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Syracuse set a program-record for yards in a dominant 65-0 win over Colgate. With their only Football Championship Series opponent out of the way, the Orange welcome Western Michigan to the JMA Wireless Dome for the second time ever. SU’s beaten the Broncos by putting up more than 50 points in both of the program’s previous matchups.

Western Michigan enters off a 35-17 win over Saint Francis (PA) and are looking to improve on a 5-7 season that marked the end of Tim Lester’s six-year tenure. First-year head coach Lance Taylor, who was Louisville’s offensive coordinator last season, said Syracuse is a “good team with good players” and that the Dome will be a “loud” environment.

Here’s how our beat writers predict Syracuse (1-0, Atlantic Coast Conference) to fair against Western Michigan (1-0, Mid-American Conference) on Saturday:

Anthony Alandt (1-0)
Buck the Broncos
Syracuse 40, Western Michigan 20

Syracuse rolled Colgate in a game that was impressive even against an FCS opponent that hasn’t beaten it in over 70 years. Garrett Shrader looked poised, and a large crop of wide receivers showed their prowess and made me feel much more reassured heading into the difficult stretch of the season later on. Rocky Long’s defense showed out, led by Alijah Clark, and graded out as an impressive sixth-best defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Western Michigan has a talented group of upperclassmen who are bound to move the ball more against Syracuse on Saturday. The firepower just isn’t there for me to think the Broncos are going to shock the ACC this weekend. I do think, however, that a three-headed rushing attack will give Syracuse some fits. It will be a great test for a team that struggled mightily down the stretch against opposing running backs.

As long as Shrader can maneuver through blitzes and his receivers get open, the Orange should put this one away around the third quarter while watching their defense prey on another inexperienced quarterback. Syracuse still needs to play a more complete, penalty-free game to impress me before heading off to Purdue, but a win and a 2-0 start will certainly feel good for Dino Babers and the Orange.

Wyatt Miller (1-0)
A dominant start
Syracuse 45, Western Michigan 17

After the Orange beat Colgate 65-0 last week, their largest victory since 1959, expect them to keep dominating against another opponent outside the Power Five. Coming off a 5-7 season, Western Michigan secured an 18-point victory over Saint Francis to start off 2023. The Broncos are a run-first team with a dual-threat quarterback, but SU’s defensive front is well-equipped to win the battle up front.

Four Broncos had at least seven carries last week, including quarterback Jack Salopek. Running backs Jalen Buckley and Zahir Abdus-Salaam combined for 267 yards and two scores on 50 carries in the victory. That will be the priority for this Syracuse defense. The secondary is more than capable of executing 1-on-1 matchups on pass attempts, which could be rare on early downs, so expect another dose of heavy pressure this week. SU’s speed and size on the defensive line should be enough to beat the Broncos.

The Orange allowed just 106 yards of total offense and zero red zone trips last week against an offense with a similar identity to WMU. The line got after Michael Brescia, forcing three sacks and countless rushed throws. Look for more of the same this week against an offense that’s only slightly better than Colgate’s on paper. This Syracuse pass rush has the tools to be a top unit in the ACC, and they should bowl over this Western Michigan front en route to a sizable victory.

Henry O’Brien (1-0)
A clearer postseason path
Syracuse 31, Western Michigan 10

While Dino Babers said he was losing sleep over last week’s Colgate game, I imagine Western Michigan will give him more of a reason to toss and turn in the middle of the night. The Broncos displayed some of their offensive weapons like Buckley, who rushed for 194 yards and a touchdown in the win over Saint Francis.

But let’s not kid ourselves. Syracuse will win this game by multiple scores. The Orange have shown they are able to easily take care of inferior competition. Expect LeQuint Allen to rush for 100 yards again. Garrett Shrader will have an opportunity to show off SU’s receiver depth again. While the defense may give up an early score that makes SU fans complain on social media, Rocky Long’s defensive front will manhandle Western Michigan’s offensive line. There are too many playmakers, like Marlowe Wax and Jeremiah Wilson, for the Broncos to handle.

This win will put the Orange four victories away from clinching back-to-back bowl game appearances for the first time since 2012-13. The path is starting to look much more clear. Next week’s opponent — Purdue — looked dreadful in a 39-35 loss to Fresno State. Army lost to UL-Monroe 17-13 and No. 25 Clemson was allergic to the end zone in its upset loss to No. 21 Duke. While SU probably won’t reach the heights of 2022 (No. 4 Florida State will make sure of that), it will be playing in December or January.

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Published on September 6, 2023 at 11:24 pm