Syracuse football: Opponent Q & A with Shakin the Southland

Syracuse football’s “Opponent Q&A” this week turns to Clemson, with Ryan Kantor of Shakin the Southland discussing the Tigers ahead of the matchup. Kantor says confidence in head coach Dabo Swinney has continued to shrink despite Clemson starting 5-3. He points to heavy defeats against ranked opponents, a loss to a rebuilding Virginia Tech program, and what he calls mismanagement of the quarterback situation. Clemson appeared ready to bring help through the portal, but Swinney insisted Christopher Vizzina and Chris Denson were enough—after which Denson moved from QB to WR and Vizzina was benched. Kantor also criticizes the lack of portal offensive line help. On defense, he credits Tom Allen’s improved run defense, attributing it to secondary upgrades including four transfers and CB Ashton Hampton. The discussion also notes Amare Adams starting to emerge at defensive tackle.