Quick Hits: Syracuse, playing an FCS team, delivers as expected

Syracuse gave you exactly what you want from a game featuring an FBS team against an FCS team that went 3-8 the previous season and has not finished at .500 or higher since 2018. The Orange won 65-0 without scoring in the fourth quarter while lots of players saw action, including nine players carrying the ball, ten different players notching at least one reception, and the fourth-string quarterback taking snaps for the last drive.

As a result, most of what happened should be taken with a grain of salt. The level of competition starts ramping up next week, so a lot of these stat lines should be packed away.

SU was tagged for seven accepted penalties, which is not terrible. The concerning part was four of them came in the first seven minutes of play. Even more concerning was they were all pre-snap penalties (two on offense, two on special teams) and the two on the punt block unit came back-to-back, gifting Colgate a first down. There is a temptation to write it off as nerves or adrenaline, but Syracuse tied for the most penalties per game in college football last year and have been outside the top 100 in fewest infractions the last five years.

A real concern is the Orange turned the ball over three times. Two came in the fourth quarter by players deep on the depth chart, but, still...

The flip side of that coin is SU forced three turnovers. The defense is clearly being coached to try to make plays.

Normal kick returner Trebor Pena missed the game, but D’Marcus Adams filled in capably on punt returns. Adams returned seven punts for 72 yards, including retreating to snare a 56-yard kick that sailed over his head and bringing it back 39 yards to set up a short field.

Adams was not the lone strong special teams contributor, as Jack Stonehouse debuted with a 49-yard punt after the failed first drive, then was not called on again. Brady Denaburg also had ten touchbacks on 11 kickoffs and the other was fair caught at the Colgate two.

Syracuse will welcome Western Michigan to the JMA Wireless Dome next Saturday for a 3:30pm Eastern kickoff (ACC Network Extra). The Broncos (1-0) opened their campaign by handling FCS opponent St. Francis (PA) at home on Friday night, 35-17.

WMU picked up 339 of their 509 yards on the ground, mostly behind Jalen Buckley and Zahir Abdus-Salaam. Buckley amassed 194 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries while Abdus-Salaam added 73 yards on 20 rushes. Jack Salopek completed 18-of-26 passes for the Broncos, gaining 170 yards through the air, but had an interception to go with a touchdown toss.

Western Michigan dominated possession against their lower-level opponent, running 93 plays in comparison to St. Francis’ 46. Buckley had a 68-yard run and Kenneth Womack had a 31-yard reception, but the remainder of the Broncos’ offensive output was more of consistent movement of the chains, not quick strikes.

Purdue, who host the Orange in a couple weeks, looked like a big play machine in their season-opening 39-35 loss against Fresno State. Deion Burks had an 84-yard touchdown catch and another 44-yard reception, while the Boilermakers also had a 29-yard punt return and a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown. On the scoring play, Burks caught a pass five yards downfield, escaped four tacklers and outran another on his way to the end zone.

The Boilermakers, who switched to the Air Raid offense during the offseason following a coaching change, ran an expectedly heavy pass-first offense. While Purdue had a productive day through the air, their ground game also improved over the course of the day, jumping from 14 carries for 17 yards in the first half to 16 rushes for 93 yards in the second.

As suggested by their 39 points allowed, the Boilers’ defense struggled throughout the game, giving up eight completions of over 15 yards each and 487 total yards. Fresno State also converted 11-of-17 third down opportunities.

Next week: at Virginia Tech next week before hosting SU.

Army opened their 2023 campaign against Louisiana-Monroe, losing a ten-point advantage in the final six minutes to drop a 17-13 contest. The Black Knights held a 13-3 lead, but gave up a long touchdown run on the first play after a punt, then fumbled the ball on their next possession, giving UL-M a short field that led to the eventual game-deciding touchdown.

As expected, Army ran a very heavy run-focused attack, running the ball on 49 of their 62 offensive plays. Of seven different players to carry the ball, only wide receiver Ay’Juan Marshall averaged even four yards per rush. Marshall had a 36-yard run and Liam Fortner pulled down a 53-yard reception, but those two plays comprised nearly one-third of the team’s offensive output.

Next two weeks: host Delaware State, at Texas-San Antonio before visiting the Orange.

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