The Syracuse Orange have been undefeated through three games this season, but their streak is very much in peril when Leo Fournette and the No. 13 LSU Tigers come to town for an SEC-ACC showdown in Carrier Dome this coming weekend. Fournette had the nation’s attention last Saturday, when he almost single-handedly blasted the No. 18 Auburn Tigers in a home victory.
Read on for a preview of this matchup. You can also click here for a breakdown of the matchup between Mississippi State and Auburn.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]LSU Tigers vs. Syracuse Orange Preview
Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse
When: Saturday, September 26, 12:00 PM ET
Line: LSU Tigers vs. Syracuse Orange – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the LSU Tigers
LSU’s game plan in their 45-21 win over Auburn in Week 3 was simple: just give the ball to Leo Fournette and let the sophomore running back do the rest.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Fournette was a one-man wrecking crew against Auburn, as he rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns—his second straight three-touchdown game. Auburn’s defense was hapless in stopping Fournette, who should also be thankful for the wide gaps provided by LSU’s offensive line.
Syracuse hasn’t allowed more than 90 rushing yards to its opponents thus far this season, but its defensive line has a lot of questions left to answer, including whether the unit can handle a Top 25 team like LSU. Based on Fournette’s exploits against top-tier programs like Mississippi State and Auburn in previous games, it’s easy to imagine him decimating Syracuse’s defense next Saturday.
Quarterback Brandon Harris, meanwhile, may also have a field day in Carrier Dome, given the Orange’s porous defense that allowed Wake Forest and Central Michigan to combine for 803 passing yards. Harris only threw for 74 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions on 17 attempts against Auburn.
Defensively, LSU will have to keep its eye on Orange running back Jordan Fredericks, who paces Syracuse with 197 rushing yards to go along with a couple of rushing scores.
The under is 4-1 in LSU’s last five road games overall.
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Betting on the Syracuse Orange
After narrowly escaping the Central Michigan Chippewas, the Orange have a week to prepare for what should be their toughest game to date—a home game against Les Miles’ LSU. Syracuse is 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS thus far this season.
In its 30-27 win over the Chippewas, Syracuse got a big boost from its backfield, which compiled 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Jordan Fredericks led the team with 73 rushing yards on 11 carries, including a game-winning four-yard touchdown rush in overtime. Syracuse’s aerial attack, meanwhile, produced 161 passing yards and two touchdowns.
The win over Central Michigan, however, came at a cost for Syracuse, as the team saw second-string quarterback Eric Dungey leave the game with a head injury. Should Dungey miss the game against LSU, head coach Scott Shafer will be left with third- and fourth-string quarterbacks Austin Wilson and Zack Mahoney under center. Wilson went 4 of 7 with a touchdown and an interception in the Central Michigan game, while Mahoney completed all four passes for 19 yards.
With Syracuse experiencing major quarterback issues, expect the Orange to rely even more on their backfield to move the chains. That means added workload for Fredericks and extra pressure for George Morris II to recover quickly from a bad game. Morris, who averaged 58.5 rushing yards in the Orange’s first two games of the season, registered -1 yards on the ground against the Chippewas.
Writer’s Prediction
LSU wins, 42-13.
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