This is not a declaration that Syracuse will lose to Army this weekend (for more, catch our Crystal Ball article on Friday). The Orange are 3-0 and coming off a very impressive road win over a Big Ten foe in Purdue in week 3. SU is favored to win this game and rightfully so, but there are several factors coming in that make it a potential trap game.
The opportunity to play against a service academy is an incredibly unique one, and there’s one trait that all of them usually have in common- discipline. If Army, Navy, or Air Force were to ever commit some idiotic unnecessary roughness or unsportsmanlike conduct, that would be quite jaw-dropping. Syracuse racked up over 100 penalty yards against the Boilermakers last weekend, something that you will in all likelihood will not see Army do. Now, it wasn’t nearly as bad as last year, but Purdue did itself no favors from a discipline standpoint this past Saturday. A lot of careless turnovers, a few game-changing pass interference penalties, and an inability to stop the naked bootleg played a big role in propelling the Orange to victory.
Gone are the days of the triple option, but Army is still a run-heavy team. SU’s defensive line has backed up its talk coming into the offseason with impressive performances through the first three weeks, but there is still worry when it comes to the run defense. Granted, injuries played a part in that last season and led to the unit wearing down completely, that’s not an issue yet. The Black Knights have run for 707 total yards over their first three games, which is nothing to scoff at. The run defense has been good early on, and Saturday presents a golden opportunity for that to continue.
There’s also the factor of Syracuse not getting in its own head. How do the Orange respond after one of the biggest wins of the Dino Babers era? Starting slow was a problem against Colgate and Western Michigan, Purdue not as much though. Let’s hope that’s a continuing trend, because if SU comes out of the gate slow, Army is going to take advantage. The Black Knights lost on the road to UL Monroe in its first game, but has responded with convincing victories over (FCS) Delaware State and UTSA. Neither of those teams are anywhere near the caliber of Syracuse, but there will be sour regrets from Babers’ bunch if there’s a slow start.
Syracuse is more talented than Army, and that reflects in the 13.5 line in favor of the home team. The Orange should emerge victorious, assuming they come out ready to play. If they don’t, the Black Knights will take advantage, hence setting up what could be a trap game.
