Once Eric Dungey had found his grove against Central Michigan and the option began to work, Syracuse’s offense was, for the first time in recent memory, enjoyable to watch. Of course, Dungey’s improvised pitch to Jordan Fredericks¬†was the highlight, but there were several plays that gave Syracuse fans hope. Not least of which was Dungey’s last play of the game as he tossed a touchdown to Dontae Strickland before leaving the game with a head injury.
When he was replaced with Austin Wilson, it initially seemed like Offensive Coordinator Tim Lester was going to pick up right where Dungey left off. Wilson marched the Orange down the field and throw a strike into the end zone on his first possession. After that, to put it lightly, it was all downhill for the Syracuse offense.
Wilson made a couple of bad throws, including a big interception and he then saw his time cut down in the second half as Zack Mahoney got his chance under center. Neither Wilson nor Mahoney could do much of anything in the second half and the Orange offense looked eerily familiar to the one that Syracuse fans saw in 2014 once Terrel Hunt went down.
Monday, Head Coach Scott Shafer said that Dungey is “probably doubtful” for Saturday’s clash against #8 LSU. Some fans may say, “Who cares? Syracuse has no shot anyway.”
Yes, Syracuse has little to no chance at beating LSU even with Dungey. And yes, if he is not 100% ready to go, the Orange should sit him out. However, what may be overlooked is how big of an impact Dungey missing a game could have on the Syracuse offense.
Every good offense as continuity, particularly at quarterback and the Orange just have not had that. Throw in a new offensive system and having a consistent starter under center becomes all the more important. The Orange managed to, somehow, survive against Central Michigan without Eric Dungey, but Dungey missing an entire game could have a lasting impact even if he returns ready to go following the bye week.
Obviously, there is nothing anyone can do to change Eric Dungey’s injury situation. However, it is something that all Orange fans need to be aware of. Tim Lester, Scott Shafer and all of Orange Nation, need Eric Dungey.
2 responses to “Tim Lester’s Offense Needs Eric Dungey”
If Eric is injured, then I agree with the majority of people who say he should set out the next game to recover and hope that he’s fine going into the USF game. As much as I love football I wouldn’t put the health and safety and possibly future of a player in jeopardy, we as fans have to remember it’s only a game.
There is no doubt about the impact/importance that Eric Dungey has made on this team and the upstate area. He has become the face of and the general of the Syracuse Football Team. Watching the fans reaction after he was hit last Saturday also tells me that in 3 short weeks of play Eric Dungey has captivated the hearts and love/soul of the Syracuse fan base. It’s time for the community to get behind this this team, it’s coaches and most importantly it’s players.
If he’s injured give him the 2 weeks to heal.
Let’s go CUSE.
If this article is what we can expect from the Fizz going forward, I’m done reading. Have you even watched any games this year Logan? The improvised pitch was to Jordan Fredericks. Dungey not playing against LSU has almost zero impact on the season going forward. Continuity? Remember that this year Dungey was supposed to back up our 5th year senior captain QB. Terrell goes down against Rhode Island and the offense got better (with a true freshman – where’s the continuity there?) because Dungey is a better football player. Last year the offense stalled after Hunt’s injury because the guys playing behind him aren’t very good. We’ll struggle offensively against LSU even with Dungey – we will have trouble with their size and speed. If he doesn’t play, it will be downright ugly – if we can only manage 18 yards from scrimmage in the second half against CMU, then those 2 QBs against an SEC defense will be brutal. But him not playing this week means nothing going forward if he remains healthy. Stop making a big deal out of nothing for the sake of a story. That’s what tabloids do, and people think this site is better than that.