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Syracuse is officially two-thirds of the way through its season. Unlike their first season under Fran Brown, the Orange are in a tailspin. They’ve lost four straight games, none of which have been particularly close. SU’s latest blowout, a 41-16 defeat, came against undefeated Georgia Tech.

This week, Syracuse has a chance to get back in the win column as it welcomes North Carolina to town. The Tar Heels have been a mess under Bill Belichick, failing to win a conference game this season. Although they nearly upset then-No. 16 Virginia last week in Chapel Hill. Syracuse’s bowl game hopes are slim, and a loss this week would all but close that window.

Here’s how our beat writers feel Syracuse (3-5, 1-4 Atlantic Coast) will fare against North Carolina (2-5, 0-3 ACC):

Aiden Stepansky (6-2)
Secure the Mounds Bar
Syracuse 19, North Carolina 16

Do you remember when you were a kid on Halloween, dressed in your werewolf costume, going door to door in your neighborhood looking to fulfill your wildest dreams of a king-size candy bar?

You pull up to a house with the front porch light on, and the sweet elderly woman opens the door and hands you a Mounds Bar. It’s certainly not a prized Kit-Kat or Twix Bar. But a win is a win.

Typing out the sentence — Rickie Collins will defeat Belichick — feels like I’m living in a haunted house of idiocracy. I think Brown feels the same way, and we’ll see a mixture of Collins, Luke Carney and maybe even Rich Belin. Brown said Wednesday on ESPN Radio that we’d see multiple quarterbacks. I see whoever is under center still seeing some ghosts but protecting the ball enough as SU establishes the run.

This isn’t that team from Foxborough that Belichick led to a dynasty. UNC’s offense is atrocious. The Tar Heels are averaging 18.3 points per game and rank 129th of 134 teams in yards per game at 279.9. Oh yeah, and North Carolina is yet to score over 20 points against a Power Four opponent. This game will be an all-out slugfest with two offenses showing zero ability to execute. But the Orange will secure their Mounds Bar, taking a victory anyway they can.

Cooper Andrews (5-3)
A spooky sight
Syracuse 15, North Carolina 20

Love is in the air and on the field this Halloween in the Dome. College football’s favorite power couple — 73-year-old Belichick and 24-year-old Jordon Hudson — will be walking within the confines of Syracuse’s home venue. Look, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. If you want to have a 49-year age gap with your significant other, go ahead! But if you’ve listened to any bit of Pablo Torre’s podcast, you’d know Belichick and Hudson are a spooky sight to behold.

However, something even scarier will take place for SU fans in the Dome on Halloween Night. The Orange will lose a game they shouldn’t, as offensive inactivity will lead them to a defeat at the hands of the Tar Heels — what would be Syracuse’s fifth straight loss.

But, Cooper, how could SU lose to a team as miserable as UNC? Well, the Orange literally don’t have a QB1 ahead of opening kickoff.

As mentioned, Brown announced Collins isn’t the guaranteed starter and that other quarterbacks would get a chance, too. When you have two or more quarterbacks, you have zero. Playing QB musical chairs, frankly, isn’t a solution to Syracuse’s problems on offense. This will only lead to more inconsistency and lack of continuity with receivers than there already is, steering a porous offensive effort from the Orange on Friday.

Carney, Belin, Jakhari Williams; it won’t matter. Brown himself said he has a young quarterback room where not everybody even knows SU’s full offense. That’s a cause for great concern and will be too much for Syracuse’s defense to overcome on its end.

Zak Wolf (7-1)
Nightmare on Marshall Street
Syracuse 15, North Carolina 20

The football on display Friday will be scarier than running into a haunted scarecrow in a corn maze. Any kids attending this game should shield their eyes from the horror that will take place. Neither of these teams plays particularly pretty football, and this one will be as ugly as it can get.

If you enjoy subpar quarterback play, this is the game for you. At this point, I have no clue who’s going to start for Syracuse. Brown seemingly hinted at benching Collins, telling CuseSportsTalk that SU has to “open that competition up.” That means either Carney, Belin or Williams will likely see the field.

If that’s the case, Syracuse will lose. Collins has struggled, but throwing in someone with no starting experience against Belichick — one of the greatest defensive minds — spells bad news. Even though UNC is winless in four games, its defense has improved, only allowing 19 points per game over its last two.

The Tar Heels rushing defense is also strong — allowing 110.6 yards per game — meaning SU will have a tough time taking pressure off whoever’s starting. Yasin Willis is a quality back, but the Orange haven’t done a good job of establishing their rushing attack this season.

Get ready for a Belichick defensive masterclass and another disappointing offensive output from Syracuse. Brown is clearly getting desperate if he’s turning to one of his freshman quarterbacks. A spark is needed, but SU doesn’t have a quarterback capable of giving it one, which will lead to its fifth-straight loss.

Published on October 29, 2025 at 10:04 pm