The 3-4 Syracuse Orange host No. 19 SMU, looking to return to a .500 or better record since Week 1. 

The Orange come off a walk-off overtime win over North Carolina, with Syracuse's offense looking its most consistent all season. 

Syracuse faces its first ranked opponent of the year and looks to spoil SMU's ranking on Halloween. 

Here are the 5 keys to Syracuse beating the Cardinals and pulling off one of college football's biggest upsets. 

Containing Kevin Jennings 

SMU's offense is led by quarterback Kevin Jennings, who is having a great season. 

Jennings is top 3 in multiple passing categories, including yards (2,062), completion percentage (72.6), and touchdowns (19). He looks to continue that level of play inside the JMA Wireless Dome. 

Syracuse's passing defense is top seven in the ACC and led by multiple faces in the secondary. 

Defensive backs Demetres Samuel Jr., Davien Kerr, and Chris Peal have combined for 12 pass breakups and three interceptions. 

Continuing the level of play on the pass defense may not stop Jennings and this passing attack, but doing enough can give Syracuse a better chance to beat SMU. 

Stopping Big Runs 

SMU also has a really good rushing attack led by senior Kendrick Raphael. 

Raphael is top 3 in the ACC in yards, with 641, and has 8 touchdowns. This balanced ground attack has made SMU's offense tough to defend. 

For Syracuse, winning at the line of scrimmage is key to beating SMU. 

Defensive linemen Keyshawn Johnson, Rashard Perry, and Tunmise Adeleye are key parts of this Syracuse rushing defense. 

As a team, Syracuse has a top-8 rushing defense, and stopping the run on early downs and limiting big runs will help Syracuse play to the true strength of its passing defense. 

Big Downfield Throws

Syracuse made plenty of plays on offense against UNC last week, particularly downfield, led by quarterback Steve Angeli. 

Angeli had his best game since returning from an early injury, throwing for 256 yards and two touchdowns, including a 76-yard touchdown to star receiver Umari Hatcher. 

Angeli also unleashed another weapon, Syracuse true freshman receiver Calvin Russell III, who had the best game of his collegiate career: eight receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown, and he caught the winning two-point conversion in overtime.

Angeli has multiple +20-yard throws downfield, which opens up this Syracuse offense and makes it a top-scoring unit in the ACC. 

Continuing to make big plays downfield makes Angeli and this Orange offense one of the best in the ACC and gives them their best chance to upset SMU. 

Play through Ahmad Miller 

With a bigger role, junior running back Ahmad Miller has become one of Syracuse's top playmakers. 

In back-to-back games, Miller has finished with over 120 yards and a touchdown, keeping the defense honest. 

With a revolving door at quarterback lately, Miller has given Syracuse something to rely on and big plays that make the signal caller's job easier. 

SMU’s only loss came to Louisville, where it gave up 265 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

If Syracuse can continue its strong run game led by Miller, it will help not only the offense but also the defense by keeping SMU’s offense off the field. 

Get The Crowd Involved

The Orange return to the JMA Wireless Dome, nicknamed the Loud House for its passionate fans and the energy that radiates off the stadium. 

Syracuse has hosted a ranked opponent in the Dome before and most recently beat No. 6 Miami 42-38 in 2024, in Fran Brown's first season. 

With a passionate Orange fanbase, Syracuse can compete with any team because of its talent, but having the fans play a role could give Syracuse the edge it needs to beat another ranked opponent under Fran Brown. 

Syracuse enters Halloween as 10.5 underdogs, but the Orange have already shown they can rise to the occasion against ranked opponents inside the JMA Wireless Dome.

To beat SMU, Syracuse will need to slow down Jennings, limit explosive runs, and continue the offensive success it found against North Carolina. Angeli will need to connect on downfield shots, while Miller and the running game can help control the clock and keep SMU's high-powered offense off the field.

The Orange finally broke through in ACC play last week. Now they have a chance to turn that win into real momentum.

If Syracuse can build on last week's performance and feed off the energy of the Loud House, Halloween night could give the Orange their biggest win of the season.

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