Orange Wins 2OT Thriller over Villanova

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse's Riley Dixon found Kendall Moore in the end zone on a fourth-down fake field goal attempt in double overtime, and after a Villanova touchdown,Robert Welsh stopped John Robertson on the potential game-winning two-point conversion attempt to give the Orange a thrilling 27-26 victory over the Wildcats in the opener at the Carrier Dome on Friday night.

Cuse TV: Highlights - Syracuse vs. Villanova | Coach Shafer | Players
Links: Statistics | Postgame Notes | Infographic | Photo Gallery
Quotes: Coach Shafer | SU Players | 'Nova Coach Talley | 'Nova Players

After both teams kicked field goals on their respective possessions in the first overtime, it looked like the Orange would attempt a field goal after Adonis Ameen-Moore was stopped just shy of the goal line on third down in the first possession of the second OT. Dixon, the holder and SU's regular punter, took the snap and rolled left, tossing to the tight end Moore in the left corner of the end zone for the go-ahead score.

Villanova took over needing a touchdown and extra point to force a third OT, and after an incomplete pass and a five-yard run, Robertson found Gary Underwood in the right side of the end zone for the touchdown. Rather than kick the extra point to tie, the Wildcats elected to go for the two-point conversion and the win. Robertson, the Preseason CAA Player of the Year who finished the game with 115 rushing yards on 34 attempts, looked to keep it himself again, but was quickly greeted by Welsh and a swarming Orange defense to end the game.

"We're 1-0, that's all that counts," said head coach Scott Shafer. "Was it pretty? No, it wasn't pretty, but we found a way. I'm proud of the fact that we came away with the victory, I'm extreme'y pleased and happy with the fans that showed up. They said we had 41,000 people. The people that stayed to the end when we needed them the most were there for us like they always have been. I just have to thank the fans and the community because we're going to get it better every week, but there's something good about saying that it wasn't the performance that we wanted but we got a victory. Teams when they grow and mature, they find a way to win ugly. I've lost pretty and that's no good."

The game went to overtime after Villanova's Chris Gough missed wide right on a 25-yard field goal attempt with 12 seconds left in regulation.

Sophomore quarterback Austin Wilson made his debut, going 11-of-17 passing for 89 yards, all in the second half. He entered the game late in the second quarter after starter Terrel Hunt (10-of-17, 94 yards) was ejected for throwing a punch.

"The NCAA is pushing to make sure we clean up football and they said that was going to be an emphasis," Shafer said. "That was a shame, but it gave us an opportunity to put Austin Wilson in the game and see what he could do, and to lean on some other people to find a way to win a game. That's what it's about."

Prince-Tyson Gulley led the way on the ground for the Orange, piling up 100 yards on 11 carries, highlighted by a first-quarter 65-yard touchdown run for the game's first points. It was the third 100-yard game of his career.

Jarrod West and Ashton Broyld were the Orange's top receivers, each hauling in five passes for 59 and 57 yards, respectively.

"He's such a damn good football player," Shafer said of Robertson. "That was a hell of an effort by that kid. I've been around football my whole life and that kid is a gutsy son of a gun."

The double-overtime win is the first for 'Cuse since it beat Wyoming 40-34 in 2006.

"It was pretty crazy," Shafer said. "I've been around a lot of them around the years, but that was pretty crazy. You live in the moment and you're just going one play at a time every 10 or 12 seconds trying to make good decisions. What happens is I'll go home tonight and I'll reflect and say 'holy mackerel,' that was some crazy stuff going on out there"

The Orange will return to action after a week off, with the team heading to Central Michigan for a Sept. 13 contest that will kick off at noon.

Orange Open Season with Villanova

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse football team will open its 2014 campaign on Friday when it welcomes Villanova to the Carrier Dome.

GAME OVERVIEW
• Syracuse opens its 125th college football season at the Carrier Dome Friday, Aug. 29 against FCS opponent Villanova at 7:30 p.m. The game is the earliest home opener in school history and it can be seen live on ESPN3.Dave Popkin (pxp) and Al Groh (analyst) have the call.
• While the Orange and Wildcats have played 71 times on the basketball hardwood, Friday's game is just the fourth meeting between the schools on the gridiron and the first since 1975.
• Orange head coach Scott Shafer enters his second season on the bridge after posting a 7-6 record and guiding Syracuse to a 21-17 victory over Minnesota in the Texas Bowl last year. The Orange returns 14 starters and 46 letterwinners from the 2013 club.
• Villanova was 6-5 in 2013. The Wildcats bring back 33 letterwinners and 15 starters from last year's outfit. Villanova is 12th in the preseason Sports Network rankings and 13th in the FCS Coaches' Poll.
 
