⚡ CFB Dashboard

Syracuse football takes on California on Saturday in the ACC opener for both teams. Here are three keys for an Orange victory.  1. GET HATCHER INVOLVED EARLY Umari Hatcher was my preseason offensive MVP, so naturally, getting him involved early is one of the biggest keys to Syracuse beating Cal. One matchup to watch is Hatcher against Cal cornerback Ricky Fletcher. Fletcher transferred to Cal from Ole Miss, where he played in all three College Football Playoff games last season, and he will be one of the Bears' more experienced options in the secondary. Syracuse should not be afraid to challenge that matchup early. Hatcher has the speed to create separation and the ability to make plays downfield, and getting him involved early could force Cal into a defensive scheme that could allow the run game to thrive as it did in week one. Whether it's a deep shot, a quick throw or a one-on-one opportunity, Syracuse needs to find ways to get its top receiver involved. If Hatcher is going to live up to the bill of my preseason MVP, this is the kind of game where he needs to make his presence felt early. 2. LET THE RBs TAKE OVER The second key builds off of the first, and it is to let Syracuse's running game take over. Shavane Anderson Jr. just gave the Orange a glimpse of what he could bring week in and week out, rushing for 102 yards and three touchdowns on only 10 carries in his college debut. Now, Syracuse could get Ju'Juan Johnson and Ahmad Miller back in the mix after they missed the opener. That gives Fran Brown a pretty good problem to have. Anderson has earned more opportunities after what he did against New Hampshire, while Johnson and Miller brings experience and are expected to be a major part of the backfield this season. That does not even include Tylik Hill, who started and played well against Cal.  There's a matchup here Syracuse should like. Cal gave up 277 rushing yards to UCLA on 32 carries, an average of 8.7 yards per carry, while allowing six rushing touchdowns. Syracuse does not need to overcomplicate this. Give its backs the ball, let the offensive line work and make Cal deal with these backs for four quarters. If Syracuse can establish the run early, it could open everything up for Steve Angeli and the passing game. 3. PRESSURE THE QB The third key is to make Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele uncomfortable. He had a solid statistical game against UCLA, throwing for 271 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions and was sacked three times. More importantly, UCLA was able to consistently get pressure on him, and that seemed to affect him as the game went on. Sagapolutele was under fire throughout the night, with the pocket collapsing around him and forcing him to make throws on the run. This is even more important with JKS nursing an ankle injury. Syracuse needs to create that same kind of pressure. If the Orange can get him uncomfortable early, force him to move around and make difficult throws, I think the opportunities for turnovers will come. Syracuse has the pass rushers to make this happen. The goal shouldn't necessarily be to sack him five times, although no one would complain if that happened. It is about making Sagapolutele feel pressure on every drop back and forcing him to make a few more mistakes than he did against UCLA.