Syracuse Football: Top 3 keys to ending season on a positive note vs Wake

Our Paul A. Esden Sr shares his top 3 keys to ending the season on a positive note for Syracuse football. Here are all the details.

Maybe last year was a mirage … Syracuse football fans stumbling in the desert, beat down, dying of thirst saw palm trees and a nice pool of water.

This writer is as guilty or even more guilty than anyone; drinking the entire pitcher of Kool-Aid predicting an undefeated season and a berth in the College Football playoffs (not my finest moment).

Whatever, we have now snapped back to reality in 2019.

If the prognosticators are correct we will wrap up this season with another 4-8 season and the only bowl we will be in, is full of popcorn as we watch other grid-ironers play in the postseason.

After last season I wrote an article on how I was wrong about my criticism of Dino Babers and how he had indeed delivered the Orange to the promised land. Unfortunately, I woke up and realized that I was drinking sand and not ice-cold water with no palm tree in sight.

I was the first person to use #FireDino two years ago, the article was predicated on the Orange losing to Middle Tennessee. For people who don’t remember MT’s defense was coached by the coach Dino replaced and was able to beat the Orange with sub-par talent (out-coached the OITNF guru).

Since then I have given Dino some slack but let’s reflect on some details:

• 22 wins in four years. And yes that includes a 10 win season.
• This year all of these student-athletes are Dino’s.
• Glaring coaching gaps…in key moments of each game, clock management, refusal to prepare his team for trick plays and vanilla play calling.
• Also falling into coaching gaps:
  • Offensive line play.
    • The Orange giving up more sacks than any team in college football.
      Seven games into the season the Orange had not had one lead change (think about it)
• Despite having several NFL caliber players and dynamic players, the Orange defense has given up over 600 yards in two of the past three games.
• Our fans, players, school, and community deserve better.  It may indeed be time to #FireDino. But I digress…on to Wake Forest.

Here are my 3 keys to the game:

Feed Moe Neal. 

In the month of November, he has over 300 yards on the ground and is averaging 7.1 yards per carry on 43 carries. This serves several purposes including opens up the passing lanes, OITNF short passing game and prevents the pass rushers from treating our Orange QB like fresh meat.

Smart coaching and play calling.

This year there have been several times where we stuck to our game plan when we should have thrown it out the window. We need to check and adjust to the situation.

Go for broke. 

This Senior class deserves to go out on top. 22 players will lace up their cleats for the last time on Saturday. We need to play a no holds barred game as if there is no tomorrow (and by the way, there isn’t).

Onto the prediction.

I have been unable to help myself this year and even when it was clear that we were not the team that everyone expected I have stuck to my guns and predicted an Orange win.

Well, this week will not be any different.

I plan on channeling positive vibes and harken back to eight years ago when in the Dome the Orange had the greatest comeback victory in recent history and beat Wake Forest in overtime. I predict the Orange will win this game 42-39. As always Be Loud, Be Proud, Be ORANGE!