Syracuse football is probably not going to survive in Death Valley unless its starting quarterback is healthy. Steve Angeli, who was second in the country in passing yards entering Saturday, suffered what appeared to be a lower-body injury early in the Orange's road matchup versus Clemson. He went down and was holding his left knee, per On3's Pete Nakos, giving fans a big scare to start their afternoon. The redshirt junior limped into the medical tent, and he emerged ready to slay the Tigers.
Angeli returned to the field and quickly made an impact inside Memorial Stadium, connecting with Justus Ross-Simmons for a 12-yard touchdown almost four minutes into the game. Concern turned into elation in a matter of moments, encapsulating the unmatched chaotic nature of this sport. The Syracuse signal-caller looks like he is doing just fine right now.
Clemson knows as well as anyone how fast fortunes can change. Dabo Swinney's squad began the campaign as a national championship contender, but after suffering losses to both LSU and Georgia Tech, the Tigers are no longer ranked. A second ACC loss would severely damage their chances of carving a path to the College Football Playoff this season. Syracuse has its own ambitions, however.
Coming off a 10-3 showing last year, head coach Fran Brown and company are determined to contend for the conference crown. Earning a road win over the defending champs would send a strong message to rest of the league that Syracuse football is rising, and Clemson football is falling.
There is a long way to go, though. Steve Angeli came into the big game with 1,072 passing yards, eight touchdowns, two interceptions and a 64.0 completion percentage. Hopefully, the Notre Dame transfer will avoid any other visits to the tent, because his team definitely needs him on this day. Cuse leads 17-7 in the second quarter at time of print.
