David vs Goliath, underdog vs college football powerhouse, the stage has officially been set. This Saturday, #14 Syracuse will take on #5 Clemson in Death Valley, in an ultimate showdown for ACC supremacy.
Syracuse and Clemson: Battle for the Atlantic Coast
The latter opens up as a 13.5-point favorite, but sports bettors beware. If you’re a fan of either one of these teams, you know better than anyone, that this game is going to be a good one. Yes, Clemson typically comes out on top in every matchup, but you’d be a fool to believe that Syracuse won’t keep it close. For whatever reason, regardless of record or prestige, the Orange always seem to put up a fight against the Tigers.
In 2017, Syracuse pulled off arguably the biggest upset of the year when they beat Clemson 27-24 at home. The following year in 2018, Clemson staged a fourth-quarter comeback and won 27-23 in their home stadium. Just last season in 2021, the game would come down to a missed Syracuse field goal late in the fourth. Escaping another mere upset, the final score would read 17-14. As far as we know, it’s very possible that Syracuse finally gets over the hump and pulls off another upset against the Tigers…
QB DJ Uiagalelei UNDER 219.5 Passing Yards
In the past five games against FBS opponents, DJ has surpassed 220 yards twice. Both of those games came in the first few weeks of the season against Wake Forest and Louisiana Tech. For reference, those schools were ranked 83rd and 71st in passing yards allowed per game. As of right now, Syracuse is listed as 30th in the nation under the same category (204 YPG). In the last three games, Clemson has faced teams with pass defenses ranked 18th, 31st, and 26th. In none of those games, DJ Uiagalele surpassed 220 yards passing.
Considering the fact that two of those games were decided by 10 points or less, we can only assume that the same will apply here against Syracuse. Keep in mind that in their last meeting, Uiagalelei threw for just 181 yards. In addition, the Orange have one of the best cornerback tandems in the NCAA in Deuce Chestnut and Garrett Williams. While it’s becoming increasingly more evident that they’ll both get drafted, the latter has been an absolute problem for opposing quarterbacks. It’s safe to say that he might even see himself being picked in as early as the first round next spring.
HB Will Shipley OVER 77.5 Rushing Yards
Coming off a week in which he rushed for over 120 yards, this prop bet is favorable in more than one way. While Syracuse does have an elite defense, their numbers against the rush aren’t as flashy. Allowing approximately 107 rushing yards per game, the Orange find themselves ranked 48th nationally in that category. Clemson however, is putting up about 173 rushing yards per game. If our previous bet starts tilting in our favor late in the game, it’s likely that Dabo Swinney will turn to his running back for help.
Looking at the numbers, when Clemson wins by seven points or less, Shipley surpasses 100 rushing yards every time. If Clemson is going to win, they need to establish their running game early on, which makes even more sense here. If DJ goes three and out on back-to-back possessions, they’re not going to keep trying the same thing. Now obviously, that’s probably not gonna happen, but I think you see what I’m getting at.
QB Garrett Shrader OVER 17.5 Pass Completions
If you came into this season thinking Garrett Shrader was the same quarterback he was last year, you’d be wrong. In all honesty, I was one of those people. But in all fairness, could you really blame the doubters after the numbers he put up last year? His quickness led many to believe that he was a dual-threat quarterback. As a proud, lifelong fan of the ‘Cuse, I’ll be the first one to tell you otherwise. You see, you have to be a good passer to be considered a dual-threat quarterback. Last year, that was not the case at all. To put things into perspective, he’s currently only 11 yards away from matching his total passing yardage from last season.
But this year, things have completely changed. In terms of passing efficiency, he’s been all you could ask for and then some. His completion percentage has gone up, his rating has skyrocketed, and with 12 total passing touchdowns, he’s already surpassed his career high of 9 in 2021. Coming into this game, he’s facing the 107th-ranked pass defense in total completions allowed per game (23). In the past five games, Shrader has averaged about 17.6 pass completions per outing. When looking at Syracuse’s past five games against FBS defenses, Clemson (surprisingly) has been the worst in terms of total completions allowed per game.
When you compare this statistic with the idea of Syracuse having to play from behind, you’re going to have a significant increase in opportunities. Looking back at last year’s game against Clemson, Shrader through 17 completions in a 17-14 loss. Considering how much he’s improved as a passer, it is highly unlikely he doesn’t reach this mark come Saturday.
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