'Cuse Heads to Death Valley for Top-5 Challenge

SYRACUSE AT CLEMSON
Game Details: 12 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 22
Location: Clemson, S.C. | Memorial Stadium
Game Links: Watch | Listen | Live Stats
Television: ABC
Radio: Syracuse Sports Network from Learfield
Twitter: @CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Notes
Clemson Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Notes

ORANGE HIT THE ROAD TO FACE #5 CLEMSON
• Syracuse goes for its second-straight win against a top-20 opponent when it faces Clemson on Saturday.
• The game will air on ABC with Syracuse grad Sean McDonough '84 (PxP), Todd Blackledge (analyst) and Molly McGrath (reporter) on the call. It marks the third game this season that a 'Cuse alum has been part of the broadcast team.
• The Orange will try to start the campaign with seven consecutive wins for just the third time since 1931 and first time since 1987. A win would also give Syracuse its first-ever 4-0 start in ACC play.
• Saturday's game is just the second road game for Syracuse this season and first since Sept. 10 when it visited UConn.

RARE COMPANY
• Syracuse is one of nine remaining FBS teams and two ACC squads that are undefeated through the first seven weeks of the season.
• The Orange's 6-0 record marks their best start since 1987 and the third time since 1935 that Syracuse has started the year with six-straight victories.
• In the modern era (post World War II), Syracuse has won its first six games of the year twice – 1987 and 1959. Both of those squads went undefeated during the regular season.

SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE
• The last time Syracuse played in a game where both teams were undefeated this late in the season was in 1959 when the Orange played at Penn State. 'Cuse entered the game with a 6-0 record, while the Nittany Lions were 7-0.
• Syracuse won the game, 20-18, and went to a 11-0 record and the national championship.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
• RB Sean Tucker continues his climb on Syracuse's all-time rushing list. He increased his career yardage total to 2,766 with his performance against NC State, moving him past NFL and College Football Hall of Fame inductee Floyd Little for sixth place in the Orange record book.
• He needs 104 more yards to move into the top five on the school career rushing list.

ORANGE IN THE RED ZONE
• Syracuse has scored on 26-of-28 (.929) opportunities from the red zone this season. One of the two missed opportunities was when the team kneeled three times to end the Wagner game while inside the red zone.
• The Orange rank 19th in the nation in red zone offense.
• Since the NCAA began tracking red zone statistics in 2006, Syracuse's best percentage was .923 (36-39) in 2015.

HOT STARTS
• Syracuse has had the ball to start the game in all six contests this season and has scored on its opening drive in five of six games.
• The Orange have outscored their opponents, 68-16, in the first quarter and have held the lead after the first quarter in five of six games this season.
• 'Cuse has allowed a total of three first-half points in its last three games, including two shutouts, and owns a first-half margin of 122-26 across all six games thus far. The Orange trailed 9-3 at the break vs. Purdue but have taken the lead to the locker room in the other five matchups.

HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
• Syracuse's defense has been steadily improving since the start of the 2021 season.
• Since the start of the 2021 season, the Orange have held their opponents to less than 400 yards 15 times. Only Clemson (16) has done that more among ACC teams.
• Overall, Syracuse ranks eighth nationally in total defense, allowing 268.8 yards per game.

A WIN WOULD …
• Improve Dino Babers' record to 36-43 as head coach of the Orange.
• Give Syracuse a 7-0 start for the first time since the 1987 season and just the third time since 1931.
• Give the Orange their longest winning streak since 2001 (8).
• Mark the first time Syracuse has defeated two ranked opponents in a season since 2001 and the first time it has defeated ranked foes in back-to-back games since 1983.
• Give Syracuse its 748th all-time victory (includes 11 wins from 2004-06 that were vacated by the NCAA). The Orange currently rank 22nd on the FBS ledger of winningest programs. Syracuse is one of 32 FBS schools to have accumulated 700+ wins.
• Syracuse's first victory over a ranked opponent in a road game since 2010 at West Virginia.

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Players Mentioned

Sean Tucker

Syracuse University Athletics