SWC75
Bored Historian
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The Schedule
For comparison’s sake, these are Syracuse’s major offensive and defensive team stats from 2023:
Scoring 23.5/game #90 in the country vs. 25.4 #56
Rushing 172.3 #47 vs. 148.2 #59
Passing 171.0 #66 vs. 232.4 #78
Total 343.3 #97 vs. 380.5 #65
Turnover margin: -2 #78
The #65 team, (of 130) in each category had
Scoring 27.1 vs. 26.6
Rushing 157.5 vs. 149.4
Passing 232.4 vs. 224.4
Total 385.4 vs. 380.5 (That’s us!)
Turnover Margin: +1
Saturday August 31st 3:30PM JMA Wireless Dome Syracuse NY vs. Ohio University
TV: ACC Network
The Bobcats had an excellent season last year: 10-3, with statistically one of the best defenses in the country. They lost their opener at San Diego State by a touchdown, later at North Illinois by 10 and later at home to Miami University, 16-30. They beat their one Power 5 opponent, Iowa State 10-7 at home and Georgia Southern in the Myrtle Beach Bowl 41-21.
The thing is, they are a MAC team and we haven’t lost to a MAC team in 16 years, (and then with a 3-9 team). Our team this year isn’t going 3-9 and the game is in the Dome. Also, Ohio is doing some major rebuilding this year. They lost their quarterback, the top two rushers and the top three receivers. They’ve also lost two all-conference linebackers and two defensive linemen. We may have caught them at the right time.
They have two QBs who have won bowl games: CJ Harris from the 2022 Arizona Bowl, where they beat Wyoming 30-27 and Parker Navarro, who beat Georgia Southern. They’ll be getting the ball from all-conference center Parker Titsworth, (Titsworth?). Parker to Parker sounds like a smooth transition. Their defensive strength is the secondary with DB’s Tank Peterson, Austin Brawley and Adonis Williams. But they will be dealing with Kyle McCord throwing to Oronde Gadsden and Zeed Haynes.
Scoring 24.3 #82 vs. 15.8 #6
Rushing 144.4 #82 vs. 91.2 #7
Passing 203.6 #93 vs. 182.4 #14
Total 348.0 #95 vs. 373.5 #4
Turnover margin: +10 #10
Saturday September 7th Noon JMA Wireless Dome Syracuse NY vs. Georgia Tech
TV: ACC Network
This is the game people are looking at to see who we are. They are the team that slammed the door shut on the Dino Babers Era by beating us 31-22 in Atlanta. It meant Dino couldn’t get to 7 regular season wins, the requirement John Wildhack had given Dino. As I’m writing this, they have defeated #10 ranked and defending ACC champs Florida State in Dubin in ‘Week Zero’, 24-21. It means the jackets can sting us but it also means we could gain respect by stinging them.
The Yellow Jackets had a potent offense last year but a weak defense. By the time we played them, we were reduced to the Wildcat, which had fooled Pittsburgh but didn’t fool Tech, at least not enough. They have strengthen themselves on both sides of the ball through the transfer poral and expect to be better than last year, when they went 7-6 and lost to mighty Georgia only 23-31 before beating Central Florida 30-17 in the ‘Gasparilla Bowl’ while we were losing 0-45 to South Florida in the Boca Raton Bowl.
QB Haynes King passed for 2,842 yards and 27TDs and ran for 737 yards and 10 scores. “King was a huge threat in the second half of games and in the red zone running the ball”. (Lindy’s) I’d watch out for him in the first half, too. His top four wideouts are back. Running back Jamal Haynes carried the ball 174 times for 1,059 yards (6.1) and 7TDs. We have been officially “Out-Haynesed” by the Jackets! (No apparent relation: Zeed is from Philadelphia and Jamal is from Georgia.) Four of five interior linemen are back as well, so this could be one of the best offenses in the conference, if not the country.
Kicker Aiden Burk made 17 for 19 field goals. Punter David Shanahan was 42.2. Cornerback Rodney Shelly will return punts.
