Before Saturdays matchup against the LSU Tigers, Dino Babers, Syracuse Orange football coach, jumped on the ACC coaches teleconference to talk talk about the state of his team.
Defense is much improved
Quite the obvious observation, the defense has seen a massive upgrade compared to last season. Specifically, the defensive line has been dominant in the first three games. Babers concurs, citing their heart and hustle.
“I think all our D-line is doing a fantastic job,” he said. “That position is kind of a position-by-committee. Those guys really rotate a lot during the game. And although we don't have a lot of sacks from those guys, we do have a lot of hurries and I think they have been doing a really nice job in the run game.”
Lead by Kendal Coleman, they have shown a certain versatility so far this season. Whether that is blitzing, sitting back in coverage, or a little of both, they have shown multiple different looks so far this season.
Babers said, “There's times when we're very aggressive and we bring pressure, and then there's times when we sit back where I don't think we're one or the other. I think we're a combination of both.”
Darius Guice’s health is irrelevant, LSU will have “some other five star.”
Perhaps a tad pessimistic from Coach Babers, he is not wrong. The last few years, when Fournette injured himself and was out for an extended period of time, Guice entered and kept the running game moving. Even still, Babers is confident that a player like Guice will be present and healthy on Saturday night.
Guice has already accumulated 300 yards on only 57 carries this season. If he is able to play Saturday night, his strength and power will bring loads of trouble for the Syracuse defense.
Sean Riley is an exception to the size rule
The 5’8 receiver broke out during Saturday’s game against Central Michigan with 247 all purpose yards. The sophomore, previously reserved to mainly kick return duties, displayed a playmaking ability that the offense currently lacks. Babers labeled Riley as an exception to his rule of recruiting of “the bigger the better.”
Not quite sure quoting John Thompson was the smartest idea, yet the point still remains true: Riley’s talent and upside overshadows his size. That was obvious on Saturday and hopefully he will continue to receive looks on offense in the next few weeks.