Saturday, December 5
South Bend, IN
2:30 PM
Syracuse University
at
Notre Dame
Orange Square off with #2 Notre Dame for Season Finale
12/4/2020 9:33:00 AM | Football
SYRACUSE AT #2 NOTRE DAME
Game Details:Â 2:30 p.m. | Saturday, Dec. 5
Location:Â Notre Dame, Ind. | Notre Dame Stadium
Game Links: Listen | Live Stats
Television: NBC
Radio:Â Syracuse Sports Network from Learfield IMG College
Twitter: @CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Notes(PDF)
Notre Dame Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Notes(PDF)
ORANGE SET FOR SEASON FINALE ON SATURDAY
• Syracuse will play its season finale on Saturday when the team faces Notre Dame to conclude the 2020 campaign.
• The game will air on NBC with Syracuse alum Mike Tirico '88 (PxP), Tony Dungy (analyst) and Kathryn Tappen (reporter) on the call.
DECEMBER FOOTBALL
• Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic altering the ACC's football schedule, Syracuse will tee it up for a rare December regular season game. It's the latest in the year 'Cuse has played a regular season game since facing Notre Dame at home on Dec. 6, 2003.
• Including bowl games, Syracuse enters Saturday's game riding a three-game win streak in the month of December, most recently winning the 2018 Camping World Bowl. In total, Syracuse is 17-7 in the month of December.
SERIES HISTORY
• Saturday's game will be the 10th all-time meeting between Syracuse and Notre Dame, but first as conference foes after the Fighting Irish joined the ACC for the 2020 season.
• The series dates back to 1914, but six of the previous nine meetings have come since 2003.
• Four of those prior meetings have been neutral site games, twice playing at Yankee Stadium and twice at MetLife Stadium.
• Notre Dame leads the all-time series 6-3, including three-straight neutral site victories, but Syracuse won its most recent trip to South Bend in 2008.
• Last time SU played at Notre Dame stadium (2008), with less than one minute to play QB Cameron Dantley hit WR Donte Davis with an 11-yard TD pass as the Orange won 24-23.
LAST TIME VS. NOTRE DAME
• It was a battle of top-12 teams when No. 12 Syracuse played No. 3 Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium in 2018.
• QB Eric Dungey was injured early in the first quarter, and Notre Dame jumped out to a 20-0 lead that it wouldn't relinquish, winning 36-3.
• PK Andre Szmyt registerred Syracuse's lone points on a field goal. WR Taj Harris led the way through the air with five receptions for 78 yards.
• Notre Dame went on to face Clemson in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl, while the Orange capped a 10-win season at the Camping World Bowl.
HARRIS' HAUL
• Junior WR Taj Harris set career highs with 13 catches and 146 yards against NC State. His 13 catches tied for sixth-most in a single game in Syracuse history.
• Of the now eight times an Orange player caught 13-or-more passes in a single game, six of which have come under head coach Dino Babers.
• It marked just the fourth time a Syracuse player has hauled in 13+ catches vs. what is now a Power 5 opponent.
• With 127 career catches, Harris is now 10th in Syracuse history in career receptions.
TUCKER RISING IN ROOKIE RECORDS
• Rookie RB Sean Tucker has only played in eight of the Orange's 10 games thus far, but he's rapidly closing in on the top-five freshman campaigns for a running back in program history.
• He has 525 yards on the ground, 30 yards shy of breaking into the top-five rushing seasons by a Syracuse freshman.
• All-time leading rusher and Syracuse great Joe Morris leads the category with the only 1,000-yard season by an SU freshman, and averaged 91 yards per game, but Tucker (65.6) has the next-highest yards per game average among the group.
SZMYT AMONG FG LEADERS
• Junior PK Andre Szmyt enters Saturday's game ranked seventh nationally among active players in career field goals made. He leads all non-seniors though.
• East Carolina's Jake Verity leads all active players with 74 made field goals. Miami's Jose Borregales leads the ACC with 65 made field goals, while Szmyt's 56 ranks fourth in the ACC.
