Memorial Stadium will experience a first this weekend when Clemson hosts Syracuse in a pivotal ACC Atlantic Division showdown.
The Tigers have been playing their home games in Death Valley ever since they christened their new digs with a win over Presbyterian on Sept. 19, 1942. Yet the stadium has never seen a matchup of teams with records of 6-0 or better, something that will change Saturday when the fifth-ranked Tigers (7-0, 4-0 ACC) try to knock No. 14 Syracuse (6-0, 3-0) from the ranks of the unbeaten.
“This is a huge week,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.
This is also the first-ever meeting between the teams when both have been ranked simultaneously. Syracuse has never been ranked in a game against Clemson, which has dominated the series since the Orange joined the ACC in 2013. The Tigers have won eight of nine meetings since, including a 17-14 victory last season in Syracuse.
Saturday’s game will also be the fourth time already this season that Clemson has played an unbeaten team not counting its season opener against Georgia Tech. Furman (1-0), Wake Forest (3-0) and NC State (4-0) had also yet to take a loss before playing Clemson, which has reeled off 37 straight wins at home.
Another one Saturday would leave the Tigers as the lone unbeaten in their division and give them at least a one-game lead on everyone else with just two conference games remaining against Louisville (Nov. 12) and Miami (Nov. 19). But a loss would leave Clemson needing to win both of those games and Syracuse to lose at least once in order to represent the Atlantic Division in the ACC championship game.
Kickoff is set for noon. The game will be televised on ABC.
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