Recap of USC WR Jordan Addison vs. Utah CB Clark Phillips
In a thrilling matchup between two elite NFL prospects, we saw Jordan Addison get the better of Clark Phillips. Phillips had a tall task, usually being left on an island in 1-1 coverage. He still performed well but was beaten a few times by Addison, but his big miscues weren’t in coverage. He missed several tackles on the night that sprung big plays, along with committing two penalties that were also in crucial moments. Addison constantly found himself paired with Phillips and was able to exploit him at times with his elite footwork and route-running skills. He ended up finishing the night with seven receptions for 106 yards and two carries for 27 yards. Unfortunately, Addison had to leave the game in the third quarter due to a leg injury and was unable to return. Luckily it looks like he is day-to-day moving forward, but it was a costly loss for the USC offense in a game where they needed Addison in the fourth quarter. Ultimately Utah prevailed to keep their Pac-12 hopes alive and crush USC’s hopes of a College Football Playoff appearance in Lincoln Riley’s first year as head coach. Both Addison and Phillips still have a very good chance of having their names called in the first round of the NFL draft.
This Week's Matchup to Watch
Syracuse RB Sean Tucker vs. Clemson's DT Bryan Bresee, DE Myles Murphy, and ILB Trenton Simpson
This week we head to the ACC to feature a matchup between Syracuse running back Sean Tucker and Clemson’s three defensive stars: defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, defensive end Myles Murphy, and inside linebacker Trenton Simpson. Syracuse’s Sean Tucker has been under-appreciated. Mainly because, on a national level, Syracuse has yet to get much attention until last week’s game against NC State. Tucker, through six games, has 644 yards with six touchdowns on the ground. He has also been an impact in the passing game with 23 catches for 198 yards and a touchdown. Tucker is an interesting NFL prospect because he doesn’t possess the game-changing speed or build that you would see from an NFL running back. But he does have great feel and vision, which allows him to constantly churn out positive yardage on most plays. You won’t see a lot of home runs from Tucker, but what you do find is consistency and one of the most efficient backs in the country when it comes to a carry-by-carry basis. He currently projects as one of the top five NFL running back prospects, and this matchup will be a great test to see if he can elevate his draft stock.
This Clemson defense has been tough to figure out. They entered the year with loads of returning talent, and many thought that this could be one of the best defenses in all of college football. Instead, they have been one of the worst pass defenses in the ACC, and not as dominant against the run. They do have a new defensive coordinator, and they have had some starters miss time, so there is some grace in that. But last week against Florida State, they found themselves almost fully healthy and were abysmal against the run. They missed 24 tackles, gave up 2.6 yards before first contact on run attempts, and more than 56% of Florida State’s runs gained five or more yards. The Clemson coaching staff has made some statements this week that they need to be dominant in the run defense, especially against this Syracuse unit. DT Bresee should be at full strength this week for the first time all season. He currently projects as a top-10 NFL prospect and has the size but also elite power and agility to completely dismantle an inside run game. DE Myles Murphy sits around a top-15 NFL projection and is more known for his pass-rushing ability. He has the power/speed combo that makes edge rushers impossible to block on passing downs. But Murphy also has long arms and pure speed to shed blockers and shut-down zone run schemes. ILB Trenton Simpson is another NFL first-round prospect who is an elite run-stopper. The 6’3, 240-pound linebacker is a force in the middle and a violent hitter but also has closing speed as he runs the 40 in the high 4.3s, which includes a 10-yard split under 1.5 seconds. All three of these NFL prospects will be tested against a Syracuse group that returned four offensive linemen from last year and one of the nation’s top running backs Sean Tucker. Syracuse is 6-0, but this will truly be their first test and a tall one in heading on the road to take on a Clemson team who still has the College Football Playoff on their radar. It will be interesting to see which Clemson defense shows up and what this Syracuse run game is made of against one of the top teams in the country.