Louisville’s only loss this season came in its only road conference game. Can Syracuse make it a trend? We’ll find out Friday night, when the Orange host the Cardinals at the Carrier Dome.
How to watch Louisville vs. Syracuse: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
Can the Orange recover from their losing streak?
The Cardinals won their ACC opener against Miami at the start of the season, but lost two weeks later on the road against Virginia. Louisville struggled in its last outing, against Wake Forest -- perhaps the worst Power 5 team in the country -- but scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win. The Cardinals have uncertainty at quarterback following an injury to Will Gardner, who missed the Wake Forest game.
Syracuse is in the midst of a two-game losing streak, following up wins over Villanova and Central Michigan with losses to Maryland and Notre Dame. The Orange’s passing offense has been dreadful, in large part due to play-calling, but they have a lot of experience along the lines and some strong options at running back.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN. Ryan Ruocco, Danny Kanell and Niki Noto on the call.
Online streaming: WatchESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: Neither team is ranked. The Cardinals are 4-1, with a 2-1 record in ACC play placing them second in the Atlantic Division. Syracuse is 2-2, and this is its conference opener. The all-time series between the two schools is tied 6-6.
Vegas: Louisville opened as a 3.5-point favorite. The line has since moved to 1.5.
Weather forecast: 65 degrees with rain showers.
Two things at stake
Louisville looks like Florida State’s only remaining threat to the Atlantic crown, and this is the first of a tough trio of games for the Cardinals before their Oct. 30 battle with the Seminoles.
Syracuse may have disappointed during its non-conference schedule, but the Orange are one of only two Atlantic teams without a conference loss (Florida State is the other). Now, they may not have played a conference game yet, but they have a chance to make a statement here.
One big matchup
Syracuse backfield vs. Louisville front seven. The Orange rely heavily on their running game to get their offense going. How heavily? Quarterback Terrel Hunt is tied for the team's lead in passing touchdowns (one) ... with punter Riley Dixon. Hunt also leads the team in rushing yards (299) and touchdowns (six), but he's not the only one running well. The Orange have three 200-yard rushers this season -- Prince-Tyson Gulley is averaging a team-best 7.0 yards per carry and Adonis Ameen-Moore isn't far behind at 6.3.
Louisville, meanwhile, has done an excellent job stopping the run this season, holding opponents to just 2.0 yards per carry. Miami's Duke Johnson, the best running back the Cardinals have faced this season, ran for 90 yards on 20 carries against them, while Virginia's Kevin Parks ran for 66 yards on 22 attempts. The team is tied for ninth in the nation with 37 tackles for a loss, led by senior defensive end Lorenzo Mauldin (nine tackles for a loss, four sacks).
Further reading
For full coverage of Louisville, check out Card Chronicle. For more on Syracuse, head over to Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician.
See More:
