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Syracuse thought of a more balanced approach when it brought in Robert Anae and Jason Beck at the end of last season. It wanted a taste of the air raid buffet of plays the pair had installed while at Virginia. Garrett Shrader enjoyed being challenged to throw the ball downfield. Louisville marked the first test—the first threat to poking holes in the new scheme.

“I don’t know if it changes the matchup, but it should be a better situation for us,” Babers said on Monday. “We’ve gone down there late and we just don’t have the depth that a lot of other teams have.”

The Orange (1-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) passed with flying colors to the tune of a 31-7 dismantling of the Cardinals (0-1, 0-1 ACC) in their season opener. Shrader threw for 237 yards and connected with seven different receivers. The defense stopped the run and relegated quarterback Malik Cunningham to a scrambling and interception-throwing machine. 

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s first home-opening win in five years:

Anae’s offense can work

Syracuse hadn’t recorded a touchdown in its past two meetings against Louisville. But on the back of a balanced first quarter from Sean Tucker, the Orange quickly jumped out to a 10-0 lead over Louisville. Shrader backpedaled and quickly saw Tucker on his short two-yard cut back on the right side. When he pivoted after grabbing the pass, the change from left to right allowed him to shed an initial tackler. With three blockers in the area, Tucker weaved through the remaining Louisville players before hugging the left sideline and taking off for a 55-yard touchdown.

Shrader looked at Tucker first on pass plays and tended to give way to him on run-pass options. Following a flag on Syracuse, who was assessed for having more than four men in the backfield, Tucker grabbed the ball for a run designed to the left. The line collapsed, so Tucker quickly turned to his right with room to work, sprinting to the sideline for a 10-yard gain before being taken down.

Like he did throughout training camp, Tucker worked in space on flat, rub and mesh routes. Louisville linebackers played soft defense throughout the game, allowing Tucker to operate in the space he likes on the outsides. Jukes and changes in direction parlayed a 5-yard initial reception into a first down frequently.

Stopping the run

Babers has known that the Orange’s defensive line is young and inexperienced, something that could’ve ended poorly against a talented Louisville offensive line led by decorated left guard Caleb Chandler. But Louisville sat at just 83 rush yards in the first half. Tiyon Evans’ sole rushing touchdown on a 2nd-and-6 draw to the right side accounted for 36 of those yards. Aided by Stefon Thompson, who now operates as a linebacker-lineman hybrid, Syracuse ensured Evans couldn’t find consistent holes.

At the start of the third quarter, Evans got broke off for a 19-yard run. But that was about all the noise the Cardinal run game made. Even when Evans tried to bounce the run outside, Alijah Clark and Duce Chestnut collapsed in to ensure he couldn’t get close to the second level.

So. Many. Penalties.

Even in wins last year, Syracuse couldn’t complete a clean game. Injuries and mid-season transfers thrust newcomers into starting positions too quickly and drives suffered because of it. Saturday night demonstrated that the Orange, while now working with a set starting lineup, haven’t yet shaken their penalty woes. The Orange ha ten penalties for 62 yards in the first half, clouding an otherwise successful offensive performance.

Immediately after a goal line stop in the middle of the second quarter, Kalan Ellis jumped too early, pushing Syracuse back to its  two-yard line. Shrader’s running and a low pass to Oronde Gadsden II granted the Orange more breathing room, setting up a quick pass across the middle to Isaiah Jones near the 40-yard line. The quick 50 yards were for nothing, because shortly after, a lineman got called for another false start. Then Carlos Vettorello was called for a snap infraction, killing the drive quickly.

Syracuse’s first drive during the third quarter also lost its way due to penalties. Shrader scrambled to his right, trying to evade two defenders after keeping a run-pass option. While he tried to dance around the swarming Cardinals, a lineman was called for a hold. After backing up ten yards, Trebor Pena misread the snap count and aggressively began executing a block on his defender. The possession ultimately ended with Babers opting to punt on a 4th-and-1.

Cunningham neutralized

During last year’s 41-3 loss, Cunningham scored five touchdowns. But the success SU’s defense found against Tiyon Evans in the run game extended to Cunningham on the ground. Cunningham had a quick trigger when he decided to bail on passes and run. The Orange defensive line was ready, complemented by lockdown coverage from the back end of the defense.

Cunningham threw more interceptions than he’s did in his last two matchups against the Orange. Both came on long balls into coverage, neutralizing drives. The first happened on a 1st and 10 from Syracuse’s 35-yard line. His progression to a streaking Dee Wiggins was slow and thrown short, allowing Garrett Williams to nab his first interception since Nov. 20, 2020, also against Louisville. The next came on a 3rd and long from the Louisville 28-yard line when Cunningham tossed a deep ball for Braden Smith in double coverage. Instead, Derek McDonald caught the pass in stride and brought it down into the redzone for the Orange.

Spreading the wealth

The one-trick pony era of Syracuse’s offense might be gone. While that doesn’t mean Tucker won’t be the focal point, having more than one threat moved the Orange’s offense into hyperdrive. Seven different players caught a pass from Shrader and Carlos Del-Rio Wilson, from tight end Maximilian Mang to Tucker. Incorporating tight end Gadsden II opened up the playbook, giving Shrader another reliable read throughout the game. As he backpedaled at the six-yard line, Shrader saw Gadsden standing alone in the endzone. His heave and Gadsden’s catch extended the Orange’s lead to 24-7.

Devaughn Cooper, who earned the starting slot receiver position over Pena, found the ball for the first time on a 23-yard pass on the right hash during SU’s second possession of the game. The following play, Cooper executed a slant route and quickly brought down a short pass for seven yards.

While he was targeted, Damien Alford didn’t record a receiving yard. Last year, that would have meant Syracuse relying on Tucker exclusively. With a revamped offensive approach, Shrader finished the game with 237 passing yards.

Published on September 3, 2022 at 11:56 pm

Contact Anthony: aalandt@syr.edu | @anthonyalandt