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Ahead of Syracuse’s matchup with UAlbany, quarterback Tommy DeVito said he’s done “exactly what he needed to do on this field” in order to earn the starting job. Head coach Dino Babers said he wanted to use the game to “make some decisions” regarding who should be SU’s main quarterback moving forward.

The two-quarterback system isn’t ideal — Babers said he doesn’t like splitting the repetitions between two people, as it disrupts the quarterbacks’ flow and ability to get into a rhythm. DeVito said continuously being ready to go in and out of the game is “rough, but doable.” Babers said he doesn’t like having to stick to a predetermined plan and pull one quarterback at a certain point “no matter what,” like he’s done over the last two games. It requires a commitment to give both players an opportunity, but he says it’s necessary. 

“I don’t enjoy doing this at all, I really don’t like doing this,” Babers said on ESPN Radio Syracuse of making the quarterback decision.

Before Saturday’s game, Babers said it was time to make a decision. He once again had a predetermined plan that he informed his quarterbacks about, though Garrett Shrader appeared earlier than anticipated when DeVito went down after a big hit in the first quarter. The two put up similar stat lines: DeVito went 6-of-9 for 147 yards, Shrader went 11-of-15 for 190. Both had a touchdown and an interception, though DeVito’s flew through the hands of his wide receiver. 

Babers’ hope was that one would “win it on the field” thus “removing all doubt.” He said he didn’t want to make the decision himself unless he had to. But Saturday, despite Syracuse’s 62-24 win that featured five Sean Tucker touchdowns, neither quarterback resoundingly prevailed.

“We got two good ones,” Babers said after the game. “We got two that got some skill, and we’ll go back and check the tape and we’ll make some decisions.” 

When asked whether he knew who the starter should be after the game, Babers said the contest was close enough that he wasn’t sure. It’s a decision he said he needs to “take the emotion completely out of.” 

DeVito was the more accurate passer on Saturday, despite a lower completion percentage. The redshirt junior is known for his arm; Shrader even admitted after the game that “Tommy has a lot of arm talent.” Shrader called his counterpart a good game manager who can “do things in the run game,” but Shrader added that he feels he fits a lot of systems well. 

The Mississippi State transfer said he felt a lot more comfortable against UAlbany compared to a week ago against Rutgers, particularly in making the necessary adjustments each time SU switched between quarterbacks. He said he’s gained a strong grasp of the offense already. Shrader scrambled successfully on multiple occasions, eluding defenders and cutting upfield for 42 rushing yards on nine carries, albeit against a lower-tier defensive unit. On one third-quarter play, he made a good read to keep the ball and dart up the middle for a gain of 13.

Shrader’s interception came in the third quarter when he was targeting tight end Maximilian Mang on a route about 20 yards downfield. Shrader practiced the play during the week with tight end Luke Benson, Shrader said. 

“It was a look we knew we would get,” Shrader said of the interception. “I bent Max too much, tried to throw him too far inside, probably should’ve put it on him, but we’ll go back and watch it.”

In a game where Babers said “we needed to take a good look at two cats” — a reference to his two quarterbacks — the Orange ran the ball 42 times compared to just 24 passing attempts. Granted, 14 of those rushes were from Shrader and DeVito, but Syracuse still ran its offense through Tucker. The running back said he liked the workload and the opportunity to get more yards. 

“What Sean did today kind of throws things off, so you can’t actually tell what you did,” Shrader said postgame, adding that he needed to see the film before he could properly assess his performance. 

But aside from a 72-yard touchdown pass from Shrader to Tucker and a 73-yard touchdown pass from DeVito to Damien Alford, the offense didn’t produce much else through the air. Without No. 1 receiver Taj Harris, who was sidelined for unspecified reasons and seen wearing a sleeve or brace of some sorts along his left leg,Babers said Shrader and DeVito were evaluated based on their abilities to spread the ball to younger playmakers. 

Wide receiver Courtney Jackson had three catches for 47 yards, Devaughn Cooper had three for 26 and Anthony Queeley added another two for 25. 

When asked whether there were concerns that Shrader would transfer once again if he didn’t start, Babers said that won’t factor into his quarterback decision. He’ll play the better player, like any other position, Babers said. 

