I did not begin this season expecting to write about how good Syracuse has been but, well, the season is underway and Syracuse has been really good.
Dino Babers' squad was the only team in FBS to quinfecta a Power 5 opponent in Week 1, and now through two weeks they're the only team to quinfecta to FBS opponents.
Against Connecticut on Saturday, the Orange opened the game with a 12-play, 69-yard touchdown drive. They led 17-0 after one quarter and 27-7 at the half. They out-rushed the Huskies 156-97 and out-passed them 314-105. Syracuse forced two turnovers and committed none.
Again, it was Connecticut, but last week Syracuse totally dominated a Louisville team that went to Orlando and beat UCF on Friday night. They're 2-0, and in 120 minutes of football, they've led for all but 8:24, which is the time it took for the Orange offense to take a lead it would not relinquish.
Syracuse is one of two teams to go a perfect 10-0 in the five factors we track here; James Madison is the other, but JMU played Norfolk State on Saturday. Still, in Week 1 James Madison quinfecta'd a Middle Tennessee team that, in Week 2, went to Fort Collins and quinfecta'd Colorado State.
Winning Box Scores, Week 2:
-- Rush for more yards: 62-20
-- Pass for more yards: 64-18
-- Score first: 59-23
-- Lead at halftime: 67-11
-- Win turnovers: 42-21
-- Quinfecta: 21-0
Year to date
-- Rush for more yards: 135-40 (.771)
-- Pass for more yards: 130-45 (.743)
-- Score first: 121-54 (.691)
-- Lead at halftime: 147-18 (.891)
-- Win turnovers: 95-37 (.720)
-- Quinfecta: 40-0
Additional notes:
-- For everyone who thinks it's easy to dominate a supposedly inferior opponent, consider Auburn's experience with San Jose State. The Tigers were thoroughly out-passed (275-168), did not score first, and trailed 10-7 at the half.
-- North Carolina lost the turnover battle 3-0 in a game it won 35-28. Carolina's saving grace: it held Georgia State to three points off those three turnovers.
-- Washington State barrreeellly squeaked out that win at Wisconsin, but win they did. The Cougars trailed at halftime, were out-rushed and out-passed, and lost turnovers 2-1. They did manage to score first, and they won points off turnovers, 7-0, in their 17-14 victory.
-- Whilst we heap praise on Duke and James Madison, let it be known that Duke has been really, really good, too. The Blue Devils are 9-1 in our five categories, sweeping Temple in their 30-0 win and then going 4-for-5 in their 31-23 win at Northwestern. Duke was out-passed 435-240 (Riley Leonard threw it only 24 times, averaging 10 yards an attempt), won the ground battle 221-76, won turnovers 3-1, led 14-0 after one and 17-14 at the half.