Syracuse Football: StatPack checklist for beating North Carolina

Syracuse football is heavy underdogs against North Carolina. But if the Orange can check off these stats, a win could be in the writing.

Syracuse football is in for a wild season and it hasn’t even begun. Just this week, it was reported that fullback Chris Elmore will suit up on the offensive line. Abdul Adams and Jarveon Howard are both opting out of the season, which leaves the third-string running back Jawhar Jordan as the starting back.

If that wasn’t enough cause for concern, ‘Cuse is a huge 19.5 point underdog to North Carolina, the 18th ranked team in the country. How about that for the first game to a COVID impacted season?

But besides all of the negativity, there is still a lot to look forward to. Junior quarterback Tommy DeVito is another year removed from the shadow of Eric Dungey, which could allow for him to play more freely. Andre Cisco leads a talented coverage unit and will likely have his name appear on draft boards and highlight tapes all season long.

The storylines are there this season, and Syracuse football has about as many as any team in the country. For now, all eyes are on North Carolina, as the Orange look for a signature win to start off the season and prove the doubters wrong.

This will be the first installment of a season-long series where I’ll go in-depth on a few statistics – team and individual – that could result in a Syracuse Orange win.

As a preview, this game will come down to both sides of the ball. The Orange will need to score points, but defensively they’ll also need to make stops. And if they can check off these stats, it should be a 1-0 start for SU for the 2020 season.