Coming off the biggest win the program has seen in 30 years, Syracuse (4-3, 2-1) heads down south for a clash with eighth-ranked Miami (5-0, 3-0). The Orange took down second-ranked Clemson a week ago, the first time Syracuse beat a top two ranked team since 1984.
Miami is still perfect for this season as the Hurricanes squeaked out a win against Georgia Tech 25-24 last week. They put the second longest winning streak in college football on the line in this ACC game.
SU vs. Miami starts at 3:30. Countdown to Kickoff gets underway at 3, only on 88.3 FM WAER.
This game will mark the first time since 2003 that Miami and Syracuse match up. The last time they met, Miami won 17-10 in the Orange Bowl.
It will also mark the first time the two teams face off since Syracuse joined the ACC. Miami currently leads the coastal division and has its eyes set on playing in the ACC championship game.
The Orange is looking to break a five-game losing streak against the Hurricanes. The last time Syracuse beat Miami was in 1998, when Donovan McNabb was quarterback and Paul Pasqualoni was the coach. The Orange blew out the Hurricanes 66-13. It was McNabb's final game in the Carrier Dome and Syracuse's biggest win ever over Miami.
Syracuse has to believe it has the offensive firepower to see off another top-10 win after beating Clemson last week. The Orange boast the 29th best offense in the country in terms of yards per game.
There is no shortage of playmakers either for Syracuse. Quarterback Eric Dungey leads the way, consistently finding his two favorite receivers Steve Ishmael and Erv Philips. Ishmael leads the nation in receptions and is third in receiving yards, while Philips is third in receptions.
Those three will be facing a tough task of scoring against a Miami team that only allows 18.6 points per game though, which is 20th in the nation.
The key to this game could very well be the Orange run defense. Syracuse held the 24th ranked rushing attack in check last week, allowing just 125 yards to Clemson on the ground. However, the Tigers ripped off two big running plays that kept them in the game. If the Orange has any hope of winning, it will need to slow down a Miami ground attack that picks up 6.1 yards per carry, the eighth-best mark in the nation.
Syracuse has yet to win a road game yet this season, despite close contests with LSU and NC State. Kickoff against Miami is set for 3:30.