The biggest game of the year and I play catch-up. Above, OGII’s winning TD reception from last year.

Right, I think this is the biggest game of the year. And I will get to why I say that.

But first of all, I’ve not written one of these blogs since before the Colgate game, so allow me to play a bit of catch-up.

Colgate Recap — Fun in 118

First of all, it was great to be back Upstate for the game. I caught up with a bunch of family members and got to see my cousin play, albeit on the other side of the line. I thought that the crowd was nice given the opponent, we did a nice family tailgate and took them around campus. Then we headed into the Dome, we sat in Section 118 behind the ‘Gate bench [sparsely populated visitor’s sideline] and I thought that Syracuse did exactly what they should have done in that game. It was great to see so many of the young guys balling out as well.

My take that Jeremiah Wilson would be in the running for DPOY for Syracuse got off to a very hot start, he had a pick-six in the game breaking in on a slant after the Mob got after Colgate’s QB with great pressure. As a refresher, here were my game predictions for Colgate:

Colgate Recap — cont’d

My final score prediction was WAY off, Syracuse shut Colgate out 65-0, and I think that the longest play of the game was a 48 yard shot from Shrader to Umari Hatcher up the seam, but other than that, not bad for the first game predictions. Overall, a solid start to the year for the Orange.

Now onto Western Michigan...

Western Michigan Recap

I was sweating bullets at the start of this game, as Western Michigan, who came into the game as ~25 point dogs, scored on their second play from scrimmage. Just a big chunk run play up the right side between the tackles that turned into a 75 yard touchdown. After that, the Orange let up just 20 more yards on the ground and zero points. The Mob came to play this past Saturday. Additionally, the offense was incredibly efficient again, and LeQuint had a hat-trick of touchdowns on the ground. Garrett ran for a touchdown and threw for one, a great toss on the run to Donovan Brown who hit the burners and ran in from 80+ out. Big Zay Jones had an incredible leaping catch, as did Damien Alford on the sideline. Jason Simmons had a great pick in center-field and returned it for a touchdown to punctuate a resounding Orange win in Upstate New York.

Injuries…

However, perhaps the biggest storylines of the game came with the injuries that Orange starters suffered, with Oronde Gadsden, Syracuse’s All-American tight end/wideout hybrid leaving the game with an ankle/lower body injury, and Dave Wolabaugh, the first right tackle [who had been playing brilliantly] going out with a knee injury.

First off, I feel really badly for David. He and the line had been playing well, and this is David’s redshirt senior year. Wishing him a speedy recovery. The cavalry for the offensive line, allegedly, is arriving this week, with Joe More and Kalan Ellis slated to return to practice and [hopefully] the lineup for Purdue. David was grimacing heavily leaving the field, and I know I speak for all of Orange Nation when I say that our hearts go out to him. What a warrior. As for Oronde, Dino said in his presser this morning that he was week to week, and that he did not have an update for us. If I were a betting man, I would say we won’t have an update on his status until warmups start in West Lafayette at around 5:30 Saturday night, but we can only hope for the best. Oronde is a keystone of the offense, and of course we wish him the best, and want to see him back this season to continue to be one of the major sparks for this Orange team.

Now, onto Purdue...

Purdue Preview

I think that this is one of if not the most important game of the season. Most Orange fans already know this, I think, but this is the swing game of all swing games. Personally, I know that it will be very difficult to win on the road, in a loud and rowdy B1G environment. Syracuse has gone into tough environments before and performed admirably, so I have hope that this trend will continue on Saturday.

I’m not reading into much before the game apart from any OG injury updates. I know the line opened up with Purdue as a slight favorite if not a pick-em, and has since swung back towards the Orange entering as favorites. I will also be interested to see any developments with the offensive line reinforcements. The team issued a depth chart today, but I think it’s all smoke and mirrors, because it still has David listed at the starting right tackle spot. See here:

Purdue Preview — cont’d

The MVPs of this game, in my opinion, will have to be Rocky Long and Shredder. Rocky Long will have to earn his paycheck on Saturday, because if the defense comes to play, takes away the middle of the field and shuts down Purdue’s potent running attack, led by mobile Texas-transfer QB Hudson Card and powerful tailback Devin Mockabee, I think we have a chance. The offensive line will have to step up in a big way to protect Garrett, and open up some lanes for LeQuint and Juwan Price. Purdue’s defensive line can flat out play [see their games against Fresno State and Virginia Tech]. I think scheme-wise we will see a lot of swing passes to the flat, with Garrett getting the ball out quickly, and Garrett will probably want to do a lot with his legs.

Syracuse @ Purdue — Final Thoughts & Predictions

Bottom line is this: this is a show-me game for the Syracuse Orange, and the first major test of this year’s team’s mettle. It will set the tone for the rest of the season. As a coworker of mine put it, right now we’re bombing down a ski hill, and this game will indicate to Syracuse fans whether we’re wiping out at the bottom, or gliding along with confidence. A win on Saturday, and I think it provides an adequate litmus test for Orange fans that they are looking at something very special, especially given the magnitude of the game set before us. Coming back to the Upstate 3-0 would be so massive for this team, and furthermore, with the game being nationally televised on NBC, let the program shine in the national spotlight. The ultimate downside could be a 2019 Week 2 @ Maryland scenario. I hope that this doesn’t manifest itself, and I hope that Dino has his troops ready for what is to come in this game. Playing with momentum is everything, so let’s hope that the Orange keep their momentum rolling. Okay, prediction time!