Penn State @ Syracuse preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 12, 2009 ) Syracuse 7, Penn State 28

Syracuse is poised to begin a new era of football Saturday against Penn State, a team that knows quite well what it’s like to start fresh. When the Orange and Nittany Lions square off at MetLife Stadium – home to the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets – there will be plenty of unknown on both sides of the field. The bulk of the novelty will surround Syracuse, which enters the season with a new coach, a new quarterback, 11 new starters and a new home – the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Scott Shafer, who was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach when Doug Marrone left for the NFL, remains uncommitted on Syracuse’s starting quarterback. It is possible that both sophomore Terrel Hunt and Oklahoma transfer Drew Allen could see action against the Nittany Lions. Penn State, meanwhile, will have a new quarterback of its own, though second-year head coach Bill O’Brien has not revealed whether he will start sophomore Tyler Ferguson or freshman Christian Hackenberg.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2. LINE: Penn State -8.

ABOUT PENN STATE (2012: 8-4, 6-2 Big Ten): The Nittany Lions return 16 starters from the team that surpassed most pundits’ expectations in 2012. Despite its inexperience at quarterback – neither Ferguson nor Hackenberg ever has thrown a pass at this level – Penn State must get the ball to junior Allen Robinson, the reigning Big Ten Receiver of the Year. On defense, the Nittany Lions know they can depend on senior linebacker Glenn Carson and sophomore defensive end Deion Barnes, the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

ABOUT SYRACUSE (2012: 8-5, 5-2 Big East): This will be the first ACC game for Syracuse, which spent the previous 22 seasons in the Big East. The Orange enter their new league with a high-powered rushing attack, led by Jerome Smith and Prince-Tyson Gulley, who combined for 2,001 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. On defense, linebackers Dyshawn Davis and Marquis Spruill – the team’s third- and fourth-leading tacklers in 2012 – are two players on which Shafer knows he can rely.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Penn State defeated Syracuse by a combined 83-20 in the last two meetings in 2008 and 2009.

2. The Orange are looking to reach a bowl game in back-to-back years for the first time since 1998 and 1999.

3. Nittany Lions junior RB Zach Zwinak rushed for exactly 1,000 yards last season.

PREDICTION: Penn State 21, Syracuse 20