The longtime Central New York rivals won’t meet on the hardwood this season, but the Colgate Raiders (0-2) head to the JMA Dome tomorrow night to face the Syracuse Orange (1-1). This will be the 69th meeting between the two schools and here’s what we are watching for under the Friday Night Lights.
Kevin: Managing workload
My one complaint of Fran Brown is how he approached the Holy Cross game last season with playing time- especially at quarterback. Yes, the Orange need to try and work out some issues
before the Clemson game, but I don’t want to see Steve Angeli and other starters playing into the 3rd and 4th quarters on Friday night. Angeli has taken a lot of hits so far so I’d like to see the bench emptied and get some players some game action against Colgate.
Casey: An FCS beat down
This Colgate team is not good. They’re an FCS school sitting at 0–2, and Syracuse enters as 37.5-point favorites. I want to see the Orange dominate, cover the spread, and be up big by halftime. The past two weeks have brought mixed emotions for various reasons, with both games ending in different ways. However, if Syracuse can take care of business the way they did against Colgate in 2023, it would be a big sigh of relief for Orange faithful.
Augie: Demetres Samuel Jr.
Fran Brown has already said that we should expect to see Samuel on offense this weekend, and in a game where Syracuse should take care of business, this is a really exciting story line. Not only are we going to see how the dynamic freshman is as a wide receiver overall, we are also going to see how he fairs playing both sides of the ball in the same game. All Syracuse football fans should be tuned in to watch how Samuel does offensively, as this could be a preview of what’s to come.
Dom: Defensive dominance
After a shaky start, the Orange’s defense clamped down UConn’s offense to help spearhead the comeback effort and eventual win. While it may not be the most flashy product, against a team like Colgate, fans would definitely appreciate the defense locking down, looking confident and handling business. With a date with Clemson looming, a game like this is a great way to build morale and momentum before heading off to Death Valley.
Max: Start off on the right foot
As Casey outlined, Colgate isn’t the most dominant football program out there. This is the perfect opportunity for Syracuse to start hot and put together a complete first quarter, something that has been missing in its previous two games. There needs to be consistent three-and-outs forced by the defense if the Orange want any confidence heading down to Death Valley. Be bold and make a statement on Friday.
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What will you be watching for tomorrow night?