Ironically, their new defensive coordinator, Tyler Santcucci is from…Texas A&M. Isn’t everybody? Their defensive front is back but is that a good thing? They were #128 of #130 vs. the run and had an “inconsistent” pass rush a year ago. Their linebackers were “a roll of the dice” last year due to injuries and inconsistency. Georgia transfer EJ Lightsey and Louisville transfer Jackson Hamilton will try to stay healthy and be consistent. Three starters are back in the defensive backfield and Tennessee transfer Warren Burrell will get the other spot.
An opposing assistant told Athlon ”They embrace physical football like they did under Paul (Johnson)”. He was the coach when they beat us 0-56 in 2013. This is about which team’s rebuilding program is father along – and it might not be us.
Scoring 31.1 #42 vs. 29.5 #94
Rushing 203.6 #12 vs. 221.3 #128
Passing 220.6 #66 vs. 215.6 #53
Total 424.6 #34 vs. 437.1 #120
Turnover margin: +4 #37
Bye Week
Friday September 20th 7:30PM JMA Wireless Dome Syracuse NY vs. Stanford
TV: ESPN
Stanford’s history is of alternating good and bad stretches, (similar to Syracuse and a lot of FBS programs). From 1919-35 they had just one losing season, (and that was 4-5). But they had losers in 1936. 1938 and 1939 before having their greatest team in 1940, when HC Clark Shaughnessy and QB Frankie Albert led them to a 10-0-0 record and a Rose Bowl win over Nebraska: they’d been 1-7-1 on 1939. They had winning records in 1941 and 1942 but didn’t play due to the war in 1943-45 and getting the program started again was difficult: they were 0-9-0 in 1947. But they had six winning teams from 1949-57, including a 9-1 team in 1951 went to the Rose Bowl. But then they didn’t have another winning record until 1965, including 0-10 in 1960. From 1968-78 they had 11 winning seasons in a row and won two Rose Bowls. In 1981 they had their first losing record since 1964 but it was the first of four in a row and nine in ten years. They had 6 winners from 1991-2001, then went into a tailspin with 7 straight losers. Then they had a great ten year stretch from 2009-2018 with winning seasons every year and 10+ wins six times. Since then, the ball has rolled back down the hill with four losing season in five years, the outlier being a 4-2 Covid year in 2020. You know a program with history will be back and their comeback will take place in a year when nobody expected them to be any good.
Like this year. Last season they were mediocre on offense but horrendous on defense, likely the worse defense in the country. They were #129 of 130 in preventing the other team from scoring, the same in limiting yardage and #129 against the pass. Their run defense was #91, merely bad. They went 3-9. But one of the wins was against Colorado hotshot Deon Sanders, who was getting lauded for remaking that program. The Buffalos were up 29-0 at halftime and it looked like they could name the score. They were at home, as we will be. But Stanford won that game, 46-43. So we can’t afford to assume anything against this team.
In that Colorado game, quarterback Ashton Daniels found wideout Elic Ayomanor for 13 catches for 294 yards, (22.6) and three scores. The three touchdowns were from 97, 60 and 30 yards. Daniels wound up the season 191/325 (58.8) for 2,247 yards and 11TDs with 9 interceptions, very pedestrian numbers in this day and age. But Ayomanor is, (per Athlon), one of the best receivers in the country with 62 receptions for 1,013 yards (16.3) and 6 scores. The running game was pathetic: the two leading rushers were Daniels and his back-up/rival Justin Lamson, who used to be here, (but never played for us). Lamson actually led with 334 yards, (2.8 per carry) vs. Daniels 292 yards (2.7). Of course they actually ran for more than that but 41 sacks held them back. The leading returning running back is EJ Smith with 216 yards. Five linemen return but is that even a good thing?
The defense needs “a more productive identity, as far as pass rushing”. (Lindy’s) The secondary is “rife with experience” but gave up a 66.2 completion percentage. Linebackers Tristan Sinclair and Gathan Bernadel and cornerback Collin Wright are “playmakers” but the Cardinal needs more of them.
