FSU football: 3 keys to defeating Syracuse Orange

FSU football looks for its third consecutive victory this season as they travel north to face the Syracuse Orange Saturday night in another prime-time matchup.

The Orange are in a similar boat as the Noles were earlier this season, losing three straight games after starting the season and surprising some folks with some big wins.

There are a lot of commonalities, one of the biggest reasons they began to lose games as they started facing better competition, and injuries to key players have made them vulnerable in the last few matchups.

One difference is the Noles have gotten healthier after their second bye week and saw one of its best defensive players return to the starting lineup. Syracuse has lost several players for the season, and that’s likely why the Noles enter the game as near-touchdown betting favorites on the road.

I’ve always thought this was a game the Noles would win. A worse FSU team beat Syracuse last season, but Syracuse had some improvements, notably from their quarterback Garrett Shrader.

However, he’s missed the last couple of games with an injury Syracuse head coach Dino Babers refuses to provide details on.

Nevertheless, I think FSU football wins the game whether he plays or not, but we’ll treat this game as if he’s playing. Here are my three keys to victory.