Clemson, just like Syracuse, is forced to play a backup quarterback due to an injury to its starter.

But unlike the Orange, the Tigers are healthy at the skill positions and their quarterback is a senior, not a true freshman like AJ Long.

“I think Cole Stoudt’s finding his way with the offense,” SU head coach Scott Shafer said of Clemson’s quarterback during the Atlantic Coast Conference coaches’ teleconference Wednesday morning. “He’s got a lot of great tools around him and I think the one thing they’ve shown is that they’ve gone through some learning experiences and found ways to win.”

SU (3-4, 1-2 ACC) journeys down to Clemson, South Carolina for a 7 p.m. meeting with the No. 21 Tigers (5-2, 4-1) on Saturday. When the two played each other in the Carrier Dome, Clemson flexed its muscles offensively and prevailed 49-14 behind 455 passing yards from Tajh Boyd.

The Clemson offense, even after losing Boyd and first-round NFL Draft pick wide receiver Sammy Watkins, is currently third in the ACC with 34.6 points per game and fourth in the conference with 440.1 yards of offense per game.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a hand injury on Oct. 11 against Louisville that will sideline him for another few weeks. The true freshman’s 12 passing touchdowns still rank fifth in the ACC.

The Tigers also feature a pair of wide receivers, Artavis Scott and Mike Williams, who are among the top wideouts in the conference in a few statistical categories.

“The one thing you know (offensive coordinator) Chad Morris will do a great job of every week is increasing the innovation and opportunity for production,” Shafer said. “He does a great job of giving those talented players opportunities to showcase their skill sets in space and as well as getting down the field with them.”

The Orange is coming off its strongest defensive showing of the season, a 30-7 beating of Wake Forest in which SU’s defense accounted for more points than its offense. Defensive end Robert Welsh had a 42-yard pick-six and defensive end Micah Robinson returned a fumble 51 yards for a touchdown.

But the Demon Deacons’ offense ranks among the worst in the country and Shafer acknowledged that his defense will be up against a completely different animal Saturday night.

“Anytime you can go out and have a performance like they did against Wake, you feel good about it,” Shafer said. “But let’s also stay in the real world, understanding Wake has really struggled on offense this year. As much as I was pleased with that performance, we also have to look at it in relative terms.

“… With all the skill they have on offense at Clemson and a very talented front offensive line, it’s going to be a hell of a battle for us to earn a little bit of respect from a great team.”

Published on October 22, 2014 at 1:59 pm

Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb