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Syracuse (1-5, 1-4 Atlantic Coast) hasn’t won a game in over a month. Coming off three straight defeats, the Orange are set to begin a two-game homestand on Saturday against Wake Forest (3-2, 2-2), but the Orange showed signs of progress in last week’s 47-21 loss to No. 1 Clemson.  

Quarterback Rex Culpepper has shown mixed results in two starts this year after being thrust into the starting role due to Tommy DeVito’s knee injury. On the other side, Wake QB Sam Hartman has completed 63.2% of his pass attempts in the Demon Deacons’ high-tempo offense.

Here’s everything you need to know about Syracuse’s matchup with Wake Forest:

All-time series: Syracuse leads, 6-3

Last time they played: Syracuse 39, Wake Forest 30 

Defensive back Trill Williams iced the final football game in the Carrier Dome with a 94-yard strip-six when Syracuse played Wake Forest for the 2019 regular season finale. There were 33,719 fans in attendance to watch the Orange beat the Demon Deacons in overtime.

Though the Williams score was a highlight of the season, it was a bittersweet cap to a disappointing 5-7 year. Clayton Welch started and passed for 234 yards and two scores. Moe Neal led SU in rushing with 98 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown to give Syracuse a 4th quarter lead.

The Wake Forest report: 

On advanced metrics, Wake Forest appears to be a balanced team, in the middle of the pack in both defensive and offensive predicted points added. The Demon Deacons offense averages 36.8 points per game, tied for third in the ACC, though that number was inflated by a 66-point explosion against Campbell.

Defensively, Wake allows 27 points per game, the seventh-best in the conference. As heralded as Syracuse’s ball-hawking secondary is, Wake Forest’s defensive backs are just as opportunistic. The Demon Deacons took advantage of three interceptions from VT quarterback Hendon Hooker in WF’s biggest win of the season, last week’s game against No. 19 Virginia Tech. They also forced three fumbles but didn’t recover any. On the year, Wake has picked off opposing passers nine times, same as the Orange.

collegefootballdata.com

How Syracuse beats Wake Forest:

Syracuse can beat Wake the same way it can beat anyone at this juncture: Win the turnover battle and control the clock. If SU’s defense can bait Hartman into two or three bad throws and Culpepper can dial up a couple deep balls, the Orange can absolutely win. The Orange have struggled with Culpepper under center in the short and intermediate routes, so establishing the running game will be paramount. 

Stat to know: 200.6

WF allows over 200 yards rushing per game, nearly as bad as the Orange’s run defense (235 yards per game). If Sean Tucker is healthy — he injured his ankle against Clemson, and head coach Dino Babers said Monday that he didn’t know the extent of his injury — Syracuse should be able to run the ball. If not, Markenzy Pierre and Cooper Lutz are inexperienced options. Syracuse will want to establish the run, but it might have to do so with unproven legs. 

Betting odds: Wake Forest -11 (Draftkings Sportsbook)

Katelyn Marcy | Digital Design Director

Player to watch: Carlos Basham Jr., No. 9

In his weekly press conference, Babers called Basham the best defensive player the Orange will face all year, noting that he was including a Clemson D that sends several players to the NFL annually. In classic Babers fashion, he compared the edge rusher to Godzilla.

Basham, projected as a late-first round draft pick, opted to return to Wake Forest for his redshirt senior season instead of leaving early to go pro. He recorded 11 sacks in 13 games last year and already has five sacks in as many contests in 2020. If Syracuse’s offensive line can’t prevent him from getting to Culpepper, it’ll be a long day for the Orange.

Published on October 28, 2020 at 11:14 pm

Contact Danny: [email protected] | @DannyEmerman