Preview: Orange, Irish Battle in the Bronx

#12 SYRACUSE (8-2) VS. #3 NOTRE DAME (10-0)
Game Details: 2:30 p.m. | Saturday, Nov. 17
Location: Bronx, N.Y. | Yankee Stadium
Game Links: Tickets | Listen | Watch | Live Stats
Television: NBC
Radio: Syracuse IMG Sports Network
Twitter: @CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes (PDF)
Notre Dame Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes (PDF)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Bright lights, big city.

No. 12 Syracuse (8-2) makes its way to New York City to play No. 3 Notre Dame (10-0) in its penultimate regular-season contest Saturday, Nov. 17 at Yankee Stadium. The matchup of top-15 teams will air nationally on NBC, with Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Doug Flutie (analyst) and Kathryn Tappan (sideline) on the call.

It's an important game for both teams. Syracuse is trying to maintain its hopes of reaching a New Year's Six Bowl. The Irish are in the hunt for one of the four slots in the College Football Playoff (CFP).

Syracuse is riding a four-game winning streak. It's the second time in 2018 head coach Dino Babers squad has won four in a row, sandwiched around a pair of last-minute losses to Clemson and Pittsburgh.

Notre Dame, meanwhile, is perfect. The Irish already have wins banked against Michigan, as well as ACC foes Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Florida State.

SERIES HISTORY
Syracuse and Notre Dame will meet for the ninth time Saturday afternoon and for the second time at Yankee Stadium.

The first time the two schools played in the House that Ruth Built, Syracuse emerged with a 14-7 triumph on Thanksgiving Day in 1963. The game was played less than a week after President John F. Kennedy's assassination. Led by fullback Jim Nance and quarterback Rich King, the Orange outgained Notre Dame, 386-176. King passed for 178 yards and threw the winning touchdown to Mike Koski with 3:28 remaining.

Notre Dame owns a 5-3 all-time series lead. The Orange's last win in the came in South Bend 24-23 during the 2008 season.

This is the fourth game of the series to be held at a neutral site. The Irish are 2-1 in the three previous neutral contests, winning in 2014 and 2016 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

ORANGE IN THE APPLE
This is Syracuse's ninth trip to Yankee Stadium to play college football. The Orange are 7-1 in those games, including a 2-0 record at the new stadium, which opened in 2009.

The Orange have won four in a row at Yankee Stadium dating back to their 1963 triumph over Notre Dame at the old ballpark. The streak includes a 36-34 victory versus Kansas State in the inaugural New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Syracuse's 3-0 victory in 1923 against Pittsburgh marked the first college football game ever played at the House that Ruth Built.

Historically, Syracuse has been successful when playing in pro venues around the greater New York/New Jersey area. The Orange boast a 20-14-2 (.583) combined record in games played in Yankee Stadium (7-1), Shea Stadium (1-0), the Polo Grounds (7-6-2), Giants Stadium (5-3) and MetLife Stadium (0-4).

COMING HOME
Freshman defensive back Trill Williams and freshman offensive lineman Qadir White grew up near Yankee Stadium. Williams lived approximately 10 miles from the stadium and played his high school ball at Archbishop Stepinac in White Plains, N.Y. White is a Bronx native and attended Cardinal Hayes High School, located less than a mile from the ballpark.

Williams has played in every game for the Orange (two starts) and has 20 tackles. White has yet to make his Syracuse debut.

AN L.A. STORY
One of the most important matchups Saturday will be the Orange's high-tempo offense versus Notre Dame's defense. Syracuse is averaging 44.4 points per game, good for seventh in the country. The Irish are allowing 18.7 points a game, which ranks 15th nationally.

Adding another layer of intrigue is the fact that Syracuse head coach Dino Babers and Notre Dame defensive coordinator Clark Lea used to work together. Babers and Lea were on the same 2006 UCLA staff under Karl Dorrell. In addition, Lea is familiar with Syracuse's veteran personnel, players like seniors Eric Dungey and Dontae Strickland, because he served as the Orange's linebackers coach from 2013-15.

SCOUTING THE IRISH
Notre Dame picked up its 10th win of the year against Florida State last weekend. The win moved the Irish to 4-0 against ACC programs this season.

Quarterback Ian Book, who had started six straight games after winning the job from Brandon Wimbush, missed the FSU game due to injury and is expected to return against the Orange. Book has completed nearly 75 percent of his passes, with 15 TDs and just four interceptions this season.

Book's offensive weapons include running back Dexter Williams and a bevy of wideouts. Williams is the Irish's leading rusher with 113 carries for 770 yards and 10 TDs. Four Notre Dame receivers have at least 30 receptions, led by Myles Boykin's 44 catches for 654 yards.

Linebacker Te'von Coney is Notre Dame's defensive leader. Coney has 87 tackles, 8.5 tackles for losses, and three sacks. He has 28 more tackles than the next closest Irish player.

UP NEXT
The Orange head to Massachusetts for another matchup against a top-25 opponent.

Syracuse plays at Boston College, who is currently ranked No. 22 in the AP poll and No. 20 in the CFP rankings, the regular-season finale for both teams Saturday, Nov. 24. Kickoff is scheduled for noon at Alumni Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

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Players Mentioned

Eric Dungey

Dontae Strickland

Qadir White

Trill Williams

Syracuse University Athletics