Syracuse posts it first win over the Seminoles since 1966 to improve to 3-0.
By Nate Mink / syracuse.com
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse football entered its ACC opener against Florida State knowing it’d be a major measuring stick after a 2-0 start.
It found out by halftime it would learn much more, namely, if it was ready to win without Eric Dungey, a situation that may change the scope of the entire season after a 30-7 victory against the Seminoles on Saturday afternoon at the Carrier Dome — its first win over Florida State since 1966.
The senior quarterback left the game late in the first half after absorbing a late hit to the head on a QB keeper. He did not play in the second half while being evaluated.
But unlike previous years, Syracuse showed a pulse after its leader went down, and there might be no bigger development in this young season than that. All of the preparation in the preseason getting Tommy DeVito ready in the event Dungey couldn’t go was made with this moment in mind.
The redshirt freshman led the Orange on its first touchdown drive with 6:55 remaining in the third quarter, scoring on a short QB draw after fighting his way over the goal line.
On the next series, after a 45-yard run by true freshman Jarveon Howard, DeVito hit tight end Ravian Pierce on a slip screen in the end zone.
By then, the rout was on, giving SU’s defense plenty of a cushion on a day it hardly needed much help thanks to Florida State’s anemic offense.
It’s better to skip recapping a horrid first half for both offenses, but for the masochist football fan, here it is.
FSU didn’t cross midfield until the final possession of the first half, when its offensive yardage finally exceeded 76 penalty yards on nine flags.
Syracuse redshirt freshman kicker Andre Szmyt connected on two short field goals after SU’s offense couldn’t hammer home a score on the ground.
A beautifully thrown back-shoulder ball from DeVito to Jamal Custis right in front of a group of alumni from the late ’90s Big East champion teams set up SU on the FSU goal line, but Dontae Strickland was stuffed on three-straight runs.
Custis’ reception came after he dropped a deep ball from Dungey in the first quarter that might’ve gone for six or at least position the Orange for another scoring opportunity.
The saving grace came from SU’s defensive line, which made a mockery of Florida State’s offensive line by closing running lanes and pressuring quarterback Deondre Francois into errant throws. Alton Robinson and Chris Slayton and Kendall Coleman lived in the backfield, and in the second half, FSU couldn’t keep SU’s second wave of linemen off Francois or out of the backfield.
That wasn’t the only changing of the guard to stifle the Seminoles. DeVito and Howard gave a glimpse of the backfield of the future, which could be arriving quicker than anyone could’ve thought.
Even if that’s not the case, even if Dungey returns, Syracuse is no longer an ACC pushover, incapable of capitalizing on this opportunity to seize a 3-0 start and set itself up for more with woeful UConn coming to the Carrier Dome next week.
But even if it is, it’s time to start getting excited about Syracuse football again.