Tag: syracuse orange

Nov 11, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive back Donovan McMillon (3) attempts to tackle Syracuse Orange tight end Dan Villari (89) during the second half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

Sixth win at stake for Georgia Tech, Syracuse

Posted on | by Field Level Media

With bowl eligibility at stake for both teams, Georgia Tech welcomes Syracuse to Atlanta on Saturday for a critical Atlantic Coast Conference matchup.

The Yellow Jackets (5-5, 4-3) recently posted back-to-back wins over then-No. 17 North Carolina and Virginia before getting doubled up by Clemson last weekend 42-21. Georgia Tech came into that game averaging 465 yards of offense but mustered only 254 yards against the Tigers.

Haynes King was picked off four times and the Yellow Jackets only held the ball for 23:08 as their five-game ACC road winning streak came to an end.

“We got our butts kicked out there today,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said. “We’ve got to continue to improve, push through these things, correct these things, and get ready to play another game next week.”

That game will come against a Syracuse team that snapped a five-game losing streak last weekend with an innovative 28-13 victory over Pittsburgh. The Orange (5-5, 1-5) essentially played without a quarterback, as the injured Garrett Shrader was only able to throw two passes.

That opened the door for coach Dino Babers to install a wildcat offense in which tight end Dan Villari (17 carries, 154 yards) and running back LeQuint Allen (28 carries, 102 yards) took the bulk of the snaps.

Shrader is questionable for Saturday’s affair, while backup Carlos Del Rio-Wilson appears unlikely to be available after missing the Pitt game.

The Orange need one win to become bowl-eligible for the second straight season. They haven’t gone to a bowl in back-to-back seasons since 2012 and 2013.

“The bottom part of success is getting these guys to a bowl game,” Babers said. “They give up their summers, they go through broken bones, torn ligaments, surgeries. If we can find a way to get into a bowl, to me, that’s a good thing.”

The Yellow Jackets are aiming for their first bowl appearance since 2018.

Georgia Tech swept its first three games against Syracuse before dropping the last meeting, 37-20 in 2020.

–Field Level Media

Nov 3, 2023; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (16) runs as Boston College Eagles linebacker Kam Arnold (5) chases during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh, Syracuse limp into meeting at Yankee Stadium

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Pitt and Syracuse have taken a beating in Atlantic Coast Conference play this season, leaving both teams longing for a victory Saturday when they meet at Yankee Stadium in New York City.

The Panthers (2-7, 1-4) have lost three straight games, including the last two by a combined margin of 82-14. They fell to Florida State 24-7 last weekend, although the game was tight until the Seminoles scored two touchdowns in the final four minutes of the third quarter.

Pitt ranks 110th in the nation in scoring with just 20.7 points a game, much to the dismay of coach Pat Narduzzi.

“We’ve got to get the ball to the right guy at the right time, and again, it’s always something you can do better,” Narduzzi said. “When you watch the tape, you look back (and think), ‘Hindsight, man, I wish we would have tried that.’ You don’t get a second chance.”

Syracuse (4-5, 0-5) is the only winless team in ACC play, as the offense has disappeared following a 4-0 start.

Carlos Del Rio-Wilson started last week’s 17-10 loss to Boston College in place of Garrett Shrader (undisclosed injury). Del Rio-Wilson battled through injuries of his own to go 7-for-17 for 37 yards, with four interceptions.

Syracuse coach Dino Babers has not made any decisions about Saturday’s starting quarterback, although he realizes the coaching staff and players need to take advantage of available opportunities.

“What we have to do is put those guys in a situation to make plays,” Babers said. “And then they have to be able to go out there and make the plays. Those kids, I thought, were in position to make plays. We just didn’t make enough plays to win the game.”

The Panthers have won 16 of the last 18 meetings between the teams, losing by only one point in 2012 and by three points in 2017.

Last season, Pitt held Del Rio-Wilson to 8-of-23 passing for 120 yards — and limited Syracuse to 145 total yards — in a 19-9 Panthers triumph.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2023; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader (6) runs away from Virginia Tech Hokies defensive lineman Antwaun Powell-Ryland (52) during the first quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Syracuse back home, looking to halt skid in matchup vs. BC

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Boston College and Syracuse are trending in opposite directions entering Friday night’s Atlantic Coast Conference contest on the Orange’s home turf.

