There seems to be a recent trend occurring in the Syracuse football vs Clemson rivalry. Here’s why the Orange hope it continues on Saturday night.
The biggest game for the Syracuse football this season and perhaps even of all-time is Saturday night vs the Clemson Tigers in Week 3.
Over the last two calendar years, the Orange have somehow miraculously competed with the Tigers in instant classics.
This is Dino Babers fourth year on the hill and in every Syracuse vs Clemson matchup so far during his reign has featured a weird quarterback trend: someone gets knocked the f*** out. Babers was asked about it on Monday when he chimed in:
"“If you go back three years, Clemson knocked out a quarterback also. So I guess traditionally a quarterback gets knocked out in this game.”"
2016: Syracuse fans probably don’t want to remember this one, but Syracuse traveled down to Death Valley in Babers’ first trip there as an Orange head coach and his team lost 54-0. During that game, Eric Dungey was knocked out of the game in the first quarter. Also, Deshaun Watson left the game in the first half with an injury.
2017: This time the game was in the Carrier Dome, Syracuse was winning when they knocked Kelly Bryant out in the final minute of the first half and ended up winning the game 27-24.
2018: Last season the Orange were dominating in the first half when Trevor Lawrence got smacked in the second quarter that ruled him out for the rest of the game. Ultimately Clemson won the game 27-23 thanks to a Chase Brice rally, don’t ask we don’t want to talk about it.
Dino Babers said it best: traditionally a quarterback gets knocked out in this game.
So the only appropriate follow-up question is whose getting knocked out?
"“I don’t know how we’re going to get pressure on him (Trevor Lawrence) because they do a really good job of protecting him. It’s Game of Thrones man: he’s got a castle, a moat, and some dragons. That guy is protected. You really don’t get a chance unless he comes out of the pocket. The problem is he’s athletic, he can move, and you could argue he throws even better when he’s outside the pocket. Trevor Lawrence is the real deal.”"
According to the analytics, Trevor Lawrence so far this season has only been sacked twice (one of the two was intentional grounding).
Babers was right on the GOT reference, this offensive line may be one of the better units in the entire country. College football guru Phil Steele shared some intriguing nuggets on the Tigers offensive line via The College Football Preview Magazine:
"“The Tigers return three starters (69 career starts prior to the season starting) and Jackson Carman steps in at left tackle (200 snaps). Four offensive linemen that had seven-plus starts in 2018 so they could be close to the top-notch unit.”"
While on the other side, the Orange offensive line has been battling some issues. As a combined unit through two games, Syracuse has allowed six sacks.
Their starting center Sam Heckel has been listed as doubtful per Orange head coach Dino Babers but noted he wouldn’t completely rule him out, but it’s ‘unlikely’ he plays.
Which forces Syracuse to play musical chairs with the entire unit, which isn’t exactly ideal heading into a monster ACC battle with the Clemson Tigers.
On paper, if anyone is getting knocked out it’s going to be Tommy DeVito. Although playing devil’s advocate, if everything always went the way people thought it would, Syracuse would’ve never beaten Clemson two years ago.
While everyone is anointing Trevor Lawrence as ‘Touchdown Jesus’, Syracuse fans saw him become a mortal in his first-ever college football start when Evan Foster rung his bell. If it happened once, why can’t it happen again?