Syracuse (4-3, 2-1 ACC) at No. 8 Miami (5-0, 3-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) Line: Miami by 16. Series Record: Miami, 15-7. WHAT’S AT STAKE Miami can stretch its winning streak to 11 games, which would be the program’s
Syracuse (4-3, 2-1 ACC) at No. 8 Miami (5-0, 3-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Line: Miami by 16.
Series Record: Miami, 15-7.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Miami can stretch its winning streak to 11 games, which would be the program’s longest since the 34-game streak spanning the 2000-02 seasons. Syracuse, which knocked off defending national champion Clemson last week, will aim to become the first unranked team since Auburn in 2003 to beat AP Top 10 schools in consecutive weeks.
KEY MATCHUP
Syracuse WR Steve Ishmael vs. Miami S Jaquan Johnson. A pair of local guys — Ishmael is from North Miami Beach, Johnson from Miami — will be seeing a lot of one another. Ishmael comes in leading the nation with 62 catches, and faces a Miami secondary that has shown major improvement after a shaky start (573 passing yards allowed in first two games, 424 allowed in three games since).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Syracuse: WR Ervin Philips, the converted running back, is No. 3 in the nation with 56 catches. He averaged 5.3 receptions per game in Syracuse’s first three contests, and has averaged 10 catches over the last four Orange games.
Miami: QB Malik Rosier is trying to become the first Hurricane to win his first seven starts at the school since Brock Berlin in 2003. Rosier has passed for 821 yards in Miami’s three ACC games this season.
FACTS & FIGURES
A bit has changed in this rivalry since the last meeting in 2003 — then, they were members of the Big East, Syracuse was the Orangemen and Miami called the Orange Bowl home … Syracuse’s last win in the series was a 66-13 romp in 1998; Miami won the next five meetings by a combined 196-30 count … Syracuse coach Dino Babers has never faced Miami, and Miami coach Mark Richt has never faced Syracuse … The Orange average nearly 86 offensive snaps per game … Miami is seeking its first 4-0 start in ACC play … Syracuse is allowing 14 points and 149 yards less per game than it did last season … Miami’s 15-play drive for the winning last-second field goal last weekend against Georgia Tech was the Hurricanes’ longest scoring march, in terms of plays, this season.
———
AP college football website: http://collegefootball.ap.org
