Orange Turn the Page
10/11/2020 4:11:00 PM | Football
Following Duke's 38-24 win over Syracuse Saturday, Orange head coach Dino Babers said his young team needs to study film of the game and focus on getting better in every area.
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"You don't lose a game like this by saying one side did this and the other side did that, it's a total thing," Babers said. "And we have to do better as coaches. First responsibility is on my shoulders."
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Fortunately for the Orange, Babers isn't starting from scratch. One month into this most unusual season, the Orange have excelled in several areas that will serve as building blocks for improvement in the final 2/3 of the campaign.
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As Syracuse (1-3, 1-3 ACC) prepares to face FBS Independent Liberty (4-0) at Noon Saturday at the Dome, Syracuse has areas to build on.
Most notably, the defense has continued to give the Orange offense more opportunities. With three fumble recoveries and one interception, the Orange had a 4-0 edge in turnovers against Duke and now have a +10 turnover margin this season. Defensive back Rob Hanna, linebacker Geoff Cantin-Arku and defensive end Cody Roscoe recovered fumbles and linebacker Mikel Jones recorded an interception against the Blue Devils. Cantin-Arku returned his fumble 28 yards for the Orange's second defensive touchdown this season.
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"Everybody wants to fly around and cause turnovers, that's what we emphasized all week," said Jones, who leads the Orange with four takeaways and recorded a team-high 13 tackles Saturday. "If you're going to play with this defense, everybody can make plays and score touchdowns."
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Ten different defenders have at least one takeaway: Jones with three interceptions and a fumble recovery; Hanna (2), Cantin-Arku, Roscoe, Steve Linton and Aaron Bolinsky with fumble recoveries; and Ja'Had Carter, Trill Williams, Andre Cisco, and Josh Black with interceptions. Syracuse leads the nation in takeaways (14) and turnover margin per game (+2.50) this season.
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No team in the FBS has more takeaways than Syracuse's 70 since the start of 2018.
Another aspect that Syracuse has found success on is the long ball. Of Syracuse's seven offensive touchdowns, five have come via passes of 40+ yards, including QB Tommy DeVito's connections with Taj Harris and Luke Benson on saturday.
Although Babers said that's not an area 'Cuse is focused on being a hallmark of the team's offense, noting his desire for a consistently good offense and not one that experiences occasional success.
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"We have to change some of the things that we're doing," Babers said. "We have to do be better, and we have to work more cohesively on our offense and our defense and our special teams to have an opportunity to win."
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"You don't lose a game like this by saying one side did this and the other side did that, it's a total thing," Babers said. "And we have to do better as coaches. First responsibility is on my shoulders."
Â
Fortunately for the Orange, Babers isn't starting from scratch. One month into this most unusual season, the Orange have excelled in several areas that will serve as building blocks for improvement in the final 2/3 of the campaign.
Â
As Syracuse (1-3, 1-3 ACC) prepares to face FBS Independent Liberty (4-0) at Noon Saturday at the Dome, Syracuse has areas to build on.
Most notably, the defense has continued to give the Orange offense more opportunities. With three fumble recoveries and one interception, the Orange had a 4-0 edge in turnovers against Duke and now have a +10 turnover margin this season. Defensive back Rob Hanna, linebacker Geoff Cantin-Arku and defensive end Cody Roscoe recovered fumbles and linebacker Mikel Jones recorded an interception against the Blue Devils. Cantin-Arku returned his fumble 28 yards for the Orange's second defensive touchdown this season.
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"Everybody wants to fly around and cause turnovers, that's what we emphasized all week," said Jones, who leads the Orange with four takeaways and recorded a team-high 13 tackles Saturday. "If you're going to play with this defense, everybody can make plays and score touchdowns."
Â
Ten different defenders have at least one takeaway: Jones with three interceptions and a fumble recovery; Hanna (2), Cantin-Arku, Roscoe, Steve Linton and Aaron Bolinsky with fumble recoveries; and Ja'Had Carter, Trill Williams, Andre Cisco, and Josh Black with interceptions. Syracuse leads the nation in takeaways (14) and turnover margin per game (+2.50) this season.
Â
No team in the FBS has more takeaways than Syracuse's 70 since the start of 2018.
Another aspect that Syracuse has found success on is the long ball. Of Syracuse's seven offensive touchdowns, five have come via passes of 40+ yards, including QB Tommy DeVito's connections with Taj Harris and Luke Benson on saturday.
Although Babers said that's not an area 'Cuse is focused on being a hallmark of the team's offense, noting his desire for a consistently good offense and not one that experiences occasional success.
Â
"We have to change some of the things that we're doing," Babers said. "We have to do be better, and we have to work more cohesively on our offense and our defense and our special teams to have an opportunity to win."
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