Scoring 20.6 #110 vs. 37.2 #129
Rushing 118.6 #103 vs. 163.7 #91
Passing 233.0 #57 vs. 298.0 #130
Total 351.6 #89 vs. 481.7 #129
Turnover margin: -4 #95
Saturday September 28th Noon JMA Wireless Dome Syracuse NY vs. Holy Cross
TV: ACC Network
Back when we had never heard of Fran Brown, the leading candidate to replace Dino Babers was Bob Chesney, who had turned Holy Cross into a respected FCS program. That was the plan with Dino: take a coach who had been a success at a lower level and bring him here to use his staff and his system to create success here. Chesney moved on to James Madison, a Group of 5 power. Chesney went 44-21 in six years in Worcester, including 12-1 in 2022. It will be interesting to see what he left in his wake at Holy Cross. We’ll get a close-up look at it.
Star QB Matthew Sluka hit the transfer portal and his leading receiver, Jalen Coker, is in the pros. But Jordan Fuller, who ran for 1,046 yards on 156 carries, (6.7!) and 18TDs is back. Nunes: “Senior LB Jacob Dobbs played head-and-shoulders above most of the defense with 123 total tackles, six sacks, and three forced fumbles. Freshman DL William Robinson made a big first impression with 4.5 sacks of his own and he should be one of the main pieces for 2024 and beyond. K Luis Palenzuela made all 55 extra point attempts but only 3/5 field goal tries.” These guys score touchdowns: they didn’t bother with field goals.
We’ve never lost to a 1AA/FCS team, (although we’ve lost to Holy Cross long before there was such a division). We’ve come close, though. The closest shave was against another FCS power, Villanova, in 2014 when we won 27-26 in two overtimes. We have to use a fake field goal and stop a 2 point conversion to win. I’d just as soon not go through that again.
Stats with FCS rankings:
Scoring 36.9 #7 vs. 24.7 #58
Rushing 264.2 #3 vs. 183.5 #99
Passing 205.5 #64 vs. 192.7 #36
Total 466.6 #4 vs. 376.2 #71
Turnover margin: -6 #97
The entirety of our September schedule is in the Dome. The entirety of our October schedule is away from it. Has always, we need to get out of our first four games at least 3-1 and hopefully 4-0, to have a chance at a successful season because the subsequent games will be more difficult. We’ve been 4-0 the last two seasons – and wound up 7-6 and 6-7. Imagine if we hadn’t had the good start
For comparison’s sake, these are Syracuse’s major offensive and defensive team stats from 2023:
Scoring 23.5/game #90 in the country vs. 25.4 #56
Rushing 172.3 #47 vs. 148.2 #59
Passing 171.0 #66 vs. 232.4 #78
Total 343.3 #97 vs. 380.5 #65
Turnover margin: -2 #78
The #65 team, (of 130) in each category had
Scoring 27.1 vs. 26.6
Rushing 157.5 vs. 149.4
Passing 232.4 vs. 224.4
Total 385.4 vs. 380.5 (That’s us!)
Turnover Margin: +1
Saturday August 31st 3:30PM JMA Wireless Dome Syracuse NY vs. Ohio University
TV: ACC Network
The Bobcats had an excellent season last year: 10-3, with statistically one of the best defenses in the country. They lost their opener at San Diego State by a touchdown, later at North Illinois by 10 and later at home to Miami University, 16-30. They beat their one Power 5 opponent, Iowa State 10-7 at home and Georgia Southern in the Myrtle Beach Bowl 41-21.
The thing is, they are a MAC team and we haven’t lost to a MAC team in 16 years, (and then with a 3-9 team). Our team this year isn’t going 3-9 and the game is in the Dome. Also, Ohio is doing some major rebuilding this year. They lost their quarterback, the top two rushers and the top three receivers. They’ve also lost two all-conference linebackers and two defensive linemen. We may have caught them at the right time.
They have two QBs who have won bowl games: CJ Harris from the 2022 Arizona Bowl, where they beat Wyoming 30-27 and Parker Navarro, who beat Georgia Southern. They’ll be getting the ball from all-conference center Parker Titsworth, (Titsworth?). Parker to Parker sounds like a smooth transition. Their defensive strength is the secondary with DB’s Tank Peterson, Austin Brawley and Adonis Williams. But they will be dealing with Kyle McCord throwing to Oronde Gadsden and Zeed Haynes.
