Dino Babers wants to run. It’s how he plans to take the pressure off his defense. It’s how he hopes to open up more chances for his passing game. It’s something he’s done before.
In 2013, Babers second year at Eastern Illinois, the team finished 12 yards short of having two 1,000-yard rushers. Syracuse hasn’t had one in four years. EIU averaged five yards per carry and totaled more than 3,000 yards for the season, increasing its total rushing yardage by 86 percent from 2012.
In 2015, Babers second year at Bowling Green, two backs combined for more than 2,000 yards. Co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Mike Lynch helped guide them there, and he now holds the same position at Syracuse.
“In my past experiences in this offense,” said Matt Mattox, Babers offensive line coach at EIU in 2013, “… wherever it’s been, that second year, there’s always been that next phase of guys taking off.”
Syracuse is now in its second year of the Babers era. If the Orange wants to emulate that same success on the ground — and turn around last year’s worst Atlantic Coast Conference rushing attack (3.2 yards per carry) — it must rely on an offensive line that blends limited experience with youth to keep up with the fast pace. A year after two senior starters went down early, SU has taken new measures to prioritize health.
“It’s hard for (the offensive line) to operate moving guys in and out, and that’s what we had last year with all the injuries,” Babers said. “If we can get five guys and keep them around for a period of time, I feel like we have a better chance of being better.”
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That hope dissipated before preseason camp even began. Redshirt junior Aaron Roberts will miss the entire season with a left knee injury suffered in summer conditioning drills. He started every game last year at left guard and his 968 snaps were the most of any player on the team.
“You can’t mourn on it,” starting right tackle Jamar McGloster said. “You gotta keep moving on.”
Roberts will likely be replaced by redshirt freshman Sam Heckel, one of four recruits of former head coach Scott Shafer to stick with Syracuse after Babers was hired. If healthy, fellow redshirt freshman Airon Servais, Babers first commit, will get the nod at center. Three different players started there last year. Junior Cody Conway started eight times last season and returns at left tackle. Redshirt sophomore Evan Adams will pair with McGloster on the right side at guard, a combo that started the final nine games of 2016.
The group has gelled, Heckel said. They are known as “The Cows,” and McGloster, the leader almost by default because of his age, is called Moo. They love to eat, and the endless appetizers at T.G.I. Friday’s give them a cost-efficient way to do so.
To build depth for potential injuries, each lineman trained at various positions during the offseason. Heckel has taken reps at center on top of his first-team duties at left guard, and he also played tackle in high school. Servais is relatively new to the offensive line after transitioning from linebacker midway through high school, but has experience at center and both right-side spots. During the winter and spring, the redshirts spent a few hours a day in the film room watching practice and games. They drew up formations. Heckel said he has a good grasp on both positions now. The system demands everyone else does, too.
“It’s challenging, but ultimately it’s good for the team,” Heckel said. “The more you can do on the offensive line, the better, the more valuable you are.”
Servais was not a full participant in practice for a good portion of camp. He wore shorts when everyone else had pads and pants. His left ankle was usually heavily taped. After he wore a boot to the team’s FanFest on Aug. 12, Babers said Servais was not injured but just taking a precaution. Because of his limited status, SU Athletics did not make Servais available for interviews during the preseason.
In an attempt to stay healthy himself, McGloster always grabbed a post-practice Gatorade, took off his pads and headed to the tubs. The tubs are mandatory for linemen, McGloster said, and personally he prefers five-minute intervals between hot and cold. After a trip to the trainer’s room, he eats, naps and returns to the tubs.
This rigid routine is new for McGloster. The line, he said, was “dragging” at times last year. Mistakes and laziness went ignored. After a full season in Babers’ system, the offensive linemen understood the adjustments it required.
“It’s very difficult for those guys, when you’re over 300 pounds and you get to tempo the very first time. It’s tough on them,” Babers said. “Think about a 350-pound person running a marathon with TV cameras and everybody watching. It’s a disadvantage.”
Now, “people don’t mind working hard,” said McGloster, whose listed weight is 309 pounds, down 19 pounds from last year. He said the leadership is collective. Player-led practices in the summer helped shore up their grasp on blocking schemes and techniques. The biggest factor in catching up to the speed of Babers’ offense, by team consensus, was simply repetition. Conway called it a “natural reaction.”
It’s an offense that Mattox — who now leads the offensive line and run game at South Florida — saw produce a “physical transformation” in his EIU line entering year two. They lost weight. Hydration keyed stamina. Time built familiarity. In a spread-out, new-school system, they dominated with a smash-mouth, old-school run-game. They went 12-2 and reached the national FCS quarterfinals.
“You can play defense and throw the ball for 600 yards,” Mattox said, “but if you rush for 300 yards, that (defensive coordinator) is going to be mad as all get out.”
Banner Photo by Ally Moreo
Published on August 30, 2017 at 12:42 am
Contact: [email protected] | @jtbloss