The Eagles (5-3, 2-2) have won four in a row, while the Orange (4-4, 0-4) have dropped four straight and are the only remaining winless team in ACC play.

Boston College allowed at least 27 points in each of its first four games but has not yielded more than 24 in any game during its current winning streak. The Eagles are coming off a 21-14 triumph against UConn in a game in which the Eagles’ Kye Robichaux ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

Syracuse, meanwhile, is looking to recover from a brutal stretch in which it lost to Clemson, North Carolina, Florida State and Virginia Tech by a combined margin of 150-34. On the bright side, the Orange have won two straight matchups with the Eagles, including 32-23 a season ago.

Friday’s contest will be the Eagles’ third road game in the last four outings, although the team certainly won’t be getting any sympathy cards from the Orange.

Syracuse has not played at home since its Sept. 30 loss against Clemson.

“(It’s been) a long time,” Orange coach Dino Babers said about returning home. “I think back to other offenses having trouble during their snap counts, other offenses jumping offsides. Hearing the crowd get excited, watching the defense get excited to get another opportunity 5 yards back. I want those good times again. There’s no place like Dome. This is the perfect time for us to come home. It’s exactly what the doctor ordered.”

Boston College coach Jeff Hafley has conducted some of this week’s practices indoors with pumped-in noise to simulate the upcoming conditions in Syracuse, N.Y.

“We turned on the music as loud as you can make it, so you can’t hear anything,” said Hafley. “It won’t sound exactly the same, but we can make it so you really can’t hear. … I’m sure the game will be loud; I’m sure there will be a great crowd and a great atmosphere. It usually is there, and it’s a Friday night game.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis (13) in the second half against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

No. 4 Florida State looks to smash Syracuse again

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 4 Florida State is one of four Atlantic Coast Conference teams that are undefeated in league play.

The Seminoles (5-0, 3-0) may be the best of the bunch, but in order to support that claim, they’ll need to defeat visiting Syracuse (4-2, 0-2) on Saturday in Tallahassee, Fla.

Florida State is in the midst of a three-game homestand that began last weekend with a 39-17 victory over Virginia Tech. The Seminoles have tallied at least 31 points in every game this season and rank sixth in the nation in scoring (42.4).

Jordan Travis is the engine driving the Seminoles, as he’s passed for 12 touchdowns with only one interception. He has thrown two TDs with no picks in each of the last four games and completed a season-high 75 percent of his passes against the Hokies.

“I’m not going to enjoy watching him play,” quipped Syracuse coach Dino Babers, “but when you get done, he’s one of those guys that you do turn on the TV to watch because he plays at an extremely high level.”

Travis lit up the Orange last season, completing 21 of 23 passes for 155 yards and three TDs in a 38-3 shellacking. The Seminoles lead the all-time series 13-2 and are 7-0 at home against Syracuse.

Babers knows the challenge that awaits his team, which has been outscored 71-21 over the last two weeks and is in the midst of a 34-day stretch without a home game.

“We’ve beaten a team in the top five before, but it’s very, very difficult to do, and it’s extremely difficult to do when you’re at their place,” Babers said.

If they have any hopes of pulling the upset, the Orange will need a big day out of Garrett Shrader. The senior signal-caller has been held under 200 yards passing in three of the last four games and has thrown at least one interception in four straight contests.

He also has rushed for a total of 102 yards in the last three games after erupting for 195 rushing yards and four scores in last month’s win over Purdue.

“Obviously you look at the course of work that he’s done over the last couple years, he’s a very talented player and can do a lot of great things with his arm,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said. “If you account for everybody in the passing game and don’t have eyes and a body on him, he’ll definitely make you pay as a runner.”

On the other side of the ball, Syracuse leans on a dangerous defensive line that has helped the Orange lead the ACC in tackles for loss (7.8 per game). Linebacker Marlowe Wax is a major factor as well, having registered a team-high 45 tackles, three forced fumbles, two sacks and an interception.

