Preview: Syracuse Hosts Western Michigan on Military Appreciation Day

SYRACUSE (1-2 ) VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN (2-1)
Game Details: 12 p.m. | Saturday, Sept. 21
Location: Syracuse, N.Y. | The Dome
Game Links: Tickets | Listen | Watch | Live Stats
Television: ACC Network
Radio: Syracuse Sports Network from Learfield IMG College
Twitter: @CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes (PDF)
Western Michigan Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats (PDF) | Notes (PDF)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse (1-2) welcomes Mid-American Conference foe Western Michigan (2-1) to the Dome for the first time on Saturday, Sept. 21. Kickoff is set for noon on the recently-launched ACC Network. Wes Durham (pxp), Roddy Jones (booth analyst) and Eric Wood (field analyst) will call the action.

The contest is the return game of a two-game series announced by the schools in 2017. Syracuse won the inaugural pairing 55-42 at Waldo Stadium last season.

Saturday is Military Appreciation Day, presented by SEFCU, and multiple recognitions saluting our servicemen and women are planned throughout the game. This week's "Hometown Hero" is U.S. Army Capt. Tim Monczynski and those who have committed to serve in a branch of the military will take the Oath of Enlistment on the field prior to kickoff. Additionally, Syracuse will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Orange's 1979 Independence Bowl championship in the second quarter.

The 1979 Orange roster was dotted with players who went on to play in the NFL, including future All-Pros Art Monk, Joe Morris, Jim Collins and Gary Anderson. Together with head coach Frank Maloney and star quarterback Bill Hurley, they propelled Syracuse to a 7-5 record despite not playing a game at home due to the construction of the Dome.

FAMILIAR FACES
The Broncos are coached by former Orange offensive coordinator Tim Lester, who was on the Syracuse staff from 2013-15. Lester, a 1999 graduate of WMU and standout quarterback, has led the program to a 15-13 record since taking the helm in 2017. Lester has guided Western Michigan to a .500-or-better record in each of his first two seasons.

Lester isn't the only Broncos staff member with Syracuse ties. WMU offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Jake Moreland served as the tight ends coach in Lester's offense for one season (2015) at Syracuse. In addition, Western Michigan Assistant AD for Football Operations Drew Robinson is a Syracuse University graduate and spent one season (2015) as the Orange's director of operations.

HOME NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
The Orange are 5-2 in their seven previous home non-league games under Dino Babers, including three straight victories.

Last fall, Syracuse scored home wins against Wagner and Connecticut. In 2017, Syracuse was 2-1 in Dome non-conference matchups, beating Central Connecticut State and Central Michigan, while losing to Middle Tennessee. The Orange split two home non-ACC clashes in Babers' first season of 2016. SU topped Colgate in Babers' Orange debut before losing to USF two weeks later.

Under Babers, Syracuse has outscored non-conference opponents at the Dome, 280-134.

NO FLY ZONE
Interceptions have been the hallmark of the Syracuse secondary since the start of 2018. The Orange have a streak of 16 consecutive games with an interception, which is the longest active streak in the FBS, and is tied for the sixth-longest streak since 2004. Orange defenders have picked off 23 passes (1.4 per game) over that span. Nine different players have at least one interception during the streak. All of sophomore safety Andre Cisco's nine thefts have come during that span.

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS
Western Michigan enters Saturday's game coming off a 57-10 win over Georgia State. The Broncos ran for a school-record seven touchdowns in the victory, including three by LeVante Bellamy. Bellamy's big day against Georgia State included 192 yards rushing. In last season's matchup with the Orange, Bellamy logged 120 rushing yards and two scores.

Quarterback Jon Wassink leads the Broncos offense. He threw for 379 yards and three touchdowns in the 2018 season opener against the Orange. He's completing 70.7 percent of his passes this season with seven touchdowns against two interceptions.

Wide receiver D'Wayne Eskridge was the WMU star in last season's meeting, hauling in eight passes for 240 yards. He's been limited to just one catch so far in 2019, partly because he's playing both ways. Also a defensive back, Eskridge has 14 tackles and leads Western Michigan with four pass breakups.

Defensively, the Broncos are allowing nearly 200 yards on the ground per game this season and holding opponents to 217 through the air.

SERIES HISTORY
Syracuse and WMU met for the first time last season in Kalamazoo, Michigan where the Orange emerged with a 55-42 victory thanks to a dynamite performance from quarterback Eric Dungey. Dungey rushed 15 times for a Syracuse-quarterback record 200 yards and a touchdown. He also threw two TD passes. Defensively, the Orange picked off Jon Wassink twice, sacked him once, and broke up three passes.

This is Western Michigan's first road trip to face an ACC opponent since 2014, when the Broncos lost to Virginia Tech 35-17 in Blacksburg. On the flip side, this is the fifth time in the last six seasons, and third time in the Dino Babers era, that Syracuse will play a MAC school.

Babers has faced Western Michigan four times as a head coach, once at Eastern Illinois (2012), twice at Bowling Green (2014, 2015) and once at Syracuse (2018). Babers is 2-2 all-time versus WMU. He's won his two most recent matchups 41-27 on Nov. 11, 2015 while he was at Bowling Green and 55-42 in last year's season-opener.

UP NEXT
Syracuse wraps up its three-game stretch of Dome games next Saturday, Sept. 28 when it hosts FCS opponent Holy Cross. Kickoff is set for noon and the game will again be televised on the ACC Network.

Tickets for the Holy Cross game start at $25. They are on sale now online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Dome Box Office located in the Ensley Athletic Center.

For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).

Preview: Syracuse Hosts Western Michigan on Military Appreciation Day

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Players Mentioned

Andre Cisco

Eric Dungey

Syracuse University Athletics