:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47628093/usa-today-8908424.0.jpg)
After Eric Dungey left the Louisville game with an injury on Saturday, Syracuse Orange fans have been wondering about his status for the rest of the season. Head coach Scott Shafer said yesterday that we're taking things "day by day." Syracuse.com's Bud Polquin went so far as to weigh in and say it was SU's "moral duty" to sit him the rest of the year.
Based on Scott Shafer's comments today, you can at least assume that Dungey won't be seeing the field against Clemson this Saturday, even if Shafer won't come out and say it:
Shafer asked about Dungey's status again. Reiterates he won't comment until ACC injury report Thursday.
— Stephen Bailey (@Stephen_Bailey1) November 10, 2015
Remember, that's the gentlemanly way to go about these things.
More Shafer on Dungey: "I'm concerned about the well-being of every student-athlete on my team as I always have been."
— Stephen Bailey (@Stephen_Bailey1) November 10, 2015
Always great to hear.
Shafer sticks with his ACC injury report line when asked if Dungey has a head injury.
— Stephen Bailey (@Stephen_Bailey1) November 10, 2015
Doubling down on being a gentleman.
Shafer said he's never seen a player like walk-on Zack Mahoney have to make his first two starts against teams like LSU and Clemson.
— Stephen Bailey (@Stephen_Bailey1) November 10, 2015
I mean, that SOUNDS like Mahoney's starting, right?
Mahoney is expected to start if Dungey can't play.
— Stephen Bailey (@Stephen_Bailey1) November 10, 2015
... But then a step back.
Syracuse will not make its QBs available for interview tonight to avoid giving Clemson an advantage in its preparation.
— Stephen Bailey (@Stephen_Bailey1) November 10, 2015
"If you're not going to be a gentleman, then I won't be one either! TRY TO STOP ONE OF THESE GUYS WITHOUT KNOWING WHICH WILL PLAY!"
***
All of this is a long way of getting to the bigger issue: None of this is SAYING ANYTHING. We've been through this before. No, Shafer doesn't have to be an open book when they're winning, I guess. But when you're losing, not answering questions only makes it seem like you're avoiding them.
Some other nothing statements:
Shafer asked about how he views his job security, calls it a "great question." Says SU tries to be as transparent as possible with players.
— Stephen Bailey (@Stephen_Bailey1) November 10, 2015
Shafer said he tries to live the "controlling the controllables" mantra that he preaches to his players.
— Stephen Bailey (@Stephen_Bailey1) November 10, 2015
You can usually control putting a quality effort on the field or not, coach.
Shafer saying he believes in his coaching process. Brings up Duke coach David Cutcliffe's slow start and gradual program growth.
— Stephen Bailey (@Stephen_Bailey1) November 10, 2015
... Cutcliffe was an experienced head coach who'd shaped the collegiate careers of both Peyton and Eli Manning, respectively. He inherited a cratered-out Duke Blue Devils football program that had gone 10-82 in the eight years prior to his arrival. Shafer inherited a Syracuse program that just got off an 8-5 campaign where they won a conference title.
Shafer talking about how Syracuse has scored a lot of fast touchdowns this season. Still believes SU could've come back down 31 late vs. LV.
— Stephen Bailey (@Stephen_Bailey1) November 10, 2015
NOPE.
If you thought I was being too hard up above, it's because I was leading into this horrendous quote. As Syracuse.com's Nate Mink points out, the Orange had a less-than-1 percent chance of winning the game when Dungey got injured at under four minutes to go. Shafer said hindsight was 20-20 on the injury, but... it wasn't. Louisville took cheap shots on the SU QB several times leading up to that play. And that play itself was an uncalled helmet-to-helmet hit. There was NOTHING to be gained from Dungey being in that game. Even Tim Lester wasn't sold on that concept.
***
Point here is no different than before: trust and faith are waning here, and with every subsequent statement from the staff, that rings more and more true.