Beat writers split on Syracuse earning bowl eligibility against Wake Forest
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Syracuse enters its final game of the 2023 regular season needing a win to reach a second-straight bowl game. After the program let go of head coach Dino Babers Sunday, interim head coach Nunzio Campanile will lead the Orange against Wake Forest. Syracuse hasn’t made it to back-to-back bowl games in a decade.
The Orange have struggled in recent years against the Demon Deacons and haven’t beaten them since 2019. The Demon Deacons enter with the worst offense in the Atlantic Coast Conference and allow 26.5 points per game this season.
Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (5-6, 1-6 ACC) will fare against Wake Forest (4-7, 1-6 ACC) in its final game of the regular season:
Anthony Alandt (9-2)
Win one for the gipper
Syracuse 19, Wake Forest 13
We haven’t heard a bad thing about Babers since he was fired by Syracuse on Sunday. He did a great job installing a strong culture while trying to outclass ACC opponents that were better and more well-funded than the Orange. He did his best, but ultimately came up short.
There’s something to be said for the game after the firing, the interim head coach zombie game. Those players have had to deal with a lot of change this week, but I feel like they’re going to go to bat for Babers and put together a strong performance against a subpar Wake Forest team. The 4-7 Demon Deacons have the worst offense in the ACC, averaging just 19.3 points per game with the third-worst rushing attack and fourth-worst passing game.
Syracuse nearly came back against Georgia Tech last Saturday even after falling behind 24-3, a valiant effort that showed the most fight I’ve seen from the Orange in a while. Now, with all the motivation to cap off a wonky season and finish at .500 under Campanile (who was in this position with Rutgers in 2019), I think that SU will do just enough to take down Wake Forest.
Wyatt Miller (10-1)
Battle of the beatens
Wake Forest 21, Syracuse 17
This game will decide last place in the ACC standings. Syracuse and Wake Forest have been the worst offenses in ACC play this season and rank last in the conference with a pair of 1-6 records. The final game of the season still holds significance for Syracuse, however, with bowl eligibility on the line.
Despite its abysmal conference record, Wake Forest has been solid defensively, especially against the run. In 11 games, it has allowed 146.2 yards per game, ranking sixth in the conference. With the Orange’s quarterback room still plagued with injuries, the run-heavy offense they’ve featured the past two weeks won’t set them up for success against a talented front.
Alternatively, the Demon Deacons have been sacked 46 times this season, the most in the ACC. If Syracuse can rush the passer effectively, it’ll stand a decent chance of berating backup quarterback Michael Kern. However, that’s a big “if” considering SU has just 10 sacks in seven ACC games.
There’s too much turmoil around this program to predict a Syracuse win. I think the Orange will miss out on a bowl game by one win for the third time in five seasons.
Henry O’Brien (7-4)
Limp to the finish
Wake Forest 23, Syracuse 20
Like Pittsburgh, Wake Forest has scored less points than Syracuse this season. Though, if you only count conference games, the Demon Deacons are second to last in the ACC, while the Orange are rock bottom. Similar to the Boston College and Pitt games, SU’s latest matchup will be another ugly offensive affair.
Kern has been leading this band of Demon Deacon misfits. But he hasn’t been doing much good. In three games, he has a completion percentage of 57.4 and has thrown just one touchdown. And he doesn’t have many playmakers around him either as wide receivers Jahmal Banks and Taylor Morin haven’t had a receiving touchdown in conference play.
But I struggle to see the Orange pulling this one out. They’re running out of gas, and though they will certainly play with effort, which was never a question under Babers, this group of players will come up short in one last November football game.
