Clemson heads into its trip to Syracuse with a few new faces in the lineup and a familiar edge in the series history.
The Tigers lead the all-time matchup 10-3, with Syracuse’s first win coming in the 1996 Gator Bowl when the Orange were still in the Big East Conference. Clemson has dropped only twice since then. The road history has had a couple of twists, though: Clemson’s last road loss to Syracuse came in 2017, and Syracuse picked up its first home win over the Tigers last season.
This time around, Clemson is forced to shuffle the offense again. Gavin Blanchard and Grant Wise are set to start at left guard and center, stepping in for injured Elyjah Thurmon and Harris Sewell.
Both have already seen action this season as rotational pieces. Wise has mostly worked at guard, but over the last two games he has taken all of his snaps at center.
The Tigers will also lean on Jarvis Green at running back. He has 125 yards on 32 carries this season. Chris Johnson Jr. and Jay Haynes are expected to see more work as well, and Dabo Swinney said walk-on Max Wilson will be ready if needed.
At receiver, Juju Preston is listed as Tyler Brown’s backup on Clemson’s official depth chart, which points toward a starting role with Brown out. Preston has seven catches for 49 yards this season.
Freshman Naeem Burroughs could also get a bigger opportunity after making his first two catches for 19 yards against Charleston Southern on Oct. 17.
Burroughs was a consensus four-star recruit and Rivals’ No. 6 receiver in the Class of 2026 out of high school.
Clemson’s injury list is a long one on offense. Harris Sewell and running back Gideon Davidson are dealing with ankle injuries, Elyjah Thurmon is in concussion protocol after taking a hit to the head and being hospitalized against Florida State on Oct. 31, and Tyler Brown is also out.
The game kicks off at noon on ESPN2, with Lowell Galindo, Kirk Morrison and Dawn Davenport on the television call. On the radio, the Clemson Athletics Network will carry the broadcast with Don Munson and Richard Yeargin from inside the JMA Wireless Dome.
As for the outlook, The Greenville News prediction and scouting report has Clemson taking it 27-21. The reasoning is straightforward: the Tigers’ defense is expected to do enough to keep Syracuse in check while the offense works through its adjustments. The key, according to the prediction, is to push the ball downfield through the air, pressure Syracuse’s quarterback better than Clemson did last season and come up with a takeaway or two to create separation.
Clemson enters the game with four left on the regular-season schedule, including two more road trips. After Syracuse, the Tigers return home for Georgia Tech before heading to Duke on Friday, Nov. 20, and then closing the regular season against South Carolina.
Clemson football 2026 schedule
Sept. 5: Lost 51-10 at LSU
Sept. 12: Won 22-7 vs. Georgia Southern
Sept. 19: Won 28-20 vs. North Carolina
Sept. 25: Won 24-10 at California
Oct. 3: Lost 41-13 vs. Miami (FL)
Oct. 17: Won 37-0 vs. Charleston Southern
Oct. 24: Lost 20-16 vs. Virginia Tech
Oct. 31: Won 36-24 at Florida State
Nov. 7: at Syracuse (noon, ESPN2)
Nov. 14: vs. Georgia Tech (12:30 p.m., The CW)
Nov. 20 (Friday): at Duke (7:30 p.m., ESPN)
Nov. 28: vs. South Carolina (TBD)
In Other News...
Dabo Swinney Opens Up On Clemsons Most Alarming Offensive Problem
Clemsons offense has been good enough between the 20s to keep the Tigers in the conversation, but the red zone has become the part of the field where drives keep stalling. Through the 2026 season, Clemson has turned only 36.7% of its red-zone possessions into touchdowns, a number that sits 137th in the FBS and has become impossible to ignore as the Tigers try to sharpen the attack.
Dabo Swinney has pointed to more than one reason for the problem, including execution issues and specific game incidents that have slowed the offense at the worst possible time. With Georgia Tech coming to town, Clemson is still looking for cleaner finishes and a way to turn promising possessions into seven points instead of settling for frustration. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson's Thin Secondary Just Took Another Brutal Hit
Clemsons already thin secondary took another hit when Dabo Swinney said cornerback Donovan Starr will miss the rest of the 2026 regular season with an ankle injury. Starr had moved into an elevated role at nickel, making his absence more than just a depth concern for a defense that has been leaning on every available body in the back end.
Branden Strozier is expected to slide into Starrs spot, while freshman Marcell Gipson Jr. and senior Misun Kelley are also in line for more work. The encouraging part for Clemson is that Starr may still be available for the postseason, but for now the Tigers have to navigate the stretch run with another key piece sidelined and more shuffling ahead in the secondary. [Read more 🡒]
Jarvis Green Finally Got His Clemson Chance And Made It Count
Jarvis Green finally got his first start for Clemson, and he made the most of it in a game that needed a spark early. On the opening play, he ripped off a 53-yard run, setting the tone for an offense that leaned on him at important moments and got 85 yards on nine carries from the back who had waited his turn.
Green said afterward that the chance meant a lot after working through injuries, and he made a point of crediting his teammates and coach for sticking with him. For Clemson, it was a reminder of how much depth matters when a player who has been through so much is finally able to step into the spotlight and deliver right away. [Read more 🡒]