Syracuse at FSU: Gameday Quick Hits

Florida State looks to pick up its first home win on Saturday as it plays host to Syracuse. The Seminoles at 2-5 are favored, according to oddsmakers, but the Orange are a popular pick to walk into Doak Campbell Stadium and pull the upset.

Syracuse was idle last week after playing tough at Miami the week before in a 27-19 loss. FSU has lost consecutive games to Louisville and Boston College. Before things get underway at 12:20 p.m. EST, check out our coverage of the contest:

FSU Football: A First Look at Syracuse
Preview: Desperate FSU Comes Home for Syracuse
Syracuse at FSU: Good Times, Bad Times
Q&A With Syracuse.com’s Nate Mink on FSU-Syracuse
Staff Predictions for FSU-Syracuse
Syracuse-FSU: Five Things to Watch
Staff Keys to the Game: Syracuse at FSU

With the Orange and Seminoles just hours away from kickoff, here are some relevant trends and facts to know for the game:

• Florida State has won nine straight meetings over Syracuse. The lone Orange victory in the series came in the first meeting back in 1966, 37-21.
• The Orange are 0-4 against FSU since joining the ACC in 2013. The average margin of victory for the Seminoles in those contests is more than 32 points per game.
• Syracuse is the only ACC Atlantic division team never to beat FSU in conference play.
• Florida State will look to avoid its worst 8-game start since beginning 2-6 in 1976.
• With a loss, FSU would fall to 2-5 in ACC play. The five losses would tie for the most in conference since joining in 1992. FSU finished 3-5 in ACC play in 2006.
• FSU will try to avoid going winless at home in ACC play for the first time ever.
• Syracuse is looking to improve to 5-4 for its best 9-game start since 2013 when it also began 5-4.
• Florida State will try to avoid losing its first four home games for the first time since 1974.
• FSU has won its last four games following a loss by 30 points or more. Last year, FSU bounced back from a 63-20 loss at Louisville with a 55-35 win at South Florida.
• Syracuse is 0-4 all-time in Tallahassee. The average margin of defeat in those four games is 34 points.
• Saturday’s game will be the first time that neither team was ranked for the contest since the first meeting between the schools in 1966.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson