The 2023 Boca Raton Bowl features the 6-6 USF Bulls against the 6-6 Syracuse Orange. Here is the 2023 Boca Raton Bowl Preview.
The Bulls won six games to make their first bowl game since 2018. They defeated one bowl-eligible team this season: Rice. Two of their six losses came to teams who didn’t qualify for bowl games: UAB and Florida Atlantic.
USF scores 30.7 points per game, ranking them 48th in the country. They pass for 270.7 yards (ranked 31st) and rush for 184.7 yards per game (ranked 30th).
Byrum Brown has started at quarterback for the Bulls this season. He has passed for 3,078 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on 64.3 percent completion. Five receivers have over 200 receiving yards this season. Their top receiver is Sean Atkins, who has hauled in 86 passes for 961 yards and five touchdowns. Naiem Simmons and Khafre Brown have been solid as well with 581 and 404 receiving yards respectively.
Three players have over 350 rushing yards for the Bulls this season. Nay’Quan Wright has totaled 757 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Brown leads the team with 11 rushing touchdowns and also has 745 rushing yards from the quarterback position. Michael Dukes has 350 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
The defense allows 34.9 points per game, which ranks 120th in the country. They concede 154 rushing yards (ranked 70th) and 301.2 passing yards per game (ranked 130th). Jhalyn Shuler has been the team’s top tackler with 85. D.J. Gordon has 3.5 sacks for the team-high. Tavin Ward has seven passes defended and one interception in the secondary for USF.
Syracuse won six games to make their second-straight bowl game. They did not defeat a bowl-eligible team this season. All six losses were at the hands of bowl-eligible teams.
The Orange score 25.4 points per game, which ranks 81st in the country. They pass for 173.7 yards (ranked 116th) and rush for 185 yards per game (ranked 29th).
Garrett Shrader has battled injuries this season at quarterback for the Orange. He has passed for 1,686 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions on 62.6 percent completion. Three players have at least 300 receiving yards this season for the Orange. Damian Alford has 29 receptions for 527 yards and three touchdowns. Umari Hatcher impressed with 30 catches for 451 yards and three touchdowns.
One running back did most of the work for Syracuse. LeQuint Allen has 1,062 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. When healthy, Schrader has chipped in with 469 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Tight end Dan Villani has played some quarterback as well and has 289 rushing yards as well.
Defensively, the Orange allow 23.8 points per game, which ranks 49th in the country. They give up 147.1 rushing yards (ranked 54th) and 231.2 passing yards per game (ranked 74th). Linebacker Marlowe Wax has had a great season with 99 total tackles. Kevon Darton paces the team with five sacks. Justin Barron leads the team with eight passes defended and also has an interception.
If Shrader is able to play, the Orange should be able to get the win. USF can keep the game close with Brown’s dynamic playmaking ability. With the defenses not being great, a decent amount of points should be scored.
Syracuse Orange 34 USF Bulls 31
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