ORANGE IN SEASON OPENERS
• Syracuse is 78-42-4 all-time in season openers, including a record of 66-18-4 at home.
• The 2014 season marks the third time the Orange has opened the year against Villanova. SU topped the Wildcats, 28-6, to start the 1954 campaign and 24-17 to begin the 1975 season.
• SU opened the season at home every year from 1900-55. During the 55 straight home openers, the team went 48-5-2, including a 41-0-2 record from 1900-42. No opener was played in 1943. The season was suspended due to World War II.
• In last year's campaign starter, the Orange lost to Penn State, 23-17, at MetLife Stadium in Scott Shafer's head coaching debut.

ORANGE IN HOME OPENERS
• Syracuse is 86-32-4* all-time in home openers and 17-17 in home openers at the Carrier Dome.
• The program's longest unbeaten streak in home openers was 49 games from 1894-1942 (47-0-2).
• The Orange has won three of its last four home openers, defeating Maine (2010), Wake Forest (2011) and Wagner (2013).
 
THE VILLANOVA SERIES
• The Orange holds a 2-1 series lead versus the Wildcats and has won the last two pairings, including a 24-17 victory in the 1975 season opener, the last time the two sides met.
• SU is 2-0 at home against Villanova, winning in 1954 and 1975 at Archbold Stadium.
• The Wildcats claimed the first series meeting, 14-13, at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
 
PROMOTIONS CENTRAL
• Orange Nation Night: The first 10,000 fans get a 2014 Syracuse football schedule magnet.
• Bike Night: Special ticket offer for fans that ride motorcycles (Call 1-888-DOMETIX for details).
• Texas Bowl Celebration: A special video tribute will honor the Orange's Texas Bowl victory over Minnesota.

A WIN AGAINST VILLANOVA WOULD …
• Be SU's 706th all-time victory, the 16th-most among FBS schools.
• Extend the Orange's winning streak against current FCS teams to 31 games (streak pre-dates 1978 NCAA separate on into two divisions).
• Improve the Orange's record to 12-0 all-time against FCS opponents in the Carrier Dome.
• Mark the fourth time in the last five years Syracuse has won its home opener.
• Make the Orange 66-19-4 all-time in season-opening games played in Syracuse.
• Extend SU's winning streak against Villanova to three games and make the Orange 3-0 versus the Wildcats at home.

TOP ARTICLES FROM VILLANOVA WEEK:
Orange Nation: Who has the Edge
Orange Fizz: Fizz Five: Keys to Victory over Villanova
Orange Fizz: Special Teams, An Early Season Highlight?
Orange Nation: Ready to Go
Syracuse.com: Five things to Watch Against Villanova
Syracuse.com: What you Need to know about Villanova

CuseTV: Cam's Cam

"This is Your Team"

The wait is almost over.

With the Syracuse's season opener with Villanova just two days away, head coach Scott Shafer and the rest of the Orange are eagerly awaiting running out of the tunnel for the first time in 2014.

"I think it's a great thing for our kids, a great thing for our community and a great thing for our University to kick things off Friday night in the Dome," Shafer said. "We've had some great memories in those situations in the past. For me, West Virginia and Louisville especially come to mind. We're just looking forward to doing more of the same and kicking off the season against Villanova.

"This is your team. Our kids are excited, as well as our coaches, to get out there and go get after it on the football field after all the work we put in between those two white lines."

The Dome experience is nothing new to a large portion of the Orange, who bring back one of its most experienced rosters in years as more than half of the Orange's two-deep comprised of seniors.

All through training camp that experience has helped foster a close knit environment amongst the team with senior quarterback Terrel Hunt being one of the leaders in that department.

"He's been a good big brother," Shafer said. "Last year was different element, where he was competing to try and get that number one spot. This year he's helping bring along the younger brothers. He's done a nice job, he really has. I think we all know Terrel has a nice sense of who he is and part of his role this year is to be our starting quarterback but to also find out who are younger brothers are on the team and how can we help them help themselves and ultimately help the team. Terrel and so many other guys on the team have done a great job, not a good job with that. I'm very pleased with his presence."

Post Practice Interviews from Aug. 26

Join Coach Shafer at Destiny USA for his Weekly Radio Show

Syracuse head football coach Scott Shafer will host his weekly radio show at Destiny USA this season. Shafer and show host Matt Park will broadcast from the first level of the Canyon Area for the live, hour-long show. Fans are invited to watch the show in person at Destiny USA or participate via telephone (1-888-7-Go Cuse or 424-8599) or via Twitter (@SUSportsNetwork) using #AskShafe.
 
