First big thing for Syracuse last week, with Amari Odom behind center: the O line kept Odom upright.
Per data from Pro Football Focus, Odom was pressured on 13 of his 39 dropbacks in the Orange’s 42-41 OT win over UConn, as the surprise starter at QB – in place of Steve Angeli – passed for 335 yards and five TDs.
The Syracuse O line has actually done a good job season-long, to date, keeping its QBs in clean pockets – Angeli has faced pressure on 32.8 percent of his dropbacks this season.
Angeli’s issue has been accuracy – a 54.8 percent completion rate, down sharply from his 62.8 percent rate a year ago.
Odom, in the UConn win, was 19-of-23 at or behind the line of scrimmage and less than 10 yards downfield, and 8-of-12 on passes of more than 10 yards downfield – and four of his five TDs came on balls that traveled at least 20 yards in the air.
He was also really good on play-action – 8-of-10 for 173 yards.
The play-action worked well because the running game, led by Tylik Hill (140 yards on 28 attempts last week) was humming.
You also have to account for Odom (17 yards on six designed runs last week) in the run game.
You game-plan around the read-option run game with Hill and Odom, and then the connection of Odom and wideout Umari Hatcher (12 catches/16 targets, 152 yards, three TDs last week) in the pass game.
Vegas has Virginia as a 9.5-point favorite, with a 50.5 over/under, suggesting an expected final score in the 31-21 range.
Syracuse is going to score more than 21 points in this one.
***
On the defensive side of the ball, Syracuse got pressure on UConn QB Kaleib Osborne on 23 of his 44 dropbacks last week, and on those dropbacks, Osborne was 7-of-19 for 125 yards and a 60.2 NFL passer rating.
Even with all the pressure, the D only recorded two sacks.
The guys to watch for, in terms of creating havoc: defensive tackle Nissi Ogbebor (10 pressures last week) and linebacker Keyshawn Johnson (seven pressures, one sack last week).
In clean pockets, Osborne was 12-of-20 for 185 yards and three TDs, and a 130.2 NFL passer rating.
Suggesting: when they don’t get pressure up front, the secondary can be beaten.
The front was also rather porous against the run, allowing 221 sack-adjusted yards on the ground, with Osborne going for 50 yards – including 30 on designed runs – and tailback Cyncir Bowers gaining 163 yards on 16 attempts, with a long of 71.
On paper, Virginia should be able to move the ball against this unit.
But then, on paper, the ‘Hoos should have also had their way with WVU (which gave up 609 yards in a loss to Oklahoma State, 577 yards in a loss to Iowa State, and held Virginia to 354 yards) and Florida State (which gave up 585 yards in a loss to SMU, 567 yards in a loss to Alabama, and held Virginia to 205 yards).
Share
Chris Graham
