Boston College 2024 Opponent Previews: Syracuse (2024)

Rankings out of 134 FBS Teams: 22.0 Offensive Points per Game (t-95th), 343.3 Total Yards per Game (99th), 171.0 Passing Yards per Game (t-116th), 172.3 Rushing Yards per Game (48th); 38.8% 3rd Down Conversion Rate (64th), 78% Red Zone Scoring Rate (105th); 5.54 TFLs Allowed per Game (t-65th), 2.31 Sacks Allowed per Game (t-89th), 24 Turnovers (t-9th-most); -2.40 Offensive EPA per Game (100th), -0.04 Offensive EPA per Play (101st), 38.9% Offensive Success Rate (104th), 0.00 Offensive EPA per Dropback (97th), 40.7% Passing Success Rate (82nd), 0.00 Offensive EPA per Rush (70th), 38.7% Rushing Success Rate (108th).

Fran Brown tapped Jeff Nixon to be his first offensive coordinator at Syracuse. Nixon was previously the running backs coach for the New York Giants in 2023 but spent the previous six seasons with Matt Rhule with the Carolina Panthers and at Baylor. He was Rhule's co-offensive coordinator at Baylor from 2017 through 2019. Before that, he was an NFL assistant coach (mostly running backs) for the last decade. Brown kept on Michael Johnson as the co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, as well as Nunzio Campanile as the quarterbacks coach and Offensive Associate Head Coach. Ross Douglas also joins the staff as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach; he actually worked under Bill O'Brien as the wide receivers coach for the New England Patriots. Finally, Dale Williams was hired away from Louisville to be the offensive line coach, which he had previously coached at Purdue under Jeff Brohm.

There was perhaps no bigger transfer portal addition in the ACC than Kyle McCord's move from Ohio State to Syracuse. McCord disappointed Buckeye fans last year as he couldn't live up to the legacy left by quarterbacks like Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields, and C.J. Stroud. But he was still a solid quarterback and represents a major upgrade at the position for the Orange. Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who started in relief of Garrett Shrader last year against BC, returns as the backup. He could be pushed by Braden Davis, a redshirt sophom*ore who played sparingly last year.

The Orange feature one of the best running backs in the ACC and will likely lean on him heavily. LeQuint Allen returns after rushing for over 1000 yards and nine touchdowns last year. Juwaun Price is the most experienced backup on the roster, but freshmen Yasin Willis and Jaden Hart enrolled early and could earn some touches. However, the running back room doesn't have a lot of bodies, so Allen will likely have to be a workhorse back in this offense.

Author's Note: Juwaun Price recently entered the transfer portal and left for the University of North Texas. This leaves the Orange's running back room quite thin and lacking experience beyond Allen. Additionally, Will Nixon transferred from Washington to play for his father. Nixon is a redshirt junior who has played wide receiver and running back and was second in rushing for the Huskies last year.

McCord will certainly not want for playmakers on this offense. The tight end room is especially interesting, thanks to the return of former All-ACC and All-American Oronde Gadsden II, who missed nearly all of 2023 due to injury. Dan Villari and Maximilian Mang also return, with the former expected to take on a more traditional role instead of playing Wildcat quarterback. Mang is a big blocking type that should be able to help out in the run game.

Syracuse looks very different at wide receiver, but they likely improved the depth chart. Umari Hatcher is the returning leader after starting most of the games last year. Donovan Brown saw his playing time decrease dramatically in the second half of the season, while Trebor Pena and Darrell Gill Jr. provide experienced depth. But the portal additions greatly bolster this room. Jackson Meeks and Zeed Haynes follow Brown up from Georgia, where they couldn't get much playing time. The jewel of this room, Justus Ross-Simmons, comes over from Colorado State where he was a big play threat.

The Orange's offensive line presents a bit of a conundrum. They return four starters and multiple experienced backups, but that group of starters was not particularly impressive. J'Onre Reed (C), Jakob Bradford (OG), Enrique Cruz (OT), and Mark Petry (OT) are all at least fourth-year players and could return as starters. Joe Cruz, Josh Iloa, and David Wohlabaugh have all started games in the past. Several transfers will likely push for starting jobs: Savion Washington (Colorado), Da'Metrious Weatherspoon (Howard), Codie Hornsby (Grambling State), and Joshua Miller (Georgia). It could be another bumpy road in the trenches for Syracuse, but they will likely figure something out as the season progresses.

