Over the past several weeks, the North Carolina Tar Heels have had to overcome a slew of injuries, especially against Pittsburgh and Duke.
Those same issues are prevalent heading into their Week 8 matchup against the Syracuse Orange. That said, Syracuse has also faced major questions about the health of its roster entering this contest, especially at quarterback, with multiple options on the injury report. It's been a rough season for the Orange in that regard, as they have cycled through four quarterbacks in six games due to injuries. However, Syracuse finally caught a break.
Here’s the latest development on that situation and what it means for North Carolina in a crucial game on Saturday night.
Latest News
According to Pete Nakos, Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli is expected to start against the Tar Heels on Saturday night. It will be the first time the fourth-year signal caller plays in a game since he exited the contest against Pittsburgh on Sept. 17.
In three appearances, Angeli has compiled 731 yards, four touchdowns, and five interceptions while completing 54.8 percent of his passes.
What This Means for UNC
While Angeli is vulnerable, as evidenced by his underwhelming statistical output this season, he's still the best quarterback on Syracuse's roster. If the Orange were forced to start Danny Lauter, the Tar Heels' defense would be in a great spot to dominate.
That can still transpire, but Angeli's experience stabilizes the offense while elevating the floor of the operation. That's not to say the veteran quarterback instills any fear or trepidation in opposing defenses, but the Orange have been without an experienced signal caller behind center.
Will North Carolina's Defense Dominate?
The Tar Heels recorded only one sack in the win over Duke last week. It's important to note that before that game, the Blue Devils' offensive line had allowed one sack all season. So, there's no shame in not generating consistent pressure. While Syracuse's offensive line isn't on par with Duke's, it is a physically imposing unit, as head coach Bill Belichick said in his presser earlier this week.
However, North Carolina's defensive line also features several difference-making players, including Melkart Abou Jaoude, Xavier Lewis, and Jaylen Harvey. Angeli hasn't played in over a month, so he may need time to recalibrate to the swing of things. On the other hand, the Tar Heels' secondary has been short-handed in recent weeks due to injuries. That could be the case again on Saturday. Regardless, Belichick's defense is in a favorable spot to dictate terms against Syracuse.
Add us as a preferred source on Google