“You’re not going to see a team that brings more variations of pressures,” Norvell said. “Just the different looks from three down to four down to — they can blitz everybody on the field at some point. You have to be great with your eyes. You have to be great with your technique. We had a couple slow reactions where we gave up pressures there the other day.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks to pass against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Top ACC QBs clash as Syracuse visits No. 14 UNC

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Two of the top quarterbacks in the Atlantic Coast Conference will be on display Saturday when No. 14 North Carolina hosts Syracuse in Chapel Hill, N.C.

The Tar Heels (4-0, 1-0 ACC) have scored at least 31 points in every game behind dynamic sophomore Drake Maye, who has completed at least 70 percent of his passes in every contest.

Maye does have four interceptions after tossing just seven picks (with 38 touchdowns) a season ago. He also was sacked five times in the Tar Heels’ last game — a 41-24 victory at Pittsburgh on Sept. 23.

Regardless, Syracuse coach Dino Babers sees Maye as a formidable foe for his squad, which is coming off its first loss of the season.

The Orange (4-1, 0-1) were thumped by Clemson 31-14 last weekend following a nonconference slate in which they won their four games by an average of 33.5 points.

“This will be the best quarterback we’ve played this year,” Babers said. “Obviously, the guy last Saturday (Clemson’s Cade Klubnik) played extremely well, but this guy is different. He’s going to be an NFL guy. He’s what makes that team go on offense.”

In a similar sense, Garrett Shrader is the engine for the Syracuse offense. He has passed for 1,148 yards and eight touchdowns, not to mention 340 rushing yards — just 23 behind LeQuint Allen for the team lead — and six scores on the ground.

“He’s one of the toughest quarterbacks I’ve ever seen,” North Carolina coach Mack Brown said. “So he’ll be a real challenge.”

Another common thread between the two quarterbacks is the absence of a key weapon on each sideline.

Syracuse continues to play without tight end Oronde Gadsden II (foot), who had 61 catches for 969 yards and six touchdowns a season ago. North Carolina, meanwhile, has had to lean heavily on J.J. Jones (16 catches for a team-high 296 yards) in the absence of transfer Tez Walker, deemed ineligible to play during the 2023 regular season.

“J.J. has had to step up even more since we don’t have Tez Walker,” Brown said. “Drake’s a good combo with him.”

Jones, who had six catches for 117 yards against Pitt, will likely be a focus of the Syracuse defense, which allowed Clemson’s top target, Tyler Brown, to accumulate nine catches for 153 yards last weekend.

Things don’t get any easier after Saturday for Syracuse, which travels to visit No. 5 Florida State next weekend. The Orange’s schedule in October features three road contests and zero home games.

“We’re 4-1 and we’re almost halfway done with the season,” Babers said. “We’re not perfect, (but) we almost are. Now we’ve got to go on the road and play some really challenging games against some really highly ranked teams with some fantastic athletes. It’s going to be challenging.”

Syracuse and North Carolina have met only six times and just twice since 2003. The Orange won 40-37 in double-overtime in 2018 and the Tar Heels got revenge two years later with a 31-6 victory.

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader (6) scores a rushing touchdown against the Army Black Knights in the fourth quarter at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Clemson takes aim at unbeaten Syracuse

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Six Atlantic Coast Conference teams are undefeated entering this weekend, so it’s no surprise that the matchup between Clemson and Syracuse features one team with an unblemished record.

However, in an unlikely twist, it’s the host Orange who will put their unbeaten mark on the line Saturday.

Clemson (2-2, 0-2 ACC) outgained then-fourth-ranked Florida State 429-311 last weekend and outrushed the Seminoles 146-22 before falling in overtime 31-24. Clemson committed a costly turnover and also missed a 29-yard field goal in the disappointing setback.

“That, honestly, was probably as tough a loss as I’ve ever been a part of,” Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said, adding that “if you can’t see the heart of our team, then you’re just blind.”

An agitated group of Tigers will travel to Syracuse to take on the Orange (4-0, 0-0), who ran the table in non-conference play, punctuating the slate with a 29-16 triumph against Army last week.

Syracuse survived a sluggish first half in which it trailed 10-3 at intermission before scoring the first 26 points of the second half.

Garrett Shrader completed 21 of 26 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score. LeQuint Allen (104 rushing yards, TD) and Damien Alford (nine catches, 135 yards) were among the other offensive standouts for Syracuse.

