2022 Pinstripe Bowl Preview: Minnesota vs. Syracuse, 2:00 EST December 29
From Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, it’s the Minnesota Golden Gophers taking on the Syracuse Orange. Here’s your 2022 Pinstripe Bowl Preview:
Syracuse Orange, 7-5
After starting 6-0, and being ranked as high as #18, Syracuse cratered. The Orange lost their next five games before staging a comeback victory over Boston College to finish the season. Granted, quarterback Garrett Shrader was injured in that time frame. Even with the injury, Shrader racked up impressive numbers this season: 2,310 yards, 17 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. In addition, he ran for 415 yards and another seven touchdowns.
However, here’s something to watch for: Shrader was sacked 31 times. Minnesota has some edge rushers who can potentially take advantage of that.
Unfortunately for the Orange, they will be missing a different key piece on offense. Running back Sean Tucker has opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl to focus on NFL draft prep. Tucker led the Orange in rushing, with 1,060 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. It will be interesting to see what Syracuse does in the run game without him. Only five other players had carries for the Orange this season, and two of them were the quarterbacks.
Unless the Orange come up with something completely unexpected, Minnesota’s 5th-ranked defense should be equal to the task. Linebacker Braelen Oliver has transferred to Georgia Tech, but no other major contributors have opted out of the bowl. Among the defensive players to watch are linebacker Mariano Sori-Marin, playing his last game and leading the team in tackles, and defensive back Tyler Nubin, the team’s interception leader with four. The Gophers also rank second in FBS in third-down defense, allowing teams to convert just over 26% of the time.
Minnesota Golden Gophers, 8-4
As for Minnesota’s offense, the key question is who will be playing quarterback. Tanner Morgan suffered a concussion in October, and sophomore Athan Kaliakmanis played well in his stead. Morgan returned after one game, only to be re-injured. Kaliakmanis finished the season by winning three of his four starts, losing to Iowa by a field goal. He adds a different dimension to the offense by occasionally running on RPO plays- something Morgan very seldom does.
Our guess is that both quarterbacks will see time in this game. Getting Kaliakmanis the experience could pay off down the road, but it’s hard to imagine the sixth-year senior Morgan not seeing the field at all.
Regardless of who’s behind center, Minnesota’s offense revolves around Mohamed Ibrahim. Another sixth-year senior, Ibrahim has had more 200-yard games this season (two) than games under 100 yards (one). His yardage total of 1,594 was more than three times that of second-leading rusher Trey Potts (447), and he accounted for 19 of the Gophers’ 32 offensive touchdowns. Ibrahim is also a big part of why Minnesota trails only Washington in converting on third downs. The Gophers’ passing game is very pedestrian- they rely on controlling the clock with Ibrahim, and struggle when playing from behind.
Syracuse ranks 66th in FBS against the run, allowing just under 150 yards per game. As Yahoo Sports points out, the Orange are 7-0 when holding opposing teams under that mark, and 0-6 when they don’t. Ibrahim could make this a long afternoon for them. On the other hand, if they manage to bottle him up, it could be a long day for the Gophers.
One more thing to watch is the battle in the trenches. Minnesota has one of the best offensive lines in the country, and they’ve given up just 13 sacks all season. The Syracuse defense, on the other hand, has 31 sacks, led by defensive lineman Caleb Okechukwu with seven.
Two Other Notes
Penalties could very well come into play in this game. Minnesota has the fourth-fewest penalty yards in FBS (393), while Syracuse has among the most with 777.
Weather should not be an issue in the game. Weather.com is predicting mostly sunny skies, with a high of 45 degrees.
And that is your 2022 Pinstripe Bowl Preview. We’ve got all your bowl game needs covered here at LWOS. Enjoy the game!
