The Western Michigan Broncos will look to pick up a win over an ACC foe when they entertain the Syracuse Orange. Kickoff is at 6:00 EST on Friday, August 31, at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Fans can watch the game on CBS Sports Network. Oddsmakers list the Orange as 6-point favorites on the road. Find the time, TV, and betting odds for more week 1 games here.
After going 4-8 the last two seasons under Dino Babers, Syracuse is hoping 2018 will be a breakout year for them. The Orange have scored some big wins under Babers, most notably an upset of Clemson last year. However, they’ve yet to find the consistency necessary to get to a bowl game. If a bowl game is going to be in the cards this season, the Orange can’t afford to lose to a MAC team, even on the road.
Western Michigan, meanwhile, is just two seasons removed from a 13-1 season that included a trip to the Cotton Bowl. Of course, after that season, head coach P.J.Fleck was poached away by Minnesota and replaced by Tim Lester, who guided the Broncos to a solid 6-6 season last year, even if that record wasn’t enough to get WMU into a bowl game. Qualifying for a bowl will no doubt be the goal for Western Michigan this season in Lester’s second year at the helm.
This is the first-ever meeting between these programs, although there is some familiarity between the two. Lester spent three years as an assistant at Syracuse from 2013 to 2015, including a season and a half as offensive coordinator. There are a couple more former Syracuse assistant on the WMU staff, including both coordinators, so the Western Michigan coaches should have a good understanding of the Syracuse personnel.
This should be an interesting game. Both teams have the kind of offenses that can move the ball and score points. It’s important to remember that Western Michigan hung tough with both USC and Michigan State early last season. However, this is still a game between a team with ACC talent and a team with MAC talent. With the line being less than a touchdown, I’m comfortable leaning toward Syracuse to hold off the Broncos and cover the spread.
There are a lot of reasons to like Western Michigan on the offensive side of the ball. The Broncos are a run-heavy team that returns four starters along the offensive line, so they’ll feel confident that they can run the ball with success against the Syracuse defense. However, the Broncos will have to replace 1,200-yard rusher Jarvion Franklin. Backups Jamuri Bogan and LeVante Bellamy will both have to step up to fill Franklin’s shoes.
On the plus side, Jon Wassink is back at quarterback after missing the last four games of the 2017 season due to injury. The Broncos were 1-3 without him, losing two of those games by a touchdown or less, so he’s clearly important. That being said, Wassink was great against MAC teams but struggled to do much against USC and Michigan State early in the year.
Obviously, the Syracuse defense is not on the same level as teams like USC and Michigan State. However, the Orange does have a big and strong defensive line that may be able to slow up the WMU rushing attack. There is also plenty of experience in the Syracuse secondary, so big plays from the Western Michigan passing game may be hard to come by. Without that balance, the WMU running game will have to be extraordinary in order to make this a close game in the 4th quarter.
The Broncos will also need a strong defensive effort if they expect to stay within striking distance of the Orange. This is where Western Michigan could run into trouble. The Broncos should have a solid secondary that has a chance to match up well against the Orange’s inexperienced group of wide receivers. However, Western Michigan has massive questions on their defensive line in addition to replacing all three linebackers. This is where Syracuse could have a big advantage.
Syracuse returns one of the most experienced offensive lines in the ACC. The Orange have struggled to run the ball up the middle the past couple of years, but this offensive line is poised to make those problems a thing of the past. Against an undersized WMU front-7, look for Syracuse to win the battle at the line of scrimmage and run the ball at will.
If Syracuse needs to throw the ball, they can do so with senior quarterback Eric Dungey, who has thrown for over 6,400 yards in his career. Dungey, of course, is also a running threat after leading the Orange in rushing last year. Even with an inexperienced group of receivers, he should be able to deliver a star performance against the WMU defense.
Unless the Broncos can get the better of a strong Syracuse defensive front, I’m not sure I see Western Michigan hanging in this game for four quarters. Both teams will find the end zone, but the Syracuse defense will find a way to get a few stops. In what should be a high-scoring game, Syracuse will win by at least a touchdown and cover the spread.