AgainstSt. Bonaventure on Tuesday night, Syracuse needed to overcome an eight-point second half deficit to avoid an upset. Four days earlier against Lehigh, the Orange had to fend off a late Mountain Hawks' rally to secure a win.
In both instances, teams from mid-major conferences came closer to leaving the Carrier Dome with a victory than opposing teams typically do in November. Last season, for example, SU topped Kennesaw State and Hampton in its first two games by an average margin of 32.5 points.
After the St. Bonaventure game, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim was asked whether being challenged so early in the season will ultimately benefit the Orange.