When Oronde Gadsden went down for the season, a massive void was created regarding who would be the top receiving target for Syracuse. Would it be Donovan Brown or Damien Alford or Umari Hatcher? Could LeQuint Allen become the biggest option in the air? Maybe someone that no one has ever heard of.
Saturday against Clemson, Dan Villari had a career day. The tight end caught multiple passes in a game for the first time in his career. Both receptions were for big gains. One for 37 yards, and the other a 28-yard touchdown. Villari showed a lot on those two plays. He has the ability to get open, something that isn’t as easy as it sounds. SU receivers have struggled a lot with finding space and that’s a big cause for some of Garrett Shrader’s struggles against Clemson
Once he is open, Villari showed his ability to catch the ball. Again, something that should be guaranteed but hasn’t been for SU receivers this season. Once he has the ball in his hands, Villari is a physical runner and is hard to take down. He has fully transformed his body since transfering to Syracuse as a quarterback. The New York natvie fought through five Clemson defenders on the way to the endzone Saturday.
Being a former quarterback, Villari also opens to door for a lot more creativity on offense. Villari threw the ball twice against Clemson and also took snaps in the wildcat formation. Without Gadsden and without a true number one playmaker, there has to be this creativity for Jason Becks offense to succeed.
The next opponent, North Carolina, has one of the best pass defenses in the nation so far this season. This is a complete 180 from where the Tarheels were last year. UNC has given up just two touchdowns through the air so far. Last year at this point, that number was 14. If SUs offense stays creative, and Dan Villari can make plays, then maybe the Orange have a chance on Saturday.
