NFL
The Syracuse Orange will face arguably their toughest game of the season. They face their first ranked opponent of the season. Saturday’s 1 PM EST game will be against the (19) SMU Mustangs and will be the Orange’s chance to get back to .500.
Tough Day On Defense
The Orange will have to bring it, as SMU has a powerhouse offense. Their lowest-scoring game of the season was 23 points. They’ve scored 40+ points in 42% of their games this year, and twice it’s been 50+. It’ll take everything SU has to keep this offense in check. Kevin Jennings is a playmaker. He is completing 72.6% of his passes this season, with 19 TDs and 5 INTs (3.8 TDs per INT). A clean game keeps him moving the football. The defense will have to find a way to pressure the quarterback, with SMU allowing just 8 sacks this season.
The Loud House
The home team crowd will have to be the loudest it has been all year. This will be SMU’s third road game of the season, and the previous two were battles. In their first road game, they squeaked by Florida State 24-27, with the Seminoles sitting at 3-4 on the season. Their second away game is their lone defeat on the season, falling 41-31 to the Louisville Cardinals. That same Louisville that the Orange put up a good fight against earlier this season, losing in a one-score game. The Orange could use home-field advantage this week to put SMU on edge.
Playing Keep Away Football
When you’re playing a dynamic offense like SMU, the best way to neutralize it is to give them fewer opportunities. Syracuse is pretty consistent at winning the time-of-possession battle, controlling the ball 33:36 to opponents’ 26:32. The struggle will be not only keeping the ball out of the Mustangs’ hands, but also having a dynamic enough offense to keep up with their high-scoring opponents. Syracuse can’t sit on the ball and not come away with points. Putting 3 PTs on the board is fine, but getting the ball in the end zone is just as important as winning that time of possession battle
It’s easy to think that the Syracuse Orange will easily be bowled over by their first-ranked team of the season. Yet, this isn’t the same Orange we’re used to seeing. They have tenacity; they just won’t go away. SU has a chance to pull off one of its biggest upsets since the Miami game in 2024. They’ll need to execute almost flawlessly as they look for just their second home win this Halloween afternoon.
