Photo by: Tyler Cady
Orange Hold First Padded Practice
8/16/2020 6:51:00 PM | Football
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse football team took the next step in its progression toward the 2020 season on Sunday as the Orange put on full pads for the first time.
The roughly two-hour workout was Syracuse's sixth camp practice and featured mostly "thud" sessions (no tackling to the ground) with live reps sprinkled in during team periods. Because spring ball ended after just three practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunday's practice marked the first time the Orange dressed in full gear since the team's 39-30 overtime victory against Wake Forest in the final game of 2019.
Quarterback Tommy DeVito didn't start against the Demon Deacons that day due to injury. The redshirt junior added 10 pounds to his frame in the offseason and is looking build off a sophomore campaign in which he ranked among the nation's best at taking care of the football. DeVito threw just five interceptions in 337 pass attempts. His interception avoidance figure of 1.48 ranked second in Syracuse single-season history. The Cedar Grove, New Jersey product wasn't picked off in any of Syracuse's last seven games. He carries a streak of 170 straight passes without an interception into the 2020 season, the third-best active streak in FBS football. Only Clemson star Trevor Lawrence (239) and Auburn signal-caller Bo Nix (191) have longer active stretches without a miscue.
While minimizing turnovers is the mark of all great quarterbacks, Syracuse head coach Dino Babers wants to see DeVito push the envelope a little more to unlock the full potential of the offense.
"I said, 'I want you to be the guy that was driving the Ford in 'Ford vs Ferrari,'" Babers told DeVito.
"We want you to know everything there is to know about this offense, and we want you to be aggressive. You're in search for the perfect lap. You're in search for the perfect game, the perfect throw, the perfect quarter."
That pedal-to-the-metal approach with his quarterbacks has served Babers well. Jimmy Garoppolo (Eastern Illinois), Matt Johnson (Bowling Green) and Eric Dungey (Syracuse) all enjoyed record-setting careers playing in Babers' ultra-fast, spread system. While quick scoring strikes and high point totals have fueled his success as a head coach, the Orange sideline leader also knows when to take his foot of the gas and control tempo late in games. Babers is a stellar 49-3 when his team takes the lead into the fourth quarter.
"We want to be aggressive in everything we do until it's time not to be aggressive," Babers said.
The Orange return 13 starters (7 offense, 4 defense, 2 specialists) from last year's squad and are set to open the season at North Carolina on Sept. 12. Syracuse visits longtime rival Pittsburgh the week after before hosting Georgia Tech in its home opener on Sept. 26.Â
For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
The roughly two-hour workout was Syracuse's sixth camp practice and featured mostly "thud" sessions (no tackling to the ground) with live reps sprinkled in during team periods. Because spring ball ended after just three practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunday's practice marked the first time the Orange dressed in full gear since the team's 39-30 overtime victory against Wake Forest in the final game of 2019.
Quarterback Tommy DeVito didn't start against the Demon Deacons that day due to injury. The redshirt junior added 10 pounds to his frame in the offseason and is looking build off a sophomore campaign in which he ranked among the nation's best at taking care of the football. DeVito threw just five interceptions in 337 pass attempts. His interception avoidance figure of 1.48 ranked second in Syracuse single-season history. The Cedar Grove, New Jersey product wasn't picked off in any of Syracuse's last seven games. He carries a streak of 170 straight passes without an interception into the 2020 season, the third-best active streak in FBS football. Only Clemson star Trevor Lawrence (239) and Auburn signal-caller Bo Nix (191) have longer active stretches without a miscue.
While minimizing turnovers is the mark of all great quarterbacks, Syracuse head coach Dino Babers wants to see DeVito push the envelope a little more to unlock the full potential of the offense.
"I said, 'I want you to be the guy that was driving the Ford in 'Ford vs Ferrari,'" Babers told DeVito.
"We want you to know everything there is to know about this offense, and we want you to be aggressive. You're in search for the perfect lap. You're in search for the perfect game, the perfect throw, the perfect quarter."
That pedal-to-the-metal approach with his quarterbacks has served Babers well. Jimmy Garoppolo (Eastern Illinois), Matt Johnson (Bowling Green) and Eric Dungey (Syracuse) all enjoyed record-setting careers playing in Babers' ultra-fast, spread system. While quick scoring strikes and high point totals have fueled his success as a head coach, the Orange sideline leader also knows when to take his foot of the gas and control tempo late in games. Babers is a stellar 49-3 when his team takes the lead into the fourth quarter.
"We want to be aggressive in everything we do until it's time not to be aggressive," Babers said.
The Orange return 13 starters (7 offense, 4 defense, 2 specialists) from last year's squad and are set to open the season at North Carolina on Sept. 12. Syracuse visits longtime rival Pittsburgh the week after before hosting Georgia Tech in its home opener on Sept. 26.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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