Syracuse (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) had not beaten Florida State (1-2, 0-2 ACC) since 1966 entering Saturday afternoon’s contest, losing 10 straight games. That streak ended on Saturday as the Orange dismantled FSU, 30-7

Below are fast reactions to SU’s dominant win.

SU Secondary Turns the Corner

Last year’s pass defense ranked as one of the worst in the country. SU finished the season 102nd in the nation in opposing passer rating (140.7), 99th in opponent passing yards per game (247.3) and 89th in opponent completion percentage (60.9).

This year, aside from one quarter against Western Michigan, the SU secondary has been spectacular. Saturday afternoon against a preseason Heisman hopeful in Deondre Francois, the Orange gave up just six passing yards in the first quarter while limiting Francois to a completion percentage of just 22 percent through the air.

Three quarters later, Francois finished with 18 completions on 36 attempts, an interception and he was sacked four times while his receivers failed to create any separation as the SU secondary smothered Seminole wideouts.

Primetime Escape Artists

Where the Orange defense played exceptionally Saturday, the offense struggled mightily. At the end of the first half, SU had 12 first downs to FSU’s four and had gotten to the Seminoles’ 5-yard line twice. Both times, Syracuse settled for field goals after three consecutive run plays that failed to gain any traction. SU ran the ball well in the open field but couldn’t make it count on the goal line, allowing Florida State to hang in the game despite being outplayed in every facet of the contest.

Additionally, a Jamal Custis drop in the first quarter could’ve put the Orange out ahead for good very early on. Custis had clear separation from his defender and Eric Dungey launched a pass his way, hitting Custis’ hands in perfect stride. He simply dropped it. Should Custis have hauled in the catch, he would’ve easily waltzed into the end zone. Instead, SU was forced to punt.

Tommy Time

After struggling in brief appearances across his two first collegiate games, Tommy DeVito wowed the Carrier Dome after replacing Eric Dungey. Dungey exited the game towards the end of the second quarter after taking a late hit to the head. Dungey stayed on the sidelines for the remainder of the half, getting involved in huddles and trying to go back on the field, before not appearing to re-emerge on the sidelines after halftime.

In nearly two quarters of action, Dungey completed 7-of-15 passes through the air for 75 yards and rushed for 33 yards on the ground as Syracuse held a 3-0 lead. After DeVito came in, the offense erupted for 27 points as DeVito dominated, nearly doubling Dungey’s passer rating and passing yards. It’s tough to truly compare the two, because Custis’ dropped pass would have likely added 60 yards and a touchdown to Dungey’s day, but consistently DeVito looked more poised.

In his first two games, DeVito looked to launch balls downfield, but struggled with his accuracy. Saturday, he threw balls up with confidence, pinpointing them with pristine accuracy and spurring the SU offense to a second half rout of one of college football’s most historic teams.

Published on September 15, 2018 at 3:43 pm

Contact Matt: mdliberm@syr.edu