The Dino Babers era got off to a good-enough start with a comfortable win last Friday night. While there were things that the Orange still need to work on, the improvement was evident and Babers is just beginning to turn this football program around.
The start of this turn around began with words but¬†now we’ve seen the on-field product. Syracuse fans watched Sophomore quarterback Eric Dungey march up and down the field, throwing for over 330 yards on an over-matched Colgate defense. Orange fans observed the hunger and desire to score, evident by Zach Mahoney’s frustration that the offense did not get one last play off before the game ended, despite leading by nearly 30 points.
Now, in the week building up to a massive test for the new-look Syracuse team, Babers has turned to his words to give his team, and the fanbase hope ahead of the Louisville clash.
Most Syracuse fans were enthralled by and thrilled with the pace of the offense on Friday night. Babers was not. In fact, he compared watching his offense work to watching paint dry and promised that it will get faster. It was an offense that went for over 580 yards and saw a receiving record tied and whose aggressiveness of third and fourth down pounded Colgate into the ground. Yet, Babers is not content. That has to sit well with the fans.
Speaking of the fans, Babers has called on them to put in the effort that he is making to revolutionize this program. The official attendance for Friday’s opener was around 31,000 and for anyone who was at the Carrier Dome, they may feel that number is somewhat inflated. Babers has called on the fans to fill the Dome and give the team a true home field advantage. He feels, that with crowds of nearly 50,000, and a high-powered, fast-paced offense, the Carrier Dome has the potential to become a nightmare of a place for teams to visit.
Well, this will all take time. Just like it will take time for Babers to fully revolutionize this program, it will take times for the fans to get behind the team. As the results start to come, so will the fans. The fans just need patience. Dino is just beginning to work his magic.
