Opponent Preview - Syracuse
Syracuse Facts:
Location: Syracuse, NY
Stadium: JMA Wireless Dome
Field Type: Turf
Capacity: 49,057
Enrollment: 15,226
2024 Record: 6-7 (2-6 ACC)
Last Bowl: 2023 Boca Raton Bowl (45-0 L USF)
All-Time Bowl Record: 16-11-1
2023 Attendance: 36,869 (62nd nationally)
All-Time Series: 6-4
Last Meeting: 48-14 L 2022
Returning Starters: 10 Off, 8 Def
Lettermen: 56 Returning, 50 Lost
Schedule:
8/31- Ohio
9/7- Georgia Tech
9/20- Stanford
9/28- Holy Cross
10/5- at UNLV
10/12- at NC State
10/24- at Pitt
11/2- Virginia Tech
11/9- at Boston College
11/16- at Cal
11/23- UConn
11/30- Miami (FL)
Last Time Here:
UConn headed to Syracuse in 2018, equipped with the worst defense in college football history up until the next season. In the three games prior to this one, the Huskies allowed 56 to UCF, 62 to Boise State, and 49 to URI. Things didn’t go much better on this date for UConn, allowing 51 to the Orange. Syracuse would outgain UConn 636-395, and were even comfortable enough to be unbothered by 11 penalties for 100 yards. The Huskies didn’t help themselves, with two fumbles lost and an interception.
The Huskies moved the ball well on the opening drive, buoyed by a 25 yard Kevin Mensah rush, and a 29 yard David Pindell pass to Tyraiq Beals. At the Syracuse 24, however, Pindell was sacked and fumbled, giving the ball to the Orange, and off they went. A ten play, 67 yard drive ended with an Eric Dungey two yard rush for a TD. He would get another soon, as the Huskies would go three and out, and Dungey took it in from nine this time for a quick 14-0 lead. UConn would go three and out again, and it would take just three plays to get the lead to 21. Pindell answered with a 75 yard TD rush up the middle. After allowing a 51 yard rush to Dontae Strickland, the defense held, on the strength of a holding call, and kept Syracuse to a FG.
UConn would cut the lead to 10 on a nine play 84 yard drive, but would allow another TD to make it 31-14. Omar Fortt recovered a fumble, giving the Huskies an opportunity to close the gap, but each time would trade punts until the half. The second continued to be dominated by the Orange, returning a punt for a TD. To start the 4th, backup Marvin Washington came in to throw a 26 yard TD pass to Tyler Davis, but the defense would give up a TD on the next drive, and the Orange would add one more FG to end this one 51-21.
Last Meeting:
The Orange came to PAWSARF in the second home game of Jim Mora’s tenure, and Husky fans were intrigued after the Huskies nearly beat Utah State to open the season, then handled CCSU. However, they were starting true freshman Zion Turner at QB, and he was starting to run out of WRs. Keelan Marion went down in the Utah State game, and Cam Ross was already out for the season. Justin Joly had yet to burst on the scene, so Turner was left with RBs and Aaron Turner to throw to. It worked in the sense that he was safe with the ball, but he would throw for just 92 yards on 14-17 passing. 56 of those yards came on an Aaron Turner TD catch.
Syracuse, on the other hand, had a new QB also in Mississippi State transfer Garrett Shrader, and he surely was appreciative of the UConn defense help his confidence and statline. The Orange would march downfield on their opening drive, with little resistance, a 12 play 69 yard TD drive. UConn wold promptly go three and out, but would be able to hold Syracuse to a FG on the ensuing drive. After another Husky three and out, Shrader would air it deep, hitting Damien Alford for a 47 yard TD pass, and it was quickly 17-0. The Huskies would respond, with a 28 yard TD run by Devontae Houston. After another FG, the Huskies had an opportunity to get a score to make it a one score at the half and they would receive the ball to start the second. They did not, instead going three and out, then the Orange would get the TD to go up 27-7 at the half.
Zion Turner would get sacked on 3rd and 4 on the first drive to start the second half, fumbled, and Syracuse recovered at the UConn 30. The Orange promptly scored, and it was 34-7, and the crowd of 25,114 starting to head for the exits, with the exception of the diehards and the many Orange fans that made there way down to East Hartford. The game would end 48-14, and the Huskies were outgained 470-202, accentuating how far behind they were to P4 teams, but also how dire the injury situation was. They would need newcomers to step up the rest of the way.
2024 Syracuse:
Changes abound for this season’s team, even though they return ten offensive starters, and eight defenders. The one starter not returning is Shrader, but the Orange added Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord, who made 12 starts last year for the Buckeyes, throwing for 3,170 yards, and had a 24:6 TD:INT ratio. New HC Fran Brown had a reputation as an elite recruiter at Georgia as DB coach, and he showed why this offseason. Backing up McCord is Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who started the BC game last season, but was lost to injury. McCord should be an upgrade at QB, which is great for Syracuse, because Shrader was a solid QB.
