The AmeriCU Spring Football game is in the books with the Orange team in a 9-7 winner over the Blue team from a Tripp Woody game-winning fifty yard field goal. The main event of a triple header day did not meet the excitement of the first two events, but did answer plenty of questions for the upcoming Syracuse Football season. Here’s my takeaways from the game:
The defensive line is a breath of fresh air
The Orange only registered twenty sacks all of last season which was bottom three in the ACC. New Defensive Coordinator Vince Kehres’ Scheme was in full effect tonight. The defensive lines for both teams controlled the game and was the highlight of the night.
It didn’t matter if it was a four or a five man rush, the defensive lines made a second home in the backfield tonight. The running game was not existent for seventy five percent of the game. Every time the quarterbacks dropped back to throw it wasn’t long until three linemen were breathing down their neck.
Amari Odom is the clear backup to Steve Angeli
After Steve Angeli went down with the achilles injury in week four it was a trio of quarterbacks for Cuse. The unproven Rickie Collins and freshmen Luke Carney and Joe Filardi did not move the needle enough to get SU a win in its last eight games. Coach Brown went out into the portal and grabbed three transfer quarterbacks in Amari Odom, Malachi Nelson, and Danny Lauter.
All three are experienced, and if Angeli isn’t ready by the start of the season you need someone who could run the offense and still win games. Odom by far tonight was the best quarterback on the field. He was calm, cool and collected facing a defensive line that was living in the back field. Didn’t panic in the pocket, and was the only thrower that pushed the ball down field out of the five quarterbacks who took snaps.
Still no clear cut Wide Receiver 1
With the news that Calvin Russell tore his achilles and is projected to be back by late October, early November. its next man up. Redshirt Freshman Terrell Wilfong definitely stood out making two of the biggest plays by a wide out, connecting with Amari Odom on a deep ball that put the Orange team in the redzone.
Florida State transfer Elijah Moore took a slant for sixty five yards. Transfer Cole Weaver made big blocks in the run game. Finally Umari Hatcher had multiple catches for ten or more yards.
Just to note the play calling felt very restricted considering we know what Jeff Nixon’s high powered offense can look like
The offensive line has major question marks.
If there was one position group that left you scratching your head tonight it was the offensive line. The offensive line was beaten on ninety five percent of the plays of the game. This goes for both the Blue team and Orange team.
Yes the defensive line was absolutely amazing tonight and definitely won the night, but the offensive line group still left us answering the same questions as last year’s line did. The running game did not exist tonight until the Blue team got a few rushes later in the game- the longest run came during the two minute drill that opened tonight’s festivities with a nineteen-yard gain.
Pass protection didn’t look any better, the quarterbacks were constantly having defensive linemen in their face having to make throws under pressure. New offensive line coach Juan Castillo is going to need to go to the drawing board to make some changes before training camp in the fall.
With Spring practice in the books, Syracuse will turn its attention to training camp in the fall. We will have more of an in-depth analysis from the spring game down the road.