Before the Syracuse football 2022 schedule was released, I said that despite the tough teams on the schedule, I thought this team could still have success and be a bowl team based on what I have seen so far this offseason. And when the schedule came out, it does appear difficult but I still stand by it.
So I sat down and decided that instead of just saying that I believe it again, I wanted to break the games down one by one and give you the information you need to decide for yourself. I will go game by game with fun stats like head-to-head outcomes, players to watch, my way too early rating of difficulty, and a few other notes that might help.
Here are the teams scheduled and links to those that are already published in case you missed one:
Wagner
Bye Week
NC State
Clemson
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Florida State
Wake Forest
Boston College
Let’s break down the Syracuse football battle against Wagner.
Syracuse Orange vs Wagner Seahawks
Saturday, October 1, 2022 (time and viewing options TBD)
Location: Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY
Last season head to head: Haven’t played since 2018 when Syracuse football won 62-10. According to winsipedia, these teams have played twice and Syracuse football has won both games.
Opponent’s overall record last season: Wagner went 0-11 last season and 0-7 in the Northeast Conference (an FCS conference).
Stats from their last face-off: Another big game for Eric Dungey according to ESPN, as he tied a school record with 5 touchdown passes in their 2018 meeting. Dontae Strickland had a couple of rushing touchdowns himself and Taj Harris had his first touchdown reception in Orange. Current Jacksonville Jaguar and former Orange DB Andre Cisco added a couple of interceptions to the show.
Possible level of difficulty on a scale of 1-10: Since 1 is the lowest I can go, I’ll go with a 1. If Syracuse football loses this game, there will be trouble in the salt city. There is no scenario here even if Wagner has improved where a loss in this game will be anything but disastrous and cause many fans to question the direction of the program. It doesn’t have to be 62-10 but a win is needed especially if you want to be a bowl contender. Even if the Orange are 4-0 but lose this, there will still be a lot of noise. I will always love you Syracuse & I never count anyone out but this one has to be a win. If Duquesne can beat them 44-0, SU needs to beat them too.
Key person on opposing team: Titus Leo or Naiem Simmons. Titus Leo was a senior LB last season and their best player. I’m not sure if he’s returning next season or not as finding information on Wagner isn’t easy but if he does, I’d keep my eye on sophomore WR Naiem Simmons. Both players received post-season accolades along with a couple of offensive linemen.
How can Syracuse win: Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t turn the ball over a lot, don’t take your opponent too lightly and don’t make too many mistakes. This is a game Syracuse football should win convincingly but also need to avoid going into this game “knowing it.” Do you want to keep fans on your side? Win it decisively and maybe use some of the second half to get young players some reps.
Other news, notes and nuggets:
– I truly wish this was game 1 on the schedule and not game 5…even the NFL has exhibition games before the season starts. To me, the purpose of these games is to “practice” and see what you have for the rest of the season. But what likely happened is that networks don’t want everyone playing FCS vs FBS games because then the first couple weeks of games would be boring matchups for them to televise and sell. And while I know last season Bowling Green upset Minnesota and many will remember the famous Appalachian State upset of Michigan, those are rare and spreading these “long shots” out over the schedule helps the networks. People often say SU should make their schedule easier…I think a more important key would be playing Wagner and UConn first and second so this team could see what they have and work on things against real opponents before playing 4 games already.
– If you’re curious, Wagner is located in Staten Island, NY. Famous actor Robert Loggia, who was in many films including Armed and Dangerous, Big, and even played a football coach in Necessary Roughness, attended Wagner.
– There is a Shake Shack on Staten Island and I’ve heard some great things about it though I do love Zebbs, Ale N Angus and Blarney plus even Five Guys on the Blvd is really good.
– Is Honus Wagner still the most valuable baseball card?
– This game will be the Orange Central/Homecoming game in 2022. After this game is a bye week and then Family Weekend with NC State at the Dome so plan according, especially if you’re booking hotel accommodations as those two event weekends are busy weekends for local hotels. I’m genuinely confused why Virginia or Notre Dame weren’t selected instead of Wagner but I’m not an alumnus nor do I have family attending that I’m going to visit so it’s not my business.
– I really hope this game is decided early and we get to see the depth chart at work. I’m sure that means a mass exit of fans at halftime but I’m curious to see what Sean Tucker is on the roster that maybe is deep in the depth chart but could show out if they got a chance. I used to complain about fans who leave early but honestly I don’t care anymore. I will remind you that players also notice when the crowd goes from 27,000 to 16,000 too and if you stick around, it’s fun watching them doing the alma mater after the game with the student section then follow the band down to Varsity.
– While the Wagner University football team may struggle, they’re known for producing health professionals including Claire Fagin, who did a lot of work in psychiatric nursing and geriatric care while also being the first woman to serve as president of an Ivy League school (she was Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania before assuming the role of president for a year).