Syracuse is bowl eligible after defeating #22 NC State

Syracuse, N.Y. -- You’ve got questions, Syracuse football has the answers

Who will start at quarterback for the Orange? Does Syracuse have a chance to defeat #22 ranked NC State? Will Syracuse keep their season home winning record? Will the orange become bowl eligible?

These were some of the questions surrounding the Syracuse football team ahead of their matchup against the NC State Wolfpack.   

QB Controversy

Speculation started brewing over who would start at quarterback for the Orange after the double-overtime comeback victory last week against the University of North Carolina, thanks to freshman Tommy DeVito.

DeVito, a redshirt freshman, entered last week’s game in the fourth inning and threw three touchdowns leading Syracuse to a 40-37 victory. He was the spark the Orange needed for the UNC game and the pressure starting quarterback Eric Dungey desired to trigger him out of complacency.

“I was raised to be competitive,” Dungey said after tonight’s victory. “And I don’t want to say I was getting complacent, but I was getting too comfortable, and you never get comfortable.”

Eric Dungey started at quarterback for the Orange after a competitive week of practice, and his performance in front of 40,769 fans, the largest crowd this season, proved why he is QB1. Dungey passed legendary Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb for the all-time lead in offense and currently owns fifteen school records. He completed 27-of-38 passes for 411 yards and three touchdowns, adding a running touchdown of his own.

Defeating #22 NC State

NC State was the favorite entering the game Saturday night, but all that changed after Syracuse and quarterback Dungey struck first and took a quick 3 – 0 lead. The Wolfpack replied with a touchdown and extra point.

It only took Syracuse two plays and thirty-six seconds to answer the Wolfpack with a touchdown of their own, and NC State never regained the lead after that.

One of NC State’s last chances to try and win the game came in the fourth quarter with 3:12 left on the clock. Andrew Armstrong intercepted a pass from Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley and the Orange used the interception to add seven more points to the board taking a 51 – 41 point lead.

Head coach Dino Babers was pleased with the effort from his team and knew how important the fourth quarter efficiency was for this game considering their past late-game performances.

“It’s been plaguing the team the last couple of seasons,” Babers said of previous fourth quarter failures.  “We’ve lost, as a coaching staff, three games in the fourth quarter in the last seven years when we’ve had the lead. The last two years here [at Syracuse], we’ve lost three games [in the fourth quarter]. When we put four fingers up, it’s for a reason.”

Wins at Home

The Orange add another W to the home field win column keeping the 2018 streak alive. Syracuse is now 5-0 at home with the most home wins for the Orange since 2003.

Going Bowling

The Syracuse Football team is bowl eligible after their upset against NC State and are celebrating accordingly. Syracuse is now 6- 2 overall with the most wins since 2013. The last time the Orange attended a bowl game was in 2013 at the Texas Bowl when they defeated Minnesota. This is also the first time the Orange are bowl eligible under head coach Dino Babers.

Coming Up

Next week the Orange travel to Winston-Salem to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Nov. 3 at 12 p.m. The following week is senior night and the last home game of the season against Louisville on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. On Saturday, Nov. 17 the Orange meet Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium and finish off the regular season at Boston College on Nov. 24.

Syracuse tops UNC in Overtime Thriller

Syracuse, N.Y.-- After a slow first half, the Syracuse Orange, propelled by Redshirt Freshman Quarterback Tommy DeVito’s three touchdowns, toppled the North Carolina Tar Heels 40-37 in double overtime. With the defense forcing a field goal to start the second overtime period, DeVito led a five play, 25-yard drive, delivering the game winning touchdown on a play action pass to Tight End Ravian Pierce. The win pushes Syracuse to 5-2 on the year, only needing one more win to secure their place in a bowl game. North Carolina drops to 1-5 on the year.

The win gave head coach Dino Babers his 50^th career win as a head coach.

DeVito Provides the Spark

            DeVito relieved incumbent Senior Quarterback Eric Dungy with five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Needing something to spark the Syracuse offense, down 20-27, DeVito delivered a strike down the sideline to Jamal Custis on his very first play. After failing to reach the end zone on a fourth down attempt, the Syracuse defense rose to the occasion and forced a three and out. From there DeVito led a three play, 58-yard drive ending in a 42-yard touchdown strike to Nykeim Johnson to tie the game up.