The show will feature coach Shafer discussing strategy, his team and its opponents this season. Fans are encouraged to stop by the canyon area of Destiny USA during the show to listen to the program and to meet Coach Shafer.
 
The show will air at 7 pm on the following dates:
                  Wednesday, Aug. 27
                  Thursday, Sept. 11
                  Thursday, Sept. 18
                  Thursday, Sept. 25
                  Wednesday, Oct. 1
                  Thursday, Oct. 9
                  Thursday, Oct. 16
                  Thursday, Oct. 23
                  Thursday, Oct. 30
                  Thursday, Nov. 6
                  Thursday, Nov. 13
                  Wednesday, Nov. 26

Scott Shafer Previews Villanova

Orange Release Depth Chart

With the season opener just four days away, the Orange has released its two-deep for the Villanova game.

The 'Cuse depth chart features a number of returning student-athletes who've seen significant playing time and plenty of seniors.

"We have a team with some experience," said head coach Scott Shafer. "There will be some guys at key positions that are younger guys who we're counting on, but the bulk of the unit is back. That's really a good thing going into the first game against a good opponent. Having some of that 'been there, done that' mindset is going to go a long way on Friday night."

The Orange offense features nine seniors in starting roles, with seven seniors listed as starters on defense.

Shafer hopes the experience will help the Orange against an experienced opponent in Villanova, that is led by quarterback John Robertson.

"He's a very good football player," Shafer said. "He's a bright kid with great feet. He's quick and throws the ball well but runs the ball really well. They're schemed such that we're going to see all different formations, jet sweeps, quarterback reads and quarterback inside-outside takes, so it'll be real interesting when we get into this thing because they like to push the pace.

"They like to up the tempo, especially against the BCS opponents. We're prepared to go against that, but I'm sure we're going to have some hills and valleys throughout the course of the game."

Three Walk-Ons Granted Scholarships

A trio of Syracuse student-athletes were surprised with scholarships for the year by head coach Scott Shafer this week.

For the second year in a row, senior walk-ons Clay Cleveland and Joe Nassib were awarded scholarships by Shafer and this season they were joined by senior running back Greg Tobias.

"They're three young men who really epitomize what a student-athlete should be at Syracuse," Shafer said. "They're excellent students, unselfish, diligent young men with high GPAs. They go to practice every day knowing that they're going to get pummeled and they keep coming back. They're tough, hard-nosed kids who go to class and do a great job and I'm really pleased that we were able to put them on scholarship."

Cleveland has played in 29 games as a member of the Orange. He caught a pair of touchdown passes against Tulane last season as part of his six receptions on the year.

Nassib, a three-time letterwinner, has seen time in 35 games at 'Cuse primarily on special teams. The Newton Square, Pennsylvania native was a member of the Big East All-Academic Team in 2012.

Tobias, who had two rushes for 16 yards against Wagner last season, has seen action in four games at Syracuse.

"I'll never let money sit around when I can give it to a young man that deserves it," Shafer said.

Cleveland, Nassib, Tobias and the rest of the Orange are now looking ahead to Villanova.

Syracuse is now inside of one week before the season opener and Shafer is looking forward to taking on the Wildcats.

"Andy Talley is one of the best football coaches in the NCAA and his teams are fun to watch," Shafer said. "We're going to have our hands full. Their offense is fast-paced, especially when they play BCS schools. We'll have a great challenge, a great opportunity and I'm looking forward to getting to Friday night."

Top Links from Aug. 23 and 24 on the Orange:
Cuse Nation: Eskridge Ready to Dominate
Daily Orange: Solidified Quarterback Position Puts Orange in Better Situation
Daily Orange: Syracuse Plans to Spread Carries Through Deep RB Unit

Prince-Tyson Gulley and Terrel Hunt Review Camp and Look Ahead

Top Stories from Aug. 21 on the Orange:
Syracuse.com: Adam Landed with the Orange from Humble Beginnings

Shafer Welcomes Back Students

Orange Move into Game Prep

The countdown to Villanova has reached single digits.

The Orange will welcome the Villanova to the Carrier Dome in just nine days and the team has shifted from the daily activities from training camp fully to game preparation.

"As we look forward here, we kind of have a break in camp after tonight's meetings," Shafer said. "We'll come back and start to have practices that are a little shorter because we have time to prepare for Villanova. So rather than have practices that are 110 or 120 minutes, we'll have 90-minute type situations once we start the practice itself and we'll go through all the situational things that we've already started to work on with the kids out on the practice field for Villanova."

'Cuse went through a situational scrimmage on Wednesday inside the Carrier Dome, with head coach Scott Shafer putting the team through a number of game-like situations to prepare them for what they might face against the Wildcats.

