PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Eric Dungey threw one touchdown pass in the loss against Pittsburgh two weeks ago, raising his career total to 50. He is the third quarterback in school history with 50 or more touchdown passes (Donovan McNabb had 77 and Ryan Nassib 70).
–DE Alton Robinson set career highs in both tackles (eight) and tackles for loss (four), including two sacks, against Pitt. Robinson’s four tackles for loss were the most for an Orange defender since Brandon Sharpe had six against Pitt on Oct. 5, 2012. Robinson also forced a pair of fumbles. He’s the first Orange defender to cause multiple fumbles in a game since Parris Bennett was credited with two against Louisville in 2016.
–K Andre Szmyt earned a scholarship after tying his career-high with three field goals, including a 54-yarder that gave Syracuse a 37-34 lead against Pitt. The kick tied for the second-longest field goal in Heinz Field history (college or pro) and was the fourth-longest in team history. Pitt’s Alex Kessman booted the two longest field goals at the stadium earlier in the day, connecting from 55 and 54 yards out. Szmyt has three 50-plus yard field goals in 2018 (50, 51 and 54). He is the first Orange kicker to make three field goals of at least 50 yards in the same season.
–RB Jarveon Howard, a true freshman running back, scored the first touchdown of his career on a two-yard run in the opening quarter against Pitt. He tallied his second rushing score on a five-yard run in the third quarter. He has 201 yards on 35 carries. Having played in his fifth game, he can no longer redshirt this season.
SERIES HISTORY: Syracuse and North Carolina are tied 2-2. They have not faced each other since 2003. Despite being together in the ACC since 2013, this will be their first conference matchup.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “The guys in my room, along with myself, are really hurting. Obviously, we are really disappointed that we couldn’t come home with a victory, but we didn’t give it away. This was really a hard-fought contest between two teams who really wanted to win. They made a couple more plays than us. My hat goes off to them.” — Syracuse coach Dino Babers after the Orange lost 44-37 in overtime at Pittsburgh two weeks ago.
