Syracuse Football: “Dumb and Baber” maybe there wasn’t a chance?
The Syracuse football team’s two game winning streak was halted in Death Valley by the Clemson Tigers. While clearly Clemson was more talented, Dino left a lot to be desired.
The Syracuse football team played better than the final score indicated. But I think an appropriate way to start this piece is to reference the last time we talked. If you remember, I was quoting Lloyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber.
For those who don’t remember the interaction. Lloyd was talking to a married woman (Mary Swanson) and said ‘’What are the chances of a guy like me and a girl like you ending up together? Reply not good. Not good like one in a hundred? I’d say more like one in a million. So you’re telling me there’s a chance?’’ Well I bought it hook line and sinker.
It all came down to this. Clemson has more talent than Syracuse. Now that might not be too much of a shocker to anyone but despite the terrible announcer’s opinion; the boys from Central New York were going blow for blow with the #2 team in the nation. Holding them to three points on a first and goal at the nine, next possession forcing a three and out and only giving up a touchdown after giving Clemson a short field following an errant Eric Dungey interception. The Orange despite being down 10 was showing signs of life, moving the ball up and down the field and stopping Clemson with their plucky defense. This was a sign of future years of glory for our Syracuse Orange.
Those days are still ahead however and that reality became very clear when in the course of one
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play the game was over. In the first quarter with 3:11 left to play every Orange fan’s heart went into their throat as our latest Heisman candidate (#Dungey4Heisman) underwent a Malachi Crunch (ask your parents or google it) courtesy of Clemson. It was a disturbing view with Eric trying to stand up but only managing to move his head and neck.
Thankfully, a few minutes later he was able to stand and walk off the field under his own power. But for all intent and purposes the game was over at this point. To drive it home on the very next play, Dontae Strickland received a German Suplex from a Clemson defender. The rest of the game drew an eerie parallel to the John Cena Vs Brock Lesnar match during Summer Slam 2014 where Lesnar suplexed Cena sixteen times.
I’m not going to break down this embarrassment any further but I’ll share a few tips that can help us as we move forward.
To the Orange Coaching staff: you need to protect Eric Dungey from himself. His biggest problem is that he has no fear. This is problematic as fear is what keeps us all alive. Eric throws himself around with reckless abandonment he needs to learn to slide, run out of bounds and protect himself or his playing career will end prematurely.
Next: Rapid Reaction: Syracuse gets embarassed in Death Valley, 54-0
To Dino Babers: walk the talk. There are times when we need to be creative. We don’t have the talent base of a Clemson so we need to be the New Fast and look for a play or two a game to steal some yards. Go for it on 4th down. We punted numerous times today when we should have gone for it. Push the limits, the only risk we took was a failed onside kick at the start of the second half that my three year old saw coming. When we went for a 31 yard field goal on forth and six down by 30 midway through the third quarter, I actually threw up. There are no pyrrhic victories in college football and no 54-3 is not better than 54-0.