<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4FEMEo_1Gqk951k00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4FEMEo_1Gqk951k00" width="810" height="540" ><figcaption>The ACC Network’s traveling pregame show “ACC Huddle” will come to Syracuse for SU’s clash with Clemson on Saturday. Cole Christopher | Staff Photographer</figcaption></figure>Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter here.Syracuse football’s clash with Clemson Saturday arrives with a little extra fanfare. On top of it being Homecoming weekend, The Atlantic Coast Conference Network’s pregame show “ACC Huddle” is coming to SU’s campus. The set for the show that runs from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. each football Saturday is positioned in front of Hendricks Chapel. It’s the first show in Syracuse since 2022.Before the show and the game pitting a resurgent Orange against a past titan and national brand Clemson, former Tiger offensive lineman and “ACC Huddle” analyst Eric Mac Lain discussed SU, Clemson, Saturday’s matchup and coming to Syracuse.Here’s what Mac Lain said in an interview with a gaggle of reporters in the shadow of Hendricks Chapel and the erected “ACC Huddle” set Friday: <h2>Evaluating Syracuse </h2>For Mac Lain, the difference-maker for SU in its two-game winning streak after starting conference play 0-4 is quarterback play. Steve Angeli has returned from a PRP injection to throw three touchdown passes and commit zero turnovers.The Orange learned their lesson about not having a capable backup signal-caller last year when Angeli tore his Achilles in SU’s road win over Clemson, Mac Lain said.“’Cuse is having to put in a lacrosse player (Joe Filardi) to take snaps,” Mac Lain said of the quarterback issues in 2025. “I mean, it’s nuts to think about a year before that, with Kyle McCord and being healthy. The game of football, yes, takes skill, takes some things, but it definitely takes a lot of luck, too, and not getting key guys hurt.”In his return, Angeli seems more confident, Mac Lain said. Angeli started the season for Syracuse but threw five interceptions in two games before being benched and then injured.“Some of those picks he made were just head-scratching and weird,” Mac Lain said of Angeli’s early-season struggles. “And I think that’s because he was thinking about his injury, his Achilles and now it seems like he’s in a pretty good spot, and it helps when you have a little guy named Calvin Russell out there running or catching the ball as well.”Mac Lain was effusive in his praise for Russell and SU head coach Fran Brown gaining a commitment from the five-star wide receiver, the program’s first five-star recruit in more than 20 years. Syracuse wide receiver Umari Hatcher, who’s second in the ACC with 952 yards this season, is “electric,” Mac Lain said. He’s excited to see Hatcher and Russell serve as a two-receiver punch the rest of the season.“He’s special,” Mac Lain said of Hatcher. “And that’s what we love to see: guys that have stayed committed or trusted the process, gotten through adversity and injury, and now we’re having a breakout. And man, what a great player.” An offensive lineman himself, Mac Lain said he likes Syracuse’s offensive line, which is the second largest in college football by weight. He’s always thought the Orange were capable, but their offensive line had fallen apart in the past. Mac Lain applauded the depth SU has built in that position group.“They’ve rotated some guys, but man, they’re big, they’re nasty, they lean on you, and because of that, the run game’s been really fun,” he said.<h2>Evaluating Clemson </h2>You can’t find someone more synonymous with Clemson than Mac Lain. He was the program’s winningest player, with 46 victories to his name — and just seven losses. He was part of the Tiger team that reached the program’s first national championship in 2015. But since making the College Football Playoff every year from 2015-20, the Tigers have only made the playoff once, even with its expansion from four to 12 teams in 2024.“It’s just a different game,” Mac Lain said of Clemson’s dip. “With the portal and with NIL and missing unfortunately on some things, here and there, it’s a lot less forgiving right now because everybody has talent.”Clemson used the transfer portal sparingly until it grabbed 10 players this past offseason. Mac Lain cited the talent being more spread out across college football today. He used the example of Syracuse having a five-star in Russell.