Syracuse Football (3-5, 1-4) squares off with North Carolina (2-5, 0-3) in a Halloween showdown at the JMA Wireless Dome tomorrow at 7:30. Bill Belichick will make his first trip to the hill to face an SU squad that is winless since its upset win over Clemson over a month ago. Here’s three reasons why the Orange can come away with the victory Friday night:
1. UNC’s offense has struggled this season
In legendary head coach Bill Belichick’s first season at the helm, the Tar Heels offense has been one of the worst in the country. Heading into tomorrow night’s matchup with Syracuse, North Carolina ranks in the bottom ten of the country in points per game, yards per game, and third down conversion percentage. Given those numbers, they should prove to be a fair matchup for one of the weaker defensive units in the country.
2. Syracuse is mixing things up at quarterback
In a Cuse Sports Talk Podcast on Wednesday, Head Coach Fran Brown said that Rickie Collins will not be the only quarterback that gets action versus North Carolina.
“I can tell you that you won’t just see Rickie in the game I can tell you that for sure.”
In four games as SU’s starting quarterback, Collins has completed just 55% of his passes, ranking 126th in all of college football. Moreover, his 8 interceptions are the third most in the country. Since he became the lead signal caller, the ‘Cuse are winless, and have been outscored 140-50.
With Fran Brown and his staff shaking things up, there’s a good chance a mix of freshman Luke Carney and redshirt freshman Jakari Williams take the field at some point. If either of them could provide a spark for the Orange, that could be the difference in this game.
3. UNC has played just as poorly as Syracuse
Friday night’s contest will be between two teams that are riding 4-game losing streaks. That means it’s an opportunity for both teams to try and find some momentum late in the season. Syracuse hasn’t looked like a good football team whatsoever over the past month. However, this game is a great opportunity to get a home win over a seemingly equal ACC opponent.
After a rough four week stretch, Syracuse’s matchup with North Carolina could prove to be its best chance to win in what feels like over a month. Time will only tell if they are able to seize the opportunity on Halloween.
