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The Bad Boy Mower Pinstripe Bowl features the ACC and Big Ten. This will be the 8th consecutive game between the two conferences. Home state Syracuse represents the ACC, while Minnesota represents the Big Ten.
When: Thursday, December 29th @ 2:00 PM ET
Where: Bronx, New York
Who: Syracuse vs. Minnesota
Spread & Total: Minnesota -11; O/U 44
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Tale of the Tape: Syracuse Orange
Syracuse’s season can be split in half. The Orange got off to a hot start, going 6-0 with four wins over bowl eligible teams. Only two of those games – Purdue and Virginia – were decided by one possession. Syracuse outscored opponents 216-79 in that stretch. The second half of the season was not as kind. Syracuse closed 1-5, getting outscored 124-193. All five losses came to bowl eligible teams. Offensively, Syracuse offense ran through Sean Tucker. He logged a 1,000+ yard season and 10+ touchdowns for back-to-back seasons. He has opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft.
Defensively, Syracuse’s pass defense was 2nd in the ACC to Florida State. The 16 touchdowns surrendered ranked T-6th in the conference. Syracuse was able to force 10 interceptions and sacked opposing quarterbacks 31 times.
Opt Outs
RB Sean Tucker (2nd Team All-ACC; 1,060 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns; added 36 receptions (2nd on team) and 254 yards with two touchdowns)
OT Matthew Bergeron (2nd Team All-ACC)
Transfer Portal Departures:
WR Courtney Jackson (15 receptions, 201 receiving yards, 1 touchdown)
WR Anthony Queeley
DE Steve Linton (22 tackles, 4 sacks)
CB Darian Chestnut (40 tackles, 1 interception that was returned for a touchdown)
S Ja’Had Carter (35 tackles, 3 interceptions (most on team), fumble recovery for TD)
Players to Know:
TE Oronde Gadsden II
Named to All-ACC Football First. Led team with 54 receptions for 891 yards (16.5 YPC) and 6 touchdowns
LB Mikel Jones
Named to All-ACC Football Third Team. 84 tackles (7 for loss) ranked second on the team. Recorded 4 sacks, forcing and recovering a fumble
Tale of the Tape: Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota’s longtime starting quarterback, Tanner Morgan, is expected to miss the game due to a second concussion. Morgan hasn’t played since November 5th against Nebraska; Minnesota went 2-1 in the stretch without Morgan. Their offense is controlled on the ground thanks to all-time Golden Gopher great Mo Ibrahim. Minnesota ranks 13th in FBS rushing attempts this season, and their 32 rushing touchdowns is T-13th.
Defensively, only three teams nationally have allowed fewer than 10 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns. Each of the three reside in the Big Ten: Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota. Minnesota allowed multiple touchdowns in just three games this season; each resulted in a loss.
Opt Outs: N/A
Transfer Portal Departures:
DT Gage Keys
DE Austin Booker
LB Braelen Oliver (33 tackles)
CB Jalen Glaze
S Michael Dixon (28 tackles, 3 pass deflections)
S Steven Ortiz
Player to Know:
RB Mo Ibrahim
First Team All-Big Ten Selection. Minnesota’s all-time leader in rushing yards (4,597) and rushing touchdowns (52). Needs 114 to break record for scrimmage yards. Accounted for 304 carries, 1,594 yards (4th nationally) and 19 touchdowns (T-2nd).
DB Tyler Nubin
Second Team All-Big Ten Selection. 55 tackles was 3rd on team. Led the team with 4 interceptions. Forced one fumble
Bowl Game Trends:
- Minnesota is 3-0 in bowl games with P.J. Fleck
- Syracuse: 2-0 in the Pinstripe Bowl
- Big Ten is 6-1 against the ACC in the Pinstripe Bowl
Game Synopsis:
Losing Tucker and Bergeron for the bowl game is brutal for the Orange. Tucker is their best player on offense. Syracuse’s strong pass defense doesn’t exactly match up with Minnesota, who ranks far better on the ground. For Minnesota, they’ve had success with Fleck in bowl games and are one of the best defenses nationally. The ground is where Syracuse is more vulnerable, and that feeds into the Golden Gophers’ strength. This is one of the larger spreads in bowl mania, and it ranks that way in a straight-up pick’em. Minnesota makes it seven of eight for the Big Ten in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Bowl Mania Pick To Win: Minnesota
Bowl Mania Confidence: 40/43
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