday that they have never ever seen nor experienced before. Heck we ourselves haven’t seen anything like it in at least two full decades. “
The Syracuse fan base is convinced that they are going to welcome the defending National Champion Clemson Tigers into the Carrier Dome and take them down like they did 2 years ago.
Clemson has had their quarterback knocked out of this game 3 years in a row. During a 54-0 blowout in 2016, Deshaun Watson went down with a shoulder injury in the 2nd quarter. In 2017, Syracuse stunned then #2 Clemson 27-24, Kelly Bryant went out with a concussion in the last minute of the 1st half. Last year, Trevor Lawrence in his first start, took a stumble and was hit on his way down that ended his play for the day early in the 2nd quarter. There is a pattern here. For some uncanny reason, Clemson starting quarterbacks have been knocked out of the game in the 2nd quarter in the last three games. Fluke happening? Probably.
Fast forward to Clemson Syracuse 2019. Clemson is coming off a sound win against the #12 team in the nation. The game was not as close as the score as A&M scored with 6 seconds left on the clock. People in the know expected it to be a high scoring game. Instead, it turned into a defense game as Clemson left points on the field and didn’t finish a couple of drives. Syracuse went into Maryland, ranked 21st in the nation, and ran into a buzz saw, losing 63-20. The Syracuse defense was shredded, simply shredded. Suddenly, like magic, Syracuse fan base has forgotten that game and rallying around the idea that Clemson is going to come in flat and go home unhappy. Two words. Rude Awakening.
This is not Trevor Lawrence’s first start of his career. Travis Etienne ran for 203 yards last year against a Syracuse defense that returns 7 starters, and a defense that got drilled for 63 points by Maryland. It’s homecoming weekend in Syracuse. Routinely, you make a weak opponent homecoming to assure win for the home crowd. Clemson has Boston College this year, who is NOT a weak opponent by any means, but……they are not the #1 team in the nation and defending National Champions. Big mistake.
Clemson goes into Syracuse a 27.5 favorite and Chase Brice should be entering the game about midway through the 3rd quarter.
Clemson 38
Syracuse 13
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