Orange Open Up on Saturday

SYRACUSE AT OHIO
Game Details: 7 p.m. | Saturday, Sept. 4
Location: Athens, Ohio | Peden Stadium
Game Links: Watch | Listen | Live Stats
Television: CBS Sports Network | ACC RSN
Radio: Syracuse Sports Network from Learfield
Twitter: @CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Notes(PDF)
Ohio Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Notes(PDF)

ORANGE OPENS 132ND GRIDIRON CAMPAIGN AT OHIO
• Syracuse opens the season with a true road game for the fourth year in a row when it visits Ohio on Sept. 4. The last time the Orange played four consecutive season openers on the road was 1982-85.
• The game will air on CBS Sports Network, with Syracuse grad Dave Ryan '89 (PxP), Aaron Murray (analyst) and Brandon Baylor (reporter) on the call.
• Saturday's game marks the first meeting between Syracuse and Ohio since 1921.
• Syracuse is going for its seventh win in the last eight years in its season opener, it'll be the fourth-straight year the Orange open with an FBS opponent, after starting with an FCS foe from 2015-17.
• Head coach Dino Babers starts his sixth season on the sidelines for the Orange. Babers' tenure includes a 10-win season in 2018.

ORANGE IN SEASON OPENERS
• Syracuse holds an 84-43-4 record in season-opening contests.
• The team has won six of its past seven season openers, defeating Liberty (2019), Western Michigan (2018), Central Connecticut State (2017), Colgate (2016), Rhode Island (2015) and Villanova (2014). The Orange lost at North Carolina in the 2020 opener.
• Syracuse will open the season on the road for the fourth-straight year. The Orange won at Liberty in 2019 and at Western Michigan in 2020. Last season, Syracuse lost at North Carolina.
• This is just the second time in program history that 'Cuse has opened four-or-more straight seasons on the road, in addition to the aforementioned 1982-85 stretch. Syracuse was 2-2 in those four contests.
• The Orange are 7-3 in their last 10 season openers, including a 4-1 mark under head coach Dino Babers.
• 'Cuse faces a team from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) to christen a new season for the second time in four years. The Orange posted a 55-42 victory at Western Michigan in the first game of the 2018 season. Overall, Syracuse is 4-2 against teams from the MAC in season openers and has won four in a row.
• Eight members of the Orange made their first career starts in last year's season opener at North Carolina. In addition, Chris Elmore made his first start at left guard.

HONORING FLOYD
• Syracuse will wear a special patch this season honoring the memory of Orange legend Floyd Little.
• The NFL and College Football Hall of Fame inductee passed away on Jan. 1, 2021.
• A three-time All-American for the Orange from 1964-66, Little frushed for 2,704 yards and scored 46 touchdowns. He was also a standout return man who led the nation in all-purpose yards (1,990) and punt return average (23.5) as a junior in 1965.
• In nine seasons (1967-75) with the Denver Broncos, he amassed more than 12,000 all-purpose yards and was a five-time Pro Bowl selection.

SERIES HISTORY
• Syracuse and Ohio will play for the first time since the 1921 season. Overall, it will be the third all-time meeting between the two schools and the first to take place in Athens.
• The Orange shut out the Bobcats in each of the two previous meetings.
• Head coach Dino Babers is also 2-0 against Ohio. His Bowling Green teams faced the Bobcats in 2014 and 2015, coming out on top in both contests.
• This game is the first of four-straight non-conference games for Syracuse to start the 2021 campaign. Last season, the Orange played just one game outside of the ACC. Under head coach Dino Babers, Syracuse is 11-8 vs. non-conference foes, including a 7-3 mark in the last-10 games.

RECORD WATCH
• With 135 career catches, junior Taj Harris is now sixth in Syracuse history in career receptions, tied with NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison.
• Harris needs five more catches to take over sole possesion of fifth place on the all-time leader list. Scott Schwedes (1983-86) and Shelby Hill (1990-93) currently are tied for the fifth spot with 139 career catches.
• Ervin Phillips owns the Syracuse record for career catches with 223 from 2014-17.

PROTECTING THE POCKET
• Syracuse has seven players on its roster that started a game at offensive line at the FBS level. Airon Servais (48), Carlos Vettorello (23), Matthew Bergeron (16), Dakota Davis (15), Darius Tisdale (10), Chris Bleich (8) and FB Chris Elmore had started eight games at offensive guard last season.
• The 128 total offensive line starts ranks just outside the top-10 in total returning starts at the FBS level. Only 10 schools have 130+ starts returning on their roster.
• Syracuse's seven returners with at least one start at the FBS level on the offensive line ranks 15th nationally.

I AM IRON MAN
• Redshirt-senior offensive lineman Airon Servais finished the 2020 season having made 48-straight starts, tied for the most starts in over two decades.
• Nick Romeo and Servais (48) have the most consecutive starts for the Orange since 2000 and most offensive line starts in that span as well. Orange QB Donovan McNabb has the most total starts of players who ended their careers this century, with 49.

POINT SZMYT
• PK Andre Szmyt averaged 5.0 points per game last season. He ranked 29th nationally in field goal percentage (81.8).
• In the Syracuse record book, Szmyt is No. 4 in career kicking points (291).
• Szmyt has at least one made field goal in 29 out his 36 career games and has booted multiple field goals on 22 occasions.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Matthew Bergeron

Christopher Bleich

Dakota Davis

Chris Elmore

Taj Harris

Airon Servais

Andre Szmyt

Darius Tisdale

Carlos Vettorello

Syracuse University Athletics