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Head coach Dino Babers likes a lot of things that are going on midway through the 2023 season, namely being 4-2. But he doesn’t like that Syracuse is 0-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Coming off of a lopsided 40-7 loss to then-No. 14 North Carolina, the Orange take on No. 4 Florida State next. The Seminoles haven’t lost at home to an unranked team since Nov. 6, 2021.

In his weekly press conference, Babers touched on FSU’s utilization of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness. Babers discussed concerns on SU’s depth and gave thoughts on Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis, who currently has the fifth-best odds to win the Heisman.

The Orange have now lost two straight ACC games and were outscored by a combined 50 points against Clemson and the Tar Heels. Syracuse has yet to win a game at Doak Campbell Stadium and haven’t beaten Florida State since 2018.

“We’ve beaten a team in the top five before, but it’s very, very difficult to do, and it’s extremely difficult to do when you’re at their place,” Babers said.

Here are some takeaways from Babers’ presser ahead of Syracuse’s (4-2, 0-2 ACC) matchup with No. 4 Florida State (4-0, 3-0):

Depth questions

Syracuse has battled key injuries throughout the first six games of the season. Tight end Oronde Gadsden II and defensive lineman Denis Jaquez Jr. have been ruled out for the season. Babers said that the injuries, along with the Orange’s lack of depth, has hindered them, especially in the last two games.

An offensive line, that Babers said struggled to move North Carolina’s front line, already lost right tackle David Wohlabaugh Jr. for the season. Joe More has seen limited playing time and Kalan Ellis was removed from the depth chart ahead of Florida State.

Babers noted that a school like Syracuse isn’t going to have a lot of depth and is thinning out given the increasing popularity of the transfer portal. The Orange lost key contributors like receivers Courtney Jackson and Anthony Queeley in the offseason and secondary pieces Duce Chestnut and Ja’Had Carter to Power 5 programs. “The depth is gone,” Babers said.

Though injuries haven’t ruled out players like Isaiah Jones and Trebor Pena, they’ve seen the field sparingly. Babers said despite the players being medically cleared to play in some cases, they haven’t gone through a week of practice 100% and won’t be come gametime. Babers said that the offensive line “only has so many bodies there,” and that the unit needs to find different ways to move defenders.

“Schools like us, we’re not going to have a lot of depth because it gets bought away,” Babers said.

Looking toward Florida State

A week after saying UNC quarterback Drake Maye was the best quarterback Syracuse would face this season, Babers flipped his answer to Travis. The FSU signal caller has a 12-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and has thrown for 1,198 yards. Babers called Travis “the complete, complete deal” who possesses many of the same attributes the Orange saw from Maye.

“I’m not going to enjoy watching him play, but when you get done, he’s one of those guys that you do turn on the TV to watch because he plays at an extremely high level,” Babers said. In last season’s 38-3 loss to the Seminoles, Travis finished 21-of-23 for 155 yards and three touchdowns.

Though Babers didn’t comment on if he felt Syracuse was on par or had improved on NIL, he acknowledged its capability of transforming a program. FSU currently has eight upperclassmen starters on defense, five of which were transfers, including former UAlbany defensive end Jared Verse. Led by Verse, Babers said the Seminoles’ front line is equipped with a fast linebacker and sound in their one-and three-techniques.

“There’s a lot of NFL guys, a lot of guys that passed up the NFL so they could come back and win a national championship,” Babers said.

Changing offensive identity

After the Orange’s loss to the Tar Heels Saturday, quarterback Garrett Shrader said they needed to go back to the drawing board and figure out what their identity on offense is. Because Shrader is a captain, Babers said he spoke for the team and agreed with his sentiment. Since starting as one of the most prolific offenses in the Football Bowl Subdivision, Syracuse has started slow in its last four games, totaling just 21 points across the last two weeks. The losses of Gadsden and Jones, has condensed a receiving core that entered the season already inexperienced.

Damien Alford had a breakout game against Army after hauling in nine receptions for 135 yards but has garnered just one catch for 35 yards over the last two games. Babers said he’s been pressing too much and needs to relax.

Umari Hatcher, who is experiencing his largest uptick in playing time after working as a depth piece for his first two seasons, led the team in receiving yards in Chapel Hill. Babers said Hatcher had “a lot of truth thrown at him” last week throughout practice, but that he handled it well and played his best game of the year.

“Now what we’re looking for is can he be consistent. We need someone to be that,” Babers said. “You’re looking for some guy that’s going to make plays when you get the ball to him.”

A strong run game, which was supposed to be the game plan heading into North Carolina, was hindered by the offensive line being unable to move players. The mistakes that Syracuse covered through its 4-0 start have persisted through its first two conference matchups and have led to the offense not working as a unit. Penalties and the inability for receivers to get open quickly enough for Shrader have led to consistent stalled out drives for the Orange.

“We just have to play a much cleaner slate on the offensive side of the ball,” Babers said. “There’s enough mistakes for everybody to claim.”

Published on October 9, 2023 at 3:56 pm

Contact Anthony: aalandt@syr.edu | @anthonyalandt