Led by quarterback Eric Dungey, the Syracuse Orange opened up their season in dominating fashion, beating Central Connecticut State 50-7 at the Carrier Dome Friday night.
The junior quarterback led the Syracuse offense from the start of the game which was clicking on all cylinders from the first drive.
Coach Dino Babers began his second season as the head coach for Syracuse and his high-tempo offense did not disappoint. The first drive was eight plays for 70 yards capped off with an 11-yard run by Dungey. The drive only last 2:52.
From there, it only seemed to get easier for the Orange, as the next drive lasted only four plays and went 50 yards. Junior running back Dontae Strickland got his first touchdown of the season with a six-yard run.
Perhaps the most impressive drive of the game was the third drive, where the Syracuse offense went for 86 yards in just under three minutes. The fast-paced Babers offense caught Central Connecticut napping, as a quick snap by Dungey led to a bubble pass to senior wide receiver Ervin Philips who did the rest.
Dungey completed his first 12 passes of the game going 13-for-15 for 167 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter alone.
The second quarter was more the same for the high-flying offense of coach Babers. Central Connecticut could not figure out how to stop the passing game and often times looked confused out on the field.
This confusion led to a pre-snap miscommunication at the line as the Blue Devils left running back Moe Neal uncovered at the line leading to a quick snap and throw by Dungey to Neal. After making a few defenders miss, Neal dove into the end zone to give the Orange a commanding 31-0 lead going into halftime.
With the game in hand, the Orange seemed to slow down the pace as Connecticut State was able to adjust to the offense of Syracuse. This didn’t stop Dungey though, as he was able to run and pass for another touchdown in the third quarter, giving him five total touchdowns for the game, along with completing 28 passes for 328 yards. His seven three-hundred yard game of his career.
However, coach Babers doesn’t like the greediness the offense had in the second half.
The Defense
On the defensive side of the ball, the Orange held their own throughout the entire game. While they weren’t forcing turnovers, the defense was able to contain the Central Connecticut offense and force them in multiple three and outs.
Nine starters returned to the Syracuse defense and their experience showed throughout the game. They played aggressive, but kept the penalties to a minimum. And for a defense that gave up an average of 39 points per game, seven points must feel like a shutout.
The only downside on defense was the injury to redshirt junior Antwan Cordy. The free safety, who missed 10 games last season, had a leg injury in the first quarter as was seen on the sideline wearing a boot. Coach Babers says he won’t speculate on how long Cordy will be out, but has confidence in his defense.
“That's one of the areas we have a lot of depth and hopefully they will be able to carry us through," Babers said.
Next
The next game for the Orange will be at home against Middle Tennessee on Saturday September 9th. This will be the team’s first ever meeting against Middle Tennessee.
