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It’s hard to say that a season-opener is a must-win game, but for Syracuse, who begins the season with five out of six games at home, racking up early victories will be crucial to try and make a bowl game. An upset win over a Louisville team that has buried the Orange for the past decade will put those hopes into perspective.

Syracuse enters 2022 with a similar degree of change and familiarity, and how that plays a role into an overall improvement from 2021’s 5-7 record could be determined by a result against the Cardinals, who finished fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Atlantic division last year.

Here’s everything to know about Louisville ahead of Syracuse’s season opener on Saturday:

All-time series

Louisville leads, 13-7.

Last time they played

Syracuse traveled to Louisville on Nov. 13 with a 5-4 record, seeking just one more win to clinch bowl game eligibility with four games remaining. The Cardinals scored on each of their first four drives to ease their way to a 28-3 lead with over eight minutes remaining in the first half. Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham passed for three of its scores and rushed for one solo score on its opening drive.

Syracuse lost 41-3, suffering its biggest defeat of the season. Quarterback Garrett Shrader completed 10-of-18 passes, which amounted to 46 passing yards. Running back Sean Tucker rushed for 95 yards, which left him 11 yards short of the then-single-season rushing record.

On the defensive end, the Orange couldn’t handle Cunningham, who accumulated a season-high four passing touchdowns. Syracuse also recorded its fewest number of tackles—48—since 2018, when it recorded the same number in a road victory at Western Michigan.

The Cardinals report

The biggest storyline about Louisville’s roster this season will be the return of Cunningham, who will be entering his sixth collegiate football season. The Cardinals will also return their top receiver, Marshon Ford, who caught for 550 yards last year. No Syracuse receiver caught for more than 400 in 2021.

Defensively, Louisville managed 10 interceptions last season, averaging an ACC second-best 16.1 yards per pick. Although the Cardinals may not be at the caliber of the nationally-ranked opponents Syracuse will face this year, they’ll still be a tough test for an Orange team that’s figuring out their latest identity.

How Syracuse beats Louisville

It’s very likely that Syracuse’s running game will look the same as it did last year — which could result in an upset victory — and it may be even better than Louisville’s coming into this season. But Syracuse needs to match that production in the passing game.

Syracuse has hinted at possibly transitioning toward a more pass-centric offense. But if it fail, and the Orange consistently go 3-and-out, Louisville will use its passing game to put the game away early like it did last year.
Shrader had one of his worst performances of the 2021 season against the Cardinals and Tucker wasn’t a factor either, so overpowering the Cardinals’ offense will be key to pulling off a crucial win at the Dome.

Stat to know: 20

In 2021, Louisville led the ACC in fewest sacks allowed, surrendering just 20 all year. This correlates to the amount of offensive momentum it generated. The Cardinals have one of the top-20 offensive line units heading into this season.

It’s why Cunningham has consistently been able to punish the Orange throughout his five seasons with the Cardinals, and why he’ll likely do the same on Saturday.

Player to watch: Caleb Chandler, No. 55, Offensive Lineman

If there’s one player that will allow Cunningham to be his dominant self on Saturday, it’s Caleb Chandler. Chandler has started 36 straight games for Louisville since the 2019 season as he enters his sixth year with the program.

At the end of the 2021 season, Chandler was named to the All-ACC first team, the first Cardinals offensive lineman to do so since Mekhi Becton in 2019, who was drafted 11th overall by the New York Jets in 2020. Ahead of this season, the Jefferson, Georgia native was named to the Associated Press’ preseason All-American team and one of Louisville’s offensive captains.

Published on August 31, 2022 at 11:59 pm

Contact Alex: ahcirino@syr.edu