Scoring 24.3 #82 vs. 15.8 #6
Rushing 144.4 #82 vs. 91.2 #7
Passing 203.6 #93 vs. 182.4 #14
Total 348.0 #95 vs. 373.5 #4
Turnover margin: +10 #10
Saturday September 7th Noon JMA Wireless Dome Syracuse NY vs. Georgia Tech
TV: ACC Network
This is the game people are looking at to see who we are. They are the team that slammed the door shut on the Dino Babers Era by beating us 31-22 in Atlanta. It meant Dino couldn’t get to 7 regular season wins, the requirement John Wildhack had given Dino. As I’m writing this, they have defeated #10 ranked and defending ACC champs Florida State in Dubin in ‘Week Zero’, 24-21. It means the jackets can sting us but it also means we could gain respect by stinging them.
The Yellow Jackets had a potent offense last year but a weak defense. By the time we played them, we were reduced to the Wildcat, which had fooled Pittsburgh but didn’t fool Tech, at least not enough. They have strengthen themselves on both sides of the ball through the transfer poral and expect to be better than last year, when they went 7-6 and lost to mighty Georgia only 23-31 before beating Central Florida 30-17 in the ‘Gasparilla Bowl’ while we were losing 0-45 to South Florida in the Boca Raton Bowl.
QB Haynes King passed for 2,842 yards and 27TDs and ran for 737 yards and 10 scores. “King was a huge threat in the second half of games and in the red zone running the ball”. (Lindy’s) I’d watch out for him in the first half, too. His top four wideouts are back. Running back Jamal Haynes carried the ball 174 times for 1,059 yards (6.1) and 7TDs. We have been officially “Out-Haynesed” by the Jackets! (No apparent relation: Zeed is from Philadelphia and Jamal is from Georgia.) Four of five interior linemen are back as well, so this could be one of the best offenses in the conference, if not the country.
Kicker Aiden Burk made 17 for 19 field goals. Punter David Shanahan was 42.2. Cornerback Rodney Shelly will return punts.
Ironically, their new defensive coordinator, Tyler Santcucci is from…Texas A&M. Isn’t everybody? Their defensive front is back but is that a good thing? They were #128 of #130 vs. the run and had an “inconsistent” pass rush a year ago. Their linebackers were “a roll of the dice” last year due to injuries and inconsistency. Georgia transfer EJ Lightsey and Louisville transfer Jackson Hamilton will try to stay healthy and be consistent. Three starters are back in the defensive backfield and Tennessee transfer Warren Burrell will get the other spot.
An opposing assistant told Athlon ”They embrace physical football like they did under Paul (Johnson)”. He was the coach when they beat us 0-56 in 2013. This is about which team’s rebuilding program is father along – and it might not be us.
Scoring 31.1 #42 vs. 29.5 #94
Rushing 203.6 #12 vs. 221.3 #128
Passing 220.6 #66 vs. 215.6 #53
Total 424.6 #34 vs. 437.1 #120
Turnover margin: +4 #37
Bye Week
Friday September 20th 7:30PM JMA Wireless Dome Syracuse NY vs. Stanford
TV: ESPN
Stanford’s history is of alternating good and bad stretches, (similar to Syracuse and a lot of FBS programs). From 1919-35 they had just one losing season, (and that was 4-5). But they had losers in 1936. 1938 and 1939 before having their greatest team in 1940, when HC Clark Shaughnessy and QB Frankie Albert led them to a 10-0-0 record and a Rose Bowl win over Nebraska: they’d been 1-7-1 on 1939. They had winning records in 1941 and 1942 but didn’t play due to the war in 1943-45 and getting the program started again was difficult: they were 0-9-0 in 1947. But they had six winning teams from 1949-57, including a 9-1 team in 1951 went to the Rose Bowl. But then they didn’t have another winning record until 1965, including 0-10 in 1960. From 1968-78 they had 11 winning seasons in a row and won two Rose Bowls. In 1981 they had their first losing record since 1964 but it was the first of four in a row and nine in ten years. They had 6 winners from 1991-2001, then went into a tailspin with 7 straight losers. Then they had a great ten year stretch from 2009-2018 with winning seasons every year and 10+ wins six times. Since then, the ball has rolled back down the hill with four losing season in five years, the outlier being a 4-2 Covid year in 2020. You know a program with history will be back and their comeback will take place in a year when nobody expected them to be any good.
