Syracuse Must Play Smart Football against Irish

Syracuse would like to take the all-time series lead against Notre Dame with a win on Saturday at MetLife Stadium.

The Fighting Irish and Orange series is tied at three, with SU winning the most recent game, 24-23, in South Bend, back in 2008. The Orange is coming off a 34-20 loss to Maryland last weekend, and a game in which the Syracuse offense looked nearly like a Pop Warner offense with all of the costly mistakes.

The upcoming stretch of nationally televised games is crucial for recruiting. Not only could it help the program because of the exposure to potential recruits, but it could hurt if Notre Dame, Louisville,and Florida State all dismantle the Orange.

Looking ahead to these games, especially Notre Dame, the big stage of New York City helps SU get noticed because of its relationship with the recruits in the NYC area. This is a home crowd for the Orange and not only does it not want to be embarrassed on national television, but certainly not in front of the fans.

Notre Dame is the heavy favorite in this game and although a Syracuse win may be somewhat unexpected, the goal of this game is to play smart football and compete. Smart football would be similar to the Central Michigan game, and most certainly not the Maryland game. The loss to the Terrapins was sloppy, especially on offense.

Head Coach Scott Shafer said the goals of each game are:

-win the kicking game

-rush the ball for 50 yards more than the opponent

-win the turnover battle

If Syracuse can do these three things, win or lose, it should be pleased because it knows it can follow its own game plan. Notre Dame is going to come out with a high-powered offensive attack, and it starts with quarterback Everett Golson.

Golson did not play last season, but has returned to Notre Dame and through three games, looks like a possible Heisman candidate. He‚Äôs the similar dual-threat quarterback like Terrel Hunt. He has the arm strength and accuracy to be a passer, but also has the footwork to break free and run the ball on his own. ¬†Golson hasn’t turned the ball over once this season.

The goal for this game: play smart football. Win or lose, just play smart and don’t make costly mistakes. If Syracuse is going to lose, make sure it is because Notre Dame won.