Yes, a ranked opponent enters the Dome on Saturday
The Syracuse Orange (1-0, 0-0) open ACC play on Saturday when the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2-0, 1-0) visit the JMA Wireless Dome. It’s a big early test for the new-look Orange – here’s what we’re watching for in Saturday’s game:
Kevin: Disciplined Defense
Georgia Tech doesn’t want to just run the ball, they want to run the ball from a number of different looks. Syracuse struggled to make tackles last week and can’t afford to overcompensate by aggressive pursuit. The Orange need to maintain their lanes and be prepared for Georgia Tech’s mis-direction and cut-backs as well as the running of Haynes King. It’s easy to get sucked into trying to get to the ball quick, but without Marlowe Wax the rest of the defense needs to trust each other and play disciplined.
Max: 3rd down efficiency
The Yellow Jackets upset Florida State two weeks ago with their rushing attack and third-down offense, going 5-9 against the Seminoles. SU’s defense did its job against Ohio, only allowing the Bobcats to convert two of their 11 attempts. Something’s gotta give at high noon Saturday, and without Wax, we’ll see if the Orange D can hold up for a second straight week.
Christian: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
One of the big reasons why Syracuse came away with a victory against Ohio is because of the Orange red zone defense. However, another big reason was Ohio’s play calling in the red zone. The Bobcats, for some reason, abandoned the running back run once they entered the red zone. Many fans know that Georgia Tech likes to run the ball. You would probably assume that the Yellow Jackets would continue that trend inside the 20-yard line. How does the Orange defense tighten up with a constant rushing attack? With both teams seemingly evenly match, taking away points in the red zone could mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Dom: Mistake-free offense
Should Syracuse’s defense struggle to defend the run and improve not that much compared to the Ohio game, it’ll be up to the offense to perform similarly as it did last week. Kyle McCord’s lone interception came in the fourth quarter with Syracuse already up multiple TDs, after the Orange avoided two costly mistakes early in the game. Outside of that, the offense looked pretty sound across the board. Syracuse will need to have a similar performance in a game which will likely turn into a scoring battle between both teams.
Mike: Wax off… who’s on?
You know Marlowe was an essential part of this defense when I’m the third person to mention his absence. Anwar Sparrow had perfectly average coverage grades off the bench last week, while James Heard’s were less so in spite of his interception. Derek McDonald was the best of the three in that regard but struggled with much of the unit against the run. It’s a small sample size for sure, but my main question is how the two linebacker spots will be filled between the trio… and if it will be enough to stabilize the middle of the field.
Carson: Make Georgia Tech throw the football
Through two games, Georgia Tech has run more than 60% of its offensive plays on the ground. The Yellow Jackets will want to run the football every chance they get. SU allowed 255 rushing yards last week against Ohio, and right now, GT is probably thinking they’ll have even more success in the run game. Georgia Tech has multiple effective runners in RB Jamal Haynes, dual QB Haynes King, and jet-sweep-threat WR Eric Singleton Jr. The Orange DL needs to step up, and in a big way, and make Haynes King win this game in the air.
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What will you be watching for this Saturday?