South Florida (USF) vs. Syracuse Prediction, Preview, and Odds
Syracuse and South Florida meet in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl game on Thursday, Dec. 21. The Orange come into the game with a bunch of changes as they have a new head coach and just secured the transfer of a big time player. This season, Syracuse finished with a 6-6 record. South Florida also ended with a 6-6 regular season record, too. These two teams will meet with kickoff slated for 8 P.M. EST.
USF star quarterback pledges future to Bulls
USF is 6-6 this season and they finished the year with a 4-4 AAC record. The Bulls enter the bull game with very few opt outs or changes which is rare during this period. USF did finished the year 2-4 when they played away from home. USF closed the season with a big home win against Charlotte on Saturday, Nov. 25. The Bulls won 48-14 over Charlotte to finish the season bull eligible.
USF returns their dynamic quarterback in Byrum Brown. He threw for 3,078 yards and threw for 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on the season. Brown pledged his allegiance to USF before the bowl game stating that he will return for the next season. Brown was also one of the teams dynamic runners as he rushed for 745 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was just 12 yards short of the leading rusher on the roster. Nay’Quan Wright is the top back for the Bulls. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry and scored seven touchdowns on the year.
The offense wasn’t the problem for USF this season, it was the defense. They struggled to stop teams and allow their offense to gain momentum. The Bulls will rely on Jhalyn Shuler who leads the team with 85 tackles. DJ Gordon IV leads the team with 3.5 sacks on the season as USF struggled to get to opposing quarterbacks. Logan Berryhill is the top secondary member with three interceptions on the year.
“It feels great to be the foundation. 6-6 is not our ceiling. We’re eager to play this bowl game and get back in and turn this thing around fully,” Brown said in an interview this week. “My parents said ‘Whatever school gives you the opportunity, just go out there and make every other school in the country wish they offered you.’”
The Bulls are scoring 30.8 points per game which ranks 48th in the nation. USF is passing for 270.7 yards per game which ranks 31st in the nation. They are the 28th best rushing attack with 286.2 yards per game on the ground.
On defense, the Bulls are allowing 34.9 points per game which ranks 124th in the country. USF is allowing 301 passing yards per game which ranks 133rd. They are also allowing 154 rushing yards per game which ranks 71st.
USF is 6-6 against the spread this season. The Bulls are 3-3 against the spread when they have played away from home this year. USF is 5-2 against the spread when they have been underdogs this year. The Bulls are 6-5 straight up in bowl games dating back to 2005. They have lost by double digits in all five of their bowl losses. The over is 7-5 this season for USF games. The over is 4-2 this season when USF has played away from home. The over is 4-3 when USF has been an underdog.
New look Syracuse to debut against USF
Syracuse is 6-6 on the season and they finished with a 2-6 ACC record. The Orange needed a 35-31 win over Wake Forest in the final game of the season to secure a bowl berth. The winner of the Wake Forest/Syracuse game clinched the bowl game with the Orange coming out on top.Where it has been an easier offseason for USF, it has been a tumultuous time for Syracuse during this month break.
Most recently, Syracuse fired their former head coach Dino Babers and he was replaced by Nunzio Campanile. Campanile will be the head coach for the bowl game.Syracuse has hired Fran Brown as the head coach. Brown comes to Syracuse after being an assistant at Georgia. Thanks to Brown, the Orange secured a big pick up in the transfer portal as Kyle McCord made the announcement to join Syracuse. McCord, who was the starting quarterback at Ohio State this season, will not play in this bowl game against USF, but shows the building blocks are in place for Brown.
Another big news for Syracuse was linebacker Leon Lowery Jr. He left Syracuse during this period and committed to transfer to Wisconsin. A big blow to the Orange’s defense. In his wake, Marlowe Wax will lead the roster with his team-high 99 tackles. Kevon Darton is the top pass rusher with his leading five sacks and Jason Simmons Jr. is the top secondary member with two interceptions.
On offense, Syracuse will turn to Braden Davis as the new starting quarterback. Former starting quarterback Garrett Shrader underwent shoulder surgery after helping Syracuse secure a bowl berth against Wake Forest. Davis, a freshman, played in just two games this season. He has attempted just one pass and rushed the ball twice. It will be a new look for Syracuse in this bowl game.
Running the ball will be necessary in this game as LeQuint Allen will be the featured offense. He led the team with 1,062 yards and nine touchdowns. He was also great at catching the ball as he finished with a receiving touchdown, too.
"You have two teams that are trending in the right direction," Syracuse interim head coach Nunzio Campanile said, "and I just think it's a really exciting opportunity. ... It should be a really fun, entertaining game.”
Syracuse is averaging 25.5 points per game which ranks 81st in the nation. They are rushing for 184 yards per game which ranks 31st. They are the 116th ranked passing offense with 174 yards per game.
On defense, the Orange are allowing 23.8 points per game which ranks 51st. Syracuse is giving up 147 rushing yards per game which ranks 57th. The Orange are the 75th ranked passing defense as they are allowing 231 passing yards per game.
Syracuse is 5-6-1 against the spread this season. They were just 2-4 against the spread when they played away from home. The Orange are 4-0-1 against the spread when they have been favorites this year. The under is 7-5 on the season when Syracuse has played. The total is 3-3 when Syracuse has played on the road. The under is 3-2 when Syracuse has been the favorite.
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Full-Game Side Bet
Rating:
With a new look Syracuse, I am going to side with USF in this game. Their offense was one of the best in the nation especially for a group of five conference team. They should be able to run the ball all over the field. Syracuse will struggle with their new quarterback that hasn’t played at all this season. The Orange are looking ahead to next season already while USF is looking to prove a point in this game.
I am going to take USF to cover.
Prediction: South Florida Bulls +2.5
Full-Game Total Pick
Rating:
Offense is always a focal point during bowl season. The defense will be seeing a new look for the first time in the season. This is why the over should be the play on Thursday. USF’s offense is stacked and has been running up the scoreboard all year long. Their defense has struggled all year and it should allow a freshman quarterback to get comfortable early. The over is 4-2 when USF has played away from home this year.
Take the over on Thursday.
Prediction: Over 56.5
Liam Keating is a local sports journalist in the Kansas City metro area where he covers high school athletes. As a former NAIA college athlete, Liam could not stray far from the sports industry as he studied journalism. Liam has covered an array of sports from high schoolers to college athletes to professional soccer. He is excited to showcase his skills in a new arena of work, sports betting. Liam is pumped to join the great team at Winners and Whiners. Follow along for in-depth previews along with killer picks. You can be up-to-date on Liam’s work on twitter at @ liamkeating7