"We had a good day of work," Shafer said. "We went out and had a mock up scrimmage with no pads on so it was really a mock scrimmage. But it was good we got through a lot of special teams and a lot of transitional stuff that will come up on Friday against Villanova. All-in-all I thought the kids did well. We ran 74 plays and I think I only saw two foul ups so hopefully I can say the same after the Villanova game."

With the majority of preseason behind the Orange, Shafer feels good about the mentality that his group has developed in their time together this summer.

"I like this team," Shafer said. "I think they're an unselfish team. They work hard to take care of one another. I was actually really impressed with the maturity of the captains vote. For our kids to vote a long snapper as one of the captains says a lot about the way they look at each other. Sam Rodgers just snaps the ball – I say just, but he's a very important player for any game we're in – but his level of maturity and his unselfishness, he serves the community probably more than anyone on the team, not just here in town but he's also done missions in Haiti and headed up our Lift-for-Life event. For me, that's the one thing I started to learn about this team is that I think it's a mature team that has a sense of brotherhood for one another."

Top Links from Aug. 20 on the Orange:

Cuse Nation: Getting Up To Speed

Cuse Confidential: Offense Ready to Move

Syracuse.com: Three Things We Learned from Camp

Syracuse.com: Hodge Showing Maturity as First Time Starter

'Syracuse Football Preview' to Premiere Wednesday

In advance of next week's season opener, Time Warner Cable Sports Channel will premiere the "Orange Football Preview" show on Wednesday Aug. 20 at 11 p.m. across New York.

Viewers will see exclusive interviews with head coach Scott Shafer as well as one-on-one interviews with defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough, offensive coordinator George McDonald and defensive line coach Tim Daoust.

The hour-long program will give fans a comprehensive look at the 'Cuse football team as well as look at the ACC as a whole. The Show will be hosted by Matt Park and Brian Higgins and feature analysis from former Orange running back Robert Drummond.

Fans who miss Wednesday's showing will have plenty of other opportunities to catch up on the Orange ahead of next Friday's season-opener as it will air 12 times before the game.

Show Times:
Aug. 20: 11 p.m.
Aug. 21: 6 p.m.
Aug. 24: 5 p.m.
Aug. 25: 2 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Aug, 26: 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 27: 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 p.m.
Aug. 28: 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Inside the Meeting Room: Linebackers and Defensive Backs

Ever wonder what it's like during training camp meetings? Linebackers coach Clark Lea and defensive backs coach Fred Reed take you inside what it's like inside the walls of the Orange meeting rooms.

More from Day 18 of Training Camp:

Top Stories from Aug. 19 on the Orange:

Cuse Nation: Simmons Finally Healthy

Cuse Nation: Phillips Uses Doubt as Motivation

Syracuse.com: Custis and Ishmael will Play Immediately

Cuse Nation: Custis Becoming a Versatile Weapon

Syracuse.com: Williams Expects to Play Nickel in Okie Package

Daily Orange: The Long View -- A.J. Long on Backup Battle and Big Picture Goals

Parris to Have Surgery

Syracuse  tight end Josh Parris sustained a lower body injury which will require surgery. The surgery, which will be performed by Dr. Todd Battaglia, is scheduled August 20. Parris will be evaluated throughout the rehabilitation process and his status will be determined in the coming weeks.

A junior, Parris played in all 13 games in 2013, including two starts. In Syracuse's dramatic come-from-behind victory against Boston College, Parris had a career-best seven receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score with six seconds left in the game.

Orange Name 2014 Captains

While holding the team's first practice in the Carrier Dome on Monday, the Orange learned what four student-athletes will be walking out across that same turf for the coin toss against Villanova in the season opener.

Head coach Scott Shafer announced running back Prince-Tyson Gulley, offensive tackle Sean Hickey, linebacker Cameron Lynch and long snapper Sam Rodgers as the team's captains for the 2014 season after a vote amongst players and coaches.

"I was really pleased with the way voting played out," Shafer said. "We actually had 20 guys get votes, 14 of them got multiple votes, but four of them kind of dominated the captainship process that we went through. I thought there was a lot of maturity in the way the votes came across."

Gulley is a three-time letterwinner for the Orange who has totaled 2,644 all-purpose yards since arriving on campus. He has amassed 1449 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground and also caught 53 passes at Syracuse, which ranks sixth among running backs in program history, for 375 yards. The senior has 813 career kickoff return yards, averaging 22 yards per return for his career.

He earned Pinstripe Bowl MVP honors in 2012 after posting 213 yards on 26 carries in the team's win over West Virginia.

