So much has changed since the last time quarterback Steve Angeli and Syracuse took on Clemson.
The Orange hope to continue their recent momentum Saturday when they host the Tigers in Atlantic Coast Conference action.
Syracuse (4-4, 2-4 ACC) has won two in a row following a stretch of 12 losses in 14 games, dating back to last season. The team’s ugly stretch began with a domino effect that started against Clemson last season.
Angeli passed for 245 yards and two touchdowns that day, but he tore his Achilles in the 34-21 victory over the Tigers, ending his season and sending the Orange into a quarterback carousel that has continued into the current campaign.
Only recently has Angeli started to look and feel like himself. He threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-30 overtime win over North Carolina on Oct. 24 and then followed up that performance last weekend by passing for 200 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for a score in a 30-27 upset against then-No. 19 SMU.
“He’s getting more and more comfortable,” coach Fran Brown said. “I think when you have an injury, you get surgery, things of that nature, it can kind of mess with you a little bit until you regain full confidence in being able to run and move. He understands and knows he can do it and feels like himself again.”
Clemson (5-3, 3-2) won six of eight after losing to Syracuse last season — a stretch of consistency that has been hard to duplicate this year. The Tigers had lost two of their previous three games before topping Florida State 36-24 last weekend.
Tait Reynolds threw two touchdown passes after the freshman had gone four straight games without a TD toss. He also had a 79-yard TD run with the Tigers clinging to a five-point lead in the waning minutes.
Clemson forced four turnovers and did not commit any itself — a trend that coach Dabo Swinney hopes to replicate Saturday.
“I think we’re 92-6 when we win the turnover margin. That’s 94%,” Swinney said. “It’s all about the ball. We haven’t done a good job with that this year. Hopefully we can get that started here in November. It’s momentum and field position and points. It’s a huge part of the game.”