Umari Hatcher Has Twice As Many Touchdowns As Clemson’s Entire Passing Game: This Is The Matchup That Will Decide Everything

Syracuse was sitting at 2-4 just two weeks ago, buried under an 11-game ACC losing streak, and now they are red hot, winning in overtime against North Carolina and then knocking off *ranked* SMU with a touchdown in the final 17 seconds. Talk about turning it around! This Orange team is absolutely scorching at the exact moment Clemson seems to be finding its own rhythm. The Tigers just left Tallahassee with a solid 36-24 victory, a game where Tait Reynolds tossed two touchdown passes and the defense picked off Ashton Daniels three times. It was easily Clemson’s best offensive showing in weeks, but let’s be real, the fourth quarter still gave us those familiar jitters. Florida State sliced a 29-10 deficit down to just a five-point game before Reynolds took off on a ridiculous 79-yard touchdown run on third-and-12, the longest by a quarterback in Clemson history. Now, heading into the Dome, Clemson is staring down an Orange squad that refuses to quit, and they will have to do it without leading rusher Gideon Davidson and starting center Harris Sewell, while left guard Elyjah Thurmon is also out in concussion protocol.

Contain Umari Hatcher or Pay the Price

This is the big one. Syracuse has talent on offense, no doubt, but everything, and I mean *everything*, flows through Umari Hatcher. The fifth-year receiver is putting up absurd numbers: 54 receptions, which is 5th nationally, 887 receiving yards, 4th nationally, 8 receiving touchdowns, 6th nationally, and a mind-boggling 126.7 receiving yards per game, also 4th nationally. Through eight games, he is rocking 60 catches for 952 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging nearly 16 yards per reception. Let that sink in for a second: Hatcher has *twice* as many touchdown catches as Clemson has touchdown passes as a team! His 952 receiving yards? That’s 209 more than Bryant Wesco Jr. and Tyler Brown combined this season.

Clemson’s secondary better wake up. Against FSU, the Seminoles racked up 350 passing yards and completed eight passes of at least 15 yards, with three going for more than 40. Florida State put up 195 yards in the fourth quarter alone, and it felt like Clemson’s defensive backs were just repeatedly giving up space downfield. Angeli will be looking for Hatcher any time Clemson loses track of him. Dabo Swinney even called Hatcher a “Waldo-type guy” in his press conference, which tells you everything: Clemson needs to locate No. 2 on the Orange before every single snap. They have to force Syracuse’s other receivers to make plays instead of leaving their best player isolated in single coverage. That’s where Ashton Hampton comes in. He has been lights out in man coverage, shutting down Malachi Toney, who is currently the Heisman Trophy third favorite. Toney had a season-low 40 receiving yards against Clemson, and Hampton was responsible for only five of them. He is the key to slowing Hatcher down.

Don’t Give Angeli an Inch Late in the Game

We’ve all seen it: Angeli to Meyers for the lead with 18 seconds left, Syracuse going absolutely wild. This Orange team has proven they can steal games late, and Clemson absolutely cannot give Angeli another chance to do it. While Angeli’s season numbers aren’t overwhelmin’, the clutch factor is clearly there. With Clemson’s defense showing some cracks in the fourth quarter against FSU, nearly blowing a 19-point lead, they cannot afford any mental lapses or soft coverage. Every snap, every down, has to be locked in, especially as the clock winds down. This is about disciplined play and not letting a hot team catch fire at the wrong moment.

Clemson is fighting for its second straight road victory, and it won’t come easy against a Syracuse team playing with a renewed belief. The Tigers need to bring that defensive intensity from the first three quarters against FSU for the full 60 minutes, especially against Hatcher, and Angeli simply cannot be allowed to make magic in the final seconds. This is going to be a battle, and every yard will be earned.

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Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.