Syracuse gets Clemson at home Saturday afternoon with a chance to keep building on a two-game ACC run that the Orange haven’t put together since 2024. Another conference win would give Syracuse three straight ACC victories in a single season, something the program hasn’t done since 2022, and the matchup comes inside the JMA Wireless Dome against a Clemson team that arrives at 5-3.
The biggest question for Syracuse remains at quarterback, but the picture is starting to clear. Steve Angeli is expected to start for the Orange, and he has already guided Syracuse to three of its four wins this season.
Amari Odom opened the team’s overtime win against UConn earlier this year, but he is done for the season with a shoulder injury. Malachi Nelson is also on the injury report and is listed as doubtful after ankle surgery following the Louisville loss.
That leaves Georgetown transfer Danny Lauter in line to back up Angeli. Lauter has played in two games this season, including the home game against Louisville. He came on for Nelson in the fourth quarter and had a chance to steer what could have been the winning drive, but Syracuse was stopped and fell 34-26.
The Orange have had some success against Clemson in recent years, even if the overall numbers still favor the Tigers. Syracuse has beaten Clemson twice since 2017.
One of those wins came in 2017, when the Orange knocked off the No. 2 team in the country, 27-24, on a Friday night in the JMA Wireless Dome. The other came in 2025, a 34-21 Syracuse win in a game where Angeli tore his Achilles late.
Clemson still holds a 10-3 edge in the series, and Syracuse’s only other victory came in the teams’ first meeting, the 1995 Gator Bowl, a 41-0 Orange win.
The Tigers enter with a 5-3 record and two ACC losses. Their season opened with a rough 51-10 loss to LSU, but Clemson responded with three straight wins before stumbling in conference play. Miami beat the Tigers 41-13 on the road, and Virginia Tech followed with a 20-16 win.
Clemson bounced back last time out with a 36-24 victory over Florida State. A win over Syracuse would improve the Tigers’ chances of reaching December’s ACC championship game.
Syracuse’s schedule after Clemson sends the Orange to Raleigh, N.C. to face North Carolina State at noon ET on Nov. 14, then to Chestnut Hill, Mass. for a Nov. 21 meeting with Boston College. The regular season ends on Nov.
28, Senior Day, when Notre Dame comes to the Dome. If Syracuse wins two of its final four games, a bowl invitation is likely to follow.
In Other News...
Syracuse Win Still Left Gerry McNamara Wanting Much More
Syracuse opened the season with a pair of wins, including a lopsided 102-49 rout of Central Connecticut State, but the early results did not exactly leave Gerry McNamara feeling satisfied. The Orange got meaningful contributions from Mark Morano, Gavin Doty, Luke Wilson and Sadiq White Jr., and the scoreboard looked plenty convincing, yet McNamara made it clear the standard inside the program is higher than simply piling up victories in November.
For Syracuse, the frustration is rooted in process as much as outcome. McNamara wants stronger performances and sharper execution even while the wins are coming, a reminder that the first week of the season can reveal as much about a teams habits as its record does. The Orange have the results they wanted, but the coach is already pushing for more from a group that has shown flashes and still has plenty to clean up. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Is Pulling Out All The Stops For Clemson At The Dome
Bryan Blair has been working the social-media circuit to give Syracuse football a little extra juice at the Dome, and it is the kind of hands-on push that usually shows how much the school wants the place full. The athletic director has been engaging directly with fans, including responding to a suggestion about a beer promotion and rolling out a student ticket deal called Slime Bryan, all in the name of making game day feel more like an event.
The timing matters with Clemson coming to town, because Syracuse is clearly trying to turn attendance into a real homefield edge. Student turnout has long been part of that equation, and the Orange are leaning into anything that might help pack the building and create a louder setting when one of the ACCs biggest draws arrives at the Dome. [Read more 🡒]
Fran Brown Just Gave Syracuse Fans Another Reason To Believe
A fresh wave of momentum hit Syracuses 2027 recruiting class when Sidney Rouleau, a four-star offensive tackle from Gatineau, Quebec, verbally committed after backing off his pledge to Michigan. Rouleaus official visit to campus lined up with Syracuses win over then-No. 19 SMU, giving him a firsthand look at a program that is trying to turn recent progress into something more lasting on the recruiting trail.
His decision only deepens the buzz around a class that already sits at 26 verbal commitments and has drawn national attention from recruiting services. For Fran Brown and his staff, landing a prospect with Rouleaus profile after a high-visibility visit is the kind of development that keeps the Oranges long-term pitch getting louder, even as the bigger picture of how high this class can climb remains to be seen. [Read more 🡒]