Syracuse vs. UNC 2025 Preview: Who Wins on Halloween Night?

To say that it’s been rough for the Syracuse Orange this football season is an understatement. After losing starting quarterback Steve Angeli to an Achilles tear, the team has yet to win a game under now-starter Rickie Collins. Now in Week 10, JMA Wireless Stadium will play host to the UNC Tar Heels, who have also had a rough season in Bill Belichick’s first year as the head coach. However, they have shown fight, losing extremely close games in back-to-back weeks. Can Syracuse pull off a miracle on Halloween night? Or, will things get spooky for Collins and company? Let’s dive into this Syracuse vs. UNC 2025 game preview and find out!

Syracuse Orange vs. UNC Tar Heels: Matchup History and Excerpts

Coming into their Week 10 matchup, Syracuse and UNC have played each other seven times on the gridiron. Currently, North Carolina holds a 4-3 advantage over the Orangemen, entering the contest with a two-game winning streak against Syracuse. However, the last time the Orange defeated UNC was at home in a double-overtime thriller in 2018, which was also a late-October game.

Entering this matchup on a multi-game skid, Syracuse head coach Fran Brown isn’t taking the Tar Heels lightly.

“You guys just judge everybody based on the record and things of that nature,” began Fran Brown at this week’s press conference. “But for me, watching him and just seeing how week-to-week  his football team is getting better and how he’s doing a good job starting to implement the whole “Belichick brand” of football and how they’re playing and flying around together.”

Coach Brown expressed the importance of ending the season the right way for the seniors on the football team. And, a win on Friday night would do that.

For UNC, head coach Bill Belichick also knows that this game means a lot for the program going forward. And, like Brown, Belichick isn’t expecting Syracuse to roll over for the Tar Heels on Friday night.

“Watching Syracuse, I think Fran [Brown] has done a great job with that program,” began Belichick at his weekly presser. “I spent a lot of time watching them last year. What they did offensively they did was phenomenal … This is a football team that beat Clemson and has played some very good football in spurts … They’re very well coached, they’re very aggressive, [and] they do a good job defensively with their coverage schemes.”

Syracuse vs. UNC 2025 Game Preview

While neither team will be fighting for the ACC Championship this season, this matchup will be important for both programs going forward. A win will help their respective coaches continue to recruit and build the brand for their program. Meanwhile, a loss may dim the light on their respective star. With that in mind, there’s plenty of keys in this contest.

Key Players for Syracuse

On offense, it’s hard to pinpoint a player more important than quarterback Rickie Collins. No matter how the rest of the offense has looked, Collins has unfortunately held the team back since Steve Angeli’s injury. Head coach Fran Brown has expressed that the coaches have tried to make things easier for Collins on the field. However, that hasn’t translated to wins on the football field.

The quarterback had his best game of the season against Georgia Tech last week, but the matchup still ended up being a one-sided affair in the second half. In order to win this game, Collins must prepare and stop being hesitant to attack the defense. Unfortunately for Collins, Syracuse isn’t necessarily in a place to go through growing pains at the quarterback position. It may be unfair, but the team will only go as far as Collins will bring them.

For the Syracuse defense, the front seven will be key in this matchup. UNC quarterback Gio Lopez has not performed well this season, especially when facing a pass rush. In their last home game, Syracuse really dominated the line of scrimmage and created a dogfight against a tough Pitt Panthers team. Fortunately for the Orangemen, UNC does not have the same type of offensive firepower. Dominating the line of scrimmage and creating havoc for Lopez will be key for Syracuse in this contest.

Key Players for North Carolina

Like Syracuse, the key for UNC will rest on the shoulders of their quarterback, Gio Lopez. Lopez has truly struggled after moving up from the Group of Five to P4 competition. The quarterback has already tied his interception total (5) from last year, and has passed for less than 900 yards in six games. UNC needs him to be the player he was at South Alabama, and soon, if they wish to remain competitive this season. That will start on Friday.

On defense, Melkart Abou-Jaoude is a key player for the Tar Heels. Syracuse quarterback Rickie Collins has struggled when faced with pressure, and has made it hard for him to read the field. On top of that, he has been quick to leave the pocket when pressured. If Abou-Jaoude can add on to his 22 pressures on the year (with five sacks), he could create opportunity for himself and his teammates. Pressuring Collins is key, and Abou-Jaoude will be a primary player in making that happen.

UNC may continue to be without cornerback Thad Dixon, who suffered an arm injury against Clemson. If they are without him, the Tar Heels need their secondary to step up in coverage. If Dixon is able to return, expect him to be tested to see if he’s healthy.

2025 Game Preview: Syracuse vs. UNC – Who Wins in Week 10?

How Syracuse Wins

Like every game since Rickie Collins has taken under center, the Orangemen can win this game by taking care of the football – while taking selective shots downfield. Far too often we have seen Collins hesitant to attack in one-on-one opportunities. Even more, we’ve seen him flushed out of clean pockets and look to run instead of making a play with his arm. Syracuse needs their quarterback to stay composed and make the correct decisions if they want to beat the Tar Heels at home.

Defensively, they need to pressure Gio Lopez and force him to make mistakes. The Syracuse defense has gotten better with each passing week. They continue to pressure the quarterback, while making great plays in the secondary. The unit has shown that the team is not giving up despite the rough patch of the season. If they can continue their high level of play, they could come out with a victory in Week 10.

It’s worth noting that entering this matchup are rumors that freshman Luke Carney could get the start at quarterback for Syracuse. However, they were not validated at the time of writing.

Updated: Syracuse head coach Fran Brown announced on Wednesday that Rickie Collins will not be the only quarterback playing in Friday’s game. 

With head coach Fran Brown announcing that multiple quarterbacks will be involved on Friday, some things change for Syracuse. If Luke Carney is given reps, the offense could benefit from running an RPO-heavy scheme. Carney is a strong runner, and the reads could be easier for him to process at the college level. Something to note is that last time Brown put in Carney, it was on specific packages where he was eventually replaced with Rickie Collins. Whether that’s the case on Friday remains to be seen.

How UNC Wins

The Tar Heels can win this game by forcing Rickie Collins to make mistakes, and keeping the Syracuse defense on the field. Since Collins has taken over at quarterback, drives have stalled and mistakes have been made. UNC needs to capitalize on those mistakes, and force Collins to throw Syracuse into the ballgame. The Orangemen are no longer a team that can play from behind. If UNC can get out to a lead early, they just need to force Syracuse’s offense to sputter – like it has been doing in recent weeks.