After a 35 day absence, Syracuse (5-2, 2-2 ACC) returns to the Dome for Homecoming Weekend taking on longtime foe Virginia Tech (5-3, 3-1). The Hokies are making their first appearance in central New York since 2016.
Opponent: Virginia Tech Hokies
Date & Time: Saturday, Nov. 2, 12:00 p.m.
Location: JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, New York
TV: The CW
PREDICTION (The Juice's Season Record: 4-3)
This time there is no "Holy Cross" on the schedule.
After Syracuse dropped its first game under Fran Brown on Sept. 20, stunned 26-24 by a late Stanford touchdown pass, the remedy to getting back to winning was playing FCS opponent Holy Cross eight days later and romping over the Crusaders 42-14.
Following last Thursday's eventual one-sided 41-13 defeat to Pittsburgh for the second defeat under Brown, the obstacle in the way of a quick remedy nine days later is not an FCS foe, but rather a Virginia Tech team riding a three-game winning streak against ACC NCAAF opponents.
The Hokies are playing tough defense (giving up just 11 ppg in that stretch), putting up enough offense (34 ppg), and displaying the program's usual above average special teams play.
VT quarterback Kyron Drones has been inconsistent through eight games, but is a dual-threat who will test the Orange defense, and he's expected to have leading rusher Bhayshul Tuten (second in the ACC at 119 ypg) in the backfield despite Tuten suffering an injury last week against Georgia Tech.
The talented Tech defensive front, led by edge rusher Antwaun Powell-Ryland who's second in the nation in sacks (11), will no doubt provide a stiff test for the recently under fire Orange offensive line.
Along with the challenge of getting his healthy players ready to execute the X's and O's on the field in the stretch run of the remaining five games, Brown is also tasked with how to push the right buttons to get his players in the best mental frame of mind.
After all, the questions have been asked all week with the calendar flipping to November, how does this team avoid the program's November (or early December) swoon resulting in a lousy 12-32 mark over 11 seasons since joining the ACC?
In the end, we trust Brown will push the right buttons and his players will respond in the friendly confines of the Dome, where FanDuel college football has SU as a four-point underdog. Syracuse has only started a season 5-2 five times this century, so the opportunity to make a statement by defeating a hot team, lock up bowl eligibility, and reduce the nervousness among Orange Nation, for at least one more week, is enough to see the 'Cuse pull out a close win.
Jadyn Oh's 34 yard field goal on the game's final play sends the jubilant ('Oh' My!) returning alumni out to enjoy the rest of the weekend, and provides Syracuse with a 31-28 win over Virginia Tech.
----
Chat about this story and all things Syracuse and Syracuse recruiting on our premium message board, Cuse Classified!
Follow us on Twitter @TheJuiceOnline, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram @SUJuiceOnline and listen to our podcast.
Tips/questions/concerns? E-mail Recruiting Analyst Charles Kang here.
Not a subscriber to The Juice Online? Join today for access to all our premium content and message board community.
