Syracuse, N.Y. — The Syracuse football team will face SMU at 3:30 p.m., Saturday at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas (TV: ACC Network).
It’s time for our predictions. The panel includes Brent Axe, sports columnist; Chris Carlson, sports enterprise reporter; Javon Edmonds, SU football reporter and Nate Mink, managing producer for sports.
Brent Axe
Syracuse 28, SMU 24
Will Syracuse cover? Yes
I know I’m defying logic here. Syracuse only scored three points, at home, against the worst scoring defense in the ACC last week.
The defense has been labeled as predictable by opponents and its own head coach.
Did I mention SMU is coming off a bye week?
So why I am picking Syracuse?
Because sports. That’s why.
Weird stuff happens when you think you’ve got it figured out.
Chris Carlson
SMU 35, Syracuse 17
Will Syracuse cover? No
Southern Methodist was going to win this game anyway but coming off an open week should really benefit the Mustangs.
SMU defensive coordinator Scott Symons will have multiple weeks to prepare for a quarterback making his second start in three years in Rickie Collins. On the other side, quarterback Kevin Jennings has been limited by an ankle injury but will benefit from having the extra week of rest.
He’ll be throwing behind an offensive line that has the highest PFF pass-protection grade in college football and against a defense with an anemic pass rush. Syracuse’s coverage will have to be immaculate just to slow SMU.
Javon Edmonds
SMU 31, Syracuse 17
Will Syracuse cover? Yes
Rickie Collins may believe Syracuse should average 40 points per game, but the Orange is a few steps away from that.
He will have a better performance than he did last week, but that’s not a certainty for his defense. SMU runs the ball effectively, and, like Duke, has one of the ACC’s most dynamic quarterbacks.
Syracuse will have to play from behind and abandon the run again, which has not fared well for the Orange this season.
Nate Mink
SMU 37, Syracuse 34
Will Syracuse cover? Yes
These sides aren’t as far apart as the conventional thinking suggests. SMU had been miscast as a conference contender after a surprise College Football Playoff berth in Year 1 of Power-Four occupancy that was buoyed by a soft league slate.
Truth is, the Mustangs are vulnerable on defense after most of last year’s unit has been gutted by attrition. And Kevin Jennings, last year’s breakout quarterback, can be a little careless with the ball. His pressures-turned-to-sacks rate of 22.5% leads all ACC quarterbacks.
It’s evident by low snap counts that some of Syracuse’s best defensive players are hobbling through pain, trying to just make a go of it by Saturday.
Point spread: SMU by 17.5 points
This season’s records
Nate Mink: 4-1 straight up; 1-4 against the spread
Brent Axe: 3-2 straight up; 3-2 against the spread
Chris Carlson: 3-2 straight up; 3-2 against the spread
Javon Edmonds: 3-2 straight up; 1-4 against the spread