Syracuse head coach Dino Babers on season, upcoming game against Wake Forest
Like Wake Forest, Syracuse started the 2022 season on a tear, winning their first six games against the likes of Louisville, Virginia and NC State. But the team has now dropped four straight — the Orange gave Clemson a scare in Death Valley, but lost two ugly games to Pittsburgh and Notre Dame without injured starting quarterback Garrett Shrader.
With Shrader back under center on Saturday, Syracuse was decimated in a 38-3 loss to Florida State. The offense only mustered 95 yards in the defeat.
“We've got an offensive coordinator that's called good plays,” head coach Dino Babers said in his midweek press conference. “He called six weeks of perfect plays. We understand that we're in a four-game swing the other way. And nobody's more upset about it than everybody that's in this room. But we're also going to stay together.”
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For a team that has averaged 14 points per game during the losing streak, it’s easy to point fingers. When asked whether the result against the Seminoles showed that Shrader came back too quickly, Babers’ response was swift.
“Not at all,” he said. “Not at all. I think the biggest thing on offense is we need to all work together,” Babers continued. “I don't think anybody's happy with the point total. But being divisive is not the answer. The answer is getting back to the grind and putting out the performance that we did in the first part of the season, not the second part.”
Against Wake Forest, Syracuse has the opportunity to ease Shrader into the game with the help of their star player, running back Sean Tucker. Other than Shrader, who is a capable rusher as a true dual-threat quarterback, Tucker assumes all other rushing duties for the Orange.
This season, despite Syracuse’s offensive woes, Tucker has gained 868 yards for seven touchdowns, adding two receiving scores. His ability to drive through the line of scrimmage and get to the second level earned him preseason first-team All-ACC honors — Tucker had the third-most votes (125) of any player in the poll.
“If you got somebody special, it’s hard to treat [them] like they’re average,” Babers said. “Sean Tucker is a strength.”
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For the Orange, the upcoming matchup against Wake Forest is a look in the mirror. Yesterday, head coach Dave Clawson discussed the disappointment of losing three-straight games after a promising start to the season. Babers had a similar mindset.
“We're all disappointed about what happened on Saturday,” Babers said. “That's not a direct reflection on what we've represented this year. We started 6-0, [and] we've gone 0-4. This team that we're about to play, they’re in a 0-3 streak. That stuff happens to teams like us. They have similar issues that we have.”
Like Clawson, Babers is trying to find a way to get his team over the finish line with a strong finish to the season.
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“Now we have to find a way to put our best foot forward,” he said. “Play with our strengths and shield our weaknesses. If we do that, we may have an opportunity to feel a lot better than what we felt last Saturday.”
Wake Forest and Syracuse will kick off at 8 ET Saturday on ACC Network.
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Essex is the lead football writer and a managing editor for Deacons Daily. Essex served as the Sports Editor for the Old Gold & Black for two years, in addition to roles as a beat and feature writer.