Syracuse Football: Now we’ll get to see how good the Orange really is

Syracuse football, ranked No. 25 in the latest Coaches top-25 poll, is 5-0 to start a season for the first time in 35 years, dating back to that truly special 1987 Orange squad.

Given the team’s struggles in recent years, for the ‘Cuse in 2022 to get to 5-0 is really something for which I’m proud. Sure, Wagner was no challenge at all for Syracuse football in Central New York on Saturday in the late afternoon, with this lopsided non-conference contest on homecoming for Syracuse University stretching into the evening.

But amid that 59-0 domination by the Orange against the FCS Seahawks (0-4), the ‘Cuse has still proven perfect through its first five games, and it only needs one more triumph to achieve bowl eligibility.

Of course, Syracuse football was 5-4 a stanza ago, and it only needed one more win to get to a bowl game. Unfortunately, the Orange would drop three in a row to end the 2021 campaign.

The ‘Cuse does have a brutal schedule coming up, so is it possible that the Orange could lose seven straight to wrap up 2022? Anything’s possible, but I don’t see that happening. In fact, I think our boys will attain seven, maybe eight, victories this fall.

Syracuse football has reached 5-0 for the first time in a long time.

The Orange’s crushing of Wagner was kind of absurd. The two squads even agreed to play 10-minute quarters in the second half, given the score was 49-0 at half-time.

Star running back Sean Tucker had around 230 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns, although why he was still playing to start the second half is bewildering to me.

Running back LeQuint Allen Jr., a freshman, had a run of 90 yards, scored a rushing touchdown and tallied more than 100 yards on the ground.

As a collective unit, Syracuse football had nearly 400 rushing yards. Quarterback Garrett Shrader didn’t miss a single throw. Cornerback Duce Chestnut had a pick-six. The Orange defense allowed just 50 total yards to the Seahawks. Syracuse football committed zero turnovers.

Honestly, the only thing that really irritated me is the ‘Cuse, even against a clearly outmatched foe, still managed to rack up eight penalties.

Additionally, defensive back Rob Hanna was ejected from this encounter for targeting; unless the Orange wins an appeal from the NCAA, Hanna would have to miss the first half of the team’s next game, which is unfortunate.

Syracuse football has already seen several players go down with season-ending injuries. The ‘Cuse has to clean up the penalties and avoid guys such as Hanna having to miss action for non-injury-related reasons.

So far in 2022, the Orange has beaten Wagner, Virginia, Purdue and Louisville at home, and also UConn on the road. Over its final seven regular-season affairs, four are away from the JMA Wireless Dome.

After a bye week for Syracuse football, up next is nationally ranked N.C. State on the Hill, then Clemson on the road, Notre Dame at home, Pittsburgh on the road, Florida State at home, Wake Forest on the road, and Boston College on the road.

That’s five teams that were ranked in the major polls this week, along with Notre Dame and Boston College, which squeaked past Louisville on Saturday.

The ‘Cuse looked impressive in week five. The Orange has put forth a wonderful beginning to 2022. Now, though, we’ll get to find out just exactly how good Syracuse football is.