FSU football: Behind enemy lines with Syracuse site InsideTheLoudHouse

Q&A with InsideTheLoudHouse (Part Two)

CC: As most fans know, the Seminoles cruised to a 30-7 road victory over Syracuse last season. However, FSU had their hands full in the 2021 matchup when the Orange came to Doak Campbell Stadium with the utilization of quarterback Garrett Shrader’s legs. What are some keys to victory this time around if Syracuse wants to pull off the upset?

ITLH: “Besides the ‘Cuse offense showing up following two poor performances in a row, the main key for me is the turnover department. When Syracuse football lost at home to Clemson two weekends ago, the Tigers won the turnover battle, 3-1, and Clemson scored a ton of points off of those turnovers. The Orange defense has to come up big with some turnovers, whether it is forced fumbles or interceptions. For one, the ‘Cuse securing turnovers gets the high-powered FSU offense – which is No. 1 in scoring within the ACC – off of the field. It also can give Syracuse football short fields with which to maneuver.

Also, the Seminoles’ defense allows more than 380 total yards per game so far in the 2023 season, and Syracuse football has to exploit that. Shrader is a true dual-threat quarterback, and he’s shown that he can run the ball effectively. He just has to be accurate with his passes, and his receivers can’t drop catchable balls. Sounds simple, right?

Another key for Syracuse football is getting off to a fast start versus FSU in a hostile environment down in Tallahassee. Getting a quick score, getting some stops on defense early in the first quarter – anything to give the Orange players some confidence and take the crowd out of the game a bit at the onset.”