Like this year. Last season they were mediocre on offense but horrendous on defense, likely the worse defense in the country. They were #129 of 130 in preventing the other team from scoring, the same in limiting yardage and #129 against the pass. Their run defense was #91, merely bad. They went 3-9. But one of the wins was against Colorado hotshot Deon Sanders, who was getting lauded for remaking that program. The Buffalos were up 29-0 at halftime and it looked like they could name the score. They were at home, as we will be. But Stanford won that game, 46-43. So we can’t afford to assume anything against this team.
In that Colorado game, quarterback Ashton Daniels found wideout Elic Ayomanor for 13 catches for 294 yards, (22.6) and three scores. The three touchdowns were from 97, 60 and 30 yards. Daniels wound up the season 191/325 (58.8) for 2,247 yards and 11TDs with 9 interceptions, very pedestrian numbers in this day and age. But Ayomanor is, (per Athlon), one of the best receivers in the country with 62 receptions for 1,013 yards (16.3) and 6 scores. The running game was pathetic: the two leading rushers were Daniels and his back-up/rival Justin Lamson, who used to be here, (but never played for us). Lamson actually led with 334 yards, (2.8 per carry) vs. Daniels 292 yards (2.7). Of course they actually ran for more than that but 41 sacks held them back. The leading returning running back is EJ Smith with 216 yards. Five linemen return but is that even a good thing?
The defense needs “a more productive identity, as far as pass rushing”. (Lindy’s) The secondary is “rife with experience” but gave up a 66.2 completion percentage. Linebackers Tristan Sinclair and Gathan Bernadel and cornerback Collin Wright are “playmakers” but the Cardinal needs more of them.
Scoring 20.6 #110 vs. 37.2 #129
Rushing 118.6 #103 vs. 163.7 #91
Passing 233.0 #57 vs. 298.0 #130
Total 351.6 #89 vs. 481.7 #129
Turnover margin: -4 #95
Saturday September 28th Noon JMA Wireless Dome Syracuse NY vs. Holy Cross
TV: ACC Network
Back when we had never heard of Fran Brown, the leading candidate to replace Dino Babers was Bob Chesney, who had turned Holy Cross into a respected FCS program. That was the plan with Dino: take a coach who had been a success at a lower level and bring him here to use his staff and his system to create success here. Chesney moved on to James Madison, a Group of 5 power. Chesney went 44-21 in six years in Worcester, including 12-1 in 2022. It will be interesting to see what he left in his wake at Holy Cross. We’ll get a close-up look at it.
Star QB Matthew Sluka hit the transfer portal and his leading receiver, Jalen Coker, is in the pros. But Jordan Fuller, who ran for 1,046 yards on 156 carries, (6.7!) and 18TDs is back. Nunes: “Senior LB Jacob Dobbs played head-and-shoulders above most of the defense with 123 total tackles, six sacks, and three forced fumbles. Freshman DL William Robinson made a big first impression with 4.5 sacks of his own and he should be one of the main pieces for 2024 and beyond. K Luis Palenzuela made all 55 extra point attempts but only 3/5 field goal tries.” These guys score touchdowns: they didn’t bother with field goals.
We’ve never lost to a 1AA/FCS team, (although we’ve lost to Holy Cross long before there was such a division). We’ve come close, though. The closest shave was against another FCS power, Villanova, in 2014 when we won 27-26 in two overtimes. We have to use a fake field goal and stop a 2 point conversion to win. I’d just as soon not go through that again.
Stats with FCS rankings:
Scoring 36.9 #7 vs. 24.7 #58
Rushing 264.2 #3 vs. 183.5 #99
Passing 205.5 #64 vs. 192.7 #36
Total 466.6 #4 vs. 376.2 #71
Turnover margin: -6 #97
The entirety of our September schedule is in the Dome. The entirety of our October schedule is away from it. Has always, we need to get out of our first four games at least 3-1 and hopefully 4-0, to have a chance at a successful season because the subsequent games will be more difficult. We’ve been 4-0 the last two seasons – and wound up 7-6 and 6-7. Imagine if we hadn’t had the good start
