Syracuse QB Pulls Out Wild Decoy Against Pitt

Syracuse Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader pulled off a feat of athleticism in their win over the Pitt Panthers.

PITTSBURGH -- Garrett Shrader played a diminished role in his first game from injury, but that didn't stop him from garnering attention as the Syracuse Orange defeated the Pitt Panthers. 

With 13:47 left in the second quarter, Shrader split out wide across from Marquis Williams on 3rd-and-6 as part of a wildcat formation. Syracuse called a double-pass that fell incomplete, but that wasn't the most noteworthy aspect of the play.  

Shrader, used as a decoy, took a few steps backwards before completing a backflip on the opposite side of the field as the play developed. 

Garrett Shrader with the distraction 😂 pic.twitter.com/3VWuNw1WyV

— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 11, 2023

Shrader's gymnastics quickly gained attention, though he didn't go for an encore during the game. 

Shrader has thrown for 1,508 yards and nine touchdowns as Syracuse's starting quarterback this season, but the Orange found creative ways to get Shrader involved in his first game back from an injury he suffered that held him out of Syracuse's contest against Boston College last week. 

Despite attempting only two passes against Pitt this week, Shrader was targeted twice and hauled in a reception while also receiving 14 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown as part of his typical run-game production. 

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