Defense Shines in Scrimmage
8/29/2020 3:58:00 PM | Football
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Armed with a new 3-3-5 scheme, the Orange defense looked in midseason form during a 99-play scrimmage this afternoon on Schwartzwalder Field.
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Coordinator Tony White's unit racked up 10 sacks and intercepted four passes, including a pick-six by Trill Williams. The junior safety's 40-yard touchdown was the highlight of the day for a secondary that has ranked among the nation's best the last two years at generating turnovers.
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The Syracuse offense finished with four touchdowns in the scrimmage, three of which came on the ground. Quarterback Tommy DeVito accounted for two of the scores. He found the end zone on a 25-yard run then connected with freshman Justin Barron for a 12-yard TD on the scrimmage's final play.
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Head coach Dino Babers was pleased with the effort on both sides of the ball.
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"I thought today was very physical," Babers said. "There was a lot of hitting going on. This is the first time we banged that much. We need to go back and check the tape, but I thought the effort was really good and everybody's mind was into it."
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In addition to Williams, defensive backs Kyle Strickland, Ifeatu Melifonwu and linebacker Mikel Jones had interceptions. Melifonwu's leaping grab over rookie Ja'Vontae Williams in the end zone ignited the sideline and was another demonstration of the athleticism Syracuse possesses in the back end of the defense.
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Redshirt senior Josh Black and freshman Leon Lowery paced the unit with two sacks apiece. Curtis Harper, McKinley Williams, Marlowe Wax, Kingsley Jonathan, Cody Roscoe and Zach Morton also logged quarterback takedowns.
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DeVito commanded the first offense, while redshirt senior Rex Culpepper and freshmen JaCobian Morgan and Dillon Markiewicz rotated with the second team.
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Running backs Markenzy Pierre and Jawhar Jordan were responsible for the offense's other two touchdowns. Pierre scored from 11 yards out and Jordan hit paydirt on a 9-yard sprint up the middle.
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Saturday's outing served as the final tune-up before the Orange formally begin preparations for their Sept. 12 season opener against North Carolina. With two weeks until Syracuse faces the Tar Heels, Babers likes his team's mindset as it prepares to visit Kenan Stadium for the first time since 2003.
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Said Babers: "I think we're getting better. We've had a lot of stuff happen in 2020. This has been a year that's been more unique than any one I can remember in the 34 years I've been doing this. But I think mentally we're in the right place and we're heading in the right direction."
For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
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Coordinator Tony White's unit racked up 10 sacks and intercepted four passes, including a pick-six by Trill Williams. The junior safety's 40-yard touchdown was the highlight of the day for a secondary that has ranked among the nation's best the last two years at generating turnovers.
Â
The Syracuse offense finished with four touchdowns in the scrimmage, three of which came on the ground. Quarterback Tommy DeVito accounted for two of the scores. He found the end zone on a 25-yard run then connected with freshman Justin Barron for a 12-yard TD on the scrimmage's final play.
Â
Head coach Dino Babers was pleased with the effort on both sides of the ball.
Â
"I thought today was very physical," Babers said. "There was a lot of hitting going on. This is the first time we banged that much. We need to go back and check the tape, but I thought the effort was really good and everybody's mind was into it."
Â
In addition to Williams, defensive backs Kyle Strickland, Ifeatu Melifonwu and linebacker Mikel Jones had interceptions. Melifonwu's leaping grab over rookie Ja'Vontae Williams in the end zone ignited the sideline and was another demonstration of the athleticism Syracuse possesses in the back end of the defense.
Â
Redshirt senior Josh Black and freshman Leon Lowery paced the unit with two sacks apiece. Curtis Harper, McKinley Williams, Marlowe Wax, Kingsley Jonathan, Cody Roscoe and Zach Morton also logged quarterback takedowns.
Â
DeVito commanded the first offense, while redshirt senior Rex Culpepper and freshmen JaCobian Morgan and Dillon Markiewicz rotated with the second team.
Â
Running backs Markenzy Pierre and Jawhar Jordan were responsible for the offense's other two touchdowns. Pierre scored from 11 yards out and Jordan hit paydirt on a 9-yard sprint up the middle.
Â
Saturday's outing served as the final tune-up before the Orange formally begin preparations for their Sept. 12 season opener against North Carolina. With two weeks until Syracuse faces the Tar Heels, Babers likes his team's mindset as it prepares to visit Kenan Stadium for the first time since 2003.
Â
Said Babers: "I think we're getting better. We've had a lot of stuff happen in 2020. This has been a year that's been more unique than any one I can remember in the 34 years I've been doing this. But I think mentally we're in the right place and we're heading in the right direction."
For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
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