Starting in the slot, Nykeim Johnson’s route was simple: A skinny post down the seam. He just had to be fast. When the five-foot eight-inch sophomore glanced back for the ball about 45 yards from where he started, no North Carolina State defender was in front of him. The only one close to him, nickel corner Tanner Ingle, swung his arms so hard he fell.

Johnson raced 20 more unscathed yards to complete his 82-yard touchdown in an eventual 51-41 Syracuse victory.

“He’s tough to catch all you got to do is put out there and he’s going to run and grab it,” SU quarterback Eric Dungey said. “He might be even shorter than most but he can still go up and grab a ball I’ve seen it time and time again.”

Johnson finished Saturday with 136 receiving yards while his counterpart Sean Riley tacked on 164 of his own. The 5’8 receivers whom Dino Babers called “giants” posted career days in receptions and yards against a Wolfpack pass defense which ranks 105th nationally in yards per game allowed. The pair combined for more than half of Syracuse’s (6-2, 3-2 Atlantic Coast) catches and 294 of Dungey’s 411 passing yards in the Carrier Dome. In Syracuse’s most productive game of the season, the game in which it earned a bowl berth for the first time since 2013, the Orange went small.

“If they grew another inch or two, I’d be really excited, but I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Baber said. “Those guys have huge hearts, they don’t see themselves as small guys. They see themselves as people who have an advantage because everyone else is so big and they play that way.”

Syracuse’s receiving corps produced as a committee this season. After having 1000 yard receivers in each of the first two seasons, the Orange has lacked consistency at the position in 2018. Entering Saturday, Syracuse had yet to have two 100-yard receivers in a single game and only one receiver, Jamal Custis, had more than one 100-yard performance.

Against the No. 22 Wolfpack, Riley and Johnson’s reliability bucked both those trends.

Sean Riley’s first two catches resulted in first downs. With more than 10 yards to the sticks on both plays, Riley dug across the middle and found holes in the defense. Twice in the second half, with Syracuse in a third-long scenario, Riley was the guy.

On Syracuse’s first drive of the second half, it appeared stalled. As the Orange lined up for a 3rd-and-13 just outside of field goal range Riley started in his usual slot position. He faked left and slanted to his right, crossing the middle of the defense. The ball looked high. Riley jumped. Fully extended, he snatched the ball with two hands, reeled into his body and landed about a yard past the marker.

In the fourth quarter, Riley scurried across the middle once more. Again, the NC State defensive back trailed just half step behind him. The ball, like Riley, somehow snuck by him another time. The Orange escaped 3rd-and-21 on an eventual scoring drive.

“(Riley’s) just quick,” Dungey said.” He can make plays and like I said he just kind of sees the way I see the game, when they’re bringing pressure him and I stay on the same page.”

Johnson lurked open in similar ways to Riley. Earlier in the third quarter he nearly stepped on his defender’s foot as he pushed 10 yards on his route. Five yards later, he cut flat to the inside, bleeding another hole in the NC State defense. The corner behind him didn’t have a chance. The defender in front of him was too late. Johnson slipped by with another reception.

In most games, the short receivers gain yards in open space off bubble screens or jet sweeps which play on their speed. On Saturday Syracuse slung deep to their two shortest players, this time their speed negating their lack of height.

In the second quarter, Eric Dungey flipped an option to Dontae Strickland. The senior running back dropped back to pass, his eyes set on a streaking Riley. The pass hung long enough to allow defenders to catch Riley. Nonetheless, it was a 42-yard gain, Riley’s second longest of the season.

“The coaches did a good job telling us where the open spaces would be in the defense,” Riley said, “and they showed up in the game time.”

Both Riley, a return specialist and Johnson, a common receiver on the bubble screen, have had established roles on the team the entire season. Saturday pushed them forward. They weren’t just quick hitting receivers. They weren’t held to one role. They were reliable.

Published on October 28, 2018 at 1:33 am

Contact Josh: jlschafe@syr.edu | @Schafer_44