South Florida at Syracuse Week 1 College Football Matchup South Florida at Syracuse Matchup - Week 1
Fri, Dec 22 2023 · Postseason · Neutral Site · 🏟 FAU Stadium Boca Raton, FL · Turf · 30,000 cap
South Florida✈ 184 miSame TZ Syracuse✈ 1,172 miSame TZ
Away (Neutral)
45 0
Final
Home (Neutral)
📊 Punt & Rally Projection
South Florida
25
Syracuse
32
P&R Line Syracuse -7
P&R Total O/U 56.5
Confidence 75 Good
Vegas Syracuse -3 · O/U 56.0
Matchup Prediction
Metrics disagree on this matchup
Momentum Control favors South Florida, while Game Control favors Syracuse. Split signals historically show weaker predictive confidence — treat as a toss-up.
⚡ Split Signal — Metrics Disagree
Momentum Control
61.3%
South Florida wins
Lean
Game Control
50.6%
Syracuse wins
Toss-up
Vegas Spread
Syracuse -3
O/U 56.0
Bovada
Advanced Stats
Advanced factors are split · No strong agreement signal
↓ See full breakdown
🏠 Syracuse 2nd straight Home Game
South Florida 2023 Schedule
South Florida's 2023 Schedule
DateMatchupSpreadTotalResultO/UCover
Sat 9/2South Florida at Western Kentucky+13.5L24–4171.5L24–41UN
Sat 9/9South Florida vs Florida A&M-20.0W38–2463.0W38–24UN
Sat 9/16South Florida vs Alabama+34.0L3–1761.0L3–17UY
Sat 9/23South Florida vs Rice+2.5W42–2956.5W42–29OY
Sat 9/30South Florida at Navy+4.0W44–3054.0W44–30OY
Sat 10/7South Florida at UAB-3.5L35–5668.5L35–56ON
Sat 10/14South Florida vs Florida Atlantic-3.0L14–5661.0L14–56ON
Sat 10/21South Florida at UConn+1.0W24–2157.0W24–21UY
— Bye Week —
Sat 11/4South Florida at Memphis+13.5L50–5968.5L50–59OY
Sat 11/11South Florida vs Temple-7.5W27–2370.5W27–23UN
Fri 11/17South Florida at UTSA+14.5L21–4965.5L21–49ON
Sat 11/25South Florida vs Charlotte-7.5W48–1456.5W48–14OY
Thu 12/21South Florida vs Syracuse+3.0W45–056.0W45–0UY
Syracuse 2023 Schedule
Syracuse's 2023 Schedule
DateMatchupSpreadTotalResultO/UCover
Sat 9/2Syracuse vs Colgate-40.0W65–049.5W65–0OY
Sat 9/9Syracuse vs Western Michigan-24.5W48–756.5W48–7UY
Sat 9/16Syracuse at Purdue-1.0W35–2056.5W35–20UY
Sat 9/23Syracuse vs Army-13.0W29–1650.5W29–16UN
Sat 9/30Syracuse vs Clemson+7.0L14–3152.0L14–31UN
Sat 10/7Syracuse at North Carolina+9.5L7–4059.0L7–40UN
Sat 10/14Syracuse at Florida State+18.5L3–4153.5L3–41UN
— Bye Week —
Thu 10/26Syracuse at Virginia Tech+2.5L10–3847.5L10–38ON
Fri 11/3Syracuse vs Boston College-3.0L10–1751.0L10–17UN
Sat 11/11Syracuse vs Pittsburgh+4.5W28–1337.5W28–13OY
Sat 11/18Syracuse at Georgia Tech+6.5L22–3151.5L22–31ON
Sat 11/25Syracuse vs Wake Forest-3.0W35–3143.5W35–31OY
Thu 12/21Syracuse vs South Florida-3.0L0–4556.0L0–45UN
Advanced Stats
Advanced Analytics Matchup
Matchup-adjusted (offense vs opponent defense) · 2023 season
Syracuse PPA Edge
Agreement Signals — When All Metrics Agree
Elite · 83.1% ATS
PPA + PPO + SR + Havoc
Split
Metrics disagree
Elite · 82.4% ATS
PPA + PPO + Havoc
Split
Metrics disagree
Elite · 73.9% ATS
PPA + Success Rate
Split
Metrics disagree
Individual Factors — Ranked by Predictive Strength
PPA Overall
Points added per play · Elite predictor
South Florida #79
+0.355
Syracuse #100
+0.361
Syracuse Edge
PPA Passing
Pass efficiency edge · Strong predictor
South Florida #73
+0.510
Syracuse #88
+0.588
Syracuse Edge
Havoc Total
Def. disruption rate · Strong predictor
South Florida #15
0.189
Syracuse #30
0.181
TFLs, sacks, PBUs, forced fumbles — higher is better
South Florida Edge
Points Per Opp
Drive-finishing edge · Strong predictor
South Florida #89
+6.959
Syracuse #103
+7.086
Syracuse Edge
Success Rate
Play consistency edge · Solid predictor
South Florida #106
+0.830
Syracuse #98
+0.794
South Florida Edge
Field Position
Avg start (lower=better) · Solid predictor
South Florida #52
70.1
Syracuse #59
70.4
Avg yards from own endzone to average start — lower is better · longer bar = better field position
South Florida Edge
Advanced stats sourced from CFBD · 2023 season · Edges are matchup-adjusted (offense vs opponent defense)
Power Ratings
Team Power Ratings
Overall · Offense · Defense ratings · Updated as season progresses
South Florida Rated Higher
Overall Power Rating
South Florida
1.9
Syracuse
-2.2
Offense Rating
South Florida
18.7
Syracuse
16.0
Defense Rating (lower = better defense)
South Florida
16.8
Syracuse
18.2
Power ratings updated throughout the season as results accumulate
Momentum Control (CSS)
Consecutive Scoring Sequences Who builds scoring momentum? South Florida Edge
Avg sequences created per game
South Florida #96
1.09
Syracuse #97
1.00
Avg sequences allowed per game (lower is better)
South Florida #16
1.09
Syracuse #100
1.36
South Florida +0.09
CSS Edge (season-to-date)
Teams with this edge win 61.3% of games historically
Based on 11 games this season
Game Control (GC)
Win Probability Dominance Who controls games start to finish? Syracuse Edge
Avg GC score per game (offense)
South Florida #1
35.8
Syracuse #1
38.8
Avg GC score allowed per game (lower is better)
South Florida #80
45.2
Syracuse #101
46.3
Syracuse +3.0
GC Edge (season-to-date)
Teams with this edge win 50.6% of games historically
Based on 12 games this season
Spread Context
ATS Historical Context
Based on 2021–2025 backtest · FBS vs FBS · Regular season