Returning at RB is LeQuint Allen, after rushing for 1,064 yards on 245 carries last season. There’s not much point in going too in-depth on Allen, he can simply be summarized as “good.” And UConn will have a tall task in stopping him, much like in 2022 when Sean Tucker was putting up similar numbers and being pleased with his performances. Backing up Allen will be Washington transfer Will Nixon, son of the OC, who rushed for 201 yards in 15 games last year for the other Huskies. The Orange added two strong freshmen in Yasin Willis, and Jaden Hart, so this is a unit that will be of strength for some time.
The Orange have their own Justin Joly-type TE/WR in Oronde Gadsden, who was lost for the season last year after just two games, a big hit to the receiving corps. At full strength in 2022, he started all 13 games and had 969 receiving yards. They added one of the best portal WRs available in Colorado State transfer Justus Ross-Simmons, who started nine games for the Rams and had 724 receiving yards last season. HC Brown brought Georgia Bulldogs Jackson Meeks and Zeed haynes with him. Meeks had 132 receiving yards in the past three years, while Haynes played in four games as a true freshman. Dan Villari also returns, having been forced into QB duty due to injuries, mainly in a wildcat role. McCord has plenty of weapons to throw to, even after losing leading receiver Damien Alford.
An offense is only as good as its OL, and the Orange have a good one of those, with all starters returning. 77 starts return on this unit, and get three players back from early injuries last year. C J’Ondre Reed started all 13 games a year ago, as do Gs Mark Petry and Jakob Bradford. Two big transfers will compete for a starting job in Ts Da’Metrius Weatherspoon (Howard), and Savion Washington (Colorado/Kent State). Weatherspoon is 6’7” 335, while Washington is 6’8” 320. The entire OL is over 300 lbs, with the exception of Petry who is “only” 292.
At DL, on the other hand, no starters return from a year ago, and new DC former Texas A&M DC/interim HC Elijah Robinson, is switching the unit to a 4-3 from a 3-4. Last season, the Orange only allowed 103 rushing yards per game in the OOC, but allowed 176 yards per game in the ACC. Overall, they had 29 sacks, the lowest full season total since 2017, when they had just 16. They lose a lot from last year, including Caleb Okechukwu (36 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 3.5 TFLs), Terry Lockett (25 tackles, 3 TFLs), and Kevon Darton (42 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 TFLs). However, they added Texas A&M transfer Fadil Diggs (36 tackles, 4 sacks, 7 TFLs), and New Mexico State transfer Dion Wilson (31 tackles). Denis Jacquez and Braylen Ingraham return, and look to be in a starting role, rounding out the unit.
Linebacker is solid, with Marlowe Wax returning after leading the team in tackles with 110, along with 4 sacks, and 7.5 TFLs. Rocky Hill/Suffield Academy’s Justin Barron is also back. He was second on the team with 90 tackles, 4.5 for loss, even with playing with a club on his hand. And 3rd leading tackler, Derek McDonald, is back, after totaing 67 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 1.5 TFLs. So this is a very productive, experienced unit, that is deep, and is certainly the strength of this defense.
In the secondary, the Orange lose Isiah Johnson (12 starts, 62 tackles, 9 pass breakups), Jason Simmons (5 starts, 16 tackles, 5 pass breakups), and Jeremiah Wilson (5 starts, 16 tackles, 5 pass breakups), but they return a lot. Duce Chestnut returns to Syracuse, after spending a year at LSU, where he played in just four games, totaling six tackles. Alijah Clark is back after notching 65 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, and 3 pass breakups. Buffalo transfer Devin Grant moves down the Thruway, after starting nine games for the Bulls last year, totaling 79 tackles and three pass breakups. The Orange added Notre Dame transfer Clarence Lewis, who started 23 games for the Irish over the last four years, totaling 124 tackles and 21 pass breakups. The unit has experience, and is looking to improve on its 63.3% completion percentage allowed, and 232 passing yards per game allowed last year.
The Orange are in good shape in Special Teams, as both kicker and punter return. K Brady Denaburg returns after making 10-16 FGs with a long of 46, while handling the kickoff duties (62 kickoffs, 56 touchbacks). Darrell Gill returns at kick return, after returning 12 kicks for 262 yards for an average of 21.8 yards per return. At P, Missouri transfer Jack Stonehouse returns after punting 62 times for a net average of 38.7 yards per punt, and downing 18 inside the 20. Plenty of newcomers to vie for return jobs.
Prediction:
The Orange have upgraded their talent under first year HC Fran Brown, that much is true. Brown has no head coaching experience, and has only been a position coach, with the exception of one year as Temple’s co-DC in 2019. There is usually a learning curve for both players and coaches when there’s a new hire, and Syracuse has a schedule that’s conducive to that, opening with Ohio, and playing Georgia Tech, Stanford, and Holy Cross before heading out onto the road for the first time to UNLV. This game being in late November is interesting. What happens if the Orange are ineligible for a bowl, and things didn’t go according to plan? If UConn is in position for a bowl bid, they could be up for this game while Syracuse is not. On the flipside, Syracuse could overachieve and this game is a tune-up for the finale against Miami. I think the talent advantage of Syracuse is too much for the Huskies in this one.
Syracuse 38 UConn 21
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