North Carolina and Syracuse haven’t had the type of seasons they’ve wanted, but one of the teams can gain momentum going into the final stretch.
They will meet Friday night in Syracuse, N.Y., both trying to shed four-game losing streaks.
North Carolina (2-5, 0-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) has suffered narrow defeats in its past two games, including a 17-16 overtime setback to nationally ranked Virginia last week.
“You start all over every week,” North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said. “Every week is its own entity.”
Syracuse (3-5, 1-4) hasn’t found its footing since knocking off Clemson on Sept. 20. Orange coach Fran Brown said he’s bothered by the monthlong losing streak.
“It’s just not the way things should be around here,” Brown said. “I’ve got to be able to fix it. That’s why they made me the head coach.”
Syracuse has dropped off offensively since Rickie Collins replaced injured Steve Angeli at quarterback. Brown said he hasn’t given up on Collins, but it’s a process to reach an elite level.
“I think he has a long way to go to get to that point,” Brown said. “You hope that it could happen this week.”
Collins, who has been the starter for the past four games, has thrown for 957 yards and six touchdowns but eight interceptions this season. The Orange’s 157 rushing yards in a 41-16 loss at then-No. 7 Georgia Tech last week marked their second-highest ground total of the season.
“Very dangerous with the ball in his hand,” Belichick said of Collins. “Very good runner, and you can just see him get better every week.”
Scouting the Orange can be a bit complex.
“A lot of guys to get ready for, in some cases that we haven’t seen very much of,” Belichick said.
North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez has been intercepted five times and has thrown for four touchdowns this season.
Brown said Belichick’s influence on the Tar Heels is evident, particularly on defense.
“I’m happy I get a chance to compete against him,” Brown said. “… You can see him starting to implement the old Belichick brand of football in how they’re playing and how they fly around together.”
There’s also a buildup to the game despite the teams’ records.
“Halloween night,” Brown said. “It’s going to be a good atmosphere.”
Syracuse, which won’t play at home again until the regular-season finale against Boston College on Nov. 29, is 15-5 all-time on Halloween.
