The Orange have only won 10 games in a season seven times in program history, and SU is going to have to wait another year to hit the double digit mark after Saturday’s 37-28 loss to Boston College. Syracuse hasn’t won 10 games since 2018. Yet, it’s not all negative for the ‘Cuse. Syracuse still has three games left on the year that could very well put them into a quality bowl game. The road to get there includes a trip to California, a battle with an old Big East foe, and a season finale clash with a top-15 team. So is it possible for the Orange to go a perfect 3-0 and where would it put them bowl wise? Let’s jump into all of that and more.
@ California 5-4, (1-4 in ACC)
This game is shaping up to be near-identical to when Syracuse faced Stanford earlier this year. The Orange are a much better team on paper, but this feels like another matchup that’ll end up closer then it should be. The Golden Bears come in with some momentum, taking down Oregon State and Wake Forest over the last two weeks. The key to success for Cal has been quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The sophomore has thrown for over 350+ yards in his last two games, finding the end-zone four times. The Golden Bears’ have found plenty of success through the air, ranking fourth in the ACC for passing offense. Cal is averaging just over 275 yards passing yards per game. That could all come to a halt come Saturday though. The Orange rank second in the ACC for passing defense. Cal is going to attack plenty through the air this weekend, it’s simply a matter of it the Syracuse defense will step up.
Vs. UConn 7-3 (Independent)
When the schedule came out at the beginning of the season, nearly everyone thought and still does think this game will be a cake walk. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The Huskies are riding a three-game win streak headed into this week, winning six of their last seven. While the opponents that UConn have faced might not be the same caliber teams Syracuse have been playing, this is very much a trap game for SU. Where the Huskies thrive is their rushing offense. Running back Jayden Brown has just 500 yards on the ground this season, but has shown flashes of brilliance with two 130+ yard games. Regardless, Syracuse should feel comfortable heading into this game and come out with a victory.
Vs. UMiami 9-1 (5-1 in ACC)
If Syracuse was 8-1, this game would mean so much more. Unfortunately that’s not the case for the Orange, yet there’s still a chance that this contest could propel them into a bowl game. Miami is a team that’s survived a lot of “scares” this season, but survived all of them until last week in which the Hurricanes fell 28-23 to Georgia Tech. If they yellow jackets, a team the Orange beat this year can take down Miami, so can SU. But, quarterback Cam Ward is going to make it a long day at the office for Syracuse’s defense. The senior is putting up Heisman numbers with nearly 3,500 yards good for 32 touchdowns. There’s definitely a chance that the Orange could pull off the improbable, but at the same time Ward could put the game out of reach from the start.
