In a dominant 65-0 win for Syracuse over Colgate, it’s hard to imagine anyone would have less than an A+ performance. While plenty of players on the Orange aced the season opener, not everyone was perfect. Here are the most important player, coach, and position group grades of the victory.
Secondary: A+
I know I said that not everyone on SU was perfect, but the secondary was close to it. The group forced 3 turnovers, and Jeremiah Wilson even tallied a pick-six. But that wasn’t where they really shined. The starting group held Colgate’s first team to six completions on 12 attempts for a total of 25 yards. Raiders receivers struggled to get any space at all. Syracuse’s secondary lost the trio of Duce Chestnut, Ja’Had Carter, and Garrett Williams this offseason, but the new group has certainly stepped up to the challenge of replacing them.
Jason Beck and Rocky Long: A
There was lots of change for Syracuse football this offseason. Jason Beck took over as the offensive coordinator, while Rocky Long became the leader of the defense. Both coaches shined in the season opener.
Beck spread the ball around to everyone he could. The top four offensive weapons got touchdowns in the first half: Oronde Gadsden, LeQuint Allen, Damien Alford, and Isaiah Jones. Many expected SU’s offense this year to be Gadsden and no one else. However, Syracuse’s tight end was double teamed often, so today’s game was a great chance for Beck to prove that he can guide a successful offense using the entire roster.
Long’s defense dominated Colgate throughout the game. Shutting out a team in college football, even against an FCS-level opponent, isn’t easy. While he stayed true to his 3-3-5 roots, Long mixed it up with some press coverage and man-to-man setups. The Orange’s defense shouldn’t miss a beat this season.
Garrett Shrader: B+
Garrett Shrader accomplished most of what he was supposed to against Colgate. He spread the ball around to as many weapons as he could. The QB also showed that he would focus on passing first, and only running when he needed to.
There were two main issues with Shrader’s day. Firstly, he threw an interception to end the first half with no offensive player even close to where the ball ended up. One bone-headed play can be forgiven. However, the bigger issue was underthrowing passes. Even on some completed throws, receivers had to come back to the ball. Whether this is a sign of Shrader’s arm injury still affecting him or just a lack of accuracy, it’s something to keep an eye out for.
Dino Babers: B
Would it be a Syracuse football game without some unnecessary penalties? SU turned a 4th-and-9 for Colgate into a first down after two penalties, the offense picked up a personal foul after the whistle blew, and there was an unnecessary roughness call on the defense. That will always be on the head coach. Always.
Babers’ other issue was keeping some players in the game for a bit too long. Shrader played an unnecessary drive in the second half, while the first team secondary stayed in the game longer than the other defensive starters, despite playing the best of any unit on the field. Oronde Gadsden also kept playing, despite having an obvious limp. However, there wasn’t anything ridiculous. No starter had an injury scare like Sean Tucker did last year against Wagner, so no harm, no foul.
The offense and defense looked clean schematically, and it’s hard to knock a coach after a 65-point win. However, discipline issues and a knack for playing starters a tad too long continue to be an issue for Babers.
Conclusion
Overall, this was a solid outing for Syracuse against Colgate. However, the Orange need to prove they can succeed against Power Five opponents before SU fans should feel too confident.
