Coming off a 54-0 loss to then-No. 3 Clemson in Death Valley on Saturday, Syracuse head coach Dino Babers addressed the media at his weekly press conference Monday.

The Orange (4-5, 2-3 Atlantic Coast) will next face North Carolina State (4-5, 1-4) in the Carrier Dome at 12:30 p.m.

Here are three things he said.

Babers’ is ‘not sure’ what Eric Dungey’s injury is

Starting quarterback Eric Dungey was knocked out of the loss to Clemson near the end of the first quarter when linebacker Dorian O’Daniel drove his helmet into Dungey’s shoulder. O’Daniel’s helmet slid underneath Dungey’s chin, knocking his helmet halfway off. Dungey put his hands to his head while on the ground. He got up with the help of trainers but looked woozy as he was guided to the locker room with at least one hand on him from a staff member the entire way.

Babers said he’s “not sure what it is right now,” in reference Dungey’s injury and whether or not it is a concussion. “We still haven’t finished the tests.” Babers said he saw the quarterback in the plane ride home, but that Dungey missed the team’s meeting on Sunday because he was undergoing testing.

Last year, the quarterback missed four games and parts of three others because of hits to the head.

Babers said Dungey “really got jerked” on the hit, but it was only a shoulder pad it wasn’t helmet-to-helmet contact.

The Orange also lost running back Moe Neal, safety Daivon Ellison and receiver Brisly Estime during the course of the game.

“I have not gotten notices back on all of them yet,” Babers said in his opening statement. “Some of them are still going through medical things to clear or not clear them. Outside of that I have no idea what’s going with all this stuff so I’ve got to wait and see.”

Babers also noted that injured wide receiver Jamal Custis, who hasn’t played this year, will redshirt.

‘We’re going to see what happens during the week’ regarding Mahoney and Wilson

Babers is taking a wait-and-see approach regarding Dungey’s replacement, if needed. Despite not being on the two-deep depth chart, Austin Wilson replaced Dungey in the Clemson game, and he threw 27 passes for 17 completions, 116 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns. Zack Mahoney, who was listed as the backup and was the only other quarterback to play for SU this year, entered after Wilson in the fourth quarter, going 1-for-4 for 8 yards.

The depth chart released Monday has both Wilson and Mahoney listed as the secondary options to Dungey. Babers said both of the QBs did “OK.” He also said he’s not sure what the split of reps will be like in practice, but that even if he didn’t he wouldn’t reveal it.

“We have an idea of who does what better, but we have to see with the rest of the football team too if Eric can’t play of how we’re going to use those guys in that situation that’s going to be the most conducive for us,” Babers said.

Babers shares middle school voting education story

Election Day is on Tuesday, with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump battling for the United States presidency. A noteworthy topic, among others, is an open seat on the Supreme Court following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February. The next president would appoint the new justice with the Senate voting on the choice.

Babers said he doesn’t talk about politics to the football team and he doesn’t speak about politics as a “public servant” and representative of Syracuse University.

“Now, all that being said,” Babers said, “I’m going to get in trouble.

“I can still remember my middle grade teacher and she was trying to make sure that when we were growing up that we would all vote. All right. ‘Got to get out and vote. Got to get out and vote.’ She would ask — I was a in a certain type of neighborhood. They were like, ‘Does your mom and dad vote?’ Well some of us raise our hands. Well some of them do, some of them don’t.

“And I’ll never forget her saying, she said, ‘It’s really important that you exercise your right to vote.’ And then she went a step forward … ‘If you’re not going to vote, just remember this. If you’re not going to vote every single year for the president, at least vote every single year that there is a seat open on the supreme court because that is the most important year ever to vote.’

“That’s my answer to that.”

Published on November 7, 2016 at 1:18 pm

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