Zack Mahoney led Syracuse to a game-winning touchdown against Central Michigan, but that doesn’t mean he’s locked in as the starting quarterback if freshman Eric Dungey misses the Orange’s next game.

Dungey left SU’s (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) 30-27 win over the Chippewas (1-2) with 9:20 left in the second quarter. He was leveled by a helmet-to-helmet hit that triggered an ejection for CMU defensive lineman Mitch Stanitzek. SU head coach Scott Shafer said Dungey has as an “upper-body” injury and his status for the Orange’s Week 4 game against No. 13 Louisiana State is unknown.

If he is unable to suit up when the Tigers visit the Carrier Dome at noon on Saturday, SU will either roll out the sophomore walk-on Mahoney or sophomore Austin Wilson. In either case, a new starting quarterback would be Syracuse’s third in four weeks after Terrel Hunt suffered a season-ending Achilles injury 7:27 into Week 1.

After the win over the Chippewas, SU offensive coordinator Tim Lester expressed a lot of confidence in Mahoney before saying Dungey’s possible replacement will be decided during the week.

“Probably by Monday night we’ll have a pretty good plan of what the (offensive game) plan is,” Lester said. “Then we’ll see how they go out there on Tuesday to see if one’s playing better than the other.”

Neither Wilson nor Mahoney had the chance to give a telling statistical sample size, good or bad, against the Chippewas. Wilson finished 4-of-7 for 49 yards, a touchdown and an interception, the highlight of his day coming on a 7-yard fade pass that found Jamal Custis in the back-left corner of the end zone. Mahoney went 4-for-4 for 19 yards, his shining moment being a 3rd-and-5 conversion in overtime that led to a 4-yard option pitch to Jordan Fredericks for the win.

What is apparent is that Mahoney is more equipped to run the triple option Lester was regularly calling before Dungey exited. Lester said Mahoney doesn’t really have a hole in his game and that he just needs to keep getting reps to improve. Wilson has been complimented for his strong arm in the past, but Lester said he didn’t put him in “too many tough situations where he had to run with his feet.”

How Syracuse separates the two will in part be dictated by the game plan for LSU. Lester said the coaches will watch and grade the game on Sunday, then spend all Monday — an off day for the players — solidifying the Week 4 scheme.

That will be just in time for Tuesday’s practice, where Mahoney and Wilson will vie to be the next quarterback up should the Orange need one.

“It’ll be interesting to see what we do. We have to put a plan together, see if it fits one better and then see how they do during the week,” Lester said. “So we’ll have to figure that out.”

Long not in the picture

When Hunt went down with a fractured fibula against Louisville last year, Syracuse tried out Wilson and then-freshman AJ Long against No. 1 Florida State.

Long became the starter for the rest of the season — finishing with 935 yards, four touchdowns, eight interceptions and two rushing touchdowns — but Lester said Long is not currently in the mix at quarterback, even if Dungey misses time moving forward.

“He’s doing a good job, he’s getting better. He’s still not throwing the ball great yet, not consistently enough,” Lester said. “… You have to be able to throw the ball down the field. And he’s struggling there right now, he’s frustrated, he’s working on it though.”

Lester said Long’s development was slowed by an injury to his throwing hand, which kept him out of parts of training camp. Lester added that Long is frequently in Lester’s office and is working on “getting back to where he was.”

“He was getting better and then the hand, that was a big setback,” Lester said. “I just can’t, until I know he can make all the throws, I don’t want to put him out there where he’s too limited to go out there and play.”

Published on September 20, 2015 at 11:28 am

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