RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl: South Florida vs Syracuse
By Rory Daniels
Bowl Season continues! 84 teams, 42 matchups, 35 different cities; if you thought the College Football postseason was restricted to the four teams in the playoffs, think again. In this game preview, we turn our attention to the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl:
Where and When
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
Location: FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
Date: 21st December 2023
Time: 8:00pm (ET)
Story so far…
It was an impressive first year in South Florida for head coach Alex Golesh. The former Tennessee offensive coordinator guided the Bulls to a 6-6 record, something unexpected given his predecessor Jeff Scott, only managed four wins in three years. A bowl berth was a close run thing, USF needing a win against Charlotte in the last game of the year. They got that, sending them bowling for the first time since 2018. A win for Golesh here would be a fantastic way to finish the season.
For Syracuse there was a coaching change. After 8 seasons in charge the feeling was that the team could go no further with Dino Babers. The season got off to an impressive four win start but once they got into conference play it turned to disaster. A final day victory over Wake Forest, under interim coach Nunzio Campanile, means they return to bowl action in 2023. Campanile remains in charge for the bowl game before Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown, only 41 years old, will look to energize one of the toughest jobs in the Power 5.
The Quarterbacks…
USF fans were pleased to hear that redshirt freshman Byrum Brown will remain in Tampa for 2024. Brown really is a dual threat QB, having rushed for over 100 yards on four occassions in 2023. His 11 rushing touchdowns go nicely with his 23 through the air. It was an extremely promising start from the redshirt freshman and his partnership with Golesh should mean South Florida can go from strength-to-strength next year.
Rather than ushering in a new era, Syracuse will be drawing a curtain on one in the Boca Raton Bowl. Garrett Shrader has exhausted his eligibility and this outing will be his last for the Orange. He was hampered with injury during the second half of the season but as a whole his time in New York was a success. The Missisippi State transfer has set plenty of program records and it will be interesting to see him at full strength for one last time.
Prospects to watch…
USF
Donovan Jennings, Left Tackle – One of the leaders on the USF offense is left tackle Donovan Jennings. Now in his sixth season, Jennings has the right size profile (6’5, 333lbs) to be an NFL prospect and allowed only 16 pressures on the season. He will need to control his penalty count, which jumped to 8 in 2023.
Braxton Clark, Cornerback – Nebraska transfer Braxton Clark has had a seamless transition into the Bulls defense. He only allowed a single touchdown and managed to get five pass breakups. What’s even more impressive is that he is 6’4 and 195lbs. He has the speed to survive on the outside and matchup against any receiver.
Syracuse
LeQuint Allen, Running Back – After backing up Sean Tucker in 2022, LeQuint Allen got to take over as the lead back for the Orange. He tallied 1,069 yards at 4.8 yards per carry. The threat of him and Garrett Shrader combined will be something the Bulls must be wary of.
Marlowe Wax, Linebacker – Leading the Syracuse defense in tackles this year was linebacker Marlowe Wax with 101, including 10.5 for loss. With four forced fumbles and an interception also to his name, you could see a turnover from Wax in this one.
Prediction
Despite having the same records, USF’s season certainly feels less tumultuous. Although Syracuse have a new coaching staff to look forward to, the momentum is with USF who have surprised pundits in year 1 of their new coach Alex Golesh. Byrum Brown is an exciting prospect at QB and I expect him to have enough to spoil Shrader’s fairytale ending.
USF 40-26 Syracuse
