Sunday Sidebar: Five Fingers That Make a Fist

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Sure, yesterday's 31-17 victory over No. 17 Virginia Tech inside the Carrier Dome was SU's first win against a ranked opponent in four years. Sure, it was the team's first victory against a team from the ACC's Coastal Division. It may have even taken the sting out of the Orange's road loss to Wake Forest the week before.

Yes, it was all of those things. But it was so much more.

"The biggest thing about this win is that anytime you take over a new program, you're trying to get everybody to buy in, to work as one," head coach Dino Babers said. "No matter how hard everyone wants to do that, there's always the nay-sayers. It's always that way, until you get that one win that solidifies you, that brings you together, that hardship that brings the family closer together. That's what happened today. We're now a family. We're Ohana. We're La Familia. Now, we're five fingers that make a fist and now we can go out and play some Orange football."

Each member of the proverbial football family – offense, defense and special teams – did its part.

Offensively, the Orange racked up 561 yards of offense and scored 31 points on the nation's third-ranked defense. Sophomore Eric Dungey became the first quarterback pass for 300 yards (311) and rush for 100 yards (106) in the same game. Receivers Ervin Philips (139 yards) and Brisly Estime (131 yards) both eclipsed 100 yards receiving for the first time. And running back, yes running back, Dontae Strickland tossed an 84-yard touchdown.

The Syracuse defense held the Hokies, who entered the game averaging 45 points over its previous three outings, to three points in the first half and 17 points overall. The Orange forced two turnovers, and kept the Hokies out of the end zone three times on five red-zone trips.

On special teams, Cole Murphy hit a career-long 51-yard field goal. Freshman Kendall Coleman broke through the Virginia Tech line to block an extra point and Sterling Hofrichter averaged better than 48 yards per punt.

It all added up to a Syracuse victory, one that Orange Nation was excited to celebrate as SU students streamed onto the field to share in the joy of beating one of the college football's hottest teams.

"If I told you guys how stressful the last 48 hours of conversations with individual players, you guys have no idea," Babers said. "The whole thing was working together, working together. They did it. I'm happy they had that success. It's going to stay with them forever. That moment will stay with them forever."

Five fingers that make a fist.

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Syracuse University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Kendall Coleman

Eric Dungey

Brisly Estime

Sterling Hofrichter

Cole Murphy

Ervin Philips

Dontae Strickland

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