Syracuse Football: Can Sean Riley be a Factor to this Team?

Syracuse Football got quite a performance out of return specialist/wide receiver Sean Riley against Central Michigan. Inside the Loud House examines his game and impact going forward.

Syracuse Football has a hidden gem. Evidently he just needed the time to show it. The culprit: Wide receiver/return specialist Sean Riley.

Sean Riley is a sophomore at Syracuse and has returned punts and kickoffs over the last two years he’s been in Orange. However, against Central Michigan he shined. He looked like the forgotten man on the bench who suddenly came into the game and became its MVP. Why is that?

Well, the easy answer is he was given the opportunity to do so. With Erv Philips out due to injury, he was given more touches. Head Coach Dino Babers knew full well he has wheels, so he gave him a chance to prove himself. As a result he had the game of his life.

In the first half against CMU he returned punts and kickoffs with ease. I kept telling my Dad who was with me at the game that the other team needed to start kicking it away from him because every time he returned one it went for 30-40 yards. The other team didn’t do so though and kept kicking to him.

Big mistake.

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Sure enough they paid for it, as he returned a kickoff 64 yards in the second quarter, according to ESPN.com. That return got the Orange a chance to score, which they later did on a 18-yard catch and run by Dontae Strickland.

Earlier than that, he had a huge catch on a post route on the left sideline that would have been good for over 20 yards had it not been called back due to holding on the offense line. However, those plays were not his only highlights.

Right before halftime, Riley received a perfectly thrown pass by Dungey along the right sideline that tucked right in the perfect spot ahead of him. That play went for 44 yards and led to a Syracuse touchdown as well.

In addition, after halftime Riley had a jet sweep, also known as a running play, which went for 41 yards near the end of the third quarter that put the Syracuse football team in Central Michigan territory. That play helped lead Syracuse to score a field goal.

I could go on and on about how great Riley was in the game on Saturday. However, all that would be fruitless if we didn’t examine what this means for Syracuse going forward.

As Coach Babers said in his press conference following the game, if Riley is going to “peacock” and show his feathers then he better keep showing them. You can’t just show your fathers then choose to hide them. They were out there for everyone to see so there’s no turning back now.

Post Game Press Conference

So what impact can he have: a huge one! Everyone know Ishmael and Philips are the better pass catchers because they’ve been here longer, but Riley specializes in something else. He has speed they don’t have. he can kick it to an extra gear and SU can use that in multiple ways.

First, the Orange saw how huge he can be in the running game as shown by that jet sweep which went for over 40 yards. Heck when’s the last time starting running back Dontae Strickland did that? I seriously can’t remember. They each have their own talents and areas of expertise though, so keep that in mind.

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Second, we know he’s a deep threat we can use now. Syracuse was really lacking that the last few weeks. Amba Etta-Tawo was that for Syracuse last year and Ishmael was trying to fill that role, but that’s not his talent. He’s good at catching screens and intermediate passes, not the long ball. Riley’s speed separates him from the defender which makes him dangerous.

He’s a small guy, but he’s got speed you’ve got to worry about if you’re a defensive back on the other team. Going forward I think you’ll see more deep passes to Riley as he and Dungey learn to connect more and the offense becomes more comfortable.

Boom.

Lastly, I think you’ll see Riley continue flourish in the return game. He had the game of his life in the return game both on kickoffs and punts last week. We all knew he had it in him because of his speed and elusiveness, but he just needed to pull it altogether. If he can continue to do well in the return game, teams will have to start keeping an eye out on him.

He is a threat to take the ball all the way for a score anytime he touches the ball. Syracuse football does not have many athletes on their team that can state that so hopefully he can continue to live up to that.

Sean Riley can be a factor going forward but he’s got to keep doing what he did against Central Michigan. If he does so, the skies the limit for him. Gosh knows we need him to be if we want any chance at this hard schedule coming up these next couple weeks. Only time will tell.