The 2019 Syracuse football season is almost upon, before we get there, here are the 30 things you need to know before the Orange get things started.
Can you believe it’s already that time? It seems like just a week ago Syracuse football was just celebrating it’s first 10 win season in over a decade after taking down West Virginia at the Camping World Bowl.
Now, not only is that long gone, but a new era of Syracuse football has begun. The class of 2023 has reported to practice and head coach Dino Babers is looking to get the Orange back on top of the college football realm.
For a quick recap, the 2018 season went much better than, well, anyone could have expected. Syracuse came into the season picked to finish last in the ACC Atlantic Division. However, after a 4-0 start, which included a blowout upset win over Florida State, it was apparent that this wasn’t the ‘Cuse team everyone thought it was going to be.
One week later, that almost got confirmed times 10, as the Orange came within inches of taking down powerhouse Clemson for the second year in a row, ultimately falling 27-23 at ‘Death Valley’. Eric Dungey and co. then blew a winnable game against Pitt, but came back strong, winning another four straight, which included a big win over ranked North Carolina State, and payback against a Louisville Cardinals team that handed to the Orange in previous years.
Then came the biggest game of the year – a matchup with Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium – in which everything, yes, literally everything, seemed to go wrong for Syracuse.
After Eric Dungey left the game with an injury early on in the first quarter, Tommy DeVito couldn’t find a consistent groove, and the Irish prevailed, 36-3. ‘Cuse came back strong, however, finishing the regular season with a 42-21 victory over the Boston College Eagles, and taking down a Will Grier-less West Virginia squad, 34-18, en route to the Orange’s first 10 win season since the early 2000s.
Not enough hype for ya? Good. Cuz we got, even more, coming for you. Here are the top 30 things you absolutely need to know ahead of the 2019 Syracuse football season.