Syracuse football head coach Dino Babers casually brushed off the trick play vs NC State and it ended up costing him vs Pitt. Here are the details.
For the first time in 2019, Syracuse football was duped by a trick play vs NC State.
On 1st and 10 from the Syracuse 28-yard line with 1:23 left in the first half, the left-handed Bailey Hockman threw a pass behind the line of scrimmage to wide receiver Thayer Thomas who then threw a double-pass to a wide-open Trent Pennix who walked in untouched into the endzone.
That would put the Wolfpack up 13-0, NC State ended up winning the game 16-10.
After the game, Syracuse football head coach Dino Babers was asked about the trick play and seemingly shrugged it off:
"“They got the touchdown on the trick play it was a good call by them obviously. If we would’ve been in zone, it wouldn’t have been a big play, we were in man so they caught us. It happens, it’s not a big deal, people play man and zone they don’t know when it’s going to happen. So they got… it was a good call by them.”"
It sure sounded like at the end of that bite Dino wanted to say they got lucky, but he stopped himself.
You know when someone is talking and they’re about to say something and you can jump in and finish their sentence, this seemed like one of those moments.
Babers just brushed off the trick play, but it ended up being the difference in a close game.
Well fast forward a week and the Orange were once again duped by another trick play vs the Pittsburgh Panthers.
In a very similar situation, the Panthers from the Syracuse 43-yard line with 1:32 left in the first quarter dialed up some trickery.
Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett threw a pitch to AJ Davis who then throws a backward pass back to Pickett who then throws it deep to a wide-open Aaron Mathews for the touchdown.
Initially, the referees seemingly saved the Orange by calling it an illegal forward pass with a penalty, then the officials wanted to take a closer look at it. That’s where the ruling was overturned awarding the touchdown to the Panthers. Pitt took a 10-3 lead and ended up winning the game 27-20. Once again the trick play ended up being the difference in the game.
Dino Babers was not asked about the trick play this time around after the game because of all the Tommy DeVito quarterback drama that ensued later in the game.
Hopefully, Babers and the coaching staff spend some time this week properly preparing for the possibility of a trick play on the road vs Florida State next week. If not, it could cost them for a third straight week.