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Minnesota at Syracuse Football Picks & Odds

Written by Jimmy Boyd

mn cuse 9109 The Minnesota Golden Gophers head to Syracuse, New York to take on the Orange on Saturday, September 5th at 12:00 pm EST at the Carrier Dome. This Big Ten versus Big East BCS conference clash can be seen on ESPN. The NCAA football odds makers have listed Minnesota as the 6.5-point favorite with the total set at 47.

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Although Greg Paulus wasn’t able to stack up athletically with many of the players in the ACC when playing basketball for Duke, few players were as tough physically and mentally. I’m looking forward to seeing what the former high school football star can do when he heads under center for the Orange this Saturday. While some question how good he can be after being away from the game for so long, I answer those questions with the fact that he was able to step in and win the starting job. He will benefit from having playmaker Mike Williams aboard, who sat out last season for academic reasons. All reports I have seen indicate that he is at the top of his game. The key will be how well the Syracuse offensive line can protect Paulus. The line was a big weakness last season.

Defensively, the Orange are anchored by tackle Arthur Jones and end Jared Kimmel. Syracuse must play well up front or the Gophers figure to run the ball on the Orange all day long. Stopping the run was not a strength for Cuse last season and the Gophers are placing an emphasis on running the football. If you like the Orange to get it done for their rowdy fans in the Dome, bet Syracuse at +6.5 at Bookmaker.

It’s important that Minnesota start off the season with a win to gain momentum with challenging games against Cal, Air Force, and Wisconsin ahead. While Minnesota appears to be the better team on paper, it is playing on the road and it won’t have an extensive scouting report on the Orange. Syracuse went 3-9 last season, but new coach Doug Marrone has brought in a completely new system with new key guys.

It’s quarterback Adam Weber’s show to run again but fans are excited about another quarterback as well. MarQueis Gray is an exceptional athlete and Gophers coach Tim Brewster figures to use him in a variety of ways to keep opposing defenses off guard. He figures to be a very important part of the Minnesota offense this season. The Gophers would also like to be a more effective running team and that falls on a new offensive line and running back Duane Bennett, who missed most of last season with a knee injury.

For Minnesota to be a solid defensive team, it will need to find someone who can do the things that star defensive end Willie VanDeSteeg did last season. Senior defensive end Cedric McKinley is the guy the coaching staff is asking to fill his big shoes. He should benefit from playing alongside veteran tackles Garrett Brown and Eric Small. The play up front is critical as the Gophers need penetration to take the heat off of a secondary which was largely responsible for Minnesota finishing as the Big Ten’s second-worst passing defense. If you like the Gophers to go out on the road and get the job done, bet Minnesota at -6.5 at Bookmaker.

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