CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson running back Will Shipley is relieved to be back at Memorial Stadium, where the fifth-ranked Tigers take on No. 14 Syracuse today.
Clemson (7-0, 5-0 ACC) has already played four road games this season—all in the ACC—while Syracuse is playing just its second road game of the year and its first in ACC play. The Tigers have already played at Georgia Tech, at No. 13 Wake Forest, at Boston College and at Florida State.
“I feel like we have been on the road for a lot of important games so far this year,” Shipley said. “To be 4-0 on the road is a huge deal for us and to be able to carry that on and come back to the Valley and have (those wins), this is such a great fan base. It is going to be such a great experience.
“We are going for the ACC record. There are just a lot of things that go into it. But I think the best word I can use is just a relief.”
Clemson enters today’s game on a 37-game home winning streak and will attempt to take sole possession of the longest home winning streak in ACC history, as a win would allow the Tigers to surpass the Florida State Seminoles’ 37-game streak from 1992-2001.
However, Syracuse cornerback Duce Chestnut indicated it is not going to happen on his watch. The outspoken defensive back says the Orange is going to spoil the Tigers’ party.
“Yeah, I feel bad for ‘em because we’re definitely planning to spoil that,” he said to Syracuse.com. “That’s definitely on our mind, but we just want to win the game. That’s what is most on our mind.”
Here are a few things you need to know about today’s game:
Opponent: Syracuse (6-0, 3-0 ACC)
Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson
Kickoff: Noon
Television: ABC
Latest Line: Clemson minus-13.5
All-Time Series: Clemson leads 8-2
Games at Clemson: Clemson leads, 4-0
Games at Syracuse: Clemson leads, 4-1
Neutral Site: Syracuse leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Oct. 15, 2021, Clemson won 17-14
Streak: Clemson has won 4 in a row
What to Watch for This Week:
- For the first time in the 81-season history of Memorial Stadium, Clemson will host a matchup of two undefeated teams with records of 6-0 or better. Clemson comes in 7-0, while the Orange is 6-0
- Clemson can tie the 1919-27 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (38) for the 10th-longest home winning streak in FBS history with a win. Those Irish teams under the guidance of College Football Hall of Famer Knute Rockne were a combined 78-7-3 at all venues in the seasons comprising that streak
- A win would make Clemson 8-0 for the ninth time in program history. Five of Clemson’s last seven teams to start 8-0 went on to play for the national championship
- Clemson (13) attempting to extend the nation’s longest active winning streak
- Clemson facing a ranked Syracuse squad for the first time in series history
- Clemson attempting to improve to 6-1 at Death Valley all-time in games between teams with perfect records of 4-0 or better. Clemson earned one such win earlier in the year against NC State. The last time Clemson won two such games in a season was in 2018, when Clemson defeated undefeated Syracuse and NC State teams at home
- Clemson hosting the 15th matchup of AP Top 15 teams in Death Valley history. A win would improve Clemson to 10-5 in those matchups and would be the Tigers seventh straight win in AP Top 15 games at home dating to Clemson’s 2015 win against Notre Dame
- Clemson attempting to improve to 27-7 against AP Top 25 teams since 2015. Clemson’s current 26 wins against AP Top 25 teams are the fourth-most in the country in that span
- Clemson attempting to add to its national-best 56-1 record at home in the College Football Playoff era (since 2014)
- Clemson attempting to improve to 75-20-3 in 98 Homecoming games. Clemson would improve to 45-4-2 on Homecoming since 1971
- Clemson attempting to score 30 points in eight consecutive games for the first time since an 11-game streak to open the 2020 season. It would be only the third time in program history that Clemson had opened a season with eight straight 30-point performances (2000 and 2020)
- Clemson attempting to finish even or positive in the turnover margin for a 12th consecutive game, dating to last season. It would be Clemson’s first time doing so since a 17-game streak across the 1989-90 seasons
- Clemson attempting to rush for a touchdown in a 19th consecutive game. Since the start of the 2018 season, Clemson has scored at least one rushing touchdown in 61 of its 62 games
- Tight end Davis Allen (10) needing one touchdown reception to pass Bennie Cunningham (10 from 1972- 75) for sole possession of the fifth-most touchdown catches by a tight end in Clemson history. He is two touchdowns shy of a four-way tie with John McMakin (12 from 1969-71), Dwayne Allen (12 from 2009-11) and Brandon Ford (12 from 2009-12) for second
- Placekicker B.T. Potter (66) needing two field goals to pass Chandler Catanzaro (67 from 2010-13) for second in Clemson history for career field goals. Nelson Welch holds the all-time record at Clemson with 72 made field goals. He kicked 72 field goals from 1991-’94
- Potter (215) needing three PATs to break Greg Huegel’s Clemson and ACC record for career extra points made (217 from 2015-18)
- Potter (413 career points) needing 12 points to become the sixth player (and fifth kicker) in ACC history to reach 425 career points. Potter’s counterpart in this game, Syracuse’s Andre Szmyt, has 412 career points and can also reach the milestone on Saturday
- Running back Will Shipley (19) needing one rushing touchdown to reach 20 career rushing touchdowns. If he accomplishes the feat on Saturday, he would do so in his 18th career game at Clemson, which would match the pace of Clemson (and ACC) all-time rushing touchdown leader Travis Etienne (70), who scored his 20th career rushing touchdown in his 18th career game
- Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei attempting to improve to 19-4 as a starter. He would tie DeChane Cameron (19-4-1 from 1988-91) and Woodrow Dantzler (19-11 from 1998-2001) for the 10th-most wins by a Clemson starting quarterback since World War II
- Uiagalelei (31) needing two touchdown passes to pass Kyle Parker (32 from 2009-10) for eighth-most career touchdown passes in Clemson history. He is four shy of tying Nealon Greene (35 from 1994-97) for seventh.
- Dabo Swinney is 12-1 on Homecoming in his head coaching career. That includes the 2008 season when Clemson defeated Duke on Homecoming during his interim head coaching stint
- Clemson enters this year on a 10-game Homecoming winning streak
- On this date in 1959, Clemson won the last Big Thursday game by defeating South Carolina 27-0. Harvey White was on target all day, hitting 9-of-10 passes for 162 yards and two scores. Clemson fans tore down the steel goal posts, which were set in concrete, following the game
- Clemson is 10-8 all-time in games contested on Oct. 22, including wins in its last two Oct. 22 contests in 2005 (vs. Temple) and 2011 (vs. North Carolina)
—Clemson Athletic Communications contributed to this story