Staff Predictions: Syracuse vs Rutgers

The All Syracuse staff give their thoughts on the outcome of the Orange's home opener.

Mike McAllister | Sep 10, 2021

Staff Predictions: Syracuse vs Rutgers /

Syracuse faces Rutgers in the home opener for the 2021 season. Here are the All Syracuse staff predictions for the game.

Logan Garvey: Syracuse 37 Rutgers 34. With the blowout win under Rutgers' belt against Temple, we have yet to figure out the identity of the team after a dismal 3-6 record last season. The Orange will have to contain Rutgers linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi, who had three sacks last week. Expect this one to be a close game.

Mike McAllister: Syracuse 31 Rutgers 21. This will be a closer contest than either had in its opener. Syracuse will get a big jolt from playing in front of its home crowd for the first time in nearly two years. The emotional element there, along with several players from New Jersey playing against an in-state school, will give the Orange the edge in an otherwise very even matchup. This will be a back and forth, tightly contested game. A late score for Syracuse puts the game away.

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Katelyn McCarthy: Rutgers 30 Syracuse 20. Both Rutgers and Syracuse beat their opponent last week by multiple scores and both of their defenses played exceptionally well. Rutgers had five takeaways against Temple and has the edge on Syracuse. Both teams will have a good running game, but Rutgers will be able to stop the run better than Syracuse.

Calvin Milliner: Syracuse 27 Rutgers 24. The Orange have enough depth to fend off Rutgers in the Dome. The game won't be pretty, it will be extremely physical with both sides turning the ball over numerous times. However, the Orange will rely on their secondary to defend the options Rutgers offense has. The revival of a rivalry will surface the Dome with fans demanding a win. The game may very well come down to who has the ball last.

Published Sep 10, 2021

MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting. EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans. After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years. Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports. Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College.