Syracuse football puts home non-conference win streak on line vs. Liberty

Syracuse football has found success in recent years against non-conference foes on the Hill, but Liberty presents a big-time challenge.

Syracuse football is tremendous at forcing turnovers, both in the present campaign and in other recent stanzas, however, the Orange is going to have to do way more than prevail in the takeaway department if it wants to register a victory on Saturday afternoon versus non-conference opponent Liberty in Central New York.

The ‘Cuse (1-3), decimated by injuries at quarterback, running back, in the secondary and elsewhere, will wrap up its current three-game home-stand against the Flames (4-0), with this battle set to commence at noon. Television coverage locally is on the YES Network, and it’s on Regional Sports Networks elsewhere.

After winning its first affair of the 2020 term, in late September against Georgia Tech inside the Carrier Dome, a sense of optimism arrived with some Orange fans, myself included.

That’s because the ‘Cuse had a prime opportunity to take its next two encounters at home, versus Duke and Liberty, and possibly move to 3-2 on the year before traveling to No. 1 Clemson and, later on, to No. 4 Notre Dame.

However, the Blue Devils literally – and figuratively – ran all over the Syracuse football defense a week ago, rolling to a 14-point triumph. The ‘Cuse roster has gotten completely banged up due to a variety of injuries at critical positions, and now the Orange faces a Flames squad that is exceptional with its rushing attack.

Syracuse football seeks to keep on faring well in home non-conference match-ups, this go-round against Liberty.

Even though Syracuse football is hurting from a depleted roster, falling at home to Liberty, an FBS independent in football, would prove a huge eyesore, in my humble opinion. The Orange really needs to regroup and get the job done at the Dome during its only non-conference clash of the fall term.

As we’ve noted, the ‘Cuse and the Flames competed in the 2019 season opener, a meeting that Syracuse football won, 24-0, in Lynchburg, Va., in the first-ever bout between these two teams.

An announcement from the Orange athletics department says that collision between the ‘Cuse and Liberty began a three-year series among them.

Under head coach Dino Babers, Syracuse football is 11-6 in non-conference duels, including a 7-2 record over the past two stanzas. What’s more, the Orange is also 7-2 in its nine non-Atlantic Coast Conference games at home during the Babers era, and that success includes five-straight conquests.