The first loaded Saturday of the College Football season is here, with plenty of action from start to finish. Kicking off at noon EST, the New Hampshire Wildcats will face off against the Syracuse Orange.
Looking at the odds, Syracuse enters as a monstrous 33.5-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the game total set at 54.5 points.
This article previews both teams and offers a pick for the Week 1 matchup.
New Hampshire vs. Syracuse Preview
New Hampshire Wildcats
New Hampshire got their season started in a 28-14 loss to the University of Albany Great Danes last week. The Wildcats jumped out to a 7-0 lead after forcing an interception on their opening defensive drive, but Albany scored 21 unanswered points, and both teams were held scoreless for the final 23+ minutes of the game. New Hampshire was out-gained 431-297 overall, allowing a concerning 374 yards on the ground to Albany. This inability to stop the run proved to be their Achilles’ heel in this loss.
On a broader scale, new head coach Sean Goldrich is entering his first season in charge, marking his first head coaching opportunity. Goldrich spent five seasons as quarterback for this New Hampshire team during his playing days and most recently served on the University of Delaware coaching staff. He attacked the transfer portal heavily and brought in several talents from higher-profile programs. New Hampshire leaned on an up-tempo offensive approach, with Brooks Bentley under center after being a two-year letter winner at Wingate, where he set a variety of records. He completed 19 of his 27 pass attempts for 230 passing yards and two touchdowns in his New Hampshire debut.
New Hampshire will face running-game concerns on both sides of the ball. They only tallied 62 total rushing yards in the season opener and failed to provide any legitimate resistance in slowing down Albany’s rushing attack. The Great Danes leaned on two quarterbacks and a run-oriented approach, which the Wildcats should have known coming into the matchup. Their linebacker play was underwhelming, and they did not get enough push at the line of scrimmage. New Hampshire will need major changes on defense if it wants to keep this game competitive.
Syracuse Orange
Fran Brown remains at the helm for Syracuse, entering his third year as head coach. The program is looking to bounce back from an underwhelming 3-9 record last year. One of the biggest reasons for the disappointing year was quarterback Steve Angeli’s injury: he suffered a torn Achilles in his fourth game with the program. Syracuse was forced to lean on LSU transfer Rickie Collins and freshman Luke Carney at quarterback last year following the injury. Both quarterbacks transferred out of the program, and Angeli is back healthy and hopeful for a much better season.
The Orange attacked the transfer portal aggressively and had success adding to their running back room. The rushing production will be headlined by LSU transfer Ju’Juan Johnson, Jackson State transfer Ahmad Miller, and Penn State transfer and converted wide receiver, Matthew Outten. Syracuse also has remodeled the wide receiver room after a few notable names left the program. But they will return Umari Hatcher and Justus Ross-Simmons, and be aided by the talents of Miami (OH) transfer Cole Weaver, FSU transfer Elijah Moore, and Boise State product Zamondre Merriweather. The Orange also benefit from 40+ years of experience from offensive line coach Juan Castillo, and this unit could be one of the best in the country if it reaches its peak with plenty of depth and top-end talent.
The secondary leads the defense. Chris Peal is considered a preseason All-American, and Demetres Samuel Jr. earned the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year for his work on both sides of the ball. Syracuse offers a talented group of linebackers, led by Antoine Deslauriers and Chris D’Appolonia. The defensive line is the biggest question mark, as Syracuse was gashed for 175 rushing yards per game last year and only tallied 20 total sacks. They made changes at defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, along with a few new faces on the line, and the program hopes they’ll change this outlook.
New Hampshire vs. Syracuse Pick
The injury to Steve Angeli was a bit of a death blow to Syracuse’s outlook last year, and expect them to return with a vengeance this season. Plenty of reasons were encouraging about the foundation Fran Brown laid heading into last year. Syracuse came off a 10-3 season in 2024, peaking at 20th in the AP Poll. But so many eggs were put into Angeli’s basket as a difference maker in their offense, and his injury prevented the team from reaching its peak.
Looking at this matchup, expect Syracuse to bully their way up and down the field consistently. The Orange have a high-level offensive line that I expect to win the trench battle consistently in this game. New Hampshire was gashed for 374 yards against Albany, with a one-dimensional offense completely reliant on its rushing attack. Syracuse has a more balanced attack and more top-end talent at running back and offensive line. Expect the Orange to pound the ball up the middle until New Hampshire proves it can stop it, opening up the full playbook as it is forced to sell out at the line of scrimmage.
This is a great matchup for Angeli to get his feet wet again and find his stride against an inferior opponent. Syracuse does not have overly lofty expectations for the season, and I think they are better than they have been given credit in the wider conversation. With their strengths matching up against the New Hampshire weaknesses, expect them to leap at the opportunity to make a statement. Buckle up for some bully ball and for Syracuse to gradually put this game away by more than the 33.5-point spread in an early Saturday blowout.