“Good guys are around everywhere, and so the talent dispersement, the parity that’s within it is at an all-time high,” Mac Lain said. “And so again, that margin of error, but also the margin to be able to stockpile talent isn’t there anymore, and so I think that’s what you’re seeing: talent gaps start to really close, and then it’s just who’s ready on that day. And sadly, my guys have come up on the short end of that stick a couple of times too often.”Mac Lain stresses this Clemson team is “still very talented.” It has “a ton of draft picks” on defense. The Tigers have turned to freshman Tait Reynolds as the starting quarterback instead of using the transfer portal. “The thing with freshman quarterbacks is they’re seeing everything for the first time,” Mac Lain said. “They’re learning on the job, and we are seeing Tait get better. And so, with him coming off his best game, you have that swagger, you have that excitement level of a guy that only knows what he knows.”Reynolds threw for 189 yards and had season highs in passing touchdowns (two) and rushing yards (85) in the Tigers’ win at Florida State on Saturday. His peak performance has been key to the team clicking into place after lopsided losses to LSU and Miami earlier this campaign.“They look like they figured it out, especially against FSU,” Mac Lain said. “That was by far and away the best the offense has looked all year. Competent, complementary and also simple.”Mac Lain still said Clemson has to get more from the running back position. Its leading rusher Gideon Davidson is out for Saturday’s game, as are two starting offensive linemen, Elyjah Thurmon and Harris Sewell.<h2>Previewing Saturday’s matchup </h2>Mac Lain will be watching the trenches in Saturday’s game. Who can blame him? He’s an offensive lineman.“If ’Cuse can establish the run like they did a year ago on Clemson, which was insane to see how they did that so effectively, and Clemson can’t, it could be a very similar game, which is, for me, a little terrifying,” Mac Lain said.In the Orange’s 34-21 win in Death Valley last year, SU ran for 154 yards. Mac Lain also wonders if Syracuse’s offensive line can protect Angeli. Or if the Angeli who ran for a 26-yard touchdown against SMU can replicate that elusiveness against Clemson’s defensive line, which has 14 sacks and 22 tackles for loss in the last three games.The Tigers, for their part, haven’t had a running back eclipse 85 yards in their last four games. Mac Lain is watching how Syracuse’s defensive line will measure up versus Reynolds and the Tiger offense. “But that’s going to be kind of a matchup: (Syracuse linebacker Antoine) Deslauriers versus Tait,” Mac Lain said. “Two strong physical presence guys. There will probably be a couple collisions tomorrow.” As for a prediction, Mac Lain sees Clemson winning 27-24. “Maybe a little higher scoring, I’m gonna go with my Tigers,” he said.<h2>Coming to Syracuse </h2>Mac Lain didn’t think “ACC Huddle” was making it to Syracuse this season. He was sad. Now, he’s “thrilled” to come to the campus with the Orange on their winning run.“Homecoming, the social impact and interaction with all the fans has been great,” he said. “So hopefully, this weather holds off. We have a really nice crowd tomorrow, but we’re jacked up.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2FxjvJ_1Gqk951k00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2FxjvJ_1Gqk951k00" width="1280" height="853" ></figure>After “ACC Huddle” wraps up on the Shaw Quadrangle, the game will be in the JMA Wireless Dome. The first word that came to mind to describe the venue for Mac Lain was “rowdy.”“When I played, I think y’all cranked up the temperature pretty warm when we were here,” Mac Lain said. “It’s nuts. And the keys get shaken and all the chaos. It’s a weapon. If fans can show up and support it, it’s a unique place. It’s a very loud place, and just the way it’s orchestrated, the sound, it all stays right there.”Mac Lain said he was bummed his plane was delayed three hours because he didn’t have much time to explore Syracuse on Friday, but he said he’s a “big cold weather guy.” He worked out at Syracuse’s Football Performance Center at the John A. Lally Athletics Complex, where he chatted with Brown. He noted Dinosaur Bar-B-Que as one of his favorite spots. He said he’s amazed by the campus and a few buildings that looked like castles. “Love just to see all of it, and of course, the different schools that are provided here are super elite,” Mac Lain said. “So it’s always a fun place to come.”</div></body>

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Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Syracuse football’s clash with Clemson Saturday arrives with a little extra fanfare. On top of it being Homecoming weekend, The Atlantic Coast Conference Network’s pregame show “ACC Huddle” is coming to SU’s campus. The...

ACC Huddle’s Eric Mac Lain talks show’s Syracuse stop, Clemson matchup

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Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Syracuse football’s clash with Clemson Saturday arrives with 

ACC Huddle’s Eric Mac Lain talks show’s Syracuse stop, Clemson matchup

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