The 2023 Syracuse season bears a strong resemblance to the 2022 season. Each team was coming off what basically amounted to a .500 season (2021 – 5-7 with three three-point losses; 2022 – 7-6 with two wins by a combined five points).

Each team has a handful of established high-end players (2021 - left tackle Matthew Bergeron, cornerback Duce Chestnut, linebacker Mikel Jones, running back Sean Tucker, and cornerback Garrett Williams; 2022 – rover Justin Barron, tight end Oronde Gadsden Jr., defensive end Caleb Okechukwu, quarterback Garrett Shrader, linebacker Marlowe Wax).

Each team has the same goal – make a bowl game.

In fairness, that has pretty much been the goal since Paul Pasqualoni was the Orange coach. That goal is probably never changing for Syracuse unless something drastic alters the fortunes of the program, but that is a separate conversation.

While the Orange do have that list of established players, there are still legitimate concerns looming over the team. Will any wide receiver develop into a legitimate threat and help take coverage off Gadsden? Can LeQuint Allen hold up as a starting running back? Will the offensive line develop into a cohesive unit that stays healthy and can pass block effectively (every Babers team has given up at least 32 sacks, even with mobile quarterbacks like Eric Dungey and Garrett Shrader starting lots of games)?

And questions also hamng over the defensive and special teams units. Who besides Okechukwu will provide pass rush? Can Isaiah Johnson hold up as a starter at cornerback for the full season? And who wins the starting spot across from Johnson? How will the kicking game shake out with Andre Szmyt gone?

Getting Rocky Long on board to coordinate the 3-3-5 was a definite win. Jason Beck stepping up to the offensive coordinator spot means continuity on that side of the ball.

The schedule is not unbearable, aside from the three-game meat grinder to open the conference portion. But, the slate opens up with a lighter touch, the bye week immediately follows those toughest tests, and the difficulty eases for the finishing kick.

As always when shorthanded on talent in the ACC, the biggest factor for Syracuse remains a simple one: health. Shrader’s productivity slid when he got hurt last season and returned early to play behind a line that was getting shuffled due to their injuries.

The defensive line got riddled with injuries last season, as well as season-ending ones befalling a handful of opening day starters behind the line (Stefon Thompson, Garrett Williams, Ja’Had Carter) over the course of the season.

All that said, the 3-3-5 defense has been effective at SU, particularly against the run. The offense has also been able to piece together an effective ground game with Shrader taking snaps and improving as a passer the last couple seasons.

Make it official. The Orange will make consecutive bowl appearances for the first time since the 2012-2013 seasons, finishing at 7-5.

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