DG’s Week 6 College Football Preview:
Syracuse-UNC, Huge FCS Matchup
Lead “Three To See” (OU-Texas, Too!)
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
While everyone is encouraged to check out our weekly Old North State Tailgate podcast, which drops once a week during college football season and allows for a deeper dive into last weekend’s results and this week’s action, here is one of our weekly NCSportsNetwork.com features, known as “Three To See,” meaning three games that rank among those most worth watching in the coming days, with of course a heavy dose of “state of North Carolina” and ACC angles, as one might guess or expect.
Unlike two weeks ago, when it would have been ridiculous to ignore the Colorado-Oregon, Ohio State-Notre Dame and Florida State-Clemson games on the national schedule, which all ended up providing plenty of drama and produced absolutely enormous TV audiences, this week’s focus returns to a handful of the most compelling contests much closer to home.
Briefly, the best national matchups this week are led by one of the nation’s most celebrated rivalries, the so-called Red River Showdown, and this time it comes with some extra-compelling twists.
Both #12 Oklahoma (5-0) and #3 Texas (5-0) are undefeated, they may be the only truly outstanding teams in the Big 12 this season (and thus may face each other again in the conference title game), and this will be their final clash as Big 12 members. The Sooners and the Longhorns both will be members of the Southeastern Conference starting next summer.
Fun Fact: Oklahoma and Texas have been playing each other in football for so long (since 1900) that their first head-to-head matchup happened even before the schools had adopted their “Sooners” and “Longhorns” nicknames, and at a time when Oklahoma (still an American territory) wasn’t even an official state yet!
Elsewhere on the national scene, #20 Kentucky (5-0) visits #1 Georgia (5-0) and Maryland (5-0) visits #4 Ohio State (4-0) in additional battles between unbeaten teams, and #10 Notre Dame (5-1) visits #25 Louisville (5-0), with the Cardinals’ perfect record also on the line.
Moving on, here are our “Three To See” during Week Six of college football season:
“Three To See,” Game #1
Syracuse (4-1) at #14 North Carolina (4-0), 3:30 pm, ESPN
OLD NORTH STATE TAILGATE
(12:30-3 pm; University United Methodist Church on Franklin Street)
This game features two of the top five quarterbacks in the ACC and two teams that believe they have legitimate shots, in a wide-open field (thanks to Clemson’s two early conference losses), at a trip to the ACC championship game.
Drake Maye of UNC (the 2022 ACC player of the year) offers more star power than fifth-year senior Garrett Schrader of Syracuse, but they have at least three important and/or intriguing things in common: dual-threat ability as runners and throwers, the absolute confidence of their teammates, and their Charlotte-based roots. Maye starred at Myers Park High School, Schrader at Charlotte Christian.
By design, Maye has not run as much this season as he did last year. Schrader, on the other hand, looks like a traditional pocket passer (6-4, 225) and can throw the ball efficiently, but he also regularly makes plays with his legs, including on designed runs. Through five games, Schrader has six rushing touchdowns and ranks 10th in the ACC (on a list consisting almost entirely of tailbacks) with an average of almost 70 rushing yards per game.
One key to this matchup likely will be which defense can confuse, disrupt, rattle and/or sack the opposing QB, perhaps while creating turnovers along the way.
Under new defensive coordinator Rocky Long, the 73-year-old former New Mexico head coach, the Orange are getting after the quarterback, making lots of tackles in the backfield, creating turnovers and becoming an elite tackling team (fourth-fewest missed tackles in the country). Marlowe Wax is one of the best linebackers in the ACC, and rover Justin Barrow also has been playing very well.
Meanwhile, during Syracuse’s 4-1 start, Clemson was the only opponent that succeeded in both attacking and corralling Schrader (five sacks, minimal rushing yardage). It was not mere coincidence, then, that the Tigers posted a 31-14 victory over the Orange, who had entered that contest averaging 44 points per game.
