Saturday, August 31
Lynchburg, VA
6 PM
Syracuse University
at
Liberty
Preview: Syracuse Football Kicks Off 130th Season Against Liberty
8/30/2019 9:32:00 AM | Football
#22 SYRACUSE (0-0) AT LIBERTY (0-0)
Game Details:Â 6 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 31
Location: Lynchburg, Va. | Williams Stadium
Game Links: Tickets | Listen | Watch | Live Stats
Television: ESPN+
Radio:Â Syracuse Sports Network from Learfield IMG College
Twitter: @CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats (2018) | Notes
Liberty Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats (2018) | Notes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The 22nd-ranked Orange football team (0-0) opens the season with a true road game for the second year in a row when it visits new fully-fledged FBS member Liberty (0-0) on Saturday, Aug. 31. The Orange are the first Power-Five team to make the trip to Williams Stadium and the first ranked FBS opponent the Flames have ever hosted.
Saturday's game will air on ESPN+ with Matt Warner, Joe Jauch and Melanie Newman on the call.
Syracuse is looking to win its sixth straight season opener, a streak that dates back to 2014.
BACK IN THE TOP 25
Syracuse is beginning a campaign ranked in the national polls for the first time since quarterback Donovan McNabb was a senior in 1998. The Orange are No. 22 in both the preseason Associated Press Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll. In their last nine games when playing as a ranked team, the Orange are 7-2. Additionally, Syracuse is 7-5-1 in season-opening games when ranked.Â
The Orange made their return to the AP poll on Oct. 28, 2018 following a victory over NC State. The appearance ended the second-longest active poll drought among Power-Five programs (Indiana, 1994). Previously, Syracuse had not been ranked since the 2001 season. Syracuse closed the 2018 campaign at No. 15 in both polls. The Orange were No. 20 in last year's final College Football Playoff rankings.
ORANGE IN SEASON OPENERS
Syracuse holds an 83-42-4 record in season-opening contests. The team has won each of its past five season openers, defeating Western Michigan (2018), Central Connecticut State (2017), Colgate (2016), Rhode Island (2015) and Villanova (2014).
This is the second straight season Syracuse has begun on the road. The Orange won at Western Michigan 55-42 to open the 2018 campaign. The last time Syracuse started consecutive seasons with true road games was in 2003 (at North Carolina) and 2004 (at Purdue).
THE NEED FOR SPEED
Since head coach Dino Babers arrived in 2016, Syracuse has run 3,061 plays in 37 games or 82.7 plays per game. The Orange have ranked in the top five in the FBS in total plays each of the past two seasons, including logging a school-record 1,063 plays in 2018. Syracuse's average of 81.8 plays per contest last season was second nationally to ACC rival Wake Forest (82.1).
PASSING THE TORCH
Redshirt sophomore Tommy DeVito is expected to make the first start of his career at quarterback Saturday at Liberty. The Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) product takes over for record-setter Eric Dungey, who served as Syracuse's starter all four years of his career.
In eight games during his freshman season, DeVito completed just over 50 percent of his passes for 525 yards and four touchdowns. His most notable performance came when he relieved Dungey in the fourth quarter against North Carolina and rallied Syracuse to a 40-37, double-overtime victory. DeVito entered the game with 5:07 remaining and threw three touchdowns, including the tying score with 1:39 to go and the winner in the second extra session.
TAKETH AWAY
Part of Syracuse's defensive turnaround in 2018 was its success generating turnovers. The Orange more than quadrupled their interception total from 2017 (4) to 2018 (18) and finished fifth nationally in the statistic. In addition, the Orange finished last year tied for third nationally with 13 fumble recoveries. The team's 31 turnovers gained tied for the FBS lead with Ohio. Boston College (26) was the next closest ACC team.
Syracuse was +13 in turnover margin on the year (best in the ACC and fourth nationally). The Orange turned their opponent's miscues into 111 points, compared 46 points scored by the opposition off SU turnovers.
The Orange own a current streak of 14 consecutive games with a takeaway dating back to the 2017 finale versus Boston College. It's the fifth-longest active takeway streak in the nation and the best current streak in the ACC. UCF's 32-game streak tops the national list.
Consecutive Games With a Takeaway (Active)
UCF - 32
Indiana - 18
Houston - 17
Mississippi State - 16
Syracuse - 14
Maryland - 12
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
Coach Hugh Freeze enters his first season at Liberty, which has now completed the FBS reclassification process is eligible to participate in bowl games. Freeze's previous head coaching stops were at Ole Miss, Arkansas State and Lambuth. He owns a 42-32 career record (does not include 27 victories that were vacated between 2012-16).
Quarterback Stephen Calvert returns after throwing for more than 3,000 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior. Calvert has passed for nearly 6,500 yards in the last two years and was a Jerry Rice Award finalist (FCS Rookie of the Year) as a freshman.
Calvert will be flanked by an experienced receiving corps, as seven of the eight players to catch 10+ balls last season return. Receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden headlines the returning pass-catchers, tallying 1,037 yards on 71 catches.
Defensively, edge rusher Jessie Lemonier finished last season with double-digit sacks (10). Lemonier, along with Syracuse's Kendall Coleman (10) and Alton Robinson (10), who are set to suit up on the other sideline, means three of the seven returning FBS players with double-digit sacks last season are playing in Saturday's game.
UP NEXT
The Orange will remain on the road next week when they head to College Park to rekindle their rivalry with Maryland. Kickoff against the Terps is scheduled for noon on either ESPN or ESPN2. The television assignment will be determined after the Week 1 slate of games.
