How should Syracuse football fans feel about LSU getting blown out by Mississippi State? ITLH breaks down both sides of the fence.
Sometime in July I did my prognostication for the results of the 2017 Syracuse Football campaign. Checking in to see how good I am at looking into the future … I predicted a 3-0 start and well as Bob Ueker would say “missed it by this much”.
So a 2-1 start is not horrible (despite letting the Middle Tennessee game slip away) we need to catch up on a win to get back on track for the first third of the season and meet my 7-5 prediction for the year.
Let’s review our next opponent to see if we can pick up a win and get a ‘skin on the wall’ for the Orange.
Preseason polls had the LSU Tigers ranked at No. 14. Going into Saturday’s game they have identical records of 2-1.
Breaking down the Tigers opponents:
- BYU. The Tigers opened the season with a 27-0 thrashing of BYU which was played in the bright lights of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. This game not a surprise and while BYU is not a powderpuff their current record stands at 0-3 having lost to LSU, Utah and Wisconsin (scoring a whopping 19 points in their first three games…total)
- Chattanooga Mocs were the next team up. Who you say and what is a Moc? They are a FCS school and some kind of a bird. Not too much to say about this one, other than their record is also 0-3. One item of note is the Scrappy Moc’s last opponent was Tennessee-Martin who held them to 7 points while LSU allowed 10. Perhaps a chink in the normally rigid LSU defensive armor?
- Mississippi State Bulldogs. Have you ever seen a Bulldog tear apart a Tiger? If not then you missed last Saturday night’s Miss State versus LSU contest. This game was pretty much over at halftime with the Tigers not scoring after halftime. The Tigers offense was outplayed by the ‘Dogs racking up 465 yards to 270 yards.
While stacking up of opponents is not always a good way to break a game down, the above information really spells out that that neither of these teams have really defined themselves. On the positive side, the Orange killer Leonard Fournette is not eligible to suit up on Saturday, his new team the Jacksonville Jaguars might frown on that. The last time the Orange faced the Tigers in the Dome he gouged the defense for 244 yards and two touchdowns.
Thank goodness he’s gone…
Now as I am a recent transplant from Central New York myself I will tell you that despite the leaves changing color outside the Dome it’s still like a sauna down here in the South. The Orange being prepared and coming into kick-off hydrated will be a key to removing the weather as a factor.
Paul Esden Jr and I were in the Dome during the Orange’s last game against the Tigers with a strong performance against LSU in 2015 falling behind in the fourth quarter to lose 34-24 in a spirited contest.
Next: Syracuse Football: Top 10 Plays of Week 3 Versus Central Michigan
While now is the time for the OITNF to show the ACC we are a force to contend with and no longer a door mat. Time will tell if we make this a statement game or we are the springboard to allow LSU to get their season back on track.