Syracuse (2023): 45.3% Pass (118th), 54.7% Run (16th); 56.3% 11 personnel (82nd), 9.1% 10 personnel (32nd), 6.1% 22 personnel (6th), 6.0% 21 personnel (17th); 92% Shotgun (104th), 21.2% Motion (118th), 29.8% Play Action/Dropback Rate (67th), 19.7% Screen/Dropback Rate (34th), 31.6% RPO (26th); 29.4% Inside Zone (85th), 21.4% Man/Duo (25th), 16.2% Outside Zone (63rd), 14% Counter (60th), 9.9% Power (35th).

Baylor (2017-2019): 58.4% Pass (13th), 41.6% Run (119th); 40.6% 10 personnel (9th), 37.9% 11 personnel (105th), 7.4% 12 personnel (108th), 92.2% Shotgun (80th), 6.3% Motion (105th), 25.5% Play Action/Dropback Rate (92nd), 10.5% Screen/Dropback Rate (102nd), 20.2% RPO (60th); 50.3% Inside Zone (34th), 16.3% Power (36th), 8.0% Counter (61st).

It's difficult to get a clear picture of what Syracuse's offense will look like in 2024. Jeff Nixon has never been a full coordinator in his career; he was the co-coordinator for Baylor from 2017-19 and the interim coordinator for the Carolina Panthers in 2021 after Matt Rhule fired Joe Brady. There is some continuity on the coaching staff from last year (Michael Johnson & Nunzio Campanile), but offensive coordinator Jason Beck left to rejoin Bronco Mendenhall at New Mexico.

Given the number of assistants on staff with NFL experience, it seems fair to assume that the Orange will not be running any crazy college-only schemes. The presence of Kyle McCord and the quality of the receiving corps would lead one to believe that Syracuse will be more pass-heavy, even though LeQuint Allen is a very good running back. An RPO-heavy script could be the salve for a questionable offensive line. Regardless, the Orange will probably have one of the biggest changes in run-pass splits among FBS teams, given how much they were forced to run the ball last year.

Based on what I've seen from Kyle McCord, a passing game that heavily relies on quick passing would probably be best for the entire team. McCord is not the best athlete and seems to struggle when he has to hold on to the ball longer and read out the field. Therefore, building a passing attack built on concepts that get the ball out of his hands quickly would be more successful than one built on intermediate and deep passing concepts. This should also help the offensive line by not asking them to consistently protect for three or more seconds.

On the ground, the Orange will likely stick with the same type of concepts, although they may need to find ways to dress it up more. With Garrett Shrader gone, the threat of the quarterback run is nonexistent. So everything will fall on the shoulders of the running back, namely LeQuint Allen. Therefore, Syracuse will need to use the passing game to spread out the defense and lighten the box for the run game. Alternatively, they could use motion and misdirection to present eye candy to the defense to confuse them and create open lanes.

QB Kyle McCord

Expectations for Kyle McCord are sky-high in Syracuse after transferring over from Ohio State. Even though he couldn't live up to the expectations of the quarterbacks that came before him, McCord is already being lauded as the best pocket passer the Orange have had since Ryan Nassib. Looking at the numbers, it's hard to disagree; he threw 24 touchdowns to six interceptions and completed just under 65% of his passes.

However, there are some major caveats for McCord. How will he perform when he doesn't have much better talent around him relative to that of almost all of his opponents? Syracuse has some good players, but they don't have a Marvin Harrison Jr. Based on his 2023 performance, it was clear that he was probably not the type of quarterback to elevate his play (or that of his teammates) in high-leverage situations. Additionally, can he improve his ability to make plays under pressure? He can make some nice throws when the pocket is clean, and his receivers are open. But when the picture is muddied, he tends to tense up and make mistakes.

Therefore, if Syracuse is going to go as far as McCord can take them, how well can the Orange's coaching staff design an offense to compliment his skillset and protect him from his worst impulses? As previously mentioned, Jeff Nixon and company should focus on designing a diverse quick passing game that gets the ball out of McCord's hands quickly. Therefore, from the other side of the coin, BC should design coverage shells that focus on taking away quick passes by flooding the short passing windows with defenders. The coaching staff should also instruct the pass rushers to get their hands up to deflect passes at the line of scrimmage.

