Liberty shocked the Syracuse Orange nation last year with a 38-21 victory at the Carrier Dome. The Syracuse media called it the worst loss in school history, after Liberty had lost at home the year prior 24-0 to the Orange. The Orange would go on to finish last in the ACC for the 2020 season with a 1-9 record in the conference and 1-10 overall. Their only win came in their second game against Georgia Tech, 37-20.
This is a new year and Syracuse is 2-1 heading into the Liberty game with a much healthier roster than a year ago. Head coach Dino Babers is pleased with his defense as they are much improved, ranking 30th in overall defense, 11th in rushing defense and only allowing 16 points per game thus far. The Orange are looking to continue this improvement Friday night as they face the Flames. Last year Liberty rushed for 338 yards, but it could prove to be more difficult Friday with the Orange playing better against the run.
Syracuse record: 2-1
Ohio University: 29-9 W
Rutgers: 17-7 L
Albany: 62-24 W
Key Players:
QB – Last week Syracuse went with a two Quarterback system playing both Tommy DeVito and Garrett Schrader. While most Syracuse media believe DeVito will start against Liberty, Head Coach Dino Babers stated that the QB battle is still ongoing and not settled yet.
RB – Sean Tucker is turning out to be a the focal point for the offense. Against Albany he had 13 carries for 132 yards and 4 touchdowns. Look for Tucker to get plenty of carries against Liberty. Tucker is also a threat in the passing game and has 7 receptions on the year.
WR – Taj Harris is one of the most electric wide receivers in college football. Coach Freeze stated he hasn’t seen a receiver on film look as dangerous as Harris in a long time.
LB – Sophomore Mikel Jones is leading the team in tackles with 28 on the year. Jones is very active in their defense and is a key player for the Orange.
DT – Cody Roscoe transferred from McNeese State last year, but has been a great addition to Syracuse. He has 15 tackles and 3.5 sacks on the season. Look for him to be active Friday night.
CB – True freshman Darian Chestnut has 14 tackles and an interception in his first three college games.
Note:
Syracuse media member Brent Axe stated on his ESPN show that Liberty is the toughest match-up thus far for the Orange. He said the rise of Liberty has been amazing due to the fact that when Syracuse first scheduled the Flames it was supposed to be an easy win. Liberty was just moving up to the FBS and the Orange wanted to use it as an easier non-conference game. Axe alluded that to now state that Liberty is the best non-conference game on the Syracuse schedule is shocking. Axe went on to say that he feels the Liberty game is the biggest game for Syracuse in the non-conference schedule in determining where the season goes. This is a testament to the job that Freeze and his staff have done at Liberty.
