Syracuse’s 2019 schedule offers a favorable path for the Orange to repeat or even better their 10-3 record from 2018.

SU currently faces just one team ranked in the preseason Top 25, No. 1 Clemson in the Carrier Dome on Sep. 14. Syracuse’s 2018 opponents won a combined 51.7 percent of their games, as opposed to the 2019 slate, which finished last season with a 55.8 winning percentage.

Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of Syracuse’s 2019 schedule.

at Liberty (Saturday, Aug. 31, 6 p.m.)

Dino Babers said he’s nervous about this game. SU doesn’t really know what to expect from the Flames. Even though the eligibility of Auburn transfer quarterback Malik Willis was denied, Liberty is still debuting a new scheme under new head coach Hugh Freeze. Freeze was once the offensive guru behind Ole Miss’s powerful offense. SU’s challenge is meshing study of Freeze’s schemes with notes about personnel. Ultimately, while Babers might be nervous about this contest, if the Orange don’t come out asleep, there’s too much talent on SU’s side of the ball.

at Maryland (Saturday, Sept. 7, noon)

Syracuse starts the season against two-straight new head coaches on the road. Against Maryland, the Orange will travel to College Park and face off with Mike Locksley’s Terrapins. Locksley was Alabama’s offensive coordinator last year, helping unleash the potential of Heisman contender quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. But without top receiver Jeshaun Jones, the Terrapins are just a bit hamstrung. How Syracuse shows up on the road in Week 1 could go a long way in informing how they’ll handle Maryland a week later.

No. 1 Clemson (Saturday, Sept. 14, 7:30 p.m.)

What a game to make a home debut. The last time these teams played in the Carrier Dome, SU pulled off the program’s biggest upset since the Orange beat Penn State in 1987. Then last year, the Orange went to Death Valley and almost stole a win. But don’t forget, backup quarterback Chase Brice played most of that game. Sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence, when healthy, is arguably the best player in college football. He filleted Alabama’s defense to the tune of 44 points in the National Championship game. If he plays the whole game, this one might be over quickly. The Orange simply do not have anyone close to as talented as Lawrence. College GameDay, anyone?

Western Michigan (Saturday, Sept. 21, TBA)

A rematch of the 2018 opener and former offensive coordinator Tim Lester’s return to the Carrier Dome in Week 4 should provide the first chance the Orange get to breathe this season. Two road games and hosting the No. 1 team in the country with a new quarterback and offensive line is less than ideal. The Orange are the better team, but need to account for some of the issues they had a year ago against the Broncos. The Orange were torched for big play after big play in that opener. Ideally three weeks into the season and with an experienced secondary, the Orange will cut back on those mistakes and handle WMU with relative ease.

Holy Cross (Saturday, Sept. 28, TBA)

Last season, Syracuse hosted FCS Wagner and wiped the floor with them, winning 62-10. SU rushed for 232 yards and Eric Dungey threw for 241 and five touchdowns in a complete romp. The Orange should expect to create a similar result against their lone FCS opponent of 2019. It’ll also likely be the difference between going into the bye 4-1 or 3-2, not an insignificant difference.

at North Carolina State (Thursday, Oct. 10, 8 p.m.)

This is the first of two road games SU is in danger of losing. The Orange came out flat from a bye week in 2018 and almost lost to North Carolina at home. A Thursday night game in Raleigh should make for a tough atmosphere against one of the Orange’s better opponents of 2019. The Wolfpack are trying to replace quarterback Ryan Finley, though. If the Wolfpack find their QB — Dave Doeren named sophomore Matt McKay the starter recently — the Orange could easily find themselves on the wrong end of this game.

Pittsburgh (Friday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.)

When Syracuse and Pittsburgh meet at Heinz Field, chaos ensues. In the last two meetings there, the Orange and Panthers have both set the then-single-game record for combined points scored, and last season played in a rain-delayed slop-fest that ended with a Dungey interception on SU’s first play of overtime and a second-straight loss. This year’s meeting will be in the Carrier Dome, where the past two matchups have ended 27-23 and 23-20, each team picking up a win. Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi wants to slow the game down. If SU can nudge the score upwards of 30, it’ll be in good shape.

at Florida State (Saturday, Oct. 26, TBA)

By Week 9, there will be a much clearer picture of how good Florida State really is in 2019. Head coach Willie Taggart and the Seminoles sputtered to a 5-7 finish just five years removed from FSU’s national championship season. There’s no doubt the Seminoles still have the talent to compete at a high level, but Taggart dismissed quarterback Deondre Francois in the offseason, leaving James Blackman as the starter. If FSU’s offensive line and Blackmon haven’t figured it out by this point, the Orange might get their first win against the Seminoles on the road since Floyd Little played in 1966.

Boston College (Saturday, Nov. 2, TBA)

The last time AJ Dillon and the Eagles visited SU, he ran all over the Orange. Last year in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, Dillon didn’t play because of an injury and the Orange rolled, 42-21. This game might come down to the matchup of Dillon versus SU’s linebackers. The Orange are rolling out a new linebacker core for the third-straight year. Last year’s pair of Kielan Whitner and Ryan Guthrie surged at the end of the season — can Andrew Armstrong and Lakiem Williams do the same?

at Duke (Saturday, Nov. 16, TBA)

The Orange have only played the Blue Devils in football once since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2013. The Orange face a Duke team that’s lone bright spot last year was quarterback and eventual No. 6 overall pick Daniel Jones. Without him, the Blue Devils might have one of the most depleted rosters in the league. Unlike basketball, the Orange have a clear edge over the Blue Devils.

at Louisville (Saturday, Nov. 23, TBA)

Louisville’s fall from grace coincides entirely with Lamar Jackson no longer playing quarterback for the Cardinals. Last season, the Cardinals came to the Dome and got walloped. The Cardinals canned Bobby Petrino at the end of the season and hired Appalachian State head coach Scott Satterfield to revive the program (only after Jeff Brohm stayed at Purdue). After a 2-10 year, the only way to go is up for Louisville, but not enough to challenge the Orange this season.

Wake Forest (Saturday, Nov. 28, TBA)

Syracuse went to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and ran over the Demon Deacons last year for the first November win under Dino Babers. Wake Forest has two quarterbacks capable of playing and the Orange saw one of them — Sam Hartman — last season. Greg Dortch, the speedster WF featured on offense and returning punts, is gone and with a relatively weak roster, SU should comfortably end the regular season with a win.

Published on August 29, 2019 at 2:17 am

Contact Andrew: aegraham@syr.edu | @A_E_Graham