T
hrough Syracuse’s first two games under first-year head coach Fran Brown, the Orange are 2-0. SU drove through a Mid-American Conference opponent in Ohio, winning by 16. In its Atlantic Coast Conference opener versus then-No. 23 Georgia Tech, Syracuse earned its first ranked win under Brown, never trailing in the contest.
The Orange have established their identity as a team full of offensive firepower in the first two contests. Quarterback Kyle McCord has eight touchdowns while wide receiver Trebor Peña has five. From Week 1 to Week 2, SU also saw improvements in its rushing defense — even with the loss of linebacker Marlowe Wax.
After its first bye week of the season, Syracuse takes on Stanford for the first-ever matchup between the two schools. The Cardinal joined the ACC in 2024 and are 1-1 to begin the campaign.
Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (2-0, 1-0 ACC) will fare against Stanford (1-1, 0-0 ACC):
Aiden Stepansky (2-0)
Welcome to the ACC
Syracuse 41, Stanford 24
Syracuse’s matchup versus Stanford officially breaks in the new age of the ACC. The matchup will be the first in-conference game for any of the three expansion teams: Cal, SMU and Stanford. In the Cardinal’s first contest in the conference, SU will give them a warm welcome.
The Orange offense through the season’s first two games has proven they are elite in passing. Led by McCord, Peña and Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse will score the ball with ease. Stanford has allowed 278.5 yards per game in the air thus far, while the Orange average 367.5. Additionally, Stanford accumulated a coverage grade of 58.1 last game and SU put up a passing grade of 89.
I also see improved special teams for the Orange on Friday. SU’s unit had multiple mistakes against Georgia Tech that could’ve cost it the game if in a closer matchup with a better opponent. But Brown and his staff showed from game one to game two that improvements aren’t a recommendation, but a requirement.
Syracuse will get out to a quick lead, similar to its matchup against GT, and gradually pull ahead throughout the game. The Cardinal could break through at times with the electric play of Elic Ayomanor on the outside, but it won’t nearly be enough. This time, SU won’t falter down the stretch and will keep Stanford far out of reach until the final buzzer, winning by 17 to remain at the top of the conference.
Cooper Andrews (2-0)
Not Shaw or Harbaugh’s Stanford
Syracuse 48, Stanford 23
The Cardinal are long past the days of Jim Harbaugh or David Shaw at the helm. They’re no longer the perennial Rose Bowl threat as they were for most of the late 2000s and the early 2010s. Now, they’re in the ACC. And they’re one of the worst teams in it.
Not to copy my fellow scribe Aiden, but this really will be a rude welcome to the conference for Stanford. I envision Syracuse blowing the brakes off of the Cardinal. McCord and Co. will only be more explosive following a bye week to shore up their weak points, while SU’s defense will only be better trained to perform without Wax.
Ashton Daniels doesn’t pose much of a concern under center for Stanford. Other than a few big gains, Syracuse didn’t let GT dual-threat quarterback Haynes King run all over it. Daniels isn’t quite as mobile and doesn’t have a solidified running back next to him in the backfield. Ayomanor has potential to dominate one-on-one matchups, though I think the Orange can sit their defense back and let their secondary blanket Stanford’s outside receiving options.
And for Syracuse’s offense, Friday will be a field day. The Cardinal are one of the easiest conference foes the Orange will face in 2024. It’s time for SU to let the sparks fly from the get-go and ride McCord’s arm to what should be a very one-sided affair.
Justin Girshon (1-1)
East Coast Best Coast
Syracuse 37, Stanford 24
After picking up a ranked win over Georgia Tech, the only thing stopping Syracuse’s momentum is its bye week. Following its week off, the Orange will pick up right where they left off, facing Stanford in the JMA Wireless Dome.
Throughout its first two games, McCord and Syracuse’s offense were humming. The Cardinal won’t be the team to contain them. Facing TCU in Week 1, Stanford allowed 34 points in a seven-point loss. The Horned Frogs’ 75.5 offensive grade on Pro Football Focus is the 53rd-best in Division I.
Meanwhile, SU’s 80.9 grade is the 24th-best. Against a more potent offensive attack, I highly doubt Stanford will contain SU’s offense as it continues to show it’s one of the best units in the nation.
While it contained Georgia Tech’s rushing attack, I still think SU has some questions to answer defensively. Unfortunately for Stanford, Christian McCaffrey was last in its backfield nearly a decade ago, and I don’t think the Cardinal will be the team that exploits the Orange’s potential weaknesses.
Photograph by Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer
Published on September 19, 2024 at 12:26 am
