Syracuse football has gotten crushed the past two weeks against high-quality foes, and it doesn’t get any easier for the Orange this coming Saturday afternoon, when the ‘Cuse travels to Florida State.
The Orange, across the board, got dominated this past Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C., as then-No. 14 North Carolina manhandled the ‘Cuse, 40-7. We all figured it would prove really tough for Syracuse football to upset the Tar Heels on the road, but the Orange’s showing was disappointing, to say the least.
UNC’s high-powered offense tallied 644 total yards, as compared to just 221 yards for the ‘Cuse offense. Now Syracuse football (4-2, 0-2 in the ACC) has to regroup and prepare for one of the country’s top squads, the No. 4 Seminoles (5-0, 3-0 in the ACC).
FSU, at present, is one of three undefeated groups in the Atlantic Coast Conference, along with No. 12 North Carolina and No. 14 Louisville. National pundits, at this juncture in the 2023 season, deem Florida State as a significant contender to earn a berth in this term’s College Football Playoff.
The ‘Cuse, in consecutive losses to Clemson at home and UNC away from the Hill, has been outscored by a combined 71-21. The Seminoles, by the way, currently lead the ACC in scoring offense, at 42.4 points per game. Ouch.
No. 4 Florida State vs. Syracuse odds, spread and total
When I wrote this article, FanDuel had the Orange as a 17.5-point betting underdog on the road versus the Seminoles, with the over/under set at 56.5 points.
No. 4 Florida State vs. Syracuse how to watch
Date: Saturday, Oct. 14
Game Time: 12:00 pm
Venue: Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla.
TV/Streaming: ABC and fuboTV
Florida State’s record: 5-0, 3-0 in the ACC
Syracuse’s record: 4-2, 0-2 in the ACC
Syracuse’s full 2023 schedule: Click here
No. 4 Florida State vs. Syracuse key players to watch
Here is the week-seven depth chart for the Orange against the Seminoles, courtesy of SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister.
From an injury standpoint, star junior receiver Oronde Gadsden II, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman David Wohlabaugh Jr., sophomore defensive lineman Denis Jaquez Jr. and junior tight end Steven Mahar Jr. are out for the remainder of the 2023 campaign due to injuries.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Isaiah Jones, junior wide receiver/return specialist Trebor Pena and junior offensive lineman Kalan Ellis are among some notable players not listed on this week’s depth chart ahead of the game versus FSU.
Florida State
Redshirt senior quarterback Jordan Travis
Travis is one of the better quarterbacks in the ACC and nationwide. So far in 2023, he’s completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 1,198 yards and 12 touchdowns, with just one interception.
Redshirt junior running back Trey Benson
Benson is one of the top running backs in the ACC to date this season, carrying the ball 51 times for 389 yards, or an impressive 7.6 yards per carry, to go along with six scores on the ground. His 77.8 rushing yards per contest is currently No. 4 in the ACC.
Syracuse
Senior quarterback Garrett Shrader
It’s been a rough go for Shrader over the last two games. He needs to get going versus FSU, both with his arm and his legs. For all of 2023, Shrader is completing 64.6 percent of his pass attempts for 1,272 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also rushed the ball 71 times for
368 yards and a half-dozen scores on the ground.
Sophomore running back LeQuint Allen Jr.
Similar to Shrader, Allen didn’t have his best game against UNC. Then again, the whole offense struggled. For the year, Allen has carried the ball 87 times for 401 yards, or 4.6 yards per carry, as well as seven rushing TDs. Syracuse football needs Allen to have a big game, both as a running back and a receiver, for the Orange to have a chance to prevail at Florida State.
No. 4 Florida State vs. Syracuse prediction and pick
In their all-time series together, per cuse.com, the Orange is just 2-12 against FSU, and the Seminoles have won three in a row over Syracuse football. Most recently, in November of 2022, the Seminoles pasted the Orange, 38-3, at the JMA Wireless Dome.
FSU’s results to date look like this. The Seminoles beat then-No. 5 LSU at a neutral site. Florida State also defeated Southern Mississippi and Virginia Tech at home, as well as Boston College and Clemson on the road. The Seminoles’ win over the Clemson Tigers was an overtime thriller.
Given that FSU has a prolific offense, it will prove tough for the ‘Cuse to outscore the Seminoles on their own turf. However, Florida State’s defense isn’t overly stellar. FSU allows 383.2 total yards per game, while giving up 21.4 points per encounter, which is middle-of-the-pack in the ACC.
The key for the Orange is to prevail in the turnover department. Forcing fumbles and interceptions will not only keep Florida State’s offense off of the field, but it could also provide Syracuse football with short fields of its own on offense.
Should the ‘Cuse be able to force some FSU miscues, the Orange has to convert those opportunities into touchdowns, not field-goal attempts. Easier said than done, particularly on the road.
Our boys have not looked good over the past two games. I’m hopeful for a better showing at Florida State. That being said, I’m not confident that the ‘Cuse can knock off the country’s No. 4 team on the road, so I’ll take the Seminoles here, by a final count of 38-21.
After Syracuse football squares off with FSU, the Orange will have a much-needed bye week. Then, on Thursday, Oct. 26, the ‘Cuse will encounter its third road contest in a row, heading to Blacksburg, Va., to battle Virginia Tech (2-4, 1-1 in the ACC).
Syracuse football and the Hokies are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 pm from Lane Stadium, with television coverage on ESPN.