Syracuse, Notre Dame Set for New York's College Classic

Syracuse (2-2) vs. Notre Dame (1-3)
Game Details: Saturday, Oct. 1 | 12 p.m.
Location: MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford, N.J.
Game Links: Tickets | Listen | Watch | Live Stats
Television: ESPN
Radio: Syracuse IMG Radio Network
Twitter: @CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes
Notre Dame Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Syracuse football team (2-2) wraps up non-conference play when it hosts Notre Dame (1-3) in the 2016 New York's College Classic at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 1. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN with Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst) and Allison Williams (sideline) on the call.

The Orange defeated 31-24 last weekend to even their record. Against the Huskies, quarterback Eric Dungey became the fifth player in program history to throw for at least 400 yards in a game. Wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo established an Orange single-game record with 270 receiving yards.

The Fighting Irish suffered a 38-35 loss to Duke in their most recent outing Junior quarterback DeShone Kizer eclipsed the 300-yard passing plateau for the second straight game, throwing for a career-high 381 yards against the Blue Devils.

For fans headed to the game, the NFL Bag Policy will be in effect and is strictly enforced. To review the policy, visit the MetLife Stadium website.

SPECIAL GUEST
Two-time Super Bowl champion coach and 1968 Syracuse University graduate Tom Coughlin will accompany the Orange captains to midfield Saturday for the opening coin toss. Coughlin spent 20 years as an NFL head coach, including 12 seasons as the leader of the New York Giants from 2004-15. He won 102 games with Big Blue and guided the franchise to wins over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI. Coughlin also served as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 1995-2002. He is currently the NFL's senior advisor to football operations.

TWO HISTORIC PROGRAMS
The Orange and Fighting Irish have combined for 1,596 all-time victories. Syracuse has 703 wins, while Notre Dame has 893. Notre Dame is second on the list of winningest FBS programs, while Syracuse ranks 22nd. The two sides have combined for 12 national championships. Notre Dame has 11 titles, with its most recent coming in 1988. Syracuse won it all in 1959.

Notre Dame and Syracuse have 32 bowl victories between them. The Irish have 17 bowl wins and a 16-17 overall postseason record. The Orange have won 15 bowl titles and hold a 15-9-1 postseason mark.

OUT OF THE GATE
The Orange have outscored their opponents 45-35 in the first quarter this season. Not counting Louisville's 28 first-quarter points on Sept. 9, that margin improves to 45-7. In the past two games, SU has outscored its foes 31-0 in the opening frame. Against USF, the Orange led 17-0 after the first quarter. SU held a 14-0 advantage after the initial stanza at UConn.

Syracuse has scored a touchdown on their first offensive possession in three out of four games (Colgate, USF, Connecticut).

REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK
Redshirt senior wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo set a new Syracuse single-game record with 270 receiving yards at Connecticut on Sept. 24. Scott Schwedes previously held the record, tallying 249 receiving yards against Boston College in 1985. The only FBS player with more yards in a game this season than Etta-Tawo is James Washington of Oklahoma State (296).

In addition breaking the school record, Etta-Tawo became the third player in ACC history to record multiple 200-yard receiving games in the same season, joining Torry Holt (NC State, 1998) and Craphonso Thorpe (Florida State, 2003). It's the second straight year a player coached by Dino Babers eclipsed the 200-yard receiving mark multiple times during a campaign. Bowling Green's Roger Lewis did it three times in 2015.

Etta-Tawo leads the FBS with 706 yards. According to ESPN's David Hale, Etta-Tawo and Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree (2007) are the only FBS players with more than 700 receiving yards through four games since 2004.

AIRING IT OUT
Syracuse leads the ACC and ranks seventh nationally in passing offense, averaging 371.8 yards per game through the air. The Orange are on pace for the most prolific passing season in team history. Through four games, Syracuse has thrown for 82.8 more yards per game than the current single-season record of 289 yards per contest in 2012.

Dungey leads the conference and ranks sixth nationally in passing yards (1,367). Dungey has already posted two of the top three completion totals in school history. In addition, he is only the third Syracuse quarterback to throw for at least 350 yards multiple times in the same season.

NOTRE DAME AT A GLANCE
Notre Dame is led by head coach Brian Kelly. Kelly has spent 25 seasons as a collegiate head football coach and is in his seventh season with the Fighting Irish. He is the winningest active coach in the FBS with 227 career victories. Kelley has guided the Irish to a 56 wins in his time in South Bend and an appearance in the 2013 BCS title game.

Starting quarterback DeShone Kizer ranks in the top 25 nationally in points scored (96), passing touchdowns (11), passing efficiency (167.6), rushing touchdowns (5) and passing yards (1,096). Only Kizer and Louisville's Lamar Jackson rank among the top 20 nationally in both rushing and passing touchdowns. Kizer has accounted for 16 of Notre Dame's 20 offensive TDs.

Equanimeous St. Brown is Kizer's favorite target. The sophomore has 21 catches for 359 yards. He is averaging 17.1 yards per reception and has four TD catches. Josh Adam's is the Irish's top rusher with 238 yards on 47 carries (5.1 avg.).

Junior linebacker Nyles Morgan has a team-best 37 tackles. His 26 solo tackles this season are good for an average 6.5 per game, which seventh in the country. Cole Luke is Notre Dame's top defensive back. Luke has 13 tackles is tied with James Onwualu for the team lead with two pass breakups on the young season.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game will mark the eighth time the Syracuse and Notre Dame meet on the gridiron. The Irish own a slight advantage in the all-time series, 4-3. The series is tied 1-1 at neutral sites. The Orange defeated the Irish 14-7 at Yankee Stadium in 1963, while Notre Dame topped Syracuse at MetLife Stadium in 2014, 31-15, in the most recent series pairing.

Syracuse quarterback Terrel Hunt was 22-for-38 passing for 294 yards and added 26 yards and a touchdown on the ground in the 2014 meeting. The Orange defense forced five Irish turnovers, however, Notre Dame signal caller Everett Golson was 32-of-39 through the air for 362 yards and four touchdowns to power the Irish to victory. He completed 25 straight passes at one point, one short of the FBS record.

UP NEXT
Syracuse ventures to Winston-Salem, N.C. on Saturday, Oct. 8 to take on Wake Forest in its first ACC road tilt of 2016. Start time is 7 p.m. at BB&T Field. The game will air live on RSN.

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Syracuse, Notre Dame Set for New York's College Classic

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Players Mentioned

Eric Dungey

Amba Etta-Tawo

Terrel Hunt

Zack Mahoney

Ervin Philips

Syracuse University Athletics