Syracuse QB Dungey suffers injury, forced from game
Eric Dungey waited four years for a team like this. Four years for a season like this. Four years to play in a game like this.
And nine minutes into Saturday’s showdown against thirdranked Notre Dame, the Syracuse senior quarterback went down in what looked like excruciating pain, forced from the game and taking the No. 12 Orange’s hopes with him in a dismal 36-3 defeat at Yankee Stadium.
“It always stinks when you see a brother, when you see a teammate, go down like that,” offensive tackle Koda Martin said.
This was the furthest the injuryprone Dungey had made it into a season. He was in the midst of a memorable campaign, having set a career-high in rushing yards (690) and rushing touchdowns (12).
But after a four-yard run on Syracuse’s third drive of the game, as he was walking up to the line of scrimmage for the next play, Dungey fell to the turf, holding his lower right back. After the game, he was carted to the team bus.
Syracuse (8-3), bowl eligible for the first time since 2013, described the injury as an “upper- body” ailment, though it certainly looked like Dungey’s back was the source of his pain. Coach Dino Babers didn’t have an update after the game, and Dungey wasn’t available for comment.
“It hurts, he’s a big part of this team, a very important player to this program,” defensive end Kendall Coleman said. “It’s definitely tough. It kind of hits you like, ‘Woah.’ ”