Football

Broyld getting better grasp of playbook

For the first two weeks of the season, Ashton Broyld operated almost exclusively out of the slot.

But in Syracuse’s 54-0 pounding of Wagner on Saturday, the sophomore H-back moved all over the field, playing in the slot, lining up out wide and even taking a snap in the Wildcat formation.

Shafer said this is a product of his improved understanding of the Orange’s playbook.

“What we want to be able to do is continue to move him around and play him at different spots,” Shafer said during the teleconference.

Broyld, who’s listed as a running back on SU’s roster, leads Syracuse with 18 catches this year. His seven catches against the Seahawks matched a career high he set a week earlier. His 145 receiving yards rank second on the team.



In 2012, the Orange tried him almost exclusively as a running back. Broyld carried the ball 36 times last year for 171 yards and a touchdown.

Now Syracuse is finding different ways to get one of its most talented players the ball more frequently. On his first pass of the season, Broyld hit Christopher Clark for an 8-yard gain.

“He’s done a nice job,” Shafer said. “We want to create mismatch issues for the defense and try to better get him even more opportunities to make plays.”





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