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The Syracuse Orange will square off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at noon ET on Saturday at JMA Wireless Dome. The Orange are out to keep their five-game home win streak alive.
'Cuse was hampered by 88 penalty yards against the Clemson Tigers last week. 'Cuse was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 27-21 to Clemson. Despite the loss, 'Cuse had strong showings from QB Garrett Shrader, who passed for one TD and 167 yards on 26 attempts in addition to rushing for one TD and 71 yards, and RB Sean Tucker, who was on the other end of that TD.
'Cuse's defense was a presence as well, as it collected two interceptions and two fumbles. The picks came courtesy of DB Ja'Had Carter and DB Jason Simmons Jr..
Meanwhile, the UNLV Rebels typically have all the answers at home, but last week Notre Dame proved too difficult a challenge. The Fighting Irish put the hurt on the Rebels with a sharp 44-21 win. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 30-7. Notre Dame can attribute much of their success to QB Drew Pyne, who passed for two TDs and 205 yards on 28 attempts in addition to picking up 30 yards on the ground, and TE Michael Mayer, who caught six passes for one TD and 115 yards.
Special teams collected 14 points for Notre Dame. K Blake Grupe delivered a perfect 3-for-3 game.
This next game is expected to be close, with 'Cuse going off at just a 2.5-point favorite. They might be worth taking a chance on against the spread as they are currently on a two-game streak of ATS wins.
The Orange are now 6-1 while Notre Dame sits at 4-3. Two defensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: 'Cuse comes into the contest boasting the fifth fewest passing touchdowns allowed in the nation at five. As for Notre Dame, they rank 27th in the nation when it comes to sacks, with 20 on the season.
