It’s a good time to be involved with Syracuse football. The Orange is out to a 6-0 start for the first time since 1987, and has been rewarded with a No. 14 ranking in both the AP and Coaches Polls. SU is also coming off a signature win, knocking off No. 13 NC State for its first win against a ranked opponent of the year.
But now that Syracuse has reached the midpoint of the season, there are perils ahead. It starts with a matchup against No. 4 Clemson at Death Valley on Saturday. SU heads into the game as a two-score underdog, with the spread anywhere between 13-16.5 points. And while the schedule does let up after the matchup against the Tigers, it doesn’t by much. The Orange still has Notre Dame, FSU, Pitt, Wake Forest and Boston College on its schedule after.
Can Syracuse continue to play at a high level and finish off the season in the same way it started? We chatted about it with former Syracuse defensive back and current WROC-TV sports reporter Carl Jones. Based on what he’s seen, the answer is yes. “I can see a 10-2, 11-1 season,” he says, and breaks down how he arrives at that conclusion in this week’s The Juice on the Cuse Podcast, presented by SNY.tv. Jones played at Syracuse from 2016 to 2019 and still knows many of the current players on the team, including cornerback Garrett Williams. He also tells me what has made Williams into the best cornerback in the ACC, what he thinks is the biggest reason for Syracuse’s resurgence this season, and what Syracuse needs to do to upset Clemson on national television.
The Syracuse defense aka the MOB has helped guide the Orange to their best start since 1987
A bright🌟on that defense is CB Garrett Williams. The DB put on a clinic against UVA. But how did he do it?⬇️ #CuseNation@CuseFootball @garrettismynam3 pic.twitter.com/32o2HPMwCO
— Carl Jones (@Jones11_) October 8, 2022
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Afterward, TJO Senior Columnist Jim Stechschulte joins me, and we go further into Syracuse’s hot start. While Jim was hesitant to say the Orange would have a strong second half of the season, he’s seen enough now where he mostly agrees with Jones, and puts the Orange in the 9-10 win range. He also thinks that Syracuse has done more than enough to justify its top 15 ranking, especially now that SU has a marquee win under its belt. As he always does, he offers a detailed, stat-driven explanation as to why.
You can listen to our whole conversation by following “The Juice on the Cuse Podcast,” a Syracuse Orange podcast, by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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