CSS and GC disagree on this matchup. When the metrics split, historical cover rates are essentially random — treat this as a coin flip against the spread.

ATS data is informational only. Past cover rates do not guarantee future results.

Coaching Matchup
South Florida
Alex Golesh #1
1–2 (33%) · Yr 1 at school
OC Joel Gordon Yr 1 #1
DC Todd Orlando Yr 1 #1
Staff Rating
0.00 #1
Syracuse
Dino Babers #1
39–49 (44%) · Yr 8 at school
OC Jason Beck Yr 1 #1
DC Rocky Long Yr 1 #1
Staff Rating
0.00 #1
About these metrics
Advanced Stats shows matchup-adjusted factor edges (offense vs opponent defense). Combination signals — when PPA, PPO, Success Rate, and Havoc all point the same direction — have historically predicted the SU winner in 95–97% of games and the ATS winner in 82–83% of games (2021–2025, FBS vs FBS, regular season).
Impact: Advanced Stats are the best performance based metric used to predict the outcome of games.

Momentum Control (CSS) measures consecutive scoring sequences — when a team scores, holds the opponent scoreless, then scores again. Teams entering a game with a CSS edge of +1.0 or more have won 71–78% of games historically (2021–2025, FBS vs FBS).
Impact: Momentum Control is a great measure for predicting game outcome but NOT an ATS advantage, data shows this is already considered when lines are set.

Game Control (GC) measures win probability dominance — how thoroughly a team controlled the game from start to finish. Teams with a GC edge of +12 or more have won 67–76% of games historically. When both metrics agree, combined confidence is higher. When they split, treat as a lean at best.
Impact: Game Control is another great measure for predicting game outcome but NOT an ATS advantage, data shows this is already considered when lines are set.

Power Ratings are a custom-built composite of a Teams Talent, Experience & Production, Coaching & Performance Metrics. These are updated constantly with roster changes, performance once the games start for the 2026 season, injuries the team is dealing with and scheduling situations.
Impact: There are a wide range of power ratings available, we think ours is the best, you can decide for yourself