Syracuse earns Pinstripe Bowl invite, will play Minnesota

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After finishing the regular season 7-5, Syracuse will play in the Pinstripe Bowl against Minnesota on Dec. 29, according to Brett McMurphy of Action Network. It’ll be the third time the Orange will have played in the Pinstripe Bowl, with the last time coming in 2012. Overall, it’s the 27th time they’ve gone to a bowl game.

The Orange qualified for a bowl game for the second time in head coach Dino Babers’ seven years after beating then-No. 15 NC State and starting the season 6-0. Then the Orange lost five straight games, including two straight losses in which Syracuse didn’t score a touchdown. They finished off the year with a comeback win over Boston College to cement Babers’ second winning season at SU.

“I’m excited for our players to travel to New York City and experience all the fantastic events that come with a bowl trip as a reward for what they accomplished this year,” Babers said.

Syracuse has played the Golden Gophers five times, with the most recent matchup coming in the Texas Bowl at the end of the 2013 season. A last-minute touchdown run from quarterback Terrel Hunt granted Syracuse a seventh victory after a 21-17 win over Minnesota. The Orange will look to close out their second-winningest season under Babers.