It was ugly and hard to watch sometimes, but somehow the Orange got the job done.  It’s par for the course for Scott Shafer’s team so far, which somehow finds itself at 3-0 for the first time since 1991 after beating the Chippewas 30-27 in overtime.
Eric Dungey IS that good
Watching Dungey lie on the field of Carrier Dome while his teammates celebrated was one of the most bittersweet moments for SU fans who didn’t see the true freshman knocked out behind the play.  Ultimately, as was the biggest story of the day, Dungey left the game with an upper body injury, as the coaches are calling it, and would not return.  Before being removed from the game early in the second quarter, Dungey managed 96 yards on just 3-of-6 completions and a touchdown on its final play.  Maybe the offense was as shaken up as the Dome faithful were after losing their quarterback, but from that point forwards, the offense looked terrible.  Austin Wilson and Zack Mahoney split snaps for the rest of the game, but the two were only able to combine for 68 passing yards.  The offense looked out of sync without Dungey under center, and it’s hard to imagine Syracuse winning three more games this season if the offense puts up a repeat performance without Dungey in the pocket.  Here’s to a speedy recovery for the young quarterback.
The defensive line needs to be better
Against a MAC offensive line, the SU front struggled to win the battle.  While Ron Thompson and Luke Arciniega managed two sacks a piece, Central Michigan was able to run the ball all day long and quarterback Cooper Rush had plenty of time inside and outside of the pocket to dissect the defense, especially on third down.  Only on all-out blitzes, it seemed, did Rush have to improvise.  The D-line failed to generate any push from the line of scrimmage which helped the Chippewas move the ball quickly and extend drives.  CMU’s Devon Spalding and Jahray Hayes averaged a combined 4.3 yards per carry against a front seven that has been very stingy against the run this season.  Next week when LSU rolls to town, superstar Leonard Fournette (who just ran for 228 yards on only 19 carries against Auburn) will have a field day against the SU defensive front if they do not improve on yesterday’s performance.
SU will find a way
In a game where a team loses its starting quarterback, its best receiver, and doesn’t manage a first down in the second half, it should have no business winning anything.  Yet, the Orange battled every kind of adversity thrown its way and left fans on the edge of their seats until the last second when Jordan Fredericks stretched for the pylon in overtime.  It’s not going to be pretty this year, but the Orange is halfway to a bowl appearance and it’s still September.  Don’t count this team out until the clock strikes zero against Boston College.
6 responses to “Three Things the Orange Taught Us Against Central Michigan”
1) secondary is Swiss cheese , so far , this year .
2) calling that timeout with 15 seconds left in regulation , when clearly , CMU were rocking on their heels a little try to get a play in and get organized in time . ( looking t you HCSS!)
3) giving CMU the ball , when you win the toss for OT ( looking at you HCSS ! )
4) Mahoney over Wilson ??? ( I’m not seeing that , yet )
5) Prevent all season long ???? Oh no !!!
6) Yes Eric Dungey is ‘that good’ !
7) Enjoy this win , it may a while for the next . ( But I hope not )
Last , but never least ….. let’s put some as*es in those dome seats you deadbeats !!! The games are great fun to attend live , and I try to make every home game that I can . Go Orange !
good piece Jason…….
Bobby Bowden…just a few points
item #3..going on defense IS the play when you win the toss in OT. By going on defense first your team sees what it needs to win/stay in the game.
#4 Mahoney over Wilson…yup..because Wilson IS that slow and can’t run and doesn’t run the option as well as Mahoney. If we were going conventional, running out of an I formation//pocket passing then yes Wilson is the better alternative.
#7 If we can get past LSU without a laundry list of injuries…we have a very good shot of winning 3 more..USF and BC plus at least 1 of Pitt?NC ST/Uva.
This team has a good vibe with Dungey..have to keep him upright.
I couldn’t agree more,two great posts guys. Great job.
The one thing that I want to emphasize most is this team is VERY VERY YOUNG and is only going to get a whole lot better as time passes and the more that the players play.
The future of Syracuse Football is getting brighter and brighter.
GO CUSE;
Wilson just looks more lose and comfortable throwing in the pocket , and he should , as he does have some games under him at SU . And I do think Mahoney is a good QB , so far , and looks to get even better with time .
Yes Ron , they are a very young team this year , and they will improve with each game . Even if they lose a few , they will improve and learn from that as well .
I still believe they will finish better than predicted , and I do like HCSS very much . He’s a down-to-Earth , player’s coach , as in the vein of Dick MacPherson was .
LSU will beat us up a little , but that’s expected . And I’m never one to say the underdog can’t win , because we beat #1 Nebraska , in the dome , years ago !
Go Orange !
Bobby Bowden; I guess I’m in the minority when I say that I see nothing but good in this team. I listened to all of those people who were complaining about the 2015 recruiting class that Shafer and staff have out together. I believe it’s loaded with talent and by the time this class graduates it will have helped lead the way for Syracuse onto the national scene again. I’m not afraid to say that I predicted a 8-4 season. I’m hoping that it turns out well for the team.
I met and talked with Eric Dungey last night at work. This kid is for real, has a great personality and a drive/desire to win all of the games that he plays in. Looking forwards to some great football over the next three to five years. I also feel the recruiting of personnel will improve also.
I just want to add that I love Coach Shafer,he’s a stand up guy who isn’t afraid to tell you like it is. The revolving door for the coaching staff’s here at Syracuse University has to be completely shut/locked. Let’s see what Shafer does over his 4-5 years here and the talent he brings in before we make a decision concerning his future.