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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Syracuse football traveled to Purdue for the first time since 2004 hoping to continue its impressive start to the season. Despite entering as one of two offenses in the country averaging over 50 points per game, the Orange were without top receiving threat Oronde Gadsden II, who was ruled out prior to the game for the season with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot. Offensive linemen Kalan Ellis, Joe More and David Wohlabaugh Jr. were absent as well.

The Orange played what head coach Dino Babers called “an angry Purdue.” After a stunning Week 1 loss to Fresno State, the Boilermakers defeated Virginia Tech. While SU struggled to move the ball in the second half and saw its shining offense dimmed by the lack of Gadsden, its defense shined. In a game marred by roughing the passer and pass interference penalties, turnovers and Garrett Shrader’s career-high 195 rushing yards, the Orange (3-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) completed their first wire-to-wire victory against Purdue (1-2, 0-0 Big Ten).

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s 35-20 win over Purdue:

A gaping Gadsden hole

A tweet that Oronde Gadsden II sent out 90 minutes before kickoff overshadowed Syracuse’s first road game and first true test of the season. Syracuse Athletics announced that Gadsden had suffered a Lisfranc injury, a fracture and dislocation of the bones in his foot. Within minutes of the statement, Gadsden rolled out of the visiting locker room on a knee stroller with a boot on his right foot. He watched the receiving group warm up from a trainer’s table on the sideline with his foot elevated.

Gadsden wore his white jersey and orange pants during the game, but rolled around on his scooter on the sidelines, joining offensive huddles when possible. He waved his hands to signal incomplete when Jason Simmons broke up a deep pass on the left hash, but couldn’t extend extend his arms to save long throws from Garrett Shrader. Instead, the Orange got their first taste of what reality after Gadsden looked like. While Shrader still finished with 184 passing yards, SU’s new life was filled with mistakes, dropped passes and stalled drives.

Donovan Brown dropped two passes that would have been first downs in the first half. Isaiah Jones couldn’t bring in a sideline catch. D’Marcus Adams dropped a potential touchdown and forced SU to run out the clock in the first half. A fade pass to Brown in the third quarter fell short, and Cam Allen wrestled the ball away from the sophomore receiver.

Shrader ground game leads Syracuse

Garrett Shrader is a runner. He’s got the arm to complete long passes down the field and, even while recovering from elbow surgery, he’s maintained his accuracy. Entering the game, Shrader was 37-for-54 with 543 yards and five passing touchdowns, all while hardly touching the second half in wins over Colgate and Western Michigan. But he’s also totaled 71 rushing yards and a touchdown, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.

What Syracuse needed from Shrader Saturday night was to be the quarterback it always hoped he’d become: a lightning-quick rushing threat with a strong arm. Without Gadsden, Shrader was throwing to guys he had less rapport with, guys like Hatcher, who dropped a wide open pass that looked to be a touchdown. So, on read options, Shrader kept the ball.

At the end of the first quarter, Shrader totaled 50 rushing yards. By the end of the first half, Shrader surpassed 100 rush yards for the first time since 2021. On Syracuse’s first touchdown drive of the game, Shrader scrambled for eight and five yards before taking off for a 15-yard scamper and a 20-yard quarterback keeper. Then, in a bunch formation at the 3-yard line, Shrader handed off to LeQuint Allen Jr. The entire Boilermakers’ defense sold out for Allen Jr., while the quarterback, who completed the drive with 51 rushing yards, spun outside and waltzed into the end zone untouched.

Two drives later, he did it all himself again. Allen Jr. kicked off the drive with a 13-yard rush. After a dropped pass from Jones, Shrader dropped back to pass and saw tight coverage everywhere, so he did what he did best Saturday night. He took off, sped past most of the defenders before lowering his shoulder, spinning through a linebacker and diving into the end zone for a touchdown.

While trying to put the game away, Shrader took one final snap and took off. He tucked through the right side of the line before darting up the right hash 29 yards for a touchdown to give SU a 35-20 lead.

Turnovers keep Syracuse ahead

Dino Babers consistently praised Purdue quarterback Hudson Card, who entered Saturday night’s loss with 502 passing yards and two touchdowns. “Card is good. He’s good. He will be the best quarterback we’ve faced so far,” Babers said on Monday.

Purdue had only coughed up one fumble that it recovered before Saturday. By the end of the first half, Purdue had given up three fumbles and an interception.

It started from the first drive when Card scrambled up to the goal line on a 4th-and-1 rollout pass that Syracuse blew up. Though he likely didn’t reach the first down marker, Jeremiah Wilson punched the ball out. Syracuse capped off the first quarter by forcing another fumble, this time off a sack of Card that Terry Lockett picked up while the Boilermakers were in the red zone. The Orange went down the field and scored on the ensuing drive, swinging the game 14 points in their direction.

They were fluke turnovers caused by a tenacious defense that matched Purdue’s physical approach. Card’s interception, his first of the season, was a pass breakup by Alijah Clark that fluttered into the hands of Wax. Even on the Boilermakers opening drive of the second half, the Orange forced two fumbles that were recovered by Purdue. Defensive coordinator Rocky Long’s unit looked stout against SU’s first two opponents, allowing just one touchdown through eight quarters.

Kicking issues

Syracuse special teams are no stranger to issues. Consistency since Andre Szmyt’s Lou Groza-award winning freshman season hasn’t come often. The Orange lost five games between 2020 and 2021 by three points. Babers hired veteran special teams coach Bob Ligashesky last season to improve the unit. Brady Denaburg, who had only worked as the kickoff specialist, won the starting job out of training camp.

He immediately went 3-for-3 on field goals and perfect on 14 points after touchdowns, though only being tested from 36 yards out. During warmups, Denaburg practiced kicking as far as a 56-yard field goal. He pushed a 50-yard attempt wide left, then readjusted and nailed the second attempt before moving back to 56 yards. He was short from there, but just lipped the ball over on the ensuing attempt from 55 yards.

On his first attempt during the game to connect on his career-longest field goal, Denaburg pushed a 46-yard attempt left.

Jack Stonehouse, who beat out James Williams and Max Von Marburg — neither of whom traveled to West Lafayette — shanked his first punt of the evening, finishing with just a 34.3 yards per punt average. It didn’t matter, but the missed kick and limited use spelled early-season trouble for a unit that has given the Orange fits in recent years.

Published on September 16, 2023 at 11:31 pm

Contact Anthony: [email protected] | @anthonyalandt