Syracuse football is idle this week ahead of a colossal matchup of unbeatens with NC State on October 15th. While we all bide our time, it seems right that we should assess how the team has performed so far through five weeks on an A through F scale.
Coaching: B+
Coaching was one of SU’s lowest grades on last year’s report card. It’s now one of the team’s most improved marks. Head coach Dino Babers deserves plenty of credit for guiding the team to a 5-0 record Рsomething that even Paul Pasqualoni couldn’t do as head man during ‘Cuse’s 1990s glory years. Babers has gotten a lot out of a team that looked particularly short on talent at wide receiver and defensive line, and the Orange have a Top 25 scoring offense and defense in the FBS to show for it. Throw in season-ending injuries to Stefon Thompson, Chris Elmore, and Terry Lockett, and Dino’s efforts look even more impressive.
On the assistant side, offensive coordinator Robert Anae’s hiring has been a masterstroke. SU isn’t quite as explosive as Anae’s former record-setting UVA offenses, but go ask the Cavaliers what life is currently like without their former play-caller. SU is top-half of the ACC in both rushing and passing, and has vastly improved on third downs from a year ago.
Defensive coordinator Tony White’s unit has similarly impressed while stunted by injuries. Cuse’s defensive line hasn’t nearly been the problem we all expected, and its linebackers are some of the ACC’s best. Save for one rough performance against Purdue, Syracuse’s defense has been strong.
With all the credit and positives to go around, you might be wondering why the coaches don’t have an “A” grade. The reason is that until yesterday, Syracuse was the most penalized team in the ACC with 50 through five games. Only Virginia Tech has more (51), but the Hokies played their sixth game yesterday. The Orange will surely grab back that embarrassing crown shortly, and that comes down to coaching. 5-0 is 5-0, but a typical lack of discipline shouldn‚Äôt be excused.
Quarterbacks: A-
Garrett Shrader has taken a big leap in Anae’s offense and transformed as a passer. In his second year as an SU starter, Shrader has completed 70.9% of his passes for 1,224 yards, 10 touchdowns and only one interception. His yards-per-attempt figure has also jumped from 6.2 a year ago to 9.6 so far and shows a more aggressive, developed tendency to push the ball down the field. Shrader’s newfound comfort and threat to opposing defenses has meant a decrease in QB runs, but Syracuse has become more efficient. The Orange ranked dead last in-conference on third downs last year, but are converting 44.1% so far to rank fifth in the ACC.
SU still doesn’t have a dominant passing offense Рand Shrader’s less-efficient games were offset by some stat-padding against Wagner Рbut SU’s air attack is breezing past expectations with flying colors.
Running Backs: B
Sean Tucker is still very much a focal point of Syracuse‚Äôs offense, but the attention he‚Äôs received lately hasn‚Äôt been as expected. Whether it’s climbing program leaderboards despite slow production or taking unnecessary shots during blowouts, Tucker hasn‚Äôt quite gotten the same love as last year. Even in the ACC‚Äôs least-pass heavy offense, Tucker‚Äôs numbers just aren‚Äôt quite where they were a year ago:
| Sean Tucker through Week 5 | Attempts | Yards | TD | YPC |
| 2021 | 107 | 638 | 7 | 6.0 |
| 2022 | 110 | 546 | 5 | 5.0 |
While it‚Äôs true Tucker‚Äôs numbers are still good and that he isn‚Äôt too far behind his ’21 pace, he tallied just 102 total yards across a two-week September stretch before exploding against Wagner. That distribution of yardage is fittingly topsy-turvy for Tucker, who still feels like he has yet to truly get into gear. On a positive note, true freshman LeQuint Allen has shown solid flashes in limited time as ‘Cuse’s RB2.
Wide Receivers: C-
Despite Syracuse’s revolution in the passing game, SU’s wideouts have lacked in production and presence. ‘Cuse’s receiver room looked weak in the preseason and has only worsened without any standout playmakers.
Seventh-year senior Devaughn Cooper leads Syracuse’s wideouts in the major categories (14 catches, 194 yards, one touchdown), but has been far from an explosive presence. Neither redshirt-sophomore slot man Courtney Jackson nor sophomore big man Damien Alford have lived up to expectations so far, and both have struggled with drops. Beyond that trio, there are part-timers and unknowns. It’s not much of a mystery why Sean Tucker has racked up 19 catches or why ‘Cuse is suddenly using its tight ends much more.