For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
Â
Game Details:Â 6 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 31
Location: Lynchburg, Va. | Williams Stadium
Game Links: Tickets | Listen | Watch | Live Stats
Television: ESPN+
Radio:Â Syracuse Sports Network from Learfield IMG College
Twitter: @CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats (2018) | Notes
Liberty Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats (2018) | Notes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The 22nd-ranked Orange football team (0-0) opens the season with a true road game for the second year in a row when it visits new fully-fledged FBS member Liberty (0-0) on Saturday, Aug. 31. The Orange are the first Power-Five team to make the trip to Williams Stadium and the first ranked FBS opponent the Flames have ever hosted.
Saturday's game will air on ESPN+ with Matt Warner, Joe Jauch and Melanie Newman on the call.
Syracuse is looking to win its sixth straight season opener, a streak that dates back to 2014.
BACK IN THE TOP 25
Syracuse is beginning a campaign ranked in the national polls for the first time since quarterback Donovan McNabb was a senior in 1998. The Orange are No. 22 in both the preseason Associated Press Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll. In their last nine games when playing as a ranked team, the Orange are 7-2. Additionally, Syracuse is 7-5-1 in season-opening games when ranked.Â
The Orange made their return to the AP poll on Oct. 28, 2018 following a victory over NC State. The appearance ended the second-longest active poll drought among Power-Five programs (Indiana, 1994). Previously, Syracuse had not been ranked since the 2001 season. Syracuse closed the 2018 campaign at No. 15 in both polls. The Orange were No. 20 in last year's final College Football Playoff rankings.
ORANGE IN SEASON OPENERS
Syracuse holds an 83-42-4 record in season-opening contests. The team has won each of its past five season openers, defeating Western Michigan (2018), Central Connecticut State (2017), Colgate (2016), Rhode Island (2015) and Villanova (2014).
This is the second straight season Syracuse has begun on the road. The Orange won at Western Michigan 55-42 to open the 2018 campaign. The last time Syracuse started consecutive seasons with true road games was in 2003 (at North Carolina) and 2004 (at Purdue).
THE NEED FOR SPEED
Since head coach Dino Babers arrived in 2016, Syracuse has run 3,061 plays in 37 games or 82.7 plays per game. The Orange have ranked in the top five in the FBS in total plays each of the past two seasons, including logging a school-record 1,063 plays in 2018. Syracuse's average of 81.8 plays per contest last season was second nationally to ACC rival Wake Forest (82.1).
PASSING THE TORCH
Redshirt sophomore Tommy DeVito is expected to make the first start of his career at quarterback Saturday at Liberty. The Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) product takes over for record-setter Eric Dungey, who served as Syracuse's starter all four years of his career.
In eight games during his freshman season, DeVito completed just over 50 percent of his passes for 525 yards and four touchdowns. His most notable performance came when he relieved Dungey in the fourth quarter against North Carolina and rallied Syracuse to a 40-37, double-overtime victory. DeVito entered the game with 5:07 remaining and threw three touchdowns, including the tying score with 1:39 to go and the winner in the second extra session.
TAKETH AWAY
Part of Syracuse's defensive turnaround in 2018 was its success generating turnovers. The Orange more than quadrupled their interception total from 2017 (4) to 2018 (18) and finished fifth nationally in the statistic. In addition, the Orange finished last year tied for third nationally with 13 fumble recoveries. The team's 31 turnovers gained tied for the FBS lead with Ohio. Boston College (26) was the next closest ACC team.
Syracuse was +13 in turnover margin on the year (best in the ACC and fourth nationally). The Orange turned their opponent's miscues into 111 points, compared 46 points scored by the opposition off SU turnovers.
The Orange own a current streak of 14 consecutive games with a takeaway dating back to the 2017 finale versus Boston College. It's the fifth-longest active takeway streak in the nation and the best current streak in the ACC. UCF's 32-game streak tops the national list.
Consecutive Games With a Takeaway (Active)
UCF - 32
Indiana - 18
Houston - 17
Mississippi State - 16
Syracuse - 14
Maryland - 12
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
Coach Hugh Freeze enters his first season at Liberty, which has now completed the FBS reclassification process is eligible to participate in bowl games. Freeze's previous head coaching stops were at Ole Miss, Arkansas State and Lambuth. He owns a 42-32 career record (does not include 27 victories that were vacated between 2012-16).
Quarterback Stephen Calvert returns after throwing for more than 3,000 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior. Calvert has passed for nearly 6,500 yards in the last two years and was a Jerry Rice Award finalist (FCS Rookie of the Year) as a freshman.
Calvert will be flanked by an experienced receiving corps, as seven of the eight players to catch 10+ balls last season return. Receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden headlines the returning pass-catchers, tallying 1,037 yards on 71 catches.
Defensively, edge rusher Jessie Lemonier finished last season with double-digit sacks (10). Lemonier, along with Syracuse's Kendall Coleman (10) and Alton Robinson (10), who are set to suit up on the other sideline, means three of the seven returning FBS players with double-digit sacks last season are playing in Saturday's game.
UP NEXT
The Orange will remain on the road next week when they head to College Park to rekindle their rivalry with Maryland. Kickoff against the Terps is scheduled for noon on either ESPN or ESPN2. The television assignment will be determined after the Week 1 slate of games.
For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
Â
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
QB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DL
/ FootballSteve Angeli Interview | Notre Dame Week
Thursday, November 20
Fran Brown Show
Thursday, November 20
Fran Brown Press Conference | Notre Dame Week
Monday, November 17
Fran Brown Press Conference
Monday, November 17
