Sunday Sidebar: Ground Game Gets Going

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Orange head coach Dino Babers always says his offense is not about leading the nation in passing. It's about being balanced and that includes a potent rushing attack. Yesterday against Central Michigan, Syracuse's ground game got untracked and was a primary reason the Orange posted a 41-17 victory against the Chippewas.

The Syracuse offense racked up 579 total yards, 300 of which came on the ground. It was the most rushing yards for Syracuse in the Babers era and most the Orange in a game since Sept. 4, 2015 when it gained 312 in a win over Rhode Island.

The Orange logged 44 rushing attempts versus Central Michigan, averaging a robust 6.8 yards per carry. Quarterback Eric Dungey led the way with 105 yards, including a 1-yard TD plunge, to record the second 100-yard rushing game of his career.

Dungey is Syracuse's leading rusher. He ranks ninth in the ACC at 69.7 yards per contest. The junior from Lake Oswego, Ore. is tied for fourth in the conference with four rushing scores. He now has 15 touchdowns on the ground in his career, four shy of the Syracuse quarterback career record held by Bill Hurley and Donovan McNabb. Late in the third quarter, Dungey broke off a career-best, 74-yard run to set up a 6-yard TD pass to Ravian Pierce that made the score 38-17.

While Dungey has carried the rushing load this season, it was a team effort yesterday as four players finished with 40+ yards on the ground (Dungey, Moe Neal – 81, Sean Riley – 47 and Dontae Strickland – 45). Orange ball carriers got loose for three runs of 40-or-more yards with the 74-scamper by Dungey representing Syracuse's longest play from the scrimmage so far this season.

For the first time under Babers, Syracuse ran for more yards (300) than it threw for (279).

"We had 300 yards rushing, how cool is that?" said Babers. "We are trying to be steady. Our quarterback likes to run so we are going to run him a bit and I think that adds a different dimension to our offense that allows other people to have space where maybe they can do some things."

One of those people is Neal, who averaged 16.2 yards per rush, including a career-long, 71-yard burst in the third quarter.

The maturation of Syracuse offensive line, which includes redshirt freshmen Airon Servais and Sam Heckel, also contributed to increased output. In addition, to creating creases for Orange rushers, the front five did not allow a sack Saturday, which in college football negatively impacts the team's rushing gain.

"It's just the little things. They're starting to come together," Dungey said. "If we're operating the way we're supposed to, things like that should happen more often."

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Syracuse University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Eric Dungey

Sam Heckel

Moe Neal

Ravian Pierce

Sean Riley

Airon Servais

Dontae Strickland

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