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A season ago, Syracuse had three chances to pick up its sixth win to secure bowl eligibility. The Orange finished 5-7, losing its last three games. The first loss came against Louisville in SU’s biggest loss of the season. The Cardinals were up 35-3 at the half and added six more unanswered points to close out the game. On Saturday, Louisville will enter the JMA Wireless Dome for Syracuse’s season opener, the first of five home matchups in the opening six games to begin the 2022 campaign.

Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse will fare in its season opener:

Alex Cirino (0-0)
Too much to handle
Louisville 32, Syracuse 21 

It’s been 11 consecutive meetings between the two schools that have seen Louisville put up at least 22 points on the Syracuse defense. Saturday will definitely be the 12th, but the margin won’t be as bad as it’s been for five out of the last six seasons where Louisville has won by at least 20 points in each of its five victories. But the reason the Cardinals have excelled is their reliance on two of college football’s most versatile quarterbacks within the last decade: Lamar Jackson — now the starter for the Baltimore Ravens — and Malik Cunningham.

Cunningham will suit up for the Cardinals on Saturday and can probably run the ball as well as Syracuse can. But compared to Syracuse’s starter Garrett Shrader, Louisville’s quarterback has the edge when it comes to passing. The Orange allowed touchdowns on four consecutive drives to begin their meeting from a season ago, so expect Louisville’s offense to make a similar impact on Saturday.

Connor Smith (0-0) 
A Red Scare
Louisville 42, Syracuse 20

For whatever reason, Louisville always seems to excel — particularly offensively — against Syracuse. In the two teams’ last seven meetings, the Cardinals have averaged over 44 points per game, and gone 6-1 against the Orange, providing SU fans with an annual scary sight as red jersey after red jersey trots into the end zone. The dual-threat capabilities of UL quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Malik Cunningham have proved too much for Syracuse to handle, and I foresee things going the same way on Saturday night. 

Cunningham is back for his sixth season at Louisville, another opportunity for him to dash the Orange’s hopes. Last year, SU was one win away from bowl eligibility and riding high off a two-game win streak before Cunningham notched five touchdowns and solidified the game’s outcome — a 41-3 Louisville win — by halftime. This year, Syracuse has a new offense and coaching staff, along with returning stars Garrett Shrader and Sean Tucker, to display in front of the newly-named JMA Wireless Dome. But once again, Cunningham and the Cardinals will stomp on any momentum SU has and start the Orange’s season off on a sour note. 

Anthony Alandt (0-0) 
Home wrecker
Louisville 38, Syracuse 15

Head coach Dino Babers admitted that the Orange don’t have anyone on the team to counter Malik Cunningham. While that might’ve been tongue-in-cheek, no one can deny the Cardinals quarterback has had Syracuse’s number. Facing a dual-threat quarterback multiple times does have its advantages, and I see the Orange’s secondary forcing Cunningham to run more than he’d like to. But it’s still Cunningham, and SU’s defensive line is still young and unproven.

Babers said that a loss to Louisville will certainly mean more, especially to start the season. He’s right. A much better, more experienced Louisville team is going to severely expose the holes SU has. Steve Linton, Kevon Darton and the rest of the defensive line are bursting with talent, but they’re going to be in for a rude awakening when one of the most mobile quarterbacks in college football runs circles around them on their own field in week one.

Published on August 31, 2022 at 10:56 pm