RB LeQuint Allen

Syracuse might actually not need to lean on Kyle McCord and the passing game as much thanks to the presence of LeQuint Allen. Last year as a true sophom*ore, Allen ran for over 1000 yards and nine touchdowns. He also led the team in receptions (38), despite ranking only fourth in targets (46). He finished fifth in the ACC in all-purpose yards per game (105), leading to his finishing with All-ACC Second-Team honors.

Allen had a bit of a weird season in terms of usage and production. Early in 2023, he was not as much of a workhorse, likely due to the presence of Garret Shrader and his ability as a runner. But in the second half, particularly in the final third, Allen took on a much larger role in the offense. 41% of his touches came in the last four games of the regular season. Additionally, the Orange also changed which run schemes they favored as the season progressed. Syracuse transitioned away from Zone schemes (Inside and Outside) to more Man-Gap schemes. In particular, they started using more Duo runs and fewer Outside Zone ones.

That change paid strong dividends for Allen; in the final four games of the regular season, he averaged 127.3 yards per game, rushing for over 100 in every one. Granted, he also got a ton of carries, but he was still quite effective, even when the Orange's quarterback play was quite poor and their passing game basically non-existent. With that in mind, I would predict we see a very diverse run game that takes advantage of Allen's ability to execute many different types of schemes. This should also help open up the passing game, as defenses will need to prepare for many different types of concepts, as opposed to focusing on one family of runs.

TE/WR Oronde Gadsden II

The Orange get back a major weapon for their offense to help Kyle McCord in the form of Oronde Gadsden II. Gadsden appeared in the first two games of 2023 before being shut down due to a Lisfranc injury in his foot. The year before, he led the Orange in targets (93), receptions (61), receiving yards (969), and receiving touchdowns (6), earning consensus All-ACC First-Team honors. 2022 was technically his first year as a tight end, but he only aligned as a tight end on 11% of his snaps; 86.5% came as a wide receiver in the slot or out wide.

Gadsden is still listed as a tight end but only weighs 223 pounds. Therefore, it seems like he will reprise his role as the "big slot" for the Orange. In that role, his route tree is relatively simple; nearly one-third of his routes in 2022 were Go routes. But given the talents of the rest of the receiving corps, as well as the presence of more traditional tight ends, it seems like Gadsden will be the primary vertical threat for the Orange. He has the speed to stretch the field and can obviously win contested catch situations against smaller defensive backs.

For BC, this matchup is very similar to the one they will face later in the season with North Carolina tight end/wide receiver Bryson Nesbit. Both are tall, lanky, super-sized wide receivers playing primarily in the slot. Gadsden is a bit more fluid and has more athletic juice than Nesbit, but the latter is obviously bigger. Regardless, expect some combination of Bryquice Brown or Jalen Cheek to be tasked with covering Gadsden. Brown might be better in this matchup, as Gadsden is more of a receiver than a tight end.

Syracuse (2023): 25.4 Points Allowed per Game (57th), 380.5 Total Yards Allowed per Game (67th), 232.4 Passing Yards Allowed per Game (79th), 148.2 Rushing Yards Allowed per Game (61st); 41.2% 3rd Down Conversion Rate Allowed (96th), 76% Red Zone Score Rate Allowed (t-16th); 3.85 Tackles for Loss per Game (t-35th), 2.23 Sacks per Game (t-58th), 22 Turnovers Forced (t-27th); 3.40 Defensive EPA per Game (33rd), 0.05 Defensive EPA per Play (35th), 58.3% Defensive Success Rate (68th), -0.02 Defensive EPA per Dropback (42nd), 59.6% Defensive Passing Success Rate (44th), 0.05 Defensive EPA per Rush (53rd), 56.4% Defensive Rushing Success Rate (98th).

Buffalo (2023): 27.4 Points Allowed per Game (77th), 367.1 Total Yards Allowed per Game (55th), 187.2 Passing Yards Allowed per Game (21st), 179.9 Rushing Yards Allowed per Game (115th); 33.3% 3rd Down Conversion Rate Allowed (25th), 90.5% Red Zone Score Rate Allowed (t-118th); 4.33 Tackles for Loss per Game (t-16th), 1.50 Sacks per Game (t-116th), 19 Turnovers Forced (t-48th); 2.33 Defensive EPA per Game (40th), 0.04 Defensive EPA per Play (39th), 62.2% Defensive Success Rate (25th), -0.01 Defensive EPA per Dropback (36th), 57.5% Defensive Passing Success Rate (73rd), 0.04 Defensive EPA per Rush (58th), 64.3% Defensive Rushing Success Rate (19th).

