Syracuse football’s defense has upper hand after first scrimmage

The Syracuse Orange football team brings back a lot of experience across the roster this year, though two big question marks will be the play of wide receivers and the linebacker group.

According to Dino Babers, after one scrimmage, it appears the defense definitely has the upper hand — meaning that perhaps those linebackers and the 4-2-5 switch are looking better than we predicted this early.

Since the 4-2-5 is in part a scheme that can slow down a spread, that would make some sense in these practices, especially when paired with younger receivers on the other side of the ball. Syracuse’s offensive players haven’t seen a ton of the scheme since Babers took over, though they will get exposure to it in the UNC game later this year.

it’s also still early, so wouldn’t necessarily get worried about the offense here. The defense has always been the bigger question mark for this regime, so progress is good and Eric Dungey and the offense have enough experience elsewhere to hopefully account for the greener receivers. More practice ahead, though, so we’ll see what’s reported later on.

The rest of your Syracuse-related links are below:

Dino Babers recaps 1st scrimmage: ‘The defense is definitely up 1-0’ (Syracuse.com)

By the end of the Syracuse football’s team first scrimmage of fall camp, coach Dino Babers catalogued more than 150 plays and came away with a clear consensus. ”The defense,” Babers said, “is definitely up 1-0.” Speaking to Cuse.com following Saturday morning’s closed scrimmage, the third-year Syracuse coach noted the defensive line got into the backfield at times and obstructed the quarterback’s view.

Feldman: ACC football predictions for 2018 (The Athletic)

Eric Dungey is one one of the most underrated QBs in the country. He makes Dino Babers’ Syracuse offense that much more explosive. The Orange have enough athletes to be dangerous, but I don’t think they’re consistent enough to be more than a fringe bowl team right now. But that is progress.

The top 5 Quarterbacks in the ACC: What’s the ceiling for NC State’s Ryan Finley? (ACCSports.com)

2. Eric Dungey, Syracuse: One of the most underrated offensive players in college football, Eric Dungey is a true dual-threat quarterback. A high-usage passer (nearly 42 pass attempts per game), Dungey is an excellent runner, too: nine rushing touchdowns, and an excellent 7.1 Highlight Yards per Opportunity, according to Football Study Hall.

Syracuse football linebackers getting ‘even reps,’ but that should change soon (Syracuse.com)

And through the first two weeks of preseason camp, the renewed competition has been presented by the coaching staff as wide open. ”So far in camp, we’ve been getting equal reps, all the linebackers,” junior Andrew Armstrong said after practice on Friday. “We’re just trying to figure out who our 1s and 2s are going to be. We’ve had older guys working with younger guys, younger guys working with older guys. So, it’s a good mix right now.”

Syracuse basketball assistant Adrian Autry gained experience on European tour (Syracuse.com)

Autry decided to join USA East Coast for this year’s trip to Italy even though it came on the heels of a month spent on the road watching and evaluating recruits all over the country. ”It was a great opportunity for me,’’ Autry said. “It was a good experience. It’s good to see different types of offensive sets and defensive theories. I gained a lot from it.’’

Syracuse women’s basketball gets first-ever foe for season-opener (Syracuse.com)

ACC Football: Predicting the Biggest Upsets in 2018 (Athlon Sports)

A Taste of Fall: SU Men’s Soccer opens exhibition play with victory over Canisius (CNYCentral)

Former Syracuse basketball player Kris Joseph signs with team in Portugal (Syracuse.com)

A comprehensive look at how the redshirt rule impacts college football (247Sports)

Syracuse Football: Zaire Franklin excels in preseason opener with Colts (Inside the Loud House)