Syracuse Football: Week 1 Liberty Flames crystal ball predictions

Neil Adler, Contributor (0-0)

The Syracuse football squad begins its 2019 regular season on the road when the Orange travels to Liberty this Saturday evening. The game, at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Va., is slated to commence at 6:00 p.m. and will get shown on ESPN+, a subscription streaming service.

The ‘Cuse wrapped up the 2018 campaign at 10-3 and ranked No. 15 in the AP top-25 poll, while the Flames finished at 6-6. Liberty, guided by former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze, this fall begins its first stanza as a Football Bowl Subdivision program.

The Flames have a terrific quarterback in Stephen Calvert, the team’s all-time leader in career passing touchdowns who needs 1,905 yards during his senior stint to become No. 1 in that category at Liberty. Calvert is on the preseason watch list for the 2019 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

The Orange, rated No. 22 to start the current term in both the AP and USA Today coaches polls, possesses a strong defensive line that will have its hands full with Calvert and the Flames’ offensive attack.

Odds-makers in Las Vegas are anointing Syracuse as a huge betting favorite over Liberty, at roughly 18 points, with ESPN’s Football Power Index saying that the ‘Cuse has an 84.5 percent chance to prevail.

One of the nation’s premier special-teams units, a promising new starting quarterback in Tommy DeVito, who takes the reins from the phenomenal Eric Dungey, and fantastic wide receivers should enable the Orange to best the Flames. Liberty is absolutely capable of lighting up the scoreboard, particularly at home, and the crowd inside Williams Stadium should prove electric for the Flames’ inaugural contest as an FBS member.

Syracuse should not overlook Liberty, especially because of tantalizing encounters with Maryland and Clemson, the defending national champions, lurking on the horizon. In the end, the ‘Cuse will emerge victorious, by a final count of 42-24.