Syracuse football notched a victory on its collective belt in week one amid the head-coaching debut of Fran Brown, and now the Orange is set for its first Atlantic Coast Conference contest of the young 2024 season.
This Saturday afternoon, the 'Cuse will host No. 23 Georgia Tech, which is 2-0 so far after defeating then-No. 10 Florida State in Dublin and Georgia State this past Saturday at home.
The Orange's defense, which will be without star senior linebacker Marlowe Wax Jr. for about six weeks due to an injury suffered in the 2024 season opener against Ohio on the Hill, faces a formidable challenge this coming Saturday against a Yellow Jackets rushing attack that is averaging more than 200 yards per affair.
Brown, in recent days, has not shied away from stating that the Syracuse football defense has to be more physical, not get pushed around at the line of scrimmage and tackle better if it hopes to effectively contain Georgia Tech's ground game.
Saturday's league encounter at the JMA Wireless Dome is a big early season test for the Orange, and it provides a massive opportunity for the 'Cuse to pick up a triumph over a ranked foe.
No. 23 Georgia Tech at Syracuse football odds, spread and total
When I wrote this article, FanDuel had the Orange as a 2.5-point betting underdog at home against the Yellow Jackets, with the over/under set at 59.5 points.
No. 23 Georgia Tech at Syracuse football how to watch
Date: Saturday, Sept. 7
Game Time: 12 pm EST
Venue: JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
TV/Streaming: ACC Network and fuboTV
Georgia Tech's record: 2-0
Syracuse's record: 1-0
Syracuse’s full 2024 schedule: Click here
No. 23 Georgia Tech at Syracuse football prediction and pick
In their all-time series together, the Yellow Jackets are 4-1 versus the Orange. That includes a 31-22 victory by Georgia Tech, at home, over the 'Cuse in November of last year.
Here's the week-two depth chart for Syracuse football, courtesy of 247Sports analyst Mike McAllister. Without question, the Orange run defense will have to improve against the Yellow Jackets.
After a rough first series versus Ohio, the 'Cuse offense settled in nicely, led by senior quarterback Kyle McCord, who threw for a career-high 354 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception, in the Orange's 38-22 conquest of the Bobcats.
McCord spread the football around effectively to a variety of tight ends and wide receivers. Junior running back LeQuint Allen Jr. would finish with nearly 100 yards on the ground along with a receiving touchdown.
Georgia Tech's defense was fairly impressive in the team's win over Florida State, but the Yellow Jackets weren't super stellar on that side of the field when they beat Georgia State.
I think McCord and the rest of the 'Cuse offense can put up a sizable number of points versus Georgia Tech, but one facet of this ACC showdown that I'll be closely monitoring is the time of possession.
If the Yellow Jackets are able to sustain long, methodical drives due to their excellent rushing attack, that could eat up the clock. If Syracuse football has fewer offensive series in this game than it might normally have, the Orange must capitalize while on offense.
Strong starting field positions. Scoring touchdowns while in the red zone, as opposed to field goals. No careless turnovers. And no silly penalties (this applies to the defense, too).
Georgia Tech redshirt junior Haynes King is a great dual-threat quarterback who could present problems for the Orange defense. The same applies to the Yellow Jackets' leading rusher so far in 2024, redshirt junior Jamal Haynes.
"I think their offense is good, led by Haynes King, who reminds me of Vince Young," Brown said via a press release on cuse.com. "He's a strong, powerful guy. I've liked their running back, we competed against him last year also, Jamal Haynes. We just have to be more physical. We're playing against Georgia Tech, who will show you that you need to be more physical. Come up and tackle. Take one more step and make tackles."
I'm going back and forth on my prediction, but I'll run with Syracuse football prevailing in Central New York by a final count of 31-27.
Side note: Just a reminder that this Saturday, former 'Cuse legend Dwight Freeney will have his jersey retired at the Georgia Tech contest during a halftime ceremony. Freeney is a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.