Can UNC (an eight-point favorite), with its much-improved defense, led by rising-star edge rusher Kaimon Rucker and truly brilliant linebackers Power Echols and Cedric Gray, harass and contain Schrader more than Syracuse disrupts and manages Maye?
“Three To See,” Game #2
Marshall (4-0) at NC State (3-2), 2 pm, CW
It’s not often that NC State coach Dave Doeren, who has heard the wolves’ howls many times during his 11 seasons in Raleigh, does exactly the same thing that a big chunk of the Wolfpack fan base is screaming angrily for him to do.
The Pack’s midweek quarterback switch from Virginia transfer Brennan Armstrong to sophomore MJ Morris, who originally was going to redshirt this season, just became one of the exceptions to that rule.
State’s 13-10 home loss last week to Louisville really was that ugly. The Wolfpack managed a woeful 201 yards of total offense against a Cardinals defense that had not dominated its other FBS opponents this season, and Armstrong — a tough, experienced player who was very good for UVa two years ago — threw two horrible interceptions, likely sealing his demotion.
While it would be unfair to Morris to expect greatness right away (he was pretty good last year in close wins over Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, but he was not good in a close loss to Boston College), especially given the Wolfpack’s obvious deficiencies on the offensive line and at running back, it would be reasonable to request a spark of some kind.
NC State (a seven-point favorite) expects its offensive line — often a program strength under Doeren — to take a significant step forward this week with the return of starting center Dylan McMahon, who missed two games with an apparent knee injury. McMahon’s return would enable the Pack to move Lyndon Cooper back to his starting left guard position, and the unit has been getting superb play all along from starting right tackle Timothy McKay.
Meanwhile, Marshall may not be quite as good as its 4-0 record suggests. The Thundering Herd trailed a struggling East Carolina team in Greenville earlier this season before a late surge to victory, and the Herd struggled again last weekend before edging a middling Old Dominion squad, 41-35.
Sun Belt coaches describe this year’s Herd as solid defensively but vulnerable offensively, which should be music to the ears of a Wolfpack defense that completely shut down a previously productive Louisville offense last week and would love to create turnovers, set up short fields and otherwise welcome Morris back into the starting lineup in the least stressful way possible.
“Three To See,” Game #3
#17 Western Carolina (4-1) at #20 Chattanooga (4-1), 4 pm, ESPN+
It would not be an exaggeration to call this the biggest game in the history of this rivalry. Western Carolina and Chattanooga will be playing each other for the 49th time on Saturday, but this is the first time both the Catamounts and the Mocs will enter the contest as nationally ranked teams.
The winner of this Top 25 FCS matchup will remain atop the Southern Conference standings, and the loser likely will still be viewed as a playoff contender.
As the Old North State Tailgate podcast and our North Carolina Sports Network coverage have emphasized for weeks now, Western Carolina head coach Kerwin Bell — an offensive guru who won a Division 2 national championship at Valdosta State — has something cookin’ in Cullowee.
The Catamounts lead the SoCon with 39 points per game and 528 yards per game. (Chattanooga ranks second with 34 points per game.) In scoring defense, the Mocs are first in the conference (20 ppg), and the Catamounts are second (24 ppg).
WCU is led by key offensive players who rank among the best at their position in the SoCon this season: quarterback Cole Gonzales (250 passing yards per game, 11 TD passes, only two INTs), running back Desmond Reid (#1 in the conference by far, with 127 rushing yards per game and 10 rushing TDs) and wide receivers Censere Lee and AJ Columbo.
While Furman has won more SoCon championships (14) than anyone in league history, and this year’s Paladins are ranked #4 nationally and remain the 2023 conference favorite, the Catamounts and the Mocs are among those with at least a chance to challenge that hierarchy. Furman faces road trips to both WCU (Oct. 21) and Chattanooga (Nov. 4) later this season.