Tight Ends: B+
There might not be a position on Syracuse’s team with a more dramatic turnaround than its tight ends. Last year, SU’s tight ends caught seven passes the entire season. This year, sophomore Oronde Gadsen II Рa converted wide receiver Рleads all SU pass-catchers with 23 grabs, 366 yards and three touchdowns. Babers has fielded questions about Gadsden’s emergence as a “WR1” in the offense, and all but conceded that the role is his for the taking.
Gadsden has been excellent as a rangy, athletic target who frequently gets put in motion to mismatch against defenses. However, there’s little to talk about at the position past him. The only other tight end to catch a pass this year is sophomore Max Mang (2 receptions, 10 yards), but he’s a blocker by trade and has battled injury at different points.
Offensive Line: B
Through five games, Syracuse’s offensive line has done its job in more ways than one. The Orange run the ball well, don’t take a ton of sacks, and most crucially haven’t had to deal with injuries along the front line. Center Carlos Vettorello and guard Chris Bleich have stayed on the field this year after missing time last season, and that cohesion has made a difference.
‘Cuse’s O-line the past two years is much-improved from the unit that struggled through 2019-20, so it’s time to grade them on more of a curve. SU’s blockers still draw too many penalties, and Syracuse isn’t running the ball quite as well as it did last year in its new Air Raid offense. That problem has been especially pronounced against teams like Purdue and Virginia. The jury is still out to see how SU’s ground game fares against ranked competition, and we’ll see how offensive line coach Mike Schmidt’s unit responds in a week’s time.
Defensive Line: B+
On the defensive side, SU’s front line has been a mostly pleasant surprise after it caused a whole lot of hand-wringing during the offseason. SU lost four linemen and its three starters from a year ago, but new faces in Jatius Geer, Terry Lockett, Kevon Darton, Steve Linton, and Caleb Okechukwu have all contributed. Okechukwu in particular is off to a big-play start; the redshirt-junior already has three sacks and an interception.
The numbers back up the D-line’s solid start. SU has 13 sacks through five games and the ACC’s second-best run defense, having yielded just 95 yards-per-game on the ground. That’s a positive takeaway for a group that many worried looked awfully susceptible to the run in the preseason.
Linebackers: A
Even after a Week 1 season-ending injury to Stefon Thompson, SU’s linebackers have kept it together and played at an elite level. Marlowe Wax and Mikel Jones have picked up the slack and played at an All-ACC clip, and the pair rank third (28) and first (35) in tackles on the team, respectively.
Credit those who have filled Thompson’s spot as well. Derek McDonald, Leon Lowery, and others have all tried their hand at outside linebacker and performed admirably.
Defensive backs: B
Syracuse’s defensive backs are a lot like their offensive counterparts in the running back room. There’s been plenty to like so far, but you get the feeling there’s an additional gear yet to be reached by the position group. Garrett Williams is finally racking up takeaways to match his coverage skills, and Duce Chestnut continues to mature into the other cornerback spot. The pair just haven’t been challenged all that often, with the exception of the Purdue game Рquarterback Aidan O’Connell threw for 424 yards and wideout Charlie Jones hauled in 188 of those against SU’s defensive backfield. Safeties Ja’Had Carter and Alijah Clark have been pleasant hard-hitting surprises, but SU needs them both without quality depth behind them. With that in mind, Carter’s task is to stay healthy after a bang-up against Virginia, and Clark’s is to stay fundamental with his hits after a targeting scare against UConn.
SU’s pass defense ranks second in the ACC so far, but the group still has to put together a good performance against a threatening, elite-level passing attack. The DBs flunked their first test against the Boilermakers, so they may need to hit the books before taking on the Wolfpack next Saturday.
Special teams: B+
Syracuse’s special teams disintegrated last year after a half-decade of quality work from its third unit under Dino Babers. Fortunately, SU’s head man wised up and brought in special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky. Ligashesky brings a hefty portfolio to the table, and that was enough to entice redshirt-senior kicker Andre Szmyt back for another year. His play Р10-11 on field goals so far and perfect on PATs Рspeaks for itself. True freshman punter Max Von Marburg has been above-average since coming over from Australia, and that’s more than enough for an SU team that ranked stone-cold last in that category last year.
The only thing holding back SU from an A grade is that its return game still needs work. SU rarely returns kicks and has already fumbled once while doing so, and the Orange barely get anything from their punt returners. However, lacking returns are a minor issue that hasn’t sunk a mostly-successful unit.
Overall: A
No matter what, it’s hard to give SU anything else after a 5-0 start. Syracuse has a core of talent without major holes at any position. The largest problem facing Dino Babers’ squad is injuries, but the bye week came at a good time. Enjoy this team, Fizz Nation Рit’s a solid group that won’t be undefeated for much longer, but is easily the most talented squad in Orange since 2018.