That trio will need to step up if the hosts are going to compete with the Tigers’ Cade Klubnik — who has nine passing TDs and two rushing scores this year — and the backfield of Will Shipley and Phil Mafah (527 rushing yards and four rushing TDs combined).

“These guys are the same champions that they’ve always been,” Syracuse coach Dino Babers said. “There’s a reason why they’ve won so many championships and they’ve been in (so many playoffs).”

Clemson has won nine of the last 10 meetings between the teams, including 27-21 a season ago. The Orange were undefeated heading into that one, as well, before the Tigers sent Syracuse tumbling toward a 1-6 finish to the season.

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader (6) throws a pass in the first quarter against the Army Black Knights at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Big second half lifts Syracuse over Army

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Garrett Shrader threw for a touchdown and ran for a score as Syracuse awoke after halftime in a 29-16 win over visiting Army on Saturday afternoon.

Shrader finished 21 of 26 for 245 yards, while Damien Alford registered nine catches for 135 yards. LeQuint Allen ran for 104 yards and a score, and Shrader chipped in 50 yards on the ground.

The Orange (4-0) remained unbeaten despite a lethargic first half in which they failed to convert a third down and trailed 10-3 at the break against the scrappy Black Knights (2-2).

Syracuse’s second half began with disappointment as well, as the hosts drove to the Army 32 before getting stuffed on fourth-and-short. However, the Orange tied the game on their next possession, igniting their dominant second-half performance.

Shrader and Alford fueled the tying drive with connections of 31 and 19 yards, setting up Allen’s 13-yard sprint to the end zone.

Following another Black Knights punt, the Orange drove back into the red zone and cashed in when Shrader found Umari Hatcher for a 13-yard score on third-and-9.

Army went three-and-out on its next trip and Syracuse responded with a 30-yard field goal from Brady Denaburg. Shrader’s 21-yard TD run with 9:46 left and Denaburg’s 31-yard field goal less than four minutes later extended the cushion to 29-10.

The Black Knights’ Bryson Daily finished 9 of 21 for 145 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown — an 80-yarder to Noah Short in the waning minutes. Short caught six balls for 105 yards, while Daily led Army’s ground attack with 47 yards on 20 attempts.

After managing just 77 yards of offense in the first half, the Orange totaled 326 yards after the break. They held the ball for more than 20 minutes in the second half and outgained Army on the ground, 140 to minus-4 following intermission.

–Field Level Media

Syracuse Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader (6) stiff arms Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) during the NCAA football game, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Syracuse Orange won 35-20.

Unbeaten Syracuse has healthy respect for Army

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Every week, Syracuse coach Dino Babers stresses the importance of respecting the opponent. This week, that message carries a special meaning for Babers and the undefeated Orange.

Syracuse (3-0) will wrap up non-league play Saturday when it hosts Army (2-1) on Military Appreciation Day.

“It’s a prideful thing,” said Babers, who grew up in a military family. “I told the guys, ‘Hey, these guys are different.’ They’re out there protecting us, and we need to give them the respect they deserve. One of the things they would want us to do is play the best game that we can play.

“I’m talking about a team that is very capable of beating us. The way they play the game and the way their head coach coaches the game — I tip my hat to them. I have a lot of respect for them.”

The Black Knights may have their hands full with Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader, who rushed for 195 yards and four touchdowns in last weekend’s 35-20 win at Purdue. He also passed for 184 yards.

The Syracuse offense is averaging 542.7 yards per game — fifth in the nation — despite the absence of star tight end Oronde Gadsden II, who is out for the season with a foot injury.

Army enters Saturday’s game on the heels of a 37-29 win at UTSA in which Hayden Reed and Bryson Daily combined for 207 rushing yards. Both found the end zone on the ground, while Daily also passed for 133 yards and a score.

As a team, the Black Knights are averaging 235.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks ninth nationally.

“Our guys want to line up and run around and knock people off the ball,” said Army coach Jeff Monken, who signed a multi-year contract extension earlier this week. “We’ve got to play a different style of game — and that’s running the football, controlling the clock, and limiting possessions. That’s always been our philosophy here.”

This will be the 22nd meeting between the schools, albeit the first since 1996. The Orange lead the all-time series 11-10.

