The Syracuse football team welcomes the Louisville Cardinals in the Carrier Dome for their final home game of the season.
Thank god Lamar Jackson will not be playing in this game. Pretty sure this is the reaction of every Syracuse football fan on planet Earth.
Louisville is 7-0 with Bobby Petrino at the helm vs Syracuse, over the years the Cardinals have really given it to Syracuse. Perhaps it is time for the Orange to return the favor on Friday night football.
Well certainly the odds-makers feel that way with Syracuse being a three touchdown favorite in this contest. This is also an opportunity for the Orange to finish the year a solid 6-0 inside the loud house for the first time since 2001.
Oh yeah the Syracuse football team is also ranked No. 13 in the country by every major poll, they accomplished that feat this season also for the first time since 2001.
In a year of bucket lists being checked off, perhaps it’s time for Syracuse to check another one off? To get a better scope of that possibility we polled our experts to share their thoughts on this ACC matchup.
Neil Adler (Season Record: 7-2)
Prediction: Syracuse wins 45-21
The Syracuse football squad is rolling, and I expect that will continue when the Orange hosts struggling Louisville on Friday evening from the Carrier Dome.
SU (7-2, 4-2), slotted No. 13 in the most-recent College Football Playoff rankings, took care of business on the road this past weekend when it defeated Wake Forest, 41-24. The ‘Cuse has collected three-consecutive conquests. The Cardinals (2-7, 0-6), meanwhile, are in a rut. Louisville has experienced six-straight setbacks, the bevy of them blowouts, with the latest debacle a 77-16 beat-down at No. 2 Clemson.
This is a nationally televised affair on ESPN2, and it’s also Senior Night in Central New York. Emotions surely will run high, and we must congratulate our senior class on a fabulous 2018 season so far. Odds-makers in Las Vegas have currently anointed Syracuse as a 21-point favorite, while ESPN.com’s match-up predictor gives us a nearly 92 percent chance of prevailing. SU dominates the Cardinals in virtually every statistical category on both offense and defense, which means that the ‘Cuse has an excellent opportunity to pick up its 8th victory of the present campaign.
However, with highly rated Notre Dame lurking on the Orange’s schedule in the near future, it’s paramount that Syracuse does not look ahead, and remains locked-in versus Louisville. I believe that our seniors will lead SU to the promised land, notching a 45-21 success over the Cardinals.
Paul A. Esden Sr. (7-2)
Prediction: Syracuse wins 55-17
Focus and execute. This is the mantra that our Orange team needs to keep front and center as we approach Friday night lights. We need to focus on what is in front of us and not on what the paper says or the rankings say.
So let’s get it out of the way. For the first time in memory the Orange football team is ranked higher than the basketball team. We are ranked in the Top 15 in all polls. We are 21 point favorites to beat Louisville on Friday night. So pat yourself on the back, call your Mom.
And then Focus and execute on what is in front of us.
We win and win big 55–17.
Mat Mlodzinski (7-2)
Prediction: Syracuse wins 56-24
I can’t believe I’m actually writing this, but Friday night will be Eric Dungey’s last game in the Dome.
I strongly believe he will go out with a bang.
Dungey, who has given so much to this program – most notably helping the Orange to a ranking of 13th in the latest college football playoff rankings, is a gamer. He hasn’t had the greatest amount of success against Louisville, and that is about the change.
The Cardinals offense has been dreadful, and their defense hasn’t been much better. This will leave Cuse with a ton of possessions and good opportunities to score the football. Thus, expect Dungey to go off. Moe Neal and Dontae Strickland should also perform well, giving the Cuse a ton of options for a gameplan.
I expect the Cuse defense to play very well too. Eyes may be set on Notre Dame, but the Orange can’t look past Louisville. The Cards will be looking for the upset, and Dino Babers and co need to be ready. I believe that they will be.
Orange get to 8-2 on the season, with a HUGE game next Saturday at Yankee Stadium.
Andrew Carey (6-3)
Prediction: Syracuse wins 55-10
The Louisville game is time for Syracuse to put a hurt on the Cardinals for a change. Over the last two seasons with Lamar Jackson at coach Bobby Petrino’s disposal, Louisville has put up 118 points on Syracuse in their two games.
This year, it is our turn to bring the pain to the makeshift Louisville defense. It’s senior day in the Dome, and there are plenty of key contributors on this years team, who are looking to leave the lasting impact that they were the class to turn this Syracuse team around.
Eric Dungey, Aaron Roberts, Jamal Custis, Cody Conway… all these guys have gone through tough times in their career at Syracuse, and now for them to have a chance to cap off a undefeated home record in their last year, that is something special for them. I expect the team to come out fired up for the seniors and stick it to the Cardinals early.
Louisville has struggled to find their guy to replace Lamar Jackson, Juwon “Puma” Pass has been the guy that Bobby Petrino has gone with, but his 7 TD’s to 10 INT’s on the season have not suggested much success. Louisville’s run defense and pass defense are equally horrible. The Syracuse defense will need to be opportunistic and force those turn over from Pass and the Orange should roll over Louisville, 55-10.
Adam Patrick (6-3)
Prediction: Syracuse wins 48-20
What a difference a year makes as the Orange have essentially switched places with Louisville in 2018.
Last season, it was the Cardinals that were among the top teams in the ACC while Syracuse hung out near the bottom of the conference. But in 2018, the Orange are nationally ranked and sitting with a 7-2 record while Louisville hasn’t won a game since Week 3.
On Friday night inside the Carrier Dome, Syracuse shouldn’t have much trouble getting a win over the Cardinals. If the Orange actually do end up getting a victory this week, it will be the school’s first win over the Cardinals since 2012.
Just as they did last Saturday against Wake Forest, Syracuse will likely turn to their rushing attack to lead them to a victory this week. Louisville’s defense is giving up 277.4 yards per game on the ground this season (including six yards per carry), so it’s quite possible that the Orange could finish with at least 200 rushing yards for the sixth time this year.
Syracuse’s defense should not have a hard time shutting down the Cardinal’s offense on Friday. Louisville is turning the ball over around two times per game this season and their total yards per week currently ranks 112th in the nation.
The Orange should get a convincing win on Friday and maintain their standing as one of the top team’s in college football this year.
Paul A. Esden Jr. (7-2)
Prediction: Syracuse wins 55-23
I can’t sugar coat this, Louisville may be one of the worst teams in all of college football. But Bobby Petrino is 7-0 as a head coach against Syracuse at Louisville (during two different stints).
Also on top of all that the Notre Dame game is looming on the horizon. This is all a recipe for a potential trap game for the Orange.
After talking to several players on this team, they don’t seem like a squad that is looking ahead. They kept reiterating to me we have a task at hand in front of us against the Cardinals.
I think with the emotion of Senior night and Eric Dungey and his final act in the loud house that will power this team to a momentous victory and *pinch me* an 8-2 start to the season.