• Szmyt is currently in sole possession of third in Syracuse history with 56 made field goals. Cole Murphy (2014-17) leads all Syracuse players with 59 career made field goals. John Biskup (1989-92) is next for him to pass with 57.
TAKEAWAY JONES
• LB Mikel Jones enters Saturday's game vs. Notre Dame ranked in the top-10 nationally of all three takeaway statistics.
• He's tied for fourth nationally with four interceptions, and is one-of-three linebackers nationally with four picks on the season. He also leads the ACC in the category.
• Jones is tied for the national lead with three forced fumbles, after forcing one more at Louisville.
• Jones is also tied for fifth nationally in fumbles recovered (2).
• He and Illinois linebacker Jake Hansen are the only two linebackers in the nation with multiple interceptions, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries in 2020.
HACKETT TO THE HOUSE
• TE Aaron Hackett is tied for the Syracuse record in career touchdown receptions by a tight end, one shy of becoming the program's all-time record holder.
• Hackett enters Saturday's contest tied with Nick Provo (9) for the most TD catches by an Orange tight end.Â
• Six of his scores were tallied during the 2019 season, which was the second-most TD catches by a tight end in the ACC, trailing only Louisville's Marshon Ford (7).
MOST FRESHMEN STARTERS IN PROGRAM HISTORY
• Six Syracuse freshmen (four true, two redshirt) started in Syracuse's most recent game vs. NC State, breaking the previous program record for most freshman to start on one side of the ball (5), which was set in the prior two games (vs. Boston College and at Louisville).
• In each of the last seven games, Syracuse has started four-or-more freshmen on defense. Prior to this season, four was the most freshmen starters on one side of the ball in program history.
• Against NC State LB Marlowe Wax made his first collegiate start alongside the group that had started the last two games together (LB Stefon Thompson and DBs Garrett Williams, Aman Greenwood, Ja'Had Carter and Rob Hanna).
• Additionally, more than 71-percent of Syracuse's active roster this season is comprised of players in their first two years of eligibility, a mark that ranks fourth in the FBS. The 'active roster' is comprised of players who've not opted out. The list includes injured players.Â
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Game Details:Â 2:30 p.m. | Saturday, Dec. 5
Location:Â Notre Dame, Ind. | Notre Dame Stadium
Game Links: Listen | Live Stats
Television: NBC
Radio:Â Syracuse Sports Network from Learfield IMG College
Twitter: @CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Notes(PDF)
Notre Dame Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Notes(PDF)
ORANGE SET FOR SEASON FINALE ON SATURDAY
• Syracuse will play its season finale on Saturday when the team faces Notre Dame to conclude the 2020 campaign.
• The game will air on NBC with Syracuse alum Mike Tirico '88 (PxP), Tony Dungy (analyst) and Kathryn Tappen (reporter) on the call.
DECEMBER FOOTBALL
• Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic altering the ACC's football schedule, Syracuse will tee it up for a rare December regular season game. It's the latest in the year 'Cuse has played a regular season game since facing Notre Dame at home on Dec. 6, 2003.
• Including bowl games, Syracuse enters Saturday's game riding a three-game win streak in the month of December, most recently winning the 2018 Camping World Bowl. In total, Syracuse is 17-7 in the month of December.
SERIES HISTORY
• Saturday's game will be the 10th all-time meeting between Syracuse and Notre Dame, but first as conference foes after the Fighting Irish joined the ACC for the 2020 season.
• The series dates back to 1914, but six of the previous nine meetings have come since 2003.
• Four of those prior meetings have been neutral site games, twice playing at Yankee Stadium and twice at MetLife Stadium.
• Notre Dame leads the all-time series 6-3, including three-straight neutral site victories, but Syracuse won its most recent trip to South Bend in 2008.
• Last time SU played at Notre Dame stadium (2008), with less than one minute to play QB Cameron Dantley hit WR Donte Davis with an 11-yard TD pass as the Orange won 24-23.
