Recap: Big Plays Dominate 'Spring Football Saturday'

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Orange football fans got their first glimpse of Coach Dino Babers' 2019 squad at the Carrier Dome this afternoon during "Spring Football Saturday" presented by AmeriCU. The celebration of Syracuse football featured the team's annual spring scrimmage, as well as appearances by a host of past greats, including the 1966 backfield of Floyd Little, Tom Coughlin and Larry Csonka.

The format for the scrimmage was offense versus defense. No score was kept.

In all, Syracuse amassed nine total touchdowns. The offense racked up 566 total yards (402 passing, 164 rushing) and seven scores, including four through the air. The defense generated three turnovers, returning two of them for touchdowns. Six of the Orange's scoring plays covered at least 30 yards.

Tommy DeVito quarterbacked the first unit and was an efficient 13-of-16 passing for 178 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception.

Babers said it was important to test DeVito this spring, so the young signal-caller could get a better idea of the throws he can make and the ones he still needs to improve upon.

"We've been challenging him," Babers said. "You got a racing car. You have to make the tires sing. So, we're really on him, pushing him to see if he can throw it in that hole, see if he can put it in that crack."

Rex Culpepper worked with the second team and was on target as well, going 13-for-14 for 149 yards and a score. Clayton Welch alternated second-team drives with Culpepper and finished with 75 passing yards.

Otto Zaccardo led the Syracuse rushing attack with six carries for 57 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Jawhar Jordan had five carries for 56 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown.

Thirteen different players had at least one reception. James Cherry led all pass-catchers with five receptions for 56 yards. Sean Riley totaled three catches for 63 yards, including a 53-yard TD reception from DeVito.

Defensively, Allen Stritzinger and Eric Coley paced the Orange with six tackles apiece. Kenneth Ruff, freshman Drew Tuazama and Alton Robinson all recorded sacks. Robinson also forced a fumble that was scooped up and returned for a 57-yard touchdown by Andre Cisco. Trill Williams was responsible for the defense's other touchdown, running back a DeVito interception 75 yards to the end zone on the opening series.

After Williams started the scrimmage with a pick-six, it was the offense's turn to make a big play and Welch delivered. He hooked up Nykeim Johnson for the longest pass play of the day, a 71-yard touchdown, to get the offense on the board.

Offensive coordinator Mike Lynch's unit carried that momentum into the third series. Culpepper, who moved back to quarterback this spring after spending part of last year at tight end, led the Orange on its second straight scoring drive. He capped the possession by finding Anthony Queeley in the corner of the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown.

Queeley's score was followed by a an 11-yard touchdown catch by freshman Courtney Jackson and Jordan's long scoring run. Both players are early enrollees. Jackson joined the program from Gateway High School in Pennsylvania. A native of Long Island, Jordan came to Syracuse by way of Arizona's Hamilton High School.

Touchdowns by Markenzy Pierre, Riley, Cisco and Zaccardo followed Jordan's TD. Zaccardo's 35-yard dash to paydirt on the second-to-last drive closed the scoring.

Saturday's scrimmage marked the end of Syracuse's spring practice season. The Orange now turn their attention to offseason workouts in order to prepare for fall camp and the start of the 2019 campaign. Syracuse opens the season on the road against Liberty on Aug. 31. Its first home game is Sept. 14 against reigning national champion Clemson.

Season tickets, group tickets and partial plans for the Orange's six home games are on sale now online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B). Season tickets start at $125.

Individual game tickets (excluding first-level seats for the Clemson game) go on sale Tuesday, April 16.

2019 SYRACUSE "SPRING FOOTBALL SATURDAY"

PASSING (Cmp-Att-INT, Yds)
T. DeVito 13-16-1, 178 yds, 2 TD; R. Culpepper 13-14-0, 149 yards, TD; C. Welch 2-9-0, 75 yds, TD

RUSHING (No.-Yds)
O. Zaccardo 6-57, TD; J. Jordan 5-56, TD; J. Howard 7-30; M. Neal 8-26; J. Cherry 1-4; C. Jackson 1-3; T. DeVito 3-1; M. Pierre 4-0, TD; C. Welch 2 - (-3), R. Culpepper 3- (-10)

RECEIVING (No.-Yds)
J. Cherry 5-56; S. Riley 3-63, TD; C. Lutz 3-37; C. Jordan 3-32; A. Queeley 3-30, TD; C. Jackson 3-26, TD; T. Jackson 2-40; N. Johnson 1-71, TD; T. Harris 1-21; M. Pierre 1-11; E. Fischler 1-9; A Hackett 1-6; J. Howard 1-0

TACKLES (UA-A-T)
E. Coley 2-4-6; A. Stritzinger 3-3-6; A. Armstrong 4-1-5; L. Williams 3-2-5; B. Berry 4-1-5; A. Cisco 1-3-4; T. Williams 3-1-4; D. Clarke 3-0-3; C. Jonas 2-1-3; D. Tuazama 2-1-3; M. Jones 1-1-2; D. Johnson 1-1-2; Z. Lesko 1-1-2; L. Kpogba 2-0-2; I. Melifonwu 1-1-2; K. Ruff 1-1-2; J. Sweetwood 2-0-2; K. Coleman 2-0-2; A. Robinson 2-0-2; K. Jonathan 2-0-2; A. Cole 1-0-1; T. Allison 1-0-1; K. Trotter 1-0-1; Z. Morton 1-0-1; C. Dawson 1-0-1

SACKS (No.-Yds)
K. Ruff 1-4; D. Tuazama 1-6; A. Robinson 1-4

INTERCEPTION RETURNS (No.-Yds)
T. Williams 1-75, TD

FUMBLE RETURNS (No.-Yds)
A. Cisco 1-57, TD; J. Black 1-5

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Syracuse University Athletics

Recap: Big Plays Dominate 'Spring Football Saturday'

Players Mentioned

James Cherry

Andre Cisco

Eric Coley

Rex Culpepper

Tommy DeVito

Courtney Jackson

Nykeim Johnson

Jawhar Jordan

Markenzy Pierre

Anthony Queeley

Sean Riley

Alton Robinson

Kenneth Ruff

Allen Stritzinger

Drew Tuazama

Clayton Welch

Trill Williams

Otto Zaccardo

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