As is the case on offense, Fran Brown leaned on his personal connections to build out his defensive staff. He only hired four defensive assistants, so it's fair to think he will be helping out quite a bit on that side of the ball. All four spent time together at Texas A&M over the last few years, so there will at least be some familiarity among them. Brown's defensive coordinator, Elijah Robinson, is one of the hotter names in coaching. He helped Jimbo Fisher recruit elite classes at Texas A&M during their time together in College Station. Robinson, who also has the title of assistant head coach, finished the 2023 season as the interim head coach of the Aggies and there were rumblings he could have taken over the job full-time.

Robert Wright, the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, comes over from Buffalo where he was the defensive coordinator. He spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons at Texas A&M and reunited with former Aggies defensive coordinator (and now head coach) Mike Elko at Duke in 2022. Joe Schaefer will coach the defensive backs after coaching outside linebackers at Texas A&M from 2022-23. Finally, Nick Williams is the "edges" coach, coming over after a one-year stint at Colorado; he was a defensive analyst at Texas A&M from 2021-22.

Transitioning from a true 3-3-5 defense to a more traditional system, no unit is undergoing a bigger transition than the defensive line. The Orange were especially active in the transfer portal at this position group to remake them into a more traditional unit. Fadil Diggs (Texas A&M), Dion Wilson (New Mexico State), and Isaiah Hastings (Alabama) all add size and experience to this group. Kevin Jobity Jr. and Braylen Ingraham return and will likely carve out prominent roles on this defense; Denis Jaquez Jr. and Elijah Fuentes-Cundiff provide some returning depth pieces.

The linebacker position could also look pretty different, with a few former edge rushers moving there, namely Anwar Sparrow, Derek McDonald, and West Virginia transfer James Heard. But Brown and company won a major coup by getting veteran Marlowe Wax to come back. The fifth-year senior has played in every game (49) of his Syracuse career and started 38 straight. Most of the rest of this room is very inexperienced, so there will probably be camp battles going into and throughout the season.

The personnel in the secondary won't change as much as the other positions, but Syracuse will likely ask their defensive backs to play very different schemes in this new defense. Luckily, they get some very impactful players back. Safety Justin Barron returns as the back-end enforcer for this defense; he should be a very interesting chess piece for Brown. Alijah Clark also returns at safety, although he might be more of a slot corner in the new defense.Devin Grantfollows his defensive coordinator from Buffalo after an All-MAC 1st-Team campaign. He is a big safety (6'4", 190) who could take over at free safety with Clark moving to the slot.

The cornerback room for the Orange will look quite different from years past, but there is plenty of talent and experience to go around.Jayden Bellamyis the only true returning starter from last year.Duce Chestnut transfers back to Syracuse after redshirting one season at LSU. Chestnut was a consensus Freshman All-American in 2021 and All-ACC Honorable Mention for the Orange in 2022.Clarence Lewis is a versatile veteran who played all over the secondary during a long career at Notre Dame. Greg Delaine, Jalil Martin, Cornell Perry, and Berry Buxton III round out the depth for this secondary.

Syracuse (2023): 53.7% Pass (60th), 46.3% Run (74th); 99.8% Nickel (3rd), 50.3% Light Box (88th), 27.9% 7-Man Box (70th), 21.7% Heavy Box (29th); 55.8% Zone coverage (124th), 39.4% Man coverage (11th), 66% Middle Field Open (7th), 29% Middle Field Closed (124th); 28.8% Cover 4 (34th), 20.5% Cover 1 (64th), 18.9% Cover 0 (1st), 11.6% Cover 6 (14th), 9.0% Cover 3 (132nd), 6.5% Cover 2 (65th); 46.5% Blitz (4th), 43.7% 4-Man Rush (116th), 9.9% Drop Eight (82nd).

Buffalo (2023): 49.9% Pass (109th), 50.1% Run (25th); 97.5% Nickel (8th), 51.6% Light Box (76th), 30.0% 7-Man Box (47th), 18.4% Heavy Box (60th); 70.8% Zone coverage (46th), 24.8% Man coverage (82nd), 68% Middle Field Closed (8th), 27% Middle Field Open (126th); 48% Cover 3 (7th), 20.4% Cover 1 (65th), 13% Cover 4 (107th), 8.1% Cover 2 (51st); 21.5% Blitz (104th), 70.3% 4-Man Rush (22nd), 8.1% Drop Eight (91st).

