Football

Beat writers predict Syracuse to fall to Louisville on the road

Wasim Ahmad | Staff Photographer

Our beat writers don't think Syracuse and Dino Babers will move one game closer to bowl eligibility Saturday.

Syracuse (4-6, 2-4 Atlantic Coast) takes on Louisville (6-4, 3-4) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Louisville, Kentucky. Last season, the Orange got drubbed, 62-28, by UofL in Week 2. Lamar Jackson had one of the best highlights of his Heisman campaign in that game when he hurdled Cordell Hudson on his way to the endzone. On Saturday, Syracuse will be fighting to keep its bowl hopes alive. Our beat writers weigh in on whether or not Syracuse can knock off the Cardinals and the reigning Heisman winner.

Joe Bloss (5-5)
Lamarville
Louisville 45, Syracuse 24

Maybe Eric Dungey will play. He might return triumphantly from his injury and limp through the game, making one display of toughness and athleticism after another. It just won’t matter because the other team will have a guy who can do all of that a little bit better than Dungey can. SU defenders can say they feel more prepared, matured and whatever other mentality they might need to stop Lamar Jackson, but there’s no reason to believe them until it actually happens. Like Tomer, Syracuse will not be bowling for a while.

Tomer Langer (5-5)
The ones they’ll remember
Louisville 41, Syracuse 31

Two weeks ago, when the Orange sat at 4-4, head coach Dino Babers and the SU players talked about how different this year felt to last year, when the Orange also sat at 4-4. But so far it seems like the script has been the same as the year before: a defense breaking down, starting quarterback Eric Dungey not playing past the first weekend of November (he missed last week’s game and is officially listed as questionable for Saturday) and SU falling flat down the stretch of the season. Now a struggling defense having to contend with the best player in ACC, and the Orange is on the road where it hasn’t won all year. Barring a change from the norm, it looks like it’ll be another disappointing ending.



Matthew Gutierrez (4-6)
The Jackson Rules
Syracuse 14, Louisville 42

Rain and wind will hinder the Syracuse offense, while Lamar Jackson feasts on a balance of run and pass. He won’t put up the historic numbers he had a year ago in the Carrier Dome, but “It’s like the (Michael) Jordan Rules: Lamar’s going to get his,” as SU head coach Dino Babers said Wednesday. A Syracuse team that showed promise post-Clemson will fall to 4-7 for the second straight year, and this will be the first Syracuse senior class since 2009 to graduate without a winning season.





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