Sunday Sidebar: More Than the Dynamic Duo

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Senior receivers Steve Ishmael and Ervin Philips have received most the headlines this season and for good reason. They rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the ACC in receptions and are among the top five nationally, but it was complementary players like junior Ravian Pierce and sophomore Devin C. Butler who made some of the biggest plays in the passing game during the Orange's 27-24 Homecoming win against Pittsburgh yesterday.

Pierce led all receivers with a career-high nine receptions for a personal-best 99 yards. He served as a reliable target for quarterback Eric Dungey, who completed eight passes to Pierce in the second half. The 6-3, 237-pounder from Plantation, Fla. flashed the downfield receiving ability, including a nifty one-handed grab, that made him ESPN's second-ranked tight end in junior college coming out of Southwest Mississippi Community College.

Butler also had a career-game, snagging seven balls for a personal-best 64 yards. The second-year player also caught the first touchdown of his career, a 32-yard pass from Dungey that tied the game at 10-10 in the final minute of the first half.

In all, four different Syracuse receivers caught at least 50 yards worth of passes against the Panthers. Ishmael made five receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown, while Philips had eight catches for 55 yards, to go along with Pierce's and Butler's production.

"It puts a lot of pressure on defenses when you not only have to cover Steve and Erv, but also Devin and Ravian," Dungey said. "It's great to have weapons like them and it's great for them to get some confidence."

Pierce came up one yard short of posting the first 100-yard receiving game for a Syracuse tight end since Chris Gedney (103 yards) at West Virginia on Oct. 17, 1992. He has 138 receiving yards this year and he's averaging 7.3 yards per catch. Thanks to his big game against Pittsburgh he ranks fifth on the team in receiving yards, trailing the three previously mentioned receivers and running back Moe Neal.

"If they are giving it to you and, (Ravian) can catch because he's a good player, throw it to him," said head coach Dino Babers. "I really thought that there was some individual effort after some of those plays, like the one-handed catch, where he made some tough runs afterwards. He played a fantastic game and we are lucky to have him."

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Players Mentioned

Devin C. Butler

Eric Dungey

Steve Ishmael

Nykeim Johnson

Moe Neal

Ervin Philips

Ravian Pierce

Syracuse University Athletics