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Syracuse’s first four games under first-year head coach Fran Brown have had highs, like an upset win over then-No. 23 Georgia Tech. But the Orange have also had their recent struggles, falling to Stanford on a time-expiring field goal and a middling showing versus Holy Cross.

With a 3-1 record, SU’s 2024 season is a quarter done. And for the first time, the Orange will hit the road. Syracuse starts a 35-day sequence of not playing at the JMA Wireless Dome with a west coast trip to Las Vegas. The Orange take on ranked UNLV in Sin City, looking to secure their first road win under Brown.

Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (3-1, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) will fare against No. 25 UNLV (4-0, 1-0 Mountain West Conference) Friday night in Las Vegas:

Aiden Stepansky (3-1)
Orange cash out
Syracuse 27, UNLV 31

For the first time in 2024, I’m cashing out on the Orange hype train. I’ve picked SU to win its first four games. The trend ends in Vegas.

Facing UNLV is a tall task for a nonconference opponent. Recently entering the AP Top 25, the Rebels have impressed in all aspects of the game through their 4-0 start. UNLV ranks 15th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing under 14 points per game.

Additionally, its offense has been exceptional, ranking in the top 10 in the nation and excelling even further with the controversy of Matthew Sluka’s departure. Hajj-Malik Williams proved to be a dual-threat weapon in his first start, totaling 16 passing attempts and 12 rushing.

This Syracuse team has been one I’ve thought highly of in its early going. But the last two games give me no reason to believe that the Orange can travel almost 2500 miles for a prime-time clash and take down a ranked opponent.

SU’s offense has made it clear that it will win or lose based on the arm of Kyle McCord. While 50 passing attempts may work against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent like Holy Cross, the Rebels allow just one passing touchdown per game. It will come down to the wire, and probably even the final drive, but I see the Orange exiting the gambling capital of the world bankrupt.

Cooper Andrews (3-1)
Sin city sorrow
Syracuse 31, UNLV 34

I was rather bullish on the Orange heading into this season. With their pure talent and potential, a 9-3 finish seemed likely. Ten wins even seemed reasonable. What I didn’t expect was picking them to lose to a Mountain West opponent in the heart of the regular season.

It’s going to be a difficult Friday night in Las Vegas for Syracuse. UNLV presents a major mismatch as the No. 6 rushing offense in the country, while the Orange have struggled on that front, most notably allowing 255 yards on the ground to Ohio in Week 1. At the same time, SU has heavily relied on McCord to carry the offense, lacking much rush-versus-pass variety in its playcalling. McCord should fare well against the Rebels, but that’s not a winning formula.

This is Syracuse’s last chance to prove it’s not a one-dimensional offense before it begins ACC play. Though I don’t see that happening. McCord will be forced to drop back in the pocket a litany of times after UNLV embarks to an early lead. From there, I don’t think the sole threat of the Orange’s air attack will be enough to match the Rebels.

Syracuse’s loss to Stanford ended its honeymoon from Fran Brown’s hiring as head coach, and its impending defeat to UNLV will end delusions of a double-digit win season.

Justin Girshon (2-2)
The house always wins
Syracuse 28, UNLV 34

They all laughed at me, especially podcast host Henry O’Brien, when I said Syracuse would lose against UNLV on our preseason D.O. Sportscast. Admittedly, I didn’t think the Rebels would be 4-0 and ranked No. 25 on the AP Poll.

Though I thought highly enough of them to think going on the road for the first time and playing in an NFL stadium would be too much for SU. Now, UNLV — even with its unforeseen Sluka NIL situation — looks to be among the teams potentially vying for one of the twelve College Football Playoff spots.

On Monday, Brown spoke extremely highly of Williams. Similar to Georgia Tech’s Haynes King and Stanford’s Ashton Daniels, Williams thrives as a dual-threat quarterback. As my fellow scribe, Cooper, noted, the Orange have drastically struggled against the run this year. Williams, who is coming off a 119-yard performance on the ground with a touchdown, is the best rushing quarterback SU could face all season.

Offensively, you couldn’t ask for much more from McCord — there’s even an argument to ask for less. Throwing the ball 44.25 times per game, the Ohio State transfer is currently Pro Football Focus’ 10th-highest graded Power 4 quarterback this season. But with such a one-dimensional offense taking on a great opponent in a tough environment, I see the Orange falling short of notching their second win against an AP Top 25 opponent.

Published on October 3, 2024 at 12:03 am