Beat writers predict Syracuse-Florida State outcome
Syracuse knocked Florida State from its No. 1 ranking for good despite losing to the Seminoles last season. The Orange gets a shot at No. 17 FSU on Saturday. Sam Maller | Staff Photographer
Sam Blum (5-2)
House of Horrors
Florida State 24, Syracuse 10
It won’t be dark on Halloween when Syracuse plays Florida State on Saturday, but the Orange will come away with nightmares nonetheless. SU continues its midseason decline even without the powerful Dalvin Cook playing for the Seminoles. One player was never going to be the difference between SU and one of the nation’s best teams.
Jesse Dougherty (4-3)
State of the season
Florida State 35, Syracuse 14
Florida State is coming off a loss to a team it shouldn’t lose to. If Syracuse thinks that’s going to happen two weeks in a row, it hasn’t watched much Seminoles football in recent years. The star running back Cook isn’t playing but, well, next man up. The Orange’s season is reeling and Tallahassee isn’t the place to knock it back on track.
Matt Schneidman (6-1)
Boo
Syracuse 27, Florida State 24
It’s Halloween, but the boos at Doak Campbell Stadium won’t be scaring anyone. They’ll be directed at the Cook-less Seminoles, who find a way to lose their second consecutive game to a sub-.500 ACC team. Roberto Aguayo misses a long, late field goal, and the Orange’s season springs back to life.
Paul Schwedelson (6-1)
Pre-Made Meal
Florida State 35, Syracuse 16
No Cook is no problem for the Seminoles as Everett Golson and Co. toasts the inferior Orange. SU had its chances to get fat on wins in the past three weeks but the downhill slide is picking up too much speed for Syracuse to pull off a win that would potentially salvage its crumbling season.
