Orange Begin Prep for Camping World Bowl
12/7/2018 5:30:00 PM | Football
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Orange's postseason journey began on Friday, Dec. 7 inside the Ensley Athletic Center. Syracuse football kicked off its preparation for the 2018 Camping World Bowl with a 90-minute workout in shorts and helmets.
Friday's run-through marked the team's first practice since the end of the regular season. No. 17 Syracuse (9-3, 6-2 ACC) faces No. 15 West Virginia (8-3, 6-3 Big 12) on Friday, Dec. 28 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
"We're getting our legs acclimated again," head coach Dino Babers said after practice. "We've got to make sure they get back into shape. You don't want to run them too hard, but you do want to get them sweating, get them breathing, and get them back into it. We've got to be really careful with them right now.
"All they've got to do is listen, and we'll take care of it. We're going to take care of their legs, get them back into shape, and then start banging. We'll get them game-ready, back off a little bit, and then play a football game."
While practices in the month of December haven't been common around Syracuse in recent years, Babers' third season at the helm is different. The Orange are in the midst of a breakout campaign after winning nine regular-season games, finishing in second place in the ACC Atlantic Division with a 6-2 record, and earning a bowl berth for the first time since 2013.
It's uncharted territory for a team driven by seniors, including starters Cody Conway, Jamal Custis, Eric Dungey, Ryan Guthrie, Koda Martin, Ravian Pierce, Aaron Roberts, Chris Slayton, Dontae Strickland and Kielan Whitner, who have never experienced a bowl game while at Syracuse. Babers and his coaching staff, however, are no strangers to playing in the postseason.
A Babers-led Bowling Green team reached bowl eligibility in back-to-back seasons in 2014 (Camellia Bowl) and 2015 (GoDaddy Bowl). Before that, he took Eastern Illinois to consecutive FCS playoff appearances in 2012 and 2013.
Now, he and his staff are guiding the Orange through West Virginia preparation while simultaneously being out on the road recruiting.
"We've been through it before," Babers said. "We're not rookies about this stuff. I'll take the lead with this one, and we'll do it the right way.
"The main thing is not to rush anything. [Our players] have never gone through finals and practice before, so we need to be sensitive to that. We're taking it a little bit easy on them until school gets done, and then we'll turn it up."
The Orange are 15-9-1 in their 25 bowl appearances, including a 1-0 postseason record against West Virginia.
Bowl tickets and travel packages are available now at Cuse.com/Camping World.
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New season ticket orders and renewals to watch Orange football in 2019 are also being accepted now. Tickets for next season's six-game home slate start at $100 for Syracuse University Young Alumni (Class of 2015 to Class of 2019 graduates) and $125 for the general public. They may be purchased online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B).
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The deadline to renew current season tickets is March 8, 2019.
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For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
Friday's run-through marked the team's first practice since the end of the regular season. No. 17 Syracuse (9-3, 6-2 ACC) faces No. 15 West Virginia (8-3, 6-3 Big 12) on Friday, Dec. 28 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
"We're getting our legs acclimated again," head coach Dino Babers said after practice. "We've got to make sure they get back into shape. You don't want to run them too hard, but you do want to get them sweating, get them breathing, and get them back into it. We've got to be really careful with them right now.
"All they've got to do is listen, and we'll take care of it. We're going to take care of their legs, get them back into shape, and then start banging. We'll get them game-ready, back off a little bit, and then play a football game."
While practices in the month of December haven't been common around Syracuse in recent years, Babers' third season at the helm is different. The Orange are in the midst of a breakout campaign after winning nine regular-season games, finishing in second place in the ACC Atlantic Division with a 6-2 record, and earning a bowl berth for the first time since 2013.
It's uncharted territory for a team driven by seniors, including starters Cody Conway, Jamal Custis, Eric Dungey, Ryan Guthrie, Koda Martin, Ravian Pierce, Aaron Roberts, Chris Slayton, Dontae Strickland and Kielan Whitner, who have never experienced a bowl game while at Syracuse. Babers and his coaching staff, however, are no strangers to playing in the postseason.
A Babers-led Bowling Green team reached bowl eligibility in back-to-back seasons in 2014 (Camellia Bowl) and 2015 (GoDaddy Bowl). Before that, he took Eastern Illinois to consecutive FCS playoff appearances in 2012 and 2013.
Now, he and his staff are guiding the Orange through West Virginia preparation while simultaneously being out on the road recruiting.
"We've been through it before," Babers said. "We're not rookies about this stuff. I'll take the lead with this one, and we'll do it the right way.
"The main thing is not to rush anything. [Our players] have never gone through finals and practice before, so we need to be sensitive to that. We're taking it a little bit easy on them until school gets done, and then we'll turn it up."
The Orange are 15-9-1 in their 25 bowl appearances, including a 1-0 postseason record against West Virginia.
Bowl tickets and travel packages are available now at Cuse.com/Camping World.
Â
New season ticket orders and renewals to watch Orange football in 2019 are also being accepted now. Tickets for next season's six-game home slate start at $100 for Syracuse University Young Alumni (Class of 2015 to Class of 2019 graduates) and $125 for the general public. They may be purchased online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B).
Â
The deadline to renew current season tickets is March 8, 2019.
Â
For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
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