At this point in the year, all eyes are on the SU Football program. Dino Babers and company have the backing of the community after an unexpected double-digit win season. Expectations will be higher when the season begins in August. To this point, fans have bought it: the university announced on Monday that over 4,000 new season tickets have been sold this offseason.
Thank you, Orange Nation! We need you to keep the Loud House rocking all Fall long! üó£üó£üó£‚ĺÔ∏è #JUICEDUP https://t.co/SNmSOQfwLP
— Dino Babers (@CoachBabersCuse) April 1, 2019
The Syracuse Athletics department has been strategic this winter, selling few individual game tickets for the Orange’s showdown with the Clemson Tigers in September. Fans are excited about the 2019 season, and for good reason.
Biggest Game: Clemson (September 14 РCarrier Dome)
Can the Orange go toe-to-toe with the Tigers for the third straight season? That’s what everyone will be asking themselves on the second Saturday of September. While it’s not a given that both teams are undefeated entering the contest, this matchup is the biggest road test for the defending national champions. A win for the Orange in this game gives them a clear path to the ACC Championship game in Charlotte. No matter how you slice it, this is going to be a huge game. The Clemson game should draw the biggest crowd in recent memory, and certainly in the Babers era.
However, all this hype can be concerning for a relatively young team with a first-year quarterback. The good news for Syracuse is that it’s an early season game. That gives Babers and his staff plenty of time to get the team ready for a showdown such as this one. Also, let’s not forget about Liberty and Maryland: two programs that will be fired up to upset a top-25 team to start the season. If the Orange can win the first two games, all bets are off for the third one.
Biggest Question Mark: Tommy DeVito (R-So, 6-2, 207)
The former-four star recruit enters his first season in Syracuse as the starting quarterback. Last year, DeVito showed why he was such a touted recruit coming out of high school. DeVito may have even saved the Orange’s season when he led Syracuse to a comeback win over North Carolina in the Carrier Dome. But let’s be real, taking over as the starting quarterback is a big deal. Not to mention, expectations in Central New York are higher than they’ve been in a long time. How does DeVito respond? He’s got the arm, he’s got the weapons and he’s even got the experience. Now we’ll have to see how he looks in the drivers seat full time.
We’ll have you covered all summer long leading up to SU’s opening game against Liberty. There is plenty to be excited about and there are plenty of storylines to monitor. One thing’s for sure, though: the community is fired up about the upcoming season.
