Syracuse football faces an FCS opponent early in the season. We take a look at the matchup versus Colgate and why ‘Cuse should win big.
Every year an FCS opponent comes into the Come with hopes at knocking off the home team, Syracuse football. In 2020 that team will be Colgate. The Raiders make the quick hour-long trip to the Salt City for the first time since 2016. Four years ago, Syracuse football opened up its season with a 33-7 victory over Colgate. Fast forward to this season, Week 3 plays host to the New York college matchup.
While it is apparent that Syracuse will be the heavy favorite in this game, that doesn’t mean it’s a pointless week. First, never underestimate your opponent. In college athletics, every team has a skillset and can win on any given game day. Also, this game provides an excellent opportunity for Dino Babers to see his team’s depth only three weeks into the season. At this point, he may still be tinkering with lineups, and this game should help solidify playing time.
A good sign for Syracuse would be to exploit Colgate’s weaknesses as well as dominate them in categories they even flourish in. Now the numbers for the Raiders are bleak, as they ranked at the bottom of many statistical types in their conference last season. But a good test will be their run game. ‘Cuse lost its two main defensive linemen from last season, so they’re experiencing a changing of the guard. This game will test Josh Black and others to see if they can step up to the plate.
Last season one of the most significant issues for the Orange was pass protection. Colgate ranked dead last in the Patriot League in sacks last season. So, if Syracuse allows an FCS team that struggled last year to rush the quarterback, there is a larger issue.
On the other side, Colgate does provide a good test for Syracuse. The team’s quarterbacks tend to get involved in the run game. In 2019 Syracuse was burned on occasion by allowing opposing quarterbacks to run on them. Stopping the rushing attack from the Raiders, especially from its signal-caller, will be pivotal.
In the end, expect Syracuse to get a comfortable early-season victory. But despite the final score, the game will prove pivotal to their success in games later on in the season. It’s easier to work out the kinks early on, instead of during ACC play.