–Field Level Media

Sep 9, 2023; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange defensive lineman Caleb Okechukwu (4) and defensive back Alijah Clark (5) and defensive back Jason Simmons Jr. (14) reacts to a play against the Western Michigan Broncos during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Syracuse braces for stiff challenge from Purdue

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Syracuse has been impressive through the first two weeks of the season, but a stiff challenge awaits Saturday when the Orange travel to take on Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind.

The Orange (2-0) trounced Colgate 65-0 on Sept. 2 and whipped Western Michigan 48-7 last Saturday. They are third nationally in scoring offense, trailing only Oregon and USC, and their defense has been stout, as well. No team has yielded fewer points per game than Syracuse (3.5), which has recorded a defensive touchdown in each of its first two games.

That is particularly noteworthy because Purdue (1-1) is one of only nine FBS teams that has yet to commit a turnover this season.

The Boilermakers outlasted Virginia Tech and Mother Nature — there was a weather-related delay of nearly 5 1/2 hours — in last weekend’s 24-17 road triumph. But Purdue first-year coach Ryan Walters certainly won’t be satisfied with one early-season victory.

“The goal was never to get just the first one. It’s to get them every week,” Walters said. “I didn’t put any added pressure going into Week 2 with dropping Week 1. Preparation and the routine week in and week out is going to be the same no matter who we’re playing or what’s at stake.”

Hudson Card has two passing touchdowns and a rushing score thus far this season for Purdue, while running back Devin Mockobee has found the end zone in each of the first two games.

“The guy is good, there’s no doubt about it,” Orange coach Dino Babers said of Card, a transfer from Texas. “He will be the best quarterback we face so far.”

Of course, Syracuse has a formidable two-man attack of its own. Garrett Shrader enters this one with 543 passing yards and five touchdowns (plus a running score), while LeQuint Allen has averaged 5.3 yards per carry with four TDs on the ground.

Syracuse won last season’s meeting with Purdue, 32-29, as the teams combined for 42 fourth-quarter points. Shrader finished with three passing touchdowns, two coming to Oronde Gadsden II, who injured his foot last weekend and is questionable for Saturday’s clash.

–Field Level Media

Sep 9, 2023; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange running back Juwaun Price (28) runs with the ball as Western Michigan Broncos cornerback Aaron Wofford (25) defends during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Syracuse wins one-sided affair over Western Michigan, 48-7

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Garrett Shrader threw for 286 yards and one touchdown, ran for another score, and LeQuint Allen tallied on three short runs as host Syracuse demolished Western Michigan 48-7 on Saturday afternoon.

Shrader played just the first half, completing 19 of 30 passes and leading the Orange (2-0) to points on all of their possessions before intermission. Freshman Donovan Brown made three catches for 89 yards, including an 86-yard touchdown, and Isaiah Jones and Umari Hatcher had five receptions apiece, for 86 and 83 yards, respectively.

The Broncos’ Jalen Buckley carried eight times for 87 yards, 75 of them on the second play from scrimmage. He burst through the line and down the right side to give Western Michigan (1-1) a 7-0 lead just 30 seconds into the first quarter.

Buckley ran for 194 yards on 30 carries in Western Michigan’s season-opening 35-17 win over St. Francis (Pa.) on Aug. 31.

Western Michigan’s Jack Salopek was 15 of 22 passing for 110 yards with one interception, which Jason Simmons Jr. brought back 84 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half, making the score 45-17 at the break.

Allen’s first touchdown, from 1 yard out, gave Syracuse the lead at 10-7 with 8:55 left in the first period.

After Western Michigan’s early strike, it punted five straight times, and the Orange kept scoring quickly. Brown’s touchdown catch was followed by Shrader’s 18-yard scoring rush early in the second quarter, and then TD runs of 1 and 2 yards by Allen.

Brady Denaburg of Syracuse added field goals of 36 and 33 yards in the first and third quarters, respectively.

The Orange, which piled up 677 total yards in whipping Colgate on Sept. 2, amassed 496 more on Saturday — 343 in the air between Shrader and backup Carlos Del Rio-Wilson.

Western Michigan managed 318 total yards but also hurt itself with nine penalties for 99 yards.

Both teams have road games against Big Ten opponents next week. Western Michigan meets Iowa while Syracuse travels to Purdue.

–Field Level Media