Of Note

• ·        Kicker Andre Szmyt connected on two field goals putting him at 18 on the year, tying him for second on Syracuse’s single season list.
• ·        Nykeim Johnson had a career high 102 receiving yards, including the game tying touchdown
• ·        Fullback Chris Elmore found the endzone for the first time this year on his first rush of the year.
• ·        Eric Dungy is now Syracuse’s all time leader in offensive plays played passing former Quarterback Ryan Nassib with 1,562.
• ·        Syracuse is now 4-0 at home this year with two games remaining.
• ·        The five wins for Syracuse are the most since 2013 when the team went 7-6 with a Bowl victory.

Of Note

Syracuse finishes their home stand next Saturday October 27 against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Kickoff time will be announced during the week.

SU vs. Pitt Photo Gallery

Overtime interception costs Syracuse football a win

Story by Dakota Palmer

Photos by Tamar Turner

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Mother Nature couldn’t make up her mind on Saturday, and neither could the Orange.

Saturday afternoon, Pitt (3-3, 2-1) came back from a two-game losing streak to overtake Syracuse (4-2, 1-2) by a touchdown in overtime.

“I was saying all week Pitt’s a dangerous team,” Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey said in a press conference following the game. “Unfortunately, we just weren’t on the same page...but we’ll get it fixed.”

The Orange started strong: within two minutes, Dungey made a quick one-yard pass to tight end Aaron Hackett for a touchdown.

Later, the Orange defensive tackle Alton Robinson forced a Pitt fumble, which was recovered by linebacker Andrew Armstrong. Running back Jarveon Howard rushed two yards for another Syracuse touchdown, giving ‘Cuse a 14-0 lead.

Less than a minute later, the Panthers came back with a 69-yard rush from running back Qadree Ollison and didn’t let up. Pitt linebacker Quintin Wirginis forced a Syracuse fumble, which was recovered by Pitt defensive back Dane Jackson — who then ran the ball 35 yards for a touchdown toward the end of the first quarter.

Pitt went on to score 20 points without a comeback from Syracuse until Andre Szmyt kicked a 33-yard field goal with 1:30 left in the half.

“Obviously, we are really disappointed that we couldn’t come home with a victory, but we didn’t give it away,” Syracuse Head Coach Dino Babers said in a post-game press conference. “This was really a hard-fought contest between two teams who really wanted to win.”

With 0:17 left in the half, Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett threw an interception to Syracuse defensive back Christopher Fredrick, but the Orange were unable to score again before the end of the half.

The Panthers started the second half with a 68-yard running touchdown from Rafael Araujo-Lopes, and the flood gates opened — literally. A downpour had spectators and players running for shelter, and the game was delayed at 2:16 p.m.

Weather Delay and Comeback

After an hour and nine-minute weather delay, the Orange came to play. With 8:12 left in the third, Howard rushed five yards for his second touchdown, barreling through each and every player in his way.

“I was just in the moment, just taking [it] play by play,” Howard said in a post-game interview. “I was just doing it to help the team. I know they needed me, [so] I just did what I could.”

In a third-and-10 situation, Dungey saw no passing options and ran the ball himself 21 yards through a wide-open space and dove into the end zone for a Syracuse touchdown, giving the Orange the lead once again. Szmyt added a field goal a few minutes later, increasing the score to 34-27.

Later, Pitt running back Darrin Hall called for the snap, faked a hand-off and ran the ball in 7 yards for a touchdown, tying the game with almost 8 minutes left.

Szmyt would help the Orange regain the lead once again after a 54-yard field goal to bring the game to 37-34.

Syracuse’s defensive line kept the Panthers away from the end zone at the end of the fourth quarter, but with a 45-yard field goal, Kessman tied the game with 8 seconds left.

It’s Not Over Yet

Syracuse won the coin toss and elected to go on defense first.

On the third down, Hall rushed three yards to get his elbow about two inches in the end zone for a touchdown.

On the first down of Syracuse’s offensive drive, Dungey threw a long pass intended for wide receiver Nykeim Johnson, who was in the end zone, but it was picked off by Pitt’s Therran Coleman.

“We had a one on one with Nykeim, so I had pressure on me and I wasn’t able to really run into the throw — just throwing it to Nykeim and hoping he was going to make a play,” Dungey said. “Unfortunately, the defender made a good play on the ball.”

“I didn’t perform the way I wanted to, but I know no matter what that they trust me and, we’re going to get it moving forward,” Dungey said.

“As he goes, we go,” Babers said about Dungey. “We like the things he does, and he’s our guy and we aren’t going to trade him.”

The Orange will face the University of North Carolina at home on Oct. 20.