Last week, the Syracuse Orange (2-4, 4-6) fell 64-43 to the Wake Forest. While the two teams battled back and forth during the first half, the Demon Deacons ran away with it in the second, outscoring the Orange 40-5.
Syracuse is currently in last place in the ACC Atlantic and has to win its last two games to ensure bowl eligibility, making this Saturday’s game against Louisville (3-4, 6-4) a must win game. The Cardinals are coming off a 38-21 victory over Virginia and currently stand fifth in the division.
Syracuse is on a three-game losing streak ever since they stunned the nation with a 27-24 upset win against then ranked No. 2 Clemson. The Orange are also 0-4 on the road, which does not bode well for them as they try to keep their bowl hopes alive.
Starting quarterback Eric Dungey did not play last week against Wake Forest, sitting out with an undisclosed lower-right injury he received against Florida State two weeks ago. Statements were made earlier in the week by coach Dino Babers that Dungey had made “drastic improvement” in his rehabilitation.
While Babers is hopeful Dungey will return to the field on Saturday, he also said, "I think we can be OK if we have to go with the other guy," referring to backup quarterback Zach Mahoney who completed 33 of 60 passes against Wake Forest for a total of 384 yards. He also threw for three touchdowns and had two interceptions.
"He had a good, I mean obviously had a fantastic first half, we weren't so great the second half. But, he's doing good things, you know. So we have to be able to weigh all of that stuff." Coach Babers on Zach Mahoney.
The Orange will meet 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson for the second time—but this year on Louisville soil. Jackson combined for over 600 yards on offense and five touchdowns when the two teams clashed in the Dome last year.
Jackson recently became the first player in NCAA history to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, while becoming only the fourth player to ever do so in a career.
Syracuse was praised in the beginning of the season for its improved defense, but last week was their worst game to date, allowing 64 points in an embarrassing loss. But, the Orange did manage to get 43 points up on the board, their most impressive offensive game since their win against Central Connecticut State in week one. While they may struggle defensively against Jackson, the Orange's fast tempo offense could prove to be a problem for the Cardinals.
While Syracuse has not won a single away game this season, they are going to have to pull it together if they have any shot at bowl eligibility.