The Colgate Raiders and the Syracuse Orange meet in week 1 college football action from the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday.

Colgate Team Preview

The Colgate Raiders will be looking to rebound after a disappointing 2022 campaign that saw the Raiders finish 3-8 overall. Michael Brescia is back after leading Colgate under center, throwing for 1,656 yards, 7 touchdowns and 6 interceptions on 53.5% passing while also rushing for a team-high 751 yards and 13 touchdowns. Jaedon Henry and Max Hurleman are also back in Colgate’s backfield after combining for 839 rushing yards in 2022. Treyvhon Saunders is back at receiver for the Raiders after recording 285 receiving yards in 2022. On defense, Tyler Flick is back for the Raiders after recording a team-high 93 total tackles and 8.5 TFLs in 2022.

Syracuse Team Preview

The Syracuse Orange will come in on the heels of their best season since 2018 after finishing the year 7-5 overall and culminated the year with an invite to the Pinstripe Bowl, a game that the Orange lost to Minnesota by a final score of 28-20. Garrett Shrader is back at starting QB for Syracuse after throwing for 2,640 yards and 17 TDs on 65% passing in 2022, but Shrader also has a decent set of wheels underneath him, rushing for 453 yards and 9 touchdowns. Sean Tucker’s gone from the Syracuse backfield, but the Orange have a nice combination of LeQuint Allen and Juwaun Price to try to make up for it. Oronde Gadsden is back for Syracuse’s receiving group after recording 61 catches for 969 yards and 6 TDs as well in 2022. On defense, Caleb Okechukwu and Kevon Darton lead the way and Braylen Ingraham transfers in from Alabama to help the cause as well. Marlowe Wax is back at linebacker for the Orange after posting a team-high 91 total tackles while Stefon Thompson will hope to have a breakout season in his return from injury. Derek McDonald and Leon Lowery also make up another formidable pair of linebackers for the Orange. In the secondary, Justin Barron is back at safety while Isaiah Johnson is back at corner and provides some nice size on the outside.

Trends

Colgate is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games overall and 2-6 ATS in their last 8 road games while the under is 5-2 in their last 7 week 1 matchups. Syracuse is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 September games while the under is 9-3 in their last 12 home games.

Chris’ Pick

I’m looking at the Orange here, though I don’t love this game. Colgate returns some talent, but it’s from a Raiders team that wasn’t really anything to write home about in 2022. Syracuse lost some key pieces like Sean Tucker, but this is still a really good Syracuse team, and I just don’t see Colgate being able to keep up here. Give me Syracuse.