Orange Extra: Well, For Openers . . .

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Sept. 1 gridiron clash with Central Connecticut State will mark the 128th season opener for the Syracuse football team. It will be the first time the Orange and the Blue Devils square off in football.

Here are some notable numbers from Syracuse season openers:

With a victory in last season's schedule starter against Colgate, Syracuse improved to 81-42-4 (.654) in openers.
Syracuse has a modest three-game winning streak in campaign beginners. The Orange defeated Villanova (27-26, 2OT) to start the streak in 2014. Victories against Rhode Island (47-0) and Colgate (33-7) followed.
Heading into the 2017 season, 91 of the 127 previous season openers have been home games for the Orange.
Syracuse is 69-18-4 (.780) in season starters at home.
The Orange began its campaign at home in each season from 1900-55. Syracuse was 48-5-2 (.891) during that stretch of season beginners.
Syracuse was an unbeaten 41-0-2 for the first 43 openers of that streak.

COACH BABERS' TEAM START FAST
Syracuse head coach Dino Babers celebrated the start of his Orange tenure by guiding his club to a 33-7 win against Colgate last fall. It pushed his record in season openers as a head coach to 3-2. A glance at Babers' head coaching history in campaign starters reveals some interesting numbers:

He won the first game in each of his first two seasons as a head coach. Babers was hired to take the helm at Eastern Illinois in 2012 and directed the Panthers to a 49-28 win against Southern Illinois in his first outing. The following year, the Panthers won at San Diego State 40-19 to get the season off on the right foot.
When Babers moved on to lead Bowling Green's program, he was saddled with back-to-back tough openers. His initial contest with the Falcons in 2014 ended in a 59-31 loss to Western Kentucky. In 2015, the Falcons were faced with Tennessee in a game played in Nashville. The Volunteers emerged victorious, 59-30.
Dynamic offensive production has been a staple of the season openers Babers has coached in. Over the five games, his clubs' have averaged 36.6 points per game. In each contest, his team has tallied at least 30 points.
The top defensive performance in a first contest for Babers came a year ago. Although Colgate scored first against the Orange, Syracuse responded quickly, tying the matchup less than two minutes after the Raiders grabbed the lead. The Orange defense was lights out after that, keeping Colgate from increasing its point total for the rest of the evening.

LAST FIVE SYRACUSE SEASON STARTERS
2016: Syracuse 33, Colgate 7. The Dino Babers era got off on the right foot thanks to 33 unanswered points. Eric Dungey completed 34-of-40 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns.

2015: Syracuse 47, Rhode Island 0. The Syracuse defense held the Rams to 64 yards of total offense and put the season's first points on the board when Corey Winfield returned an interception 24 yards for a touchdown.

2014: Syracuse 27, Villanova 26 (2OT). The Orange executed a fake field goal attempt in the second overtime and holder Riley Dixon connected with Kendall Moore for a touchdown and the victory. On Villanova's last possession, the Wildcats posted a touchdown but failed on a two-point conversion.

2013: Penn State 23, Syracuse 17. In a game played at Metlife Stadium, Syracuse fell short in Scott Shafer's debut as head coach. Jerome Smith scored two touchdowns for the Orange.

2012: Northwestern 42, Syracuse 41: The visiting Wildcats scored a touchdown with 44 seconds left and converted the extra point to secure a one-point victory. Syracuse trailed, 35-13 with 7:34 left in the third quarter but quarterback Ryan Nassib brought the Orange back with four touchdown passes.

STARTING AGAIN – FAMILIAR ORANGE FACES
Syracuse has 15 players on its roster who were in the starting lineup for the 2016 season opener against Colgate. Seven are on the offensive side and eight on the defensive side of the ball.

Headlining the list of returning offensive players is junior quarterback Eric Dungey. Running back Dontae Strickland, a junior, and senior receivers Steve Ishmael and Ervin Philips complete the offensive skill players who started a year ago versus Colgate and are still with the team. The offensive line has three such performers – junior tackle Cody Conway, redshirt senior tackle James McGloster and redshirt junior guard Aaron Roberts. However, Roberts is out for the season after suffering a knee injury during summer conditioning. Ishmael is the only offensive player who also was with the first string for the 2015 season starter against Rhode Island and the 2014 opener versus Villanova.

Five defensive players started each of the last two openers for the Orange – redshirt juniors Kayton Samuels and Chris Slayton, each a down lineman, senior linebackers Parris Bennett and Zaire Franklin, and redshirt junior Antwan Cordy, a free safety. Sophomore Kendall Coleman, a defensive end, senior linebacker Jonathan Thomas and junior linebacker Kielan Whitner round out the defenders.

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