SYRACUSE HOSTS FCS FOE HOLY CROSS
Syracuse isn’t where it hoped to be when the season started, but there’s nothing like a win to alter the mindset.
“Without a doubt, man, I feel like a change is coming,” senior defensive end Alton Robinson said.
The Orange (2-2), coming off an important home win over Western Michigan, will try to make it two in a row when Championship Subdivision foe Holy Cross (1-2) visits the Carrier Dome on Saturday, the final game of a three-game homestand.
Syracuse leads the all-time series against the Crusaders 23-5 and has won the last 12 games, though the teams have not met since the Orange triumphed 5-3 in 1973 on the road. Syracuse notched a fourth-quarter safety to win it, breaking a tie when Holy Cross punter Tom Rock was tackled in the end zone after the snap sailed over his head.
With plenty of reminders all around — The Citadel upset Georgia Tech 27-24 in overtime two weeks ago — Syracuse isn’t about to take any foe lightly. Even one whose only victory — 13-10 over New Hampshire — was secured with a fumble recovery in the end zone with under 2 minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
“I feel like we’ve got to be ready to go at all times,” said Robinson, who had six tackles, including 3.5 for a loss, two sacks and five quarterback hurries in the 52-33 win
over WMU . “They do a couple of different things offensively that we haven’t seen in a while.”
Orange coach Dino Babers remains wary, the memory of lopsided losses to Maryland and No. 1 Clemson a reminder of what can go wrong.
“I would hope that we didn’t get too down because we had two losses, and I would hope that we’re not too up because we had a win over Western Michigan,” Babers said. “There’s a process going on here. We’ve talked about it from day one.
“We’ve really had a more difficult road to hoe than what people are giving us credit for,” Babers added, noting that Syracuse began the season with road games against Liberty and the Terps. “I just think we need to let it happen, be patient, let it come to us, and as these guys grow up we’re going to get better and better. I think they got better, but they’re not exactly where I want them right now.”