Injuries are already shaping the picture for Saturday night’s matchup between North Carolina and Syracuse at Kenan Stadium.
The first ACC injury report, released Wednesday night, left both teams with real uncertainty. UNC has eight players already ruled out and six more listed as questionable, while Syracuse is dealing with a battered quarterback room that may be down to its last healthy option.
For the Orange, Amari Odom and Malachi Nelson will not be available against North Carolina. That leaves Syracuse with only two quarterbacks in a room that has already taken a beating.
Steve Angeli is also questionable after starting Syracuse’s first three games of the season. He has missed the Orange’s last three contests, so his status will be one of the biggest questions heading into Chapel Hill.
If Angeli cannot return, Syracuse may have to turn to junior Danny Lauter. Lauter has played in each of the Orange’s last two games and has gone 5-of-11 for 74 yards and a touchdown. He also finished Syracuse’s latest loss to Louisville after Nelson left the game.
UNC’s situation is spread across the roster, but the list is no less concerning. Mason Humphrey and Tre Miller are already out, and the questionable group opens the door for even more absences by kickoff.
That could leave the Tar Heels missing as many as seven starters, depending on how the injury report develops between now and Saturday night.
The secondary stands out as a major concern for North Carolina. The Tar Heels have already had to shuffle pieces because of injuries in that unit, and they would benefit if players like Cost and Waters are able to go. If not, UNC will keep leaning on its “next man up” approach and try to keep things moving.
There is still time before kickoff, but the opening injury report already suggests both teams may be forced to adjust in a big way. And for a game with plenty of meaning on both sides, those availability decisions could end up mattering just as much as anything that happens between the lines.
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