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Syracuse Faces Wake Forest In Must-Win Game

Syracuse University Athletics
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Cuse.com

The Syracuse Orange (2-3, 0-1 ACC) look to get their first conference win of the season as they travel to BB&T Field in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-1, 1-1 ACC). Since joining the ACC three years ago, Syracuse has won all three matchups against Wake Forest.

Both teams head into Saturday looking for a much needed win, as the Orange look to rebound from last week's 33-50 offensive blowout to Notre Dame in a chance to make it to a bowl game, while Wake Forest looks to move on from their first loss of the season and try not make it a two-game losing streak.

The Demon Deacons have surprised a lot of people this season by starting 4-1, beating Tulane, Duke, Delaware and Indiana University. Unfortunately for them, it only gets harder with FSU, Louisville and Clemson in the following weeks, and it all starts with the Orange on Saturday.

Who's Hot - Amba Etta-Tawo

No surprise here. Etta-Tawo was the only real standout performer for the Orange again last week, with 7 receptions, 134 receiving yards and a touchdown. In Syracuse's first 5 games of the season, Etta-Tawo already has 840 receiving yards, leading the FBS. Both Syracuse and Wake Forest are coming off of less than perfect defensive games, but if Etta-Tawo and the rest of the Syracuse offense can find those holes in the Wake Forest D-Line, you can expect the graduate transfer to put up some more big numbers for the Orange this week.

Who's Not - Syracuse Defense

Credit Syracuse University Athletics / Cuse.com
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Cuse.com
Quarterback Eric Dungey wards off the Notre Dame defense in last week's matchup while Syracuse will look to him on Saturday to lead them in their first conference win.

No surprises here as well in the Syracuse defense. The Orange gave up a whopping 654 yards in last week's game while Notre Dame's quarterback DeShone Kizer recorded a career best 471 yards against the Orange. With this being Dino Babers's first year as head coach for the Orange, some speed bumps in the road for this very young defensive team are more than expected. But, now looking to their sixth game of the season the Orange have to find their stride defensively or else no amount of record-breaking yards Etta-Tawo can run will help them make it back to a bowl game.

"You know some of those yards aren't, those aren't the defenses fault. Some of those times those are too many three and outs by the offense and giving those other teams too many opportunities to get an extra two, three, four drives versus our defense that affects those numbers," says SU head coach Dino Babers.

Could Weather be a Factor?

With Hurricane Matthew wreaking havoc up the eastern seaboard all this week, fans are hoping the weather will permit this weekend. Rain and high winds are expected in North Carolina on Saturday, but while Etta-Tawo manages to squeeze through teams' defenses on a dry field, just imagine what he can do on a wet one. Hopefully the weather will work in the favor of the Orange and push the offense to make some more offensive moves like they have in previous games.

"You know you gotta go the wet ball drills, you gotta prepare for the wind, you gotta know if you can get the snap from shot gun and whether you need to go underneath the center. You have to prepare for all of that stuff," says head coach Dino Babers in preparing for potential weather conditions in North Carolina.

Syracuse Will Win If:

SU vs. Wake Forest Saturday @ 7 PM. Countdown to kickoff 6:30 PM on WAER 88.3

The Syracuse O-Line can find the holes in the Wake Forest defense and SU quarterback Eric Dungey continues to connect with players in the end zone, adding to Etta-Tawo's career-best first season with the Orange.