Also Worth Noting
Wake Forest (3-1) at Clemson (3-2), 3:30 pm, ACCN
Clemson and Wake Forest, two of the founding members of the ACC, have played 70 times as fellow ACC members, and the Tigers have won 60 of those games (60-9-1), making this one of the most lopsided gridiron rivalries in league history.
Clemson also has won 14 consecutive meetings in this series, 10 of those wins were by 20 or more points, and the Tigers are particularly difficult to beat at Death Valley, where this matchup is being played.
Given Wake Forest quarterback Mitch Griffis’ major struggles against far less threatening defenses, as well as the progress of Clemson QB Cade Klubnik and the emergence of the Tigers’ freshman wide receiver Tyler Brown in recent weeks, this has the makings of another lopsided victory for the home team, which understandably is a 21-point favorite against the Demon Deacons.
#11 FCS NC Central (4-1) at #25 FCS Elon (3-2), 2 pm, FloSports
NC Central, coming off a thrilling, come-from-behind 49-48 (OT) home victory over Campbell, carries a #11 national ranking into this matchup, its highest since the Eagles made the jump from Division 2 to the FCS ranks in 2011.
Elon, coming off a thrilling, come-from-behind 14-6 home victory over #4 William & Mary, is deservedly back in the FCS Top 25 and trying to build on its #17 national finish from last season, the Phoenix’s highest postseason ranking since making the jump from Division 2 to the FCS ranks in 1999.
The must-see matchup in this one is Eagles QB Davius Richard, an NFL prospect, the 2022 MEAC player of the year and one of the greatest players in school history, against a talented and well-coached Elon defense that gave up only 17 points per game against its first four FCS opponents this season.
ACC/NC Week Six Football Schedule
(All games Saturday unless otherwise noted)
FBS
Boston College (2-3) at Army (2-2), noon, CBSSN
William & Mary (4-1) at Virginia (0-5), noon, ACCN
Marshall (4-0) at NC State (3-2), 2 pm, CW
Virginia Tech (2-3) at #5 Florida State (4-0), 3:30 pm, ABC
Syracuse (4-1) at #14 North Carolina (4-0), 3:30 pm, ESPN
Wake Forest (3-1) at Clemson (3-2), 3:30 pm, ACCN
#10 Notre Dame (5-1) at #25 Louisville (5-0), 7:30 pm, ABC
Georgia Tech (2-3) at #17 Miami (4-0), 8 pm, ACCN
Open Week: Appalachian State, Charlotte, #19 Duke, East Carolina, Pittsburgh.
FCS
#11 NC Central (4-1) at #25 Elon (3-2), 2 pm, FloSports
Campbell (2-3) at Hampton (3-1), 2 pm, FloSports
#17 Western Carolina (4-1) at #20 Chattanooga (4-1), 4 pm, ESPN+
Villanova (3-2) at North Carolina A&T (1-3), 4 pm, FloSports
Robert Morris (2-3) at Gardner-Webb (1-3), 6 pm, ESPN+
Open Week: Davidson.
Division 2
#13 Lenoir-Rhyne (5-0) at Limestone (3-2), noon
Virginia Union (4-1) at Elizabeth City State (1-4), 1 pm
Fayetteville State (3-2) at St. Augustine’s (0-5), 1 pm
Johnson C Smith (4-1) at Shaw (1-4), 1 pm
UNC Pembroke (3-2) at Frostburg State (3-1), 1 pm
North Greenville (2-3) at Chowan (0-5), 1 pm
Livingstone (1-4) at Winston-Salem State (2-3), 1 pm
Erskine (0-5) at Mars Hill (3-1), 2:30 pm
Newberry (3-2) at Barton (4-1), 4 pm
Wingate (3-2) at Catawba (3-2), 6 pm
Division 3
Southern Virginia (1-4) at Brevard (2-3), 1 pm
Greensboro (0-5) at Maryville (3-1), 1 pm
NC Wesleyan (0-4) at LaGrange (0-4), 1 pm
Guilford (2-2) at Washington & Lee (3-1), 4 pm
Open Week: Methodist.