When the Syracuse offense faces a lethal defensive front in a boisterous environment at Clemson on Saturday night, it won’t be unfamiliar.

Tuesday’s practice endured sound waves of the Tigers’ fight song blasting through the Carrier Dome speakers almost too loud for senior linebacker Cameron Lynch to hear himself think.

On top of the noise, the Orange’s offense faced a nine-man rush in practice to further simulate what SU will line up against this weekend.

“It’s one of those experiences you look forward to as a coach and as players to go in there and play in that venue,” SU head coach Scott Shafer said during the Atlantic Coast Conference coaches’ teleconference Wednesday morning. “… You really can’t ever truly know what it’s like until you get there.”

Syracuse (3-4, 1-2 ACC) takes on Vic Beasley, a reigning first-team All-American, and the rest of the No. 21 Tigers’ (5-2, 4-1) defensive front Saturday at 7 p.m. in Clemson, South Carolina. Syracuse left tackle Sean Hickey will be handed the task of slowing down the defensive end and preventing him from further enlivening the Clemson crowd.

“I don’t think our guys are afraid of anybody,” offensive coordinator Tim Lester said. “Our line can block anyone in the country. The issue is how long can you maintain the block? Because these guys are phenomenal at getting off blocks.”

Syracuse’s pass protection has been one of the few areas in which its offense has been consistent. SU is tied for second-best in the ACC with just five sacks allowed on the year.

But the Tigers — who have one of the best defensive fronts Shafer’s seen in years, he said — have 26 sacks on the season, good for third in the conference. Beasley leads the ACC by accounting for eight of them and he’s the only player in the conference who’s averaging more than a sack per game.

“He’s always the first one to move — including the offensive guys. And they know the snap count,” Lester said. “He’s got an amazing trigger off the line of scrimmage.”

To counter Beasley’s burst and the rowdy atmosphere, SU will implement a silent count, a wrinkle that its practiced over the last few months but has yet to apply on the field. Syracuse’s play-calling system already involves hand signals from the sideline, Lester said, so it’s fit for an environment like Clemson’s.

Getting the play call in over the noise will be the first step. Containing Beasley, and then the rest of the pass rush, will be the second.

In Clemson’s 49-14 victory in the Carrier Dome last year, Beasley couldn’t be stopped. Four of his five tackles were for a loss, costing the Orange 13 yards, and he added two sacks.

He was the only opponent last season to get by Hickey for a sack. Now the Orange’s left tackle, one of the team’s best NFL prospects, draws the assignment of blocking him again.

“His first three steps are by far the best in college football,” said Hickey, who has 3 inches and almost 70 pounds on the 235-pound Beasley. “He’s on his third step when all the other D-linemen are on their first.

“If you’re not technically sound with him, he’s going to expose it. You can’t give him anything.”

Against the average defensive lineman, Hickey said, you can get away with having too much weight on one foot or having a hand in the wrong place. Not against Beasley.

Though Beasley’s only 6 feet, 3 inches, his arms are long, Hickey said, making it harder for an offensive tackle to get hands on him.

Hickey, like Beasley, passed on declaring for the NFL Draft in favor of a fifth year of college football. Though Hickey said he isn’t paying any attention to the professional implications his matchup with Beasley has, he didn’t deny the weight it holds. When NFL scouts evaluate Hickey’s professional potential, they may very well use tape from Saturday night.

Opposing teams often flip defensive ends as part of different looks, but not Clemson. Beasley sticks to the spot across from Hickey’s left tackle position.

Hickey was asked if the Orange will use a tight end on his side more often than usual to give him some help with Beasley, or if it’ll be mostly one-on-one battles.

Said Hickey: “I’m going to be facing him a lot.”

Published on October 24, 2014 at 6:37 pm

Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb