Orange to Honor Seniors Before Wake Forest Game

Syracuse will take to the field at the JMA Wireless Dome one last time in 2023 when it hosts Wake Forest on Saturday. Opening kick is set for 2 p.m. A win will send the Orange to a bowl game for the second-straight year.

Tickets for Saturday's game are available on Cuse.com/tickets. Fans are encouraged to arrive early as the Orange will honor those playing their last home game in a pregame ceremony. Fans are invited to stay after the game as the players will take part in the Senior Walk.

"Our emphasis on this week is two-fold – number one is let's prepare this team to play Wake Forest to get bowl eligible," Director of Athletics John Wildhack said when he addressed the media on Monday for the first time since making a change in leadership of the Orange football program. "And if we are 6-6, if we win Saturday, we will go to a bowl. Let's honor our seniors the right way. We will do the Senior Walk after the game on Saturday night. And it's a chance for the community, and I do hope that they come out and support our seniors for everything that they have given to this program and community."

The goal of playing in a bowl game is still within reach for the Orange, which enters Saturday's game with a 5-6 record. A victory will send Syracuse to back-to-back bowl games for the first time as a member of the ACC. The last time 'Cuse reached back-to-back bowls was the 2012-13 seasons, which were split between their final season in the BIG EAST and first in the ACC.

Individually, sophomore running back LeQuint Allen Jr. needs 82 more yards to post the 19th 1,000 yard rushing season in program history. It would be the third-straight season 'Cuse has a back reach the 1,000 yard mark after Sean Tucker did so in 2021 and 2022. It'd be the fourth time in program history that Syracuse has seen a player reach 1,000 yards in three-straight seasons.

On the defensive side of the ball, LB Marlowe Wax has recorded a career-high 92 tackles. With eight more tackles, Wax would be the first 'Cuse defender to record 100 tackles in a season since Lakiem Williams in 2019.

It's players like Allen and Wax along with the expansion of the football facilities that are currently under construction give Wildhack confidence that the Orange will attract top candidates for their head coaching position.

"Number one, there's a commitment from the University to this program," Wildhack said. "I thank the Chancellor, I thank the Board for that. We've had success here. Have we had as much as we want – no. But we've had success. As I said earlier, this not a total reboot. We've got really good players. And if you can keep that nucleus together, add to that nucleus, enhance our recruiting efforts, our player development efforts, we can win. We can be very competitive in the ACC. We're not that far away. And if you look in terms of the investment we've made, you look right outside there at the football operations center. We've not made an investment like that, Syracuse Athletics, in I don't know how long. If you look at what we've done with the Dome. If you look at the Ensley indoor practice facility. We have a package of facilities which is competitive with our peers."

Kickoff in the Dome is set for 2 p.m. on The CW Network. Purchase tickets at Cuse.com/tickets.

Syracuse University Athletics

Players Mentioned

LeQuint Allen

Sean Tucker

Marlowe Wax

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