UNC Football vs. Syracuse: Game preview, info, prediction and more

The UNC Football program returns to action on Saturday with a tough road game at Syracuse as they hope to earn their second win of the season.

Last week the North Carolina Tar Heels played well enough to get a victory against Virginia Tech for most of the game, leading in the second half and threatening to essentially put it away.

But after a fumble from freshman Michael Carter at the goal line, the Hokies marched right down the field for a touchdown and the go-ahead score in the final seconds. The loss was just the latest tough one for UNC under Larry Fedora as they dropped to 1-4 overall and 1-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

That type of loss is not only a frustrating one, but it can certainly take a toll on the players. The environment under the lights at Kenan Memorial Stadium was awesome and something the Tar Heels haven’t seen in years. Yeah, it sucked to lose that game but it’s time to move on.

And the schedule doesn’t get much easier.

UNC goes on the road this week for a tough matchup against Syracuse, a team that is 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the conference but took Clemson down to the wire in Death Valley. This Syracuse team is talented but has had a hiccup in their past two games.

Following the loss at Clemson, they dropped a contest to Pitt on the road 44-37. That’s a Pitt team that UNC beat 38-35 for their only win this season. After the hot start, ‘Cuse has hit that small road bump and the Tar Heels are hoping to take advantage.

A road win would certainly help boost the confidence of the Tar Heels who need to win five of their last six games to be bowl eligible. Saturday’s game would be a good start in doing just that.

UNC key to victory

Limiting the mistakes is a big key for the Tar Heels in this one and is something they haven’t been able to do so far this season.

Against Miami, the Tar Heels were extremely careless with the football as they coughed it up six times and the Hurricanes took advantage. Then against the Hokies, Carter’s fumble went from UNC having a two-score lead to eventually giving it up and losing.

We cannot stress enough how important protecting the football is for UNC in this one especially on the road.

With Nathan Elliott presumably starting at quarterback, he will need to be very careful with the football. Elliott has been prone to turning it over this season and if you fall behind too far on the road, coming back will be extremely difficult.

Something to watch

Can the Tar Heels get pressure on quarterback Eric Dungey? The senior is the leader of Syracuse’s offense and has been pretty good so far this season.

Dungey has thrown for 1,208 yards, 10 touchdowns and 4 interceptions while posting a quarterback rating of 134.4. He’s been at his best at home where he’s thrown 7 touchdowns and just 1 interception.

The Tar Heels’ defensive line has been one of the strengths so far this season and they were able to get pressure last week against Virginia Tech. But at times, they allowed Ryan Willis to make plays with his legs and beat them.

If they want to beat Syracuse, they are going to have to contain Dungey and make life difficult on him.

What you need to know

WHAT? North Carolina 1-4 (1-2 in ACC) AT Syracuse 4-2 (1-2 ACC)
WHEN? Saturday, October 20th  12:20 p.m. ET
WHERE? Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York
TV? Raycom. Tom Werme (play-by-play), Dave Archer (analyst), and  Lericia Harris(sideline)
RADIO? Tar Heel Sports Network. Jones Angell (play-by-play), Brian Simmons (analyst) and Lee Pace (sideline). Sirius 133, XM 385
WEATHER? Dome.
LINE? Syracuse -10. O/U 69
ALL-TIME SERIES? All-Time series is tied at 2-2. Syracuse won last meeting in 2003 but UNC won the last meeting in the Carrier Dome in 2002. The road team has won every game in this series.
PREDICTION? Syracuse 26, UNC 24