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Syracuse is coming off a second straight last-minute win and now turns its sights to Wagner with a 4-0 record. The Football Championship Series squad comes to the JMA Wireless Dome for the first time since 2019, and has yet to win a game since that season. Head coach Dino Babers said on Monday that he’s making sure his team doesn’t look past the Seahawks, continually referencing his 21-point upset of San Diego St. when he was in charge of Eastern Illinois.

The Orange can finish Saturday afternoon’s game one win away from bowl eligibility. They square off against a team that got blown out by Rutgers and lost two games to fellow FCS opponents, one of which was in their Northeast Conference. Ahead of SU’s third straight home game, take a look at what our beat writers see as the outcome of the matchup:

Alex Cirino (3-1)
Too much momentum
Syracuse 48, Wagner 9

This is Syracuse’s final tune-up before a stretch that features five ranked opponents. A mistake-free passing game, limiting penalties and showcasing the Orange’s depth will leave a ton of promise ahead of an ACC-heavy schedule. Starting the season 5-0 never seemed like a possibility for SU, but playing against an 0-3 Football Championship Subdivision team makes that fifth win likely.

But if Syracuse doesn’t execute like it should, many questions will rise about how many more wins it will tack on afterward. Yes, it will have its bye week to reinforce things. But as the season progresses, SU will only play three more times at home, and will be given its first big tests of the season. So to avoid any concern, going all out against Wagner will be the key. Much like against UConn, the Orange will run up the score early and go from there, continuing its undefeated run.

Connor Smith (3-1)
Tune-up time
Syracuse 56, Wagner 6

Syracuse is rolling, ranked in the coaches poll for the first time since 2018 and in line for its first 5-0 start since 1987. Wagner, on the other hand, is not. The Seahawks have won one total game over the past three-plus seasons, which came in 2019 when they beat Long Island University 24-14. Wagner went 0-11 last season, losing its two games against FBS competition 41-7 to Temple and 69-7 to Buffalo. Rutgers put up 66 points on the Seahawks in a blowout win three weeks ago.

So this game shouldn’t be close. If it is, it’ll be a cause for concern for the Orange heading into their bye week. They have a difficult slate after the bye, with games against No. 10 NC State, No. 5 Clemson, No. 22 Wake Forest, No. 24 Pittsburgh and a talented Notre Dame squad. This game should be treated as a chance to clean up some of the offense’s struggles from the second half of the Virginia contest and to test out depth, especially with SU having now lost four starters to season-ending injuries. When the week has come and gone, Syracuse should be securely ranked in both top-25 polls and have a boost of confidence heading into a big-time matchup with the Wolfpack.

Anthony Alandt (3-1)
Just stay healthy
Syracuse 52, Wagner 10

Syracuse’s 4-0 start is going to help it tremendously down the line in ways that it likely doesn’t even know yet. SU has had two blowouts, then two nail biters, all the while racking up wins and top 25 votes. Enter Wagner, a Football Championship Series team that hasn’t won a game in three years and has a quarterback who’s completing less than 50% of his passes. A win, and the Orange are one win away from bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018. A loss, and the tides of a 4-1 season likely turn dramatically.

This game is, as Dino Babers described it, a trap. Over the Seahawk horizon is a bye week, a much needed resting week for a defense that is averaging losing a starter per game, then the gauntlet. But Syracuse needs to not only win handily — it needs to stay healthy. The approach to this game should simply be to get up quickly, then sit as many people as possible before moving on with a 5-0 record.

Published on September 29, 2022 at 12:05 am