Texas A&M (2018-2021): 58.3% Pass (5th), 41.7% Run (126th); 72.4% Nickel (35th), 20.2% Dime (12th), 6.7% Base (111th); 70.9% Light Box (3rd), 19.9% 7-Man Box (127th), 9.2% Heavy Box (129th); 57.4% Zone coverage (70th), 28.6% Man coverage (31st), 46% Middle Field Closed (30th), 40% Middle Field Open (68th); 23.5% Cover 1 (22nd), 23% Cover 3 (74th), 17.9% Cover 4 (86th), 9.5% Cover 6 (26th); 23.3% Blitz (104th), 61.1% 4-Man Rush (41st), 15.6% Drop Eight (54th).

With Rocky Long gone, everything about Syracuse'se defense from the last few years can basically be thrown out the window. Fran Brown, Elijah Robinson, and Robert Wright will be replacing his 3-3-5 Stack defense with a more traditional unit. That said, it will be interesting to see what kind of defense they use, given that they will not have the same level of talent that they could get at Georgia or Texas A&M.

Given the structure of the new coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball, it seems fair to assume that Syracuse will borrow heavily from the Mike Elko defense, particularly from his time at Texas A&M. Elijah Robinson and Robert Wright both worked with Elko extensively, with Wright having a more recent opportunity to strike out on his own. The biggest overlap between that defense and Syracuse's previous system is the heavy reliance on Nickel personnel and light boxes. Given Syracuse's abundance of talent (and bodies, frankly) in the secondary and the relative lack thereof in the front seven, this makes sense.

Once again, it is hard to make predictions about what the Orange will rely on schematically, especially because the sources they could draw inspiration from are all very different. Previously, Syracuserelied heavily on middle-field-open (MOFO) coverage shells, particularlyCover 4. But they were also extremely blitz-heavy, using Man coverage behind it. Conversely, at Buffalo, Robert Wright leaned very heavily on Cover 3 and four-man rushes. At Texas A&M, they also did not blitz much but were extremely diverse in their coverages. It is worth mentioning that these three schools also are operating with very different talent pools against very different opponents.

Given the distribution of talent on this roster, I would expect Syracuse tolean on its secondary to prop up an unproven defensive line group. This could mean continuing to lean on Man coverage and blitzes, as the secondary's experience and talent should allow the Orange to leave their defensive backs on islands while deploying aggressive blitz packages. It's a high-variance strategy, but it should pay dividends, particularly in the early part of the season against weaker opponents. Furthermore, if the defensive line does develop into a formidable unit, Brown and company can start dialing back the aggressiveness if their rushers can consistently win their one-on-one matchups.

LB Marlowe Wax

Among all of Syracuse's additions in the transfer portal, there is probably none more impactful (at least on defense) than getting linebacker Marlowe Wax to come back for a fifth year. As previously mentioned, Wax has played in every possible game for the Orange since arriving in 2021. He has also started every game since the penultimate one of the 2020 season. Per his bio on the Syracuse team website, he ranks 19th in program history in total tackles (294), seventh in tackles for loss (36.5), and has led the team in tackles for consecutive seasons. He has the chance to permanently etch himself into Syracuse's history books by becoming the first defender to lead the team in tackles for three straight seasons.

Wax is an exceptionally dynamic and versatile playmaker. He can fight through blocks to make tackles in the backfield, rush the passer and force fumbles, and make plays on the ball as a coverage defender. But it will be very interesting to see how Wax adjusts to a completely different defensive structure. On one hand, his assignments might be somewhat easier; on the other, he might be tasked with playing more cerebrally or patient and not making as many splash plays out of structure.

For BC, neutralizing or attacking Wax is a nuanced problem to tackle. In the run game, he is probably going to get his; the Eagles' blockers just need to execute their assignments to the best of their ability. Having Thomas Castellanos as a rushing threat certainly helps, as Syracuse's defense will have to cover an extra gap. In the passing game, BC's auxiliary blockers (running backs and tight ends) need to make sure they locate Wax before the snap, as he can rush the passer from anywhere and be successful. Alternatively, isolating Wax on faster/quicker receivers could be successful. Namely, players like Jayden McGowan, who can certainly outrun him, and Treshaun Ward, who is a good route runner for a running back, could create some explosive plays against Wax in coverage.