“I want the job,” Shrader told syracuse.com postgame. “I should be out there.”

The game was won when…

All doubt that Syracuse might not have this game in the bag vanished at the end of the first quarter when DeVito responded to a pick-six with a 73-yard pass to Alford on the second play of the drive. DeVito had thrown a dart toward Trebor Pena along the right sideline moments earlier, but the ball flew through the specialist’s hands’ and the Great Danes’ Christian Lewis ran it back for a touchdown. The response — Alford’s second collegiate catch and first touchdown — stretched SU’s lead to double digits. The Orange built on it shortly after via an Andre Szmyt field goal and back-to-back Sean Tucker scores.

Quote of the night: Dino Babers

“It’s going to be uphill from here so this was an opportunity for us to fine-tune some things.”

Stat to know: 60

Szmyt became Syracuse’s all-time leader in made field goals (60) with his second make on Saturday, surpassing Cole Murphy (59). Postgame, Babers reflected on the kicker’s 2018 season.

“I can still remember after about four weeks into the season, the way he was kicking, I was like this guy, we better give him a scholarship. Some coaches were like, ‘Let’s wait till the end of the year, let’s see — he could just be on a streak and he could bottom out,’” Babers said. “I looked at ‘em and I said, ‘I’m not going to be the dumb-dumb coach that has some kicker that turns into an All-American that’s not on scholarship.’ I said ‘We’re putting him on scholarship right now.’ … That’s the year he won the Lou Groza.”

Game ball: Running back Sean Tucker

On a day when Babers wanted to assess Syracuse’s two quarterbacks and determine a starter moving forward, Tucker stole the show. The second-year running back became the first-ever Syracuse player to have 100 yards rushing and receiving in a single game. His 253 all-purpose yards were a career-high and his five touchdowns trailed only Syracuse legend Jim Brown (6) for the most in a single game. Tucker said after halftime his position coach told him he’d have one final series before he made way for backups Cooper Lutz, Jarveon Howard and Abdul Adams. 

Three final points

Taj Harris, Garrett Williams absences: Taj Harris was seen on the sideline during warmups wearing his jersey but no pads, and he didn’t suit up for Saturday’s game. Harris tweeted that minutes before kickoff that he’d be back for next week’s game, but later deleted the tweet. 

“They should be good,” Babers said when asked about the status of Harris and cornerback Garrett Williams. “Taj, we have to see. I think Garrett will be good.”

Williams didn’t play on Saturday either after leaving the Rutgers game early. Babers said that Williams had been at every practice this week, and Babers repeatedly called him a “tough guy.” 

“He’s hurting, but you can play through owies and hurts. If you’re injured, I won’t let you go out there,” Babers said on ESPN Radio Syracuse on Thursday. 

Dakota Davis’ return: The offensive lineman missed time in 2020 due to injury and has been working his way back through the offseason and training camp. Babers said Davis was very close to returning ahead of the Albany game, and sure enough, the lineman saw his first in-game action of 2021 on Saturday. Tucker called Davis “a big part of the line” and said having him back in the lineup will help “a lot of things” on offense. 

Managing injury risk vs. fine-tuning: Babers used the analogy of a pencil to explain the offense: “You can write with a dull point but you write a lot better with a fine point … we needed to fine-tune some things.” His decision to pull Tucker in the third quarter wasn’t predetermined, for instance, but it was important to leave him in until then so the offensive line — and the offense as a whole — could work on timing. 

Babers said they were “really rolling the dice” because those players could’ve gotten hurt. The game wasn’t about the points, and normally, Babers said he would’ve approached a Football Championship Subdivision game like this in a “different way.” The need to evaluate his two quarterbacks and adjust an offensive unit that managed just seven points the week prior changed those plans. 

Next up: Liberty

The Orange will face Liberty, who ranked in the Top 25 last season and sits at 3-0 this year. The Flames have a potential NFL draft pick in quarterback Malik Willis and received 56 votes in the latest AP Poll. The Friday night contest will mark Syracuse’s final nonconference game of the year before the Orange open Atlantic Coast Conference play on Oct. 2 at Florida State.

Published on September 19, 2021 at 6:21 pm

Contact Roshan: rferna04@syr.edu | @Roshan_f16