Syracuse opens its season Saturday at noon against New Hampshire in the JMA Wireless Dome, and the early read from the panel is simple: this one looks lopsided.
Brent Axe sees Syracuse rolling to a 63-7 win and expects the Orange to cover. He called the matchup “the equivalent of a preseason game that counts in the standings to begin the season.”
Axe pointed to Albany’s 374-72 rushing edge over New Hampshire last week and said that should give Syracuse fans plenty of room to imagine what the Orange can do on the ground. For him, the only real question is who becomes SU’s QB2 and which depth players can show something before injuries inevitably start to matter later in the year.
Chris Carlson is also on Syracuse covering, with a 48-7 prediction. He wrote that Syracuse can “name its score” and expects a big day for the Orange’s skill players, with too many quarterbacks and wide receivers needing snaps to keep everyone satisfied over the long haul. Defensively, Carlson said holding New Hampshire to one late garbage-time touchdown would be the best defensive showing from Syracuse in an FCS game under Fran Brown.
Javon Edmonds went with Syracuse 45, New Hampshire 10, and he too picked the Orange to cover. Edmonds highlighted New Hampshire’s season-opening issues at the FCS level, including 374 rushing yards allowed to Albany, 62 rushing yards on offense, four sacks allowed and 92 penalty yards.
He said Syracuse should bully the Wildcats up front, get the game out of hand by halftime and use its size on offense and new defensive scheme to take control. Edmonds also said he expects the starters to come out early, but still believes Syracuse’s backups will be too much.
He called it “the epitome of a buy game.”
Nate Mink also has Syracuse covering, with the Orange winning 52-7. His only warning for fans: “Fans will only sweat on Saturday if they hop on the mechanical bull or try the rock climbing wall outside the dome before the game.”
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Among the issues being examined are allegations tied to Steve Belichick, North Carolinas defensive coordinator and Bill Belichicks son, along with possible improper relationships between coaches and recruiting staff. For Syracuse, it turns a road game into a far murkier setup than expected, with the bigger issue now not just who lines up on Saturday but what the program around them looks like by then. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Faces One Brutal Test That Will Define Fran Browns Progress
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The schedule is unforgiving enough at home to tell a real story about where Fran Browns program stands. Ranked opponents are coming to the dome, and those games will quickly reveal whether the new pieces are blending into something sturdier or still searching for chemistry. For Syracuse, the early-season margin for error looks thin, and the biggest tests may say more about the progress of the program than the record itself. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Opens With A New Hampshire Team That Could Test Early Concerns
Syracuses opener brings a familiar early-season test: a New Hampshire team that already showed it can lean on the run and control the line of scrimmage. Roger Brown of the New Hampshire Football Report said the Wildcats were impressive on the ground in their Week 1 win over UAlbany, while also noting the kind of early issues that can still surface in September, including run defense and penalties.
Brown also pointed to a new era under Sean Goldrich, whose arrival has changed the way New Hampshire is building its roster and has given the program a different feel heading into this matchup. For Syracuse fans looking for the names most likely to matter, linebacker Trevor Berry and receiver JaCarree Kelly stand out as two Wildcats worth tracking when the Orange kick things off. [Read more 🡒]