'Cuse Looks to Build Off Opener in Second-Straight Home Game
9/4/2023 3:08:00 PM | Football
Syracuse enjoyed a record-breaking day in the season opener against Colgate in the JMA Wireless. The Orange produced a single-game record 677 yards of total offense on its way to its highest point total since 1998. On the defensive side, the Orange didn't allow the Raiders to cross midfield until the fourth quarter as Syracuse was one of five FBS schools to record a shutout in week one. Head coach Dino Babers and the Orange hope to carry that momentum into this week's game against Western Michigan.
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"We're excited about being 1-0, looking forward to an opportunity to play Western Michigan and coach Lance Taylor," Babers said. "I know those guys are going be ready over there. Different opponent than last time. This is a mid-major opponent and I know the success I've had with my mid-major teams versus Power 5 teams. We're definitely going to take that into consideration on how we approach this game. It's something that we take very seriously, and we know that they have a lot of good athletes and they are more than capable of putting it on us."
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Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. in the JMA Dome. Season tickets, partial plans and individual game tickets are now on sale at Cuse.com/Tickets. Season tickets, which start at just $99, remain the best value for Orange fans. Fans can also purchase group tickets, hospitality packages and tailgate packages. The Toyota Fun Zone at 'Cuse on the Quad opens at 12:30 p.m.
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Syracuse was clicking on all cylinders in the win over the Raiders. Garrett Shrader threw for a career-high four touchdowns, while LeQuint Allen Jr. ran for 107 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Oronde Gadsden II caught six passes for 57 yards, increasing his career total to 1,050 yards. On the defensive side, Marlowe Wax finished with seven total tackles, including a quarterback sack. The special teams unit did not allow a return, and Brady Denaburg was 8-for-8 on extra point attempts and kicked a 25-yard field goal.
Babers appreciated the way the Orange continued to execute with the game well in hand on Saturday.
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"This team has a lot of fight," Babers said. "To take the challenge on of play well offensively, defensively regardless of what the score is. And then to have backups come in, on the defensive side as well, and play really well. There were some letdowns as far as turnovers with some of the backups on the offensive side of the ball, which is disappointing because ball security is important to us. But, overall, to be able to get a score like that and to get a shutout in the same game is really, really hard to do."
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While the team leaders did their thing, new faces emerged as potential contributors this season. Umari Hatcher had his first 100-yard receiving game, while Donovan Brown made five catches for 65 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Jeremiah Wilson made his first start and recorded a pick six in the first quarter on his first career interception.
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"I thought David [Wohlabaugh] played very well," Babers said. "I thought Umari [Hatcher] played really well. I thought Donovan [Brown] played well for a young wide receiver. OG was OG. Shrader was Shrader. LeQuint was LeQuint."
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Now the Orange turn the page to prepare for a Western Michigan team that defeated Saint Francis, 37-17, in its season opener. It will be third meeting between the squads. Syracuse has won the previous two meetings – a 55-42 win in Kalamazoo in 2018 and a 55-33 win in the JMA Dome in 2019.
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'Cuse will look to continue its success in the month of September. Last Saturday's win improved the team's record to 8-1 in September since 2021.
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"We're excited about being 1-0, looking forward to an opportunity to play Western Michigan and coach Lance Taylor," Babers said. "I know those guys are going be ready over there. Different opponent than last time. This is a mid-major opponent and I know the success I've had with my mid-major teams versus Power 5 teams. We're definitely going to take that into consideration on how we approach this game. It's something that we take very seriously, and we know that they have a lot of good athletes and they are more than capable of putting it on us."
Â
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. in the JMA Dome. Season tickets, partial plans and individual game tickets are now on sale at Cuse.com/Tickets. Season tickets, which start at just $99, remain the best value for Orange fans. Fans can also purchase group tickets, hospitality packages and tailgate packages. The Toyota Fun Zone at 'Cuse on the Quad opens at 12:30 p.m.
Â
Syracuse was clicking on all cylinders in the win over the Raiders. Garrett Shrader threw for a career-high four touchdowns, while LeQuint Allen Jr. ran for 107 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Oronde Gadsden II caught six passes for 57 yards, increasing his career total to 1,050 yards. On the defensive side, Marlowe Wax finished with seven total tackles, including a quarterback sack. The special teams unit did not allow a return, and Brady Denaburg was 8-for-8 on extra point attempts and kicked a 25-yard field goal.
Babers appreciated the way the Orange continued to execute with the game well in hand on Saturday.
Â
"This team has a lot of fight," Babers said. "To take the challenge on of play well offensively, defensively regardless of what the score is. And then to have backups come in, on the defensive side as well, and play really well. There were some letdowns as far as turnovers with some of the backups on the offensive side of the ball, which is disappointing because ball security is important to us. But, overall, to be able to get a score like that and to get a shutout in the same game is really, really hard to do."
Â
While the team leaders did their thing, new faces emerged as potential contributors this season. Umari Hatcher had his first 100-yard receiving game, while Donovan Brown made five catches for 65 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Jeremiah Wilson made his first start and recorded a pick six in the first quarter on his first career interception.
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"I thought David [Wohlabaugh] played very well," Babers said. "I thought Umari [Hatcher] played really well. I thought Donovan [Brown] played well for a young wide receiver. OG was OG. Shrader was Shrader. LeQuint was LeQuint."
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Now the Orange turn the page to prepare for a Western Michigan team that defeated Saint Francis, 37-17, in its season opener. It will be third meeting between the squads. Syracuse has won the previous two meetings – a 55-42 win in Kalamazoo in 2018 and a 55-33 win in the JMA Dome in 2019.
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'Cuse will look to continue its success in the month of September. Last Saturday's win improved the team's record to 8-1 in September since 2021.
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