Things are set to get scary for Syracuse football (3-5, 1-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) when it faces North Carolina (2-5, 0-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) on Friday night. Both the Orange and Tar Heels have been struggling, each on four game losing streaks. However, we’re still in for a treat with this being the first Halloween game in the Dome since 2020.
It feels like the sky has been falling on offense for SU with quarterback Rickie Collins as the starter, especially after Saturday’s 41-16 loss to #7 Georgia Tech.
After a 41-16 loss to No. 7 @GeorgiaTechFB, @CuseFootball falls to 0-4 with quarterback Rickie Collins as the starter. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets advance to 8-0 for the first time since 1966.@SamuelReisTV and @BurgessLuke03 were on the historic call from Bobby Dodd Stadium. pic.twitter.com/Nd49cWwthh
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) October 25, 2025
The redshirt sophomore has been lackluster for SU under center, with four passing touchdowns and seven interceptions as the starter. Collins has a completion percentage of just 54.5% in his time as the starter, worst in the conference. When asked about Collins ahead of this week's matchup, SU head coach Fran Brown had this to say.
"I can tell you that you just won't see Rickie Collins in the game. I can tell you that for sure. I'm always focused on creating the best opportunity to get a win. We have to do everything we can to go out and win this football game on Friday."
SU did go to third string quarterback Luke Carney to start the second half for SU against Pittsburgh two weeks ago. The true freshman completed two passes for 10 yards and rushed for nine.
On the defensive side, things have not been much better for SU. For a fourth straight game, Syracuse let up 30 or more points. It seemed as if the defense was making improvements after the Pitt game recording a season-high seven sacks. However, all of that momentum went by the wayside with the Orange having just one against GT.
It's not like things are much better for UNC. Legendary Patriots coach Bill Belicheck’s squad is 0-3 on the year, and have still not recorded an ACC win. The Tar Heels are coming off a 17-16 loss against then #16 Virginia. The problem for North Carolina is similar to that of Syracuse, offense. UNC put up just 10 points in regulation and missed a game-winning two point conversion.
The Tar Heels are led on offense by quarterback Gio Lopez. The South Alabama transfer has thrown just four touchdown passes to go along with five picks this year. Along with that, The sophomore has just 84 completions on the season which is the worst mark in the conference. Despite that, Lopez did just have a season-high 208 passing yards against UVA. Overall, the Tar Heel offense has struggled scoring 20 points or less in every game but one. The outlier was a 41-point performance against FCS Richmond.
The good news for UNC though is that the defense has started to turn things around. North Carolina held a Virginia offense that was averaging over 460 yards a game to just under 260 and 17 points. The Tar Heels will be looking to drag down whoever is at quarterback for SU, with the defensive line having eight sacks over the last two games. Syracuse’s o-line has allowed an average of 2.5 sacks a game this year, outside top-100 nationally.
Both teams are desperate for a win with two struggling quarterbacks at the helm. A win for UNC would be its first in the conference, with a dub for SU giving the Orange some breathing room to get bowl-eligible. Knowing that, Brown wants to get Syracuse back on track.
"(Losing) is what it takes sometimes when you're trying to build things and do things the right way," Brown said. "We've got four games to win three (plus) to be able to get to a bowl game, which is important that that happens with this program."
Game time between the Orange and Tar Heels is set for 7:30 tomorrow. Live coverage of the game on WAER starts at 7:00 with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Kickoff.