Syracuse vs. Wagner: Orange Name A New Starting...Punter

When the Syracuse Orange host the Wagner Seahawks this Saturday, they'll be doing so with a new starter taking snaps.

They've named a new starting punter, Riley Dixon.

"The other kid who did a great job for us is our backup punter, who is going to start for us this week," Shafer said. "Riley Dixon came in (and played well)."

Dixon, who played at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, punted four times in the 48-27 loss to Northwestern and averaged a stellar 48.5 yards per kick. He placed two inside the 20-yard line and had a long of 56 yards.

Incumbent Jonathan Fisher had a rough say against Northwestern, shanking one punt for 16 yards. His 39.1 average is way below that of Dixon (46).

Expect these kind of moves to continue to happen as some second-stringers begin to outplay their first-team counterparts:

"Competition makes you better as a team," Shafer said, "whether it’s at the quarterback position, the punter position, or some offensive, defensive line position and that’s what we’re going to continue to promote as we get better."

As for that other starting spot that you were wondering about, rest assured Drew Allen will be behind center for the first snap. After that, we'll see.