So Far, So Good: Orange Ushers In Dino Babers Era With 33-7 Win Over Colgate

Story by Mike Drew

Photos by Robert Schiff

Syracuse, N.Y. -- New beginnings are usually treated with a sense of optimism. Hope that a brighter day has finally arrived. While the house was far from packed,those who came to the Carrier Dome reflected these sentiments and then some during the head coaching debut of Dino Babers Friday night.

Excitement filled the air as the opening kickoff approached. Babers' quick success at Bowling Green and Eastern Illinois has instilled renewed spirit in the Syracuse football program since his arrival last December.

Now, in front of a crowd announced at 31,366, his team finally had a chance to take his fervent teachings and apply them on the field against FCS opponent Colgate.

Starting Strong

Both teams' offenses opened the season with impact. Colgate took the opening kick and marched 75 yards on 12 plays. The drive was kept alive by a roughing the punter penalty against the Orange after the Raiders were stopped on their first third down attempt. Quarterback Jake Melville (Sr., Sparta, N.J.) hit Wide Receiver Owen Rockett (So., Marblehead, Mass.) for a 19-yard touchdown to give Colgate an immediate 7-0 lead.


The much anticipated fast-paced offense of the Orange responded, as you would expect, quickly.

Quarterback Eric Dungey (So., Lake Oswego, Ore.) completed all five passes on his season's opening drive, including an impressive 43-yard touchdown strike to Wide Receiver Amba Etta-Tawo (R-Sr., Powder Springs, Ga.) In just one minute and 46 seconds, the Orange evened things up at 7-7.

A Sudden Halt

In his post-game news conference, Babers articulated the point he made to his defense after Colgate's opening drive. "Wouldn't it be a heck of a football game if that was the last score they got the entire night," he said.

 His players heeded his message. The Raiders were held to a three-and-out on their second possession.  They would not score on any of their remaining 12 possessions in the game. Colgate's offense finished with just 143 total yards and only 11 first downs.

Continued Efficiency

While Colgate's offense disappeared, Syracuse's continued to move, although it struggled in the red zone, four times settling for field goals. Dungey completed his first 13 passes  and finished 34 of 40 with 355 yards and two touchdowns.

The mobile signal-caller also carried the ball ten times for 35 yards, and converted a 4th-and-1 from midfield in the first quarter.

"If you put his opening performance up against all the other quarterbacks I've had, I'd imagine it might be the best," Babers said.

Before the game, Dungey was surprised by his brother, Matt, who flew in from his army base in Germany to watch him play. It was the first time they had seen each other in two years.

"That was cool, overwhelming, surreal to be honest," Eric Dungey said. "I had to lock back in and get ready for this game."

Speed and the need for more

Babers spent much of his post-game news conference talking about how he wasn't satisfied with the pace of his team's offense throughout the game. "That's the slowest game you'll see us play all year," he said.

But, one player who undoubtedly fit the speed moniker was Etta-Tawo. The red-shirt senior transfer from Maryland lit up the Colgate secondary all night, hauling in 12 catches for 210 yards and the aforementioned score.

Etta-Tawo's highlight of the night came mid-way through the 3rd quarter when he somehow corralled a 40-yard dart from Dungey on the near sideline. He gained possession of the ball with one hand, managed to tap one foot down in bounds and maintain control of the ball with both hands on his way to the ground. The play was initially ruled a catch, then reviewed, and ultimately upheld.

 "The techniques that we work in practice really just gave me the opportunity to keep my foot up and it becomes natural when you work so often in practice," Etta-Tawo said.

Special Teams Comes Through

On the four occasions on which the Syracuse offense settled for field goals. Kicker Cole Murphy (Jr., Castaic, Calif.) made the most of his opportunities. He went a perfect 4-for-4 on field goal attempts, connecting from 32, 41, 32 and 33 yards.

Despite Murphy's performance, Babers was clear that settling for three points is not something he plans on making a habit. "We have to score touchdowns. We can't kick field goals all the time," he said. "And if we have to go for it, we have to go for it. We're not playing to be close. We're playing to win."

Road Ahead

Colgate (0-1) will make its way to New Haven for its next match-up against Yale on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 1:30 p.m. The Orange (1-0) will stay home and welcome the Louisville Cardinals (1-0) to the Dome Friday, Sept. 9 at 8:00 p.m. for the ACC opener. The 19th-ranked Cardinals hammered Charlotte 70-14 in their opener on Thursday.

"We have to come in tomorrow and look at the tape unselfishly," Babers said. "We have to drop the e in ego and just go and get going at making this place better."

Notes

Wide Receiver Ervin Philips (Jr., West Haven, Conn.) finished as the leading pass-catcher for the Orange. He reeled in 14 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown.

Freshman Running Back Moe Neal (Gastonia, N.C.) also found the end zone in his first collegiate game. He finished with 71 yards on 9 carries, including a 49-yard touchdown scamper in the second quarter.

Both backup quarterbacks, Colgate's Sage Attwood (So., Cape Coral, Fla.) and Syracuse's Zack Mahoney (Jr., LaGrange Park, Ill.) saw brief action in the fourth quarter.