Orange to Face Yellow Jackets in ACC Opener

Conference play returns to the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, when Georgia Tech visits Syracuse.

To get your tickets for Saturday's ACC opener - which is set for a Noon kickoff - visit Cuse.com/Tickets today!

It's the first chance for Orange fans to catch the Yellow Jackets in the Loud House as it'll be the first time they've played in the building with fans present. Despite being conference foes for the last-12 years, Tech is one of the teams the Orange have faced the least since joining the ACC, with Saturday's game marking the third conference matchup between the squads. Syracuse has played Miami just once and taken on Virginia twice as league foes. The first two contests of the series with Georgia Tech (2001 and 2004) were neutral site games and the Orange played in Bobby Dodd Stadium for the 2013 and 2023 meetings. The Ramblin' Wreck were part of the first game under the new roof in 2020, but there weren't fans present as it was during the COVID pandemic.

While the opponent is one 'Cuse fans haven't seen very often, Orange head coach Fran Brown will see some familiar faces on the opposite sideline, and a team he faced annually to close the regular season during his two-year stint at Georgia.

"I'm truly honored for the opportunity we have this week to play against Georgia Tech, which is just a great program – I have been watching them since I was a kid – especially getting the opportunity to go against Coach Key as the head football coach who has known me since I was 20 years old," Orange head coach Fran Brown said. "He was the coach at Western Carolina so he's been a part of just helping me become successful. Buster Faulkner, who I coached with at Georgia, is the (Georgia Tech) offensive coordinator."

Both head coaches bring undefeated teams into Saturday's game. 'Cuse won its season opener for the fourth-straight year on Saturday. Georgia Tech opened the season with an upset of then No. 10 Florida State in Ireland in week 0 before defeating Georgia State last weekend in Atlanta.

The Orange defense will a tough test against the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech is averaging 207.5 yards rushing per game this season, which was one of the few areas the Orange struggled in the victory against Ohio. Brown knows 'Cuse will have to stop the run in order to be successful on Saturday.

"I think their offense is good, led by Haynes King, who reminds me of Vince Young," Brown said. "He's a strong, powerful guy. I've liked their running back, we competed against him last year also, Jamal Haynes. We just have to be more physical. We're playing against Georgia Tech, who will show you that you need to be more physical. Come up and tackle. Take one more step and make tackles."

While the defense may have bent against the Bobcats, it certainly didn't break. Ohio made its way to the red zone five times in the season opener, they scored just one touchdown. Syracuse held the Bobcats to three field goal attempts, two of which Ohio drove inside the 10-yard line, and had a fourth-down stand inside the red zone.

"It's better to give up three than seven," Brown said. "The field gets twice as wide as it is long (when you get down there). It was just them understanding red zone, like 'let's go, let's not allow them to score. When your backs against the wall, sometimes you gotta fight. So let's see if you guys are willing to fight when your back's against the wall."

The Orange offense got off to a rather slow start but then started firing in the second quarter, outscoring Ohio, 17-3, in the second 15 minutes. Several players stood out against the Bobcats, setting career highs and personal bests.

"I just want them all to do well," Brown said. "Let Kyle just continue to have fun, let those guys continue to play. I just think we have a lot of guys on the offensive side of the ball that are doing well and I just want them all to do well, whoever it may be. As long they have on that Syracuse S, I could care less about who it is. I want to see them all do that."

Saturday will be a special day in the JMA Dome as Dwight Freeney, a member of the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame, will have his jersey retired during the Georgia Tech during a halftime ceremony. Freeney finished his career ranked second in program history with 34 sacks and was third in BIG EAST history. He posted over 50 tackles for loss in his career and was an All-American in 2001 after setting the program's single-season sacks record (17.5), earning BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. He later went on to be drafted 11th overall by the Indianapolis Colts, where he totaled the 18th-most sacks in NFL history during his 16-year career. He was enshrined in Canton earlier this month, giving Syracuse the sixth-most Pro Football Hall of Fame honorees of any school.

Syracuse University Athletics

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