Will this turn into a shoot-out?
The Syracuse Orange (8-3, 4-3) finish the regular season when they welcome the Miami Hurricanes (10-1, 6-1) to the JMA Dome. Kickoff is at 3:30 on ESPN and here’s what we’re watching for:
Kevin: Make Miami Watch
Miami’s offense has been dynamic, but Syracuse has done a good job of grinding out long drives and controlling the ball. If the Orange can keep the chains moving and keep Cam Ward standing and watching, it might get the Miami QB to press the issue when he gets a chance with the ball. The pressure is squarely on Miami in this game and if the Orange can get Ward to speed up his reads and create a couple of turnovers, they could steal this one.
Dom: Second half insanity
It’s been opposite situations for both teams throughout most of the season: Syracuse’s probability to win feels way higher when it starts the game off on a strong note, while Miami just needs to stay within striking distance for its offense to truly catch fire and take the game for good. The U’s offense can flip a switch in minutes (see: last week versus Wake Forest… and pretty much all of 2024). Syracuse’s best bet to win is to match The U as best as possible offensively. If the Orange are down by more than 10 at halftime, there won’t be a second-half comeback strong enough to overcome that.
Carson: Pressure on Cam Ward
How often does a potential top-three NFL draft pick come to the JMA Wireless Dome to play Syracuse? The answer is not very often. Cam Ward is a big reason Miami is the best offense in the ACC, arguably all of college football — the Hurricanes are the #1 team in the country in total yards per game (541.5) and points per game (44.7). According to Pro Football Focus, Ward’s ‘clean pocket’ passer rating is 93.3 (27 TDs, 3 INTs), but that number falls to 52.5 (7 TDs, 4 INTs) when pressured. If the Orange want to win this game, I think they’re going to have to gamble a bit defensively. Load the block, pressure Ward and make him uncomfortable, and force your secondary to play more man-to-man.
Mike: Make your Mark
We all know who is running the show. As much as Kyle McCord has invigorated the Orange offense this season, he isn’t the potential top QB in next year’s class. That guy is on the opposing sideline. But if he can keep pace with him in what is almost certainly his final college game, he will both give SU a shot at the incredible upset and give himself a shot at raising his NFL Draft stock. ESPN last had him as a late Day 3 Pick but a clean, composed game under the most pressure of the whole season could quickly change that evaluation.
Max: Points, points and more points
This game has one of the highest over/under totals I have ever seen (67.5), so it looks like defense will be hard to come by. And it makes sense, as the Hurricanes average the most points per game (44.7) in the entire country. The Orange have done an excellent job in controlling time of possession despite a pass-heavy offense, and this is a must against the ‘Canes. If not, Ward and company will run up the score in a hurry.
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What will you be watching for on Saturday?