Syracuse football (2-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) brushed its week one loss aside with consecutive wins over UConn and Colgate. Can SU keep cooking against Clemson (1-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) to kick off ACC play?
The Tigers were ranked No. 4 in AP’s pre-season rankings – clear ACC favorites and national championship contenders. Now, they’re unranked after dropping games to No. 3 LSU, No. 18 Georgia Tech and holding off a near scare over Troy. The last time Clemson started a season 1-2 was back in 2014. But the Tigers showed their winning stripes finishing as the 15th best squad in the nation with a 10-3 record.
Clemson's early struggles this season can be largely attributed to its offense. In his first three games, senior quarterback Cade Klubnik has thrown three interceptions and three touchdowns to total for 633 all-purpose yards, his slowest start among his three seasons at QB1. Klubnik began the year with the second best odds to take home the Heisman according to ESPN.
The Tiger defense is where things could get hairy for the ‘Cuse. Clemson flaunts a front seven with Peter Woods and TJ Parker at the helm; both top-five players in college football via ESPN. Through three games, the duo has racked up 20 tackles and impressed the eyes of Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown.
“They f*****’ nice,” Brown said. “They are ridiculous… I can’t wait to play against them, just to see where we are. The offensive line is gonna compete.”
Woods and Parker are accompanied by cornerback Avieon Terrell, the second best CB in his class according to ESPN. This season, the junior has made 16 tackles, 12 solo.
This studded Tigers defense is a real chance for the Orange to prove their surging offense is not just a fluke.
Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli threw for just one touchdown against Tennessee in week one. But through more contests, Angeli has settled in. The junior went for 235 passing yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime alone in a win over UConn. Against Colgate, Angeli doubled down with nearly 400 yards through the air. The field general’s passing total towers at 1,072 yards – the most in the nation.
The air raid was in full effect for @CuseFootball quarterback Steve Angeli.@kleinjake_ detailed yet another bomb for a touchdown from the redshirt junior.
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) September 13, 2025
📻@waer883, https://t.co/BG0Q3sGq3P pic.twitter.com/LOetBCQEfZ
“He's getting more and more comfortable,” said Brown. “He’s understanding the offense more and more every week. It's set for him to win. He's a leader and we're gonna follow him.”
As Angeli’s productivity continues to ramp up, so does Syracuse’s strength of schedule. Alongside the Tigers, the Orange are slated to face No. 18 Georgia Tech, No. 4 Miami, No. 24 Notre Dame and other quality opponents. Clemson marks the beginning of a grind for Syracuse.
To get through the long haul, alongside the technicalities, Fran Brown puts unity and brotherhood above all else.
“Every year the process of growing together is different… we gotta keep communicating, growing, and understanding each other on our football team… I want them to come into the building and be excited that they get to be around their brothers and have fun at practice.”
The battle for orange and Syracuse’s first taste of conference play against Clemson gets going at noon on Saturday. WAER’s coverage begins at 11:30 with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Kickoff.