By Sanderson “Snuffy” Smith
SYRACUSE vs. SOUTH FLORIDA
Game Details: 8 p.m. | Thursday, Dec. 21
Location: Boca Raton, Fla. | FAU Stadium
Tickets: Cuse.com/Tickets
Game Links: Watch | Listen | Live Stats
Television: ESPN
Radio:Syracuse Sports Network from Learfield
Game Program: Here
Twitter:@CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links:News | Roster | Schedule | Notes
South Florida Links:News | Roster | Schedule | Notes
ORANGE FACE SOUTH FLORIDA IN ROOFCLAIM.COM BOCA RATON BOWL
• Syracuse makes its second-straight bowl game appearance when it takes on South Florida in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl on Dec. 21 in FAU Stadium.
• The Orange are one of 11 ACC teams that qualified for a bowl game in 2023, posting a 6-6 record.
• The game will air on ESPN, with Matt Barrie (PxP), Dan Mullen (analyst) and Harry Lyles Jr. (reporter) on the call.
• A win would give the Orange a winning record in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2012-13.
GOING BOWLING
• The 2023 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl marks Syracuse’s 28th bowl game appearance. The Orange have won four of their last five bowl games and have an all-time record of 16-10-1.
• Syracuse’s .611 bowl winning percentage ranks eighth all-time among teams with 15 appearances and is the highest for an ACC school.
• From 1989-96, the Orange won seven-straight bowl games. The streak is the seventh-longest in college football postseason history. Florida State owns the record with 11-consecutive bowl-game victories from 1985-96.
• Syracuse will play in back-to-back bowl games for the first time since the 2012-13 campaigns.
• The Orange are 1-of-32 Power 5 Conference schools to go bowling in back-to-back seasons.
ALLEN JOINS RARE COMPANY
• RB LeQuint Allen Jr. is the 13th player in program history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
• He joined the elite group with a career-high 144 yards against Wake Forest, increasing his season total to 1,062. That total ranks 12th on Syracuse’s single-season record list.
• It marks the 20th 1,000-yard rushing season in program history and the third-straight season ‘Cuse has a back reach the 1,000 yard mark after Sean Tucker did so in 2021 and 2022. It’s the fourth time in program history that Syracuse has seen a player reach 1,000 yards in three-straight seasons.
BARRON’S BREAKOUT SEASON
• DB Justin Barron is thriving at the rover spot. He has already recorded a career-high 83 tackles this season, which rank second on the team.
• Barron posted a career-high 13 tackles at North Carolina, marking his first double-digit tackle performance of his career.
• He ranks second on the team in total tackles (83). In addition, he leads the team in pass breakups (7) and is second in forced fumbles (3).
• Barron ranks 15th on Syracuse’s career leader list for tackles by a defensive back (194).
SERIES HISTORY
• Syracuse and South Florida have met 10 times on the gridiron. The Bulls own an 8-2 advantage in the all-time series.
• The squads met every year from 2005-12 when both were members of The BIG EAST Conference.
• Both of the Orange’s wins over the Bulls came on South Florida’s home field.
A WIN WOULD…
• Give Syracuse a winning record for the second-straight year.
• Improve the Orange’s record in bowl games to 17-10-1.
• Give Syracuse its 755th all-time victory (includes 11 wins from 2004-06 that were vacated by the NCAA). The Orange currently rank 21st on the FBS ledger of winningest programs. Syracuse is one of 34 FBS schools to have accumulated 700+ wins.
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