Syracuse vs USF: Boca Raton Bowl preview and best bets
The 2023 Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl features a pair of rebuilding programs looking to end their season on a high note. The Syracuse Orangemen (6-6) and South Florida Bulls (6-6) meet on campus at Florida Atlantic University for this intriguing matchup of unproven head coaches.
Odds and lines courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.
Syracuse started the season 4-0 and looked ready to take the next step as a program. But what followed was losses in six of their next seven games and the dismissal of eighth-year head coach Dino Babbers. Under interim head coach Nunzio Campanile, the Orange booked their bowl ticket with a four-point win over Wake Forest in the regular season finale.
Syracuse sported one of the better rushing attacks in the nation, averaging 185 yards per game (29th). Sophomore LeQuint Allen led the Orange with 1,062 rushing yards and nine scores. Senior signal caller Garrett Shrader rushed for nearly 500 yards and punched in eight touchdowns on his own.
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Overall, Syracuse’s offense averaged 359 yards per game (87th) and 25.4 points per game (81st). Meanwhile, the defense allowed 381.7 yards per game (68th) but an impressive 23.8 points per game (49th).
The Bulls have enjoyed one of the best turnarounds in college football under first-year head coach Alex Golesh. With their six wins already this season, USF notched at least a five-win improvement over their performance last year. Their efforts in 2023 have been rewarded with the program’s 11th bowl game.
Freshman quarterback Byrum Brown brought excitement to the Bulls this season. The dual-threat quarterback passed for 3,078 yards and 23 touchdowns this season. He also piled up 745 rushing yards, with 11 scores on the ground as well. His favorite target this season was junior receiver Sean Atkins, who caught 86 passes for 961 yards and five touchdowns. The Brown-lead Bulls offense ranked 16th in yards per game (455.3) and 48th in scoring (30.7 points per game), making them a small 3-point underdog on the best college football betting sites.
South Florida’s defense, however, ranked 128th, allowing the third-most total yards per game (455.3). The Bulls surrendered 34.9 points per game (120th).
While USF sports a solid offensive attack and a weak defense, the fact that both of these clubs run the ball well should keep the clock rolling. The Bulls biggest weakness, though, comes against the pass, something the Orange aren’t as focused on. Syracuse saw the under hit in seven of their 12 games this season.
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USF enters this one 4-2 against the spread as underdogs of 2.5 points. The Bulls’ spread offense and aggressive defense should be enough to overwhelm an Orangemen program looking to reset following the firing of their head coach. Syracuse averaged just 15.6 points per game over their final eight games this season.
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