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Coming off a 65-0 rout of Colgate, Syracuse welcomed Western Michigan into the JMA Wireless Dome in week two. The Orange followed up their stellar defensive performance last week against Colgate with another dominant showing.

The Broncos also started strong with a 35-17 win over Saint Francis last weekend, so this was the first Football Bowl Subdivision opponent for either team. The higher level of competition was evident from the very first drive, as the Broncos got out to a 7-0 lead with a 75-yard rushing touchdown on just the second play from scrimmage. But, from that point on, it was all Orange.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s 45-7 win over Western Michigan:

Oronde’s Absence

On Syracuse’s second play from scrimmage, Garrett Shrader completed a slant over the middle to Oronde Gadsden II. After the tackle, he grabbed his ankle in visible pain. After the training staff came out to look at him, Gadsden was helped to the sideline, laboring on his left side. When he exited the tunnel, he had crutches and a boot on his left foot.

Later in that drive, a busted coverage left Damien Alford and Isaiah Jones wide open in the end zone, but Alford dropped the pass. Instead of tying the game up, the Orange trailed 7-3, giving the Broncos the ball back.

If Gadsden was still in the game, it’s not hard to imagine that he’d be the target on that play. Syracuse head coach Dino Babers supplemented his absence with other receivers, along with tight end Dan Villari, for the rest of the game.

Other SU wide outs stepped up in Gadsden’s absence. Jones had 5 catches for 86 yards, Donovan Brown scored on an 81-yard scramble drill, and Alford redeemed himself hauling in a contested catche. In a game that Syracuse commanded after the first few minutes, Gadsden’s absence presented a good opportunity for other receivers to make their case to be the team’s second option.

Elite secondary play

For the second-straight week, the Syracuse secondary excelled. After allowing 54 passing yards against Colgate, the Orange locked down the back end once again, allowing 221 passing yards to a much better offense. In the first half, SU’s defense didn’t allow a single passing play of 20 yards or more. Meanwhile, the SU pass rush got home all game, creating heavy pressure on Salopek.

Defensive coordinator Rocky Long continued to bring pressure from different spots while the defensive backs consistently contested passes. Cornerback Isaiah Johnson flew all over the field to make tackles, leading the starters with four first-half tackles.

Jeremiah Wilson broke up three passes near the boundary. After his pick-six last week, Wilson featured even more ball skills in this matchup, but it was Jason Simmons Jr. who made the big play this time around.

With 17 seconds remaining in the first half, WMU quarterback Jack Salopek dropped back to pass at midfield. His 4th-down pass sailed over Malique Dieudonne, landing right in Simmons’ hands. Weaving through the defense, Simmons made his way to the sideline and took it 84 yards to the house to put the exclamation point on a dominant half for the secondary.

Shrader starts drives, Allen finished them

After Jalen Buckley’s 75-yard touchdown scamper on the second play from scrimmage, some were probably expecting a running back battle in this game. That’s far from what happened, as the Broncos tallied 25 rush yards the rest of the half.

For SU, LeQuint Allen rushed eight times for 21 yards and three touchdowns, all from inside the 2-yard line. He didn’t have a single carry over seven yards and backup Juwuan Taylor out rushed him in the first half on fewer carries. That said, Syracuse didn’t need another 100-yard outing from the starting back.

Shrader was sharp, racking up 286 passing yards, 31 rushing yards and two total scores. In the second quarter, he put perfect touch on a pass to hit Umari Hatcher on a post up the left seam for 48 yards. Shrader was also on the money on two back-shoulder grabs for Alford on the sidelines, only one of which he caught.

Jones was the biggest beneficiary of Shrader’s downfield accuracy. The 6-foot-4 junior had hauled in a team-high five catches for 86 yards in the first half, continuing his dominance from last week’s two-touchdown game. He got stopped at the one twice, and then Allen broke the plane the next play. The big wideout is carving out a role in this SU offense. With Gadsden sidelined, that role would increase.

Penalties bail out SU repeatedly

It wasn’t the cleanest game for the Orange. Despite their massive victory on the scoreboard, a lot of their success was only made possible because penalties kept multiple drives alive. The Broncos had eight penalties, totaling 94 yards in the first half alone.

Early on, Western Michigan tried a fake punt in their own territory, but it was blown dead due to a delay of game. Later in the quarter, Shrader got sacked outside the pocket on 3rd down, but a facemask penalty kept the ball with the Orange. The next third down was also picked up via a Western Michigan penalty, this time because of pass interference and roughing the passer calls on 3rd-and-12. That led to a Shrader rushing touchdown to kickstart the second quarter, giving the Orange a 24-7 lead.

At the end of the first half, another pass interference call put Syracuse on the 2, and Allen punched it in from there. Umari Hatcher drew two such calls on the drive, including one where he leapt for the ball at the pilon.

Published on September 9, 2023 at 7:26 pm

Contact Wyatt: wbmiller@syr.edu