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Syracuse, N.Y. — The Syracuse football team will face North Carolina at 7:30 p.m., Friday in the JMA Wireless Dome (TV: ESPN). 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 24, North Carolina 17 Will Syracuse cover? Yes UNC has not scored more than 20 points this season against an FBS opponent. Syracuse has scored a total of 50 points in the last four games. Linus may get to finally meet the Great Pumpkin before we see some real offense in this game. I’ll give SU the slight edge in an anticipated muck fest with a defensive score to help the cause. Chris Carlson North Carolina 24, Syracuse 14 Will Syracuse cover? No Syracuse will change its approach at quarterback this week and it’s hard to imagine those plans include Rickie Collins, whose confidence can’t have been helped by a public demotion and the blunt messages his head coach delivered this week about his performance. Syracuse players have been showing frustration in recent weeks. Offensive tackle Trevion Mack has been visibly agitated. After SU’s loss to Georgia Tech tight end Dan Villari said his conversations with Collins on the sidelines have included informing the quarterback that he is open. SU’s coaches needed to do something to show its players that they are still looking for answers and still trying to win games. Benching Collins shows they are willing to shake things u but history tells us that answers are rarely found in a third-string quarterback. Javon Edmonds North Carolina 21, Syracuse 17 Will Syracuse cover? No Syracuse has given no indication that it can crack the 20-point threshold. With the Orange struggling at quarterback against a Bill Belichick defense, Syracuse shouldn’t be expected to reach that mark in this game either. The Tar Heels have gotten better in each game this month, and it’s about time for them to break through for a win. Syracuse’s season will, for all intents and purposes, end on Halloween night. Nate Mink North Carolina 20, Syracuse 14 Will Syracuse cover? No It was only two years ago, around this time of year, that Syracuse zealots endured a 17-10 loss to Boston College that was so depressing, it led the coaches to scrap a conventional offense and quickly hatch a new scheme in which the tight end ran the show. I see an organization searching just the same for the opportunity to win, but unlike the clandestine approach Fran Brown’s predecessor took, Brown is telegraphing his intent to shake up the quarterback position this week. If nothing else, it’s given us a reason to watch a couple of five-loss teams. Point spread: Syracuse by 2.5 points This season’s records Chris Carlson: 6-2 straight up; 4-4 against the spread Javon Edmonds: 6-2 straight up; 4-4 against the spread Nate Mink: 6-2 straight up; 3-5 against the spread Brent Axe: 5-3 straight up; 5-3 against the spread
