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After taking down Football Championship Series opponent Colgate 65-0 in its largest win since 1959, Syracuse welcomes Western Michigan to the JMA Wireless Dome. In 2018 and 2019, SU eclipsed the 50-point mark against the Broncos. A win on Saturday would give the Orange their seventh-straight win over a nonconference opponent in the regular season.

Led by first-year head coach Lance Taylor, Western Michigan is looking for its first win against Syracuse in program history, opening as 21-point underdogs. The game completes the final leg of a home-and-home series with the Broncos announced in 2019.

Here’s everything you need to know about the SU and WMU game on Saturday:

All time series

Syracuse leads 2-0.

Last time they played

In 2019, Western Michigan made its first-ever trip to the Dome and lost 52-33. Quarterback Tommy DeVito led Syracuse with four passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in the win, snapping a two-game losing streak.

Western Michigan, led by quarterback Jon Wassink, ended with 557 total yards, 12 more than Syracuse. Wassink finished 23-for-46 with 356 yards and two touchdowns. WMU Running back LeVante Bellamy led all rushers with 165 yards on the ground, tacking on two touchdowns and eight receiving yards.

DeVito tallied 85 yards on nine rushes, including a 60-yard rush on the second play of the game.

“Tommy could always run,” Babers said after the win. “I’ve been trying to tell you guys that he’s fast, he can run. We just ask him to be very careful when he does it.”

The Broncos report

Western Michigan opened its 2023 campaign with a 35-17 win over Saint Francis (PA) last Thursday. The Broncos are coming off of a 5-7 season that saw the end of a six-year tenure for head coach Tim Lester. Five different players scored their first collegiate touchdowns in the win. Led by quarterback Jack Salopek, who went 18-for-26 for 170 yards and a touchdown, Western Michigan flaunts a roster that Garrett Shrader said was “physical.”

Salopek, a redshirt sophomore, won the starting job over redshirt freshman Treyson Bourguet out of camp. He’s working behind a veteran offensive line that features two seniors, two juniors and a graduate senior. Every player on WMU’s starting defense has at least a year of experience under their belts.

If Syracuse struggles against the run game like they did last season, Western Michigan’s offensive weapons — freshman Jalen Buckley, junior Zahir Abdus-Salaam and Virginia Tech transfer Keshawn King — have a chance to surprise the Orange early.

Arlo Stone | Digital Design Director

How Syracuse beats Western Michigan

Syracuse had the sixth-best Pro Football Focus grade in the FBS for its defense against Colgate. Though the Orange will likely respect Salopek’s arm, taking a physical approach to counteract the Broncos’ ground-and-pound style will be the best way to stall opposing drives.

Having Terry Lockett and Stefon Thompson off the bench is key to a Syracuse defensive line that lacked depth last season. Syracuse possesses the manpower and defensive mastermind to limit Western Michigan’s scoring.

If Shrader can maintain his accuracy and find open receivers like he did against Colgate, Syracuse will have no problem lighting up the scoreboard. Shrader will likely have to play the entirety of Saturday’s game, but an extra week of limited contact is crucial for the quarterback as he works his way back from elbow surgery.

Statistic to know: 33.3

Western Michigan punted three times against St. Francis, a number that’s bound to rise significantly against Syracuse. Carson Voss, who’s getting his first chance to punt in college after not playing the past two seasons, averaged just 33.3 yards per punt.

SU’s D’Marcus Adams finished with an average of 10.3 yards per return against Colgate, including a punt return in the first quarter that he caught at Syracuse’s own 19-yard line and returned it to Colgate’s 42-yard line.

If the Orange find themselves in a close game, plays on the margins will be the deciding factor. For WMU, Voss needs to do more than 33 yards per punt, especially against a high-powered SU offense.

Player to watch: Marshawn Kneeland, defensive end, No. 99

Western Michigan was the only FBS school to extend an offer to Kneeland, a two-star recruit out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Kneeland recorded 38 total tackles through 10 games last season, adding in three break ups and five quarterback hurries. Against St. Francis, he finished with three tackles and contributed to a sack for a loss of three yards.

Poised for a strong redshirt junior season, Kneeland originally announced his intent to transfer to Colorado under Deion Sanders. But he returned to Kalamazoo after a conversation with Taylor.

“What I told Coach Taylor is that I need (defensive coordinator Lou Esposito) to be there, and I need (Grant Geib) to be the strength coach,” Kneeland said to reporters in July. “He fulfilled on those two guys that basically was right there with me in the recruiting process.”

Published on September 7, 2023 at 12:03 am

Contact Anthony: aalandt@syr.edu | @anthonyalandt