This Week 7 ACC battle features the No. 2 Clemson Tigers hitting the road to take on Syracuse in New York on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN (live stream it on WatchESPN).
Clemson vs. Syracuse 2017 live stream: How to watch online
New York is going to be very orange on Friday night with this ACC matchup.
Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
The Tigers sit atop the ACC at 6-0 heading into the matchup, with the Orange boasting a 3-3 record and sitting in third in the Atlantic division. While this isn’t expected to be a close contest, Clemson’s starting quarterback, Kelly Bryant, went out with an ankle injury, but will play in the contest.
Time, TV channel, and streaming info
Clemson vs. Syracuse news:
- Syracuse head coach Dino Babers still eats — and loves — Ramen noodles.
- The Tigers haven’t had much of a home-field advantage lately, so playing on the road shouldn’t be an issue.
- Syracuse’s offense has been decent to start the season but still needs more consistency in the run game.
As we’ve seen all year, you could graph out every Syracuse offensive effort similarly. Flat in the first quarter and a half, then a spike in the late second and it stays up there. Against better teams, that’s a problem. Against like teams, it’s something we can power through.
- Clemson’s backup quarterback Hunter Johnson gave a glimpse of his potential.
You can tell his confidence has grown over the season, and he looked like Clemson’s backup quarterback on Saturday. I know he only played for one series, but going 5/5 and throwing the first touchdown of his career was pretty good for so little action.
Player matchup to watch: Syracuse’s Steve Ishmael vs. Clemson’s Ryan Carter.
One of Syracuse’s most reliable targets is senior receiver Steve Ishmael, who has already claimed over 700 yards receiving and three touchdowns so far this season. If Clemson wants to keep the Orange from putting points on the board, stopping Ishmael will be a priority. One of the Tigers’ unsung heroes, and the one most apt to take on Ishmael, is senior cornerback Ryan Carter. Carter’s presence has allowed Clemson to expand its blitz game while also keeping some consistency in a secondary marred with injuries.
Clemson vs. Syracuse prediction:
Even without its starting quarterback, Clemson leaves New York with a Friday night win. Despite it being a blowout, both teams will get much needed reps — specifically, Clemson’s backup quarterbacks, and Syracuse’s offense against top-notch competition.
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