CB Duce Chestnut

Duce Chestnut returns to Syracuse after a one-year sabbatical in Baton Rouge at LSU. Chestnut only appeared in four games for the Tigers, allowing him to take a redshirt year before returning to the Orange. In the two years prior, he started every game at Syracuse and earned All-ACC honors both years. He broke up eleven passes and intercepted three more as a true freshman in 2021; those numbers dipped way down in 2022, but he was also targeted less. He is also from the same hometown as Fran Brown (Camden, NJ), which probably played a role in his return to Syracuse.

The big question is how Chestnut will adjust to Syracuse's new defensive scheme. When he was there, he played in almost exclusively Off alignments (giving the receiver five to ten yards of cushion) and played significantly more Zone coverage (particularly Cover 4) than Man. For that reason, and the fact that most of the other cornerbacks on the roster have similar skill sets, it seems to follow that Syracuse will likely continue to lean on Zone coverage and Off alignments for at least this year.

From a Boston College perspective, the plan for attacking Duce Chestnut comes down to one player: Jerand Bradley. Chestnut is not small by any means (6'0", 205), but Bradley still has nearly half a foot on him. Both players align much more on the outside than the slot. I'm not sure BC's other receivers have a specific trait to help them win consistently over Chesnut, but Bradley's size and ability to win vertically provide him with a trump card. Therefore, if BC wants to attack Chestnut as opposed to just avoiding his side of the field, Bradley is the way to go.

S Justin Barron

Boston College fans should remember Justin Barron well from last year's matchup, as he nearly decapitated Kye Robichaux while forcing a fumble. The 6'4" 231-pound safety provides a very physical presence on the back end of the Orange's defense. But he's also an underrated coverage defender, displaying the athleticism to stick with receivers in Man and the instincts/awareness to break up passes in Zone.

In Syracuse's previous defensive scheme, Barron essentially played strong safety in the Orange's three-safety defense. In their new defense, his role shouldn't change too much. With how much Nickel they will likely deploy, he will probably take on the role of the strong-side linebacker, asked to force outside runs back toward the rest of the defense. This will also probably allow Barron to be even more of a playmaker, as he'll play closer to the line of scrimmage and, by extension, the ball.

With that in mind, BC should probably go to great lengths to avoid Barron. Thomas Castellanos should make sure he knows where Barron is before the snap on every play. Castellanos tried to give him a free interception last year and probably went after him too many times in general. BC could try to get Barron on decoy assignments that get him away from where they want the play to go.

On paper, Syracuse has put together a pretty talented roster. They have two of the best offensive playmakers in the ACC and should take a significant step forward in quarterback play. The defense is going to be simplified, and they have a very good staff on that side of the ball. The problem is one that BC fans are familiar with: a new head coach who has never been anything higher than a co-coordinator. Fran Brown might be a dynamite recruiter and impactful position coach, but he's never been in this role before. Conversely, Bill O'Brien had already been coaching for nearly two decades before Brown got his first coaching gig.

Boston College's offense should be able to run back the script from this past year's matchup, ideally with fewer turnovers and more efficiency in the passing game. The Eagles' offensive line should be able to generate push and open up holes on the ground against Syracuse's front.The Orange's secondary is pretty good, and they confused Thomas Castellanos a good bit last year. Therefore, Bill O'Brien will need to stress the importance of taking care of the football to Castellanos. But a significant burden falls on the defense to not let Syracuse get out to a big early lead.

On defense, BC got pretty lucky last year getting to face Carlos Del Rio-Wilson on a short week; several turnovers caused by Elijah Jones were also pivotal. Barring injuries, they will be facing a completely different beast this year. Tim Lewis' aggressive defensive style should be able to create some havoc to confuse Kyle McCord, but BC will also need to be more sound against the run. As evidenced by last year's contest, LeQuint Allen can create big explosive runs that can flip games. The key for BC's defense in this game is to prevent explosives that could put the game out of reach and force BC's offense to play a style they are less comfortable with.

As is the case every year, Syracuse begins the season with an exceptionally easy schedule that takes a severe left turn in mid-to-late October. They start out with four straight home games against Ohio, Georgia Tech, Stanford, and Holy Cross before heading on the road to face UNLV. After that, it's at NC State, at Pitt, versus Virginia Tech, and at Boston College. I'm sure they'll start off hot before the rubber meets the road. If Dino Babers couldn't get this team to finish strong, I don't have much faith in Fran Brown to get them over the hump in his first year.

Beatability Index: 60%