Syracuse and South Florida will meet in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 21 in Florida.
The game marks a new era for Syracuse. The Orange parted ways with coach Dino Babers after the regular season and hired Fran Brown, who was the defensive backs coach at Georgia. Brown is considered one of the nation's top recruiters.
The Orange (6-6) are appearing in their 28th bowl game, where the program holds a 16-10-1 record. Syracuse's .611 winning percentage ranks eighth among FBS teams with 15 or more bowl games played.
Syracuse averages 25.4 points and 185 yards per game this season. Running back LeQuint Allen rushed for 1,062 yards and nine touchdowns, and quarterback Garrett Shrader ran for 469 yards with eight touchdowns. Shrader also threw for 1,686 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The Orange allowed 23.8 points per game, which ranked 49th nationally. Marlowe Wax led the team with 99 tackles while Kevon Darton had five sacks.
USF's five-win improvement over 2022 ranks as the best turnaround in program history and is tied with Liberty (13-0) for the second best in the FBS in 2023 behind only Northwestern's six-win improvement.
South Florida has a high-powered offense that averages 30.7 points per game. The Bulls average 270.7 yards passing and 184.7 yards on the ground.
Quarterback Byrum Brown threw for for 3,078 yards with 23 touchdowns. Brown also ran for 745 yards and a team-leading 11 touchdowns. Sean Atkins was the top wideout with 86 receptions for 961 yards and five touchdowns.
Nay’Quan Wright led the running backs with 757 yards and seven touchdowns. D.J. Gordon led the team with 3.5 sacks.
USF and Syracuse, former Big East conference members, have met 10 times with the Bulls holding an 8-2 series lead.
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What channel is Syracuse vs. USF on today?
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stream: Fubo
Syracuse vs. South Florida in the Boca Raton Bowl will air on ESPN. Viewers can also stream the game on Fubo. For a limited time, new subscribers can save $40 on Fubo's Pro, Elite and Premier plans. Fubo has a free trial, so you can try before you buy.
Syracuse vs. USF start time
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 21
- Time: 8 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. CT
Syracuse and South Florida will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 21. The game will be played at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla.
Syracuse schedule, results 2023
| Date | Opponent/Result | Kickoff time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 2 | Syracuse 65, Colgate | — | — |
| Sept. 9 | Syracuse 48, Western Michigan 7 | — | — |
| Sept. 16 | Syracuse 35, Purdue 20 | — | — |
| Sept. 23 | Syracuse 29, Army 16 | — | — |
| Sept. 30 | Clemson 31, Syracuse 14 | — | — |
| Oct. 7 | UNC 40, Syracuse 7 | — | — |
| Oct. 14 | Florida State 41, Syracuse 3 | — | — |
| Oct. 26 | Virginia Tech 38, Syracuse 10 | — | — |
| Nov. 3 | Boston College 17, Syracuse 10 | — | — |
| Nov. 11 | Syracuse 28, Pitt 13 | — | — |
| Nov. 18 | Georgia Tech 31, Syracuse 22 | — | — |
| Nov. 25 | Syracuse 35, Wake Forest 21 | — | — |
| Dec. 21 | South Florida | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
South Florida schedule, results 2023
| Date | Opponent/Result | Kickoff time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 2 | Western Kentucky 41, South Florida 24 | — | — |
| Sept. 9 | South Florida 38, Florida A&M 24 | — | — |
| Sept. 16 | Alabama 17, South Florida 3 | — | — |
| Sept. 23 | South Florida 42, Rice 29 | — | — |
| Sept. 30 | South Florida 44, Navy 30 | — | — |
| Oct. 7 | UAB 56, South Florida 35 | — | — |
| Oct. 14 | FAU 56, South Florida 14 | — | — |
| Oct. 21 | South Florida 24, Connecticut 21 | — | — |
| Nov. 4 | Memphis 59, South Florida 50 | — | — |
| Nov. 11 | South Florida 27, Temple 23 | — | — |
| Nov. 17 | UTSA 49, South Florida 21 | — | — |
| Nov. 25 | South Florida 48, Charlotte 14 | — | — |
| Dec. 21 | Syracuse | 8 p.m. | ESPN |