Virginia vs Syracuse Football GAME THREAD

Virginia Cavaliers vs. Syracuse Orange

HOW TO WATCH THE ‘HOOS:

Location: Syracuse, NY

Date: September 13, 2022

Time: 7:00 P.M. ET

Channel: ESPN

Online Streaming: WATCHESPN

Vegas Odds: Syracuse -10

1. The BIG PREVIEW is here with everything you need to know about this matchup including schematic breakdowns, keys to the game, and detailed analysis of Syracuse’s strengths and weaknesses.

Kickoff is at 7:00 — leave your pre, in, and post-game thoughts here and be sure to check back in for plenty of post game content later today, tomorrow, and next week!

We’ll also be active on Twitter throughout the game and all season long so follow along on there for our staff’s live reactions.

Streaking the Lawn — @STL_UVA

Zach Carey — @Zach_Carey_

Dan Siegel — @DanSiegelShow

Ryan Reese — @HoosOn_First

Ben Wieland — @BenWieland

Paul Guttman — @Tiki_UVA

Will Campbell — @WillC_45

Paul Wiley — @PaulWileyVA

Lastly, here are media game notes from UVA:

INSIDE SATURDAY’S MATCHUP

• Virginia will visit Syracuse for the first time since 2005 and the first with both schools members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The only meeting between the two schools as ACC foes came in 2015 in Charlottesville, a 44-38 UVA victory in a triple-overtime thriller at Scott Stadium.

• UVA is seeking their third win of the season, it would be the first time since 2019 that the Cavaliers have won at least three of the first four games and the fourth time in the last six years Virginia has posted three wins in the first four games.

• The Cavaliers will play their first night game of the season after playing seven in 2021. UVA is 68-58-1 all-time in night games and hold a 25-35 mark in night games on the road.

• Friday night serves as Virginia’s ACC opener. The Cavaliers have won five of their last six ACC openers and in their 69th season in the league are 28-40 in their first ACC games of the year.

• The Virginia defense has forced five turnovers in its first three games, including four fumbles, tied for the seventh-most in the country. On the flip side, Syracuse is one of five teams in the country without a turnover this season.

THE X FACTOR

• True freshman Xavier Brown provided another dynamic to the revamped UVA run game with a team-best 88-yards on nine carries against ODU.

• He broke a 38-yard gain in the first quarter, the longest by a UVA running back this season. The long rush came on his ninth career carry.

• Brown is averaging 7.2 yards per carry and according to Pro Football Focus, recorded seven missed tackles forced after a rush last Saturday, the 11th most of any back in the country in week three.

LONG GAME

• For the second-straight week, safety Langston Long led the Cavalier defense vs. ODU in tackles. He was in on nine stops including two solo.

• Long has started the last two games for UVA and in those contests has 22 tackles (13 at Illinois, 9 vs. ODU) two tackles for loss, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery in those contests.

• Prior to this season he had only one multiple tackle game, two in the season opener last year.

SACK MASTERS

• Three different defensive lineman recorded a sack in Saturday’s win over ODU - Kam Butler, Chico Bennett and Aaron Faumui.

• Virginia is averaging 2.67 sacks per game, the fourth most in the ACC.

• To go along with four tackles (three solo) and Bennett’s

sack forced an ODU three-and-out with 7:25 remaining in the fourth quarter. Bennett has a sack in back-to-back contests.

• Graduate transfer Kam Butler upped his career sack total to 17 and also has sacks in back-to-back contests.

• Faumui has been credited with sacks against Richmond and ODU and now has eight in his career. He produced four of them in the 10-game 2020 season.