LAST TIME VS. NOTRE DAME
• It was a battle of top-12 teams when No. 12 Syracuse played No. 3 Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium in 2018.
• QB Eric Dungey was injured early in the first quarter, and Notre Dame jumped out to a 20-0 lead that it wouldn't relinquish, winning 36-3.
• PK Andre Szmyt registerred Syracuse's lone points on a field goal. WR Taj Harris led the way through the air with five receptions for 78 yards.
• Notre Dame went on to face Clemson in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl, while the Orange capped a 10-win season at the Camping World Bowl.
HARRIS' HAUL
• Junior WR Taj Harris set career highs with 13 catches and 146 yards against NC State. His 13 catches tied for sixth-most in a single game in Syracuse history.
• Of the now eight times an Orange player caught 13-or-more passes in a single game, six of which have come under head coach Dino Babers.
• It marked just the fourth time a Syracuse player has hauled in 13+ catches vs. what is now a Power 5 opponent.
• With 127 career catches, Harris is now 10th in Syracuse history in career receptions.
TUCKER RISING IN ROOKIE RECORDS
• Rookie RB Sean Tucker has only played in eight of the Orange's 10 games thus far, but he's rapidly closing in on the top-five freshman campaigns for a running back in program history.
• He has 525 yards on the ground, 30 yards shy of breaking into the top-five rushing seasons by a Syracuse freshman.
• All-time leading rusher and Syracuse great Joe Morris leads the category with the only 1,000-yard season by an SU freshman, and averaged 91 yards per game, but Tucker (65.6) has the next-highest yards per game average among the group.
SZMYT AMONG FG LEADERS
• Junior PK Andre Szmyt enters Saturday's game ranked seventh nationally among active players in career field goals made. He leads all non-seniors though.
• East Carolina's Jake Verity leads all active players with 74 made field goals. Miami's Jose Borregales leads the ACC with 65 made field goals, while Szmyt's 56 ranks fourth in the ACC.
• Szmyt is currently in sole possession of third in Syracuse history with 56 made field goals. Cole Murphy (2014-17) leads all Syracuse players with 59 career made field goals. John Biskup (1989-92) is next for him to pass with 57.
TAKEAWAY JONES
• LB Mikel Jones enters Saturday's game vs. Notre Dame ranked in the top-10 nationally of all three takeaway statistics.
• He's tied for fourth nationally with four interceptions, and is one-of-three linebackers nationally with four picks on the season. He also leads the ACC in the category.
• Jones is tied for the national lead with three forced fumbles, after forcing one more at Louisville.
• Jones is also tied for fifth nationally in fumbles recovered (2).
• He and Illinois linebacker Jake Hansen are the only two linebackers in the nation with multiple interceptions, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries in 2020.
HACKETT TO THE HOUSE
• TE Aaron Hackett is tied for the Syracuse record in career touchdown receptions by a tight end, one shy of becoming the program's all-time record holder.
• Hackett enters Saturday's contest tied with Nick Provo (9) for the most TD catches by an Orange tight end.Â
• Six of his scores were tallied during the 2019 season, which was the second-most TD catches by a tight end in the ACC, trailing only Louisville's Marshon Ford (7).
MOST FRESHMEN STARTERS IN PROGRAM HISTORY
• Six Syracuse freshmen (four true, two redshirt) started in Syracuse's most recent game vs. NC State, breaking the previous program record for most freshman to start on one side of the ball (5), which was set in the prior two games (vs. Boston College and at Louisville).
• In each of the last seven games, Syracuse has started four-or-more freshmen on defense. Prior to this season, four was the most freshmen starters on one side of the ball in program history.
• Against NC State LB Marlowe Wax made his first collegiate start alongside the group that had started the last two games together (LB Stefon Thompson and DBs Garrett Williams, Aman Greenwood, Ja'Had Carter and Rob Hanna).
• Additionally, more than 71-percent of Syracuse's active roster this season is comprised of players in their first two years of eligibility, a mark that ranks fourth in the FBS. The 'active roster' is comprised of players who've not opted out. The list includes injured players.Â
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DB
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