Hickey is one of the men that have helped pave the way for Gulley and other Orange running backs in his time with the program. A Preseason All-ACC selection and member of the Outland Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award Watch Lists, Hickey enters his senior campaign following a 2013 season that saw the Orange rush for 194.8 yards per game, good for fourth in the ACC.

The 6-foot-6, 308 lb. tackle has been a staple for 'Cuse in the trenches – starting 26 consecutive contests for the Orange. His strength and conditioning regimen and results earned him a spot on Bruce Feldman's 'Best Freak at Every Position' list earlier this summer.

Lynch was also honored for being a 'freak' this preseason, making NFL.com's '14 Most Freakish Athletes in College Football' list. The three-time letterwinner started all-13 games for SU last season and has played in every contest since arriving on campus. He has 146-career tackles and 10 sacks in his time at 'Cuse.

Rodgers has also played in every game over the last three seasons while serving as the team's long snapper.

In addition to his duties on the field, Rodgers has been a leader off the field in his time at Syracuse. The State College, Pa. native was a two-time Capital One Academic All-District Team selection (2012 and 2013) and is the president of the Syracuse Chapter of Uplifting Athletes which holds fundraisers such as the Lift for Life to benefit brain cancer research. He's also a two-time nominee of the AFCA Good Works Team.

The four 'Cuse captains will replace a talented group from last season – Jay Bromley,Macky MacPherson, Jerome Smith and Marquis Spruill – all of whom were in NFL training camps this summer.

Top Links from Aug. 18 on the Orange:

CuseTV: Day 17 Practice Highlights

Syracuse.com: Orange Add Walk On Linebacker Nate Kadah

Shafer Does Ice Bucket Challenge

Top Links from Aug. 16 and 17 on the Orange:

Syracuse.com: Syracuse and the U.S. Army: An Intriguing Tale of Two Teams

Syracuse.com: Estime Returns and Other Observations from Saturday's Practice

Cuse Nation: Indoor Practice Facility Making Progress

Orange Close Fort Drum Week with Paintball

The final day at Fort Drum gave the Orange an opportunity to get away from some of the structure they've had this week and let loose on the paintball field.

Syracuse held its annual paintball tournament to conclude the week's festivities and ended it with a game of the coaches and military personnel against the seniors, with the student-athletes coming out on top.

"We just wanted to light the coaches up the best we could," said senior defensive lineman Robert Welsh. "To be honest, if we got hit we were going to stay in and keep shooting."

Senior linebacker Cameron Lynch took the opportunity to get some payback on the coaches.

"We saw the coaches come behind us and all got a good shot on coach Lea my linebackers coach," Lynch said. "We had fun out there man, it was a great way to go off for our seniors and a great way to end our time at Fort Drum."

One of the highlights of the day amongst the team was the play of defensive line coach Tim Daoust, who ran through a wooden barricade to collapse the hiding spot of a number of seniors, including Welsh, who subsequently eliminated Daoust.

"It felt good, I'm not going to lie," Welsh said. "We were jawing a bit before the game so when he ran over the barricade that I was under I knew it had to be him, so I got up and kept shooting. I think I emptied my paintball gun on coach Daoust so that was great."

For Welsh, the day was a great conclusion of his third trip to Fort Drum.

"We learned a lot that we can bring back to Syracuse and bring back to football," Welsh said. "It's a great learning experience to work as a team and it's great for leadership qualities as well. You learn how to be a leader. Guys who may not have been a leader learn how to become leaders so it's a great experience."

The Orange will now pack up and bring camp back to Syracuse for the final two weeks before the season opener.

Cuse Gives Back

After another morning of learning from the 2^nd Brigade Combat Team, Thursday night was Cuse's chance to give back to the Fort Drum community.

The Orange held their annual kids clinic from the youth football players of Fort Drum before scrimmaging in front of the soldiers and their families.

"This is the second year that I've been up here for and it was a great experience for all of them," said Fort Drum Mighty Mights' coach Charles Crawford. "It's great for them to see the older guys at it because our kids come out of this and say 'I want to go to college' and 'I want to be like them' so they're coming up and being role models so that's a good thing."

The clinic consisted of the young players rotating in groups through drills set up by each position group. The offensive line's group where the pop warner players were able to hit the blocking shields held by the Syracuse student-athletes were the favorite drill of the Mighty Mights.

"The hitting was definitely their favorite," Crawford said. "When they got with the linemen and they were knocking them down and the cheering and the motivational stuff afterwards – that was great for them."

While this was the Orange's opportunity to give back to their hosts for the week, head coach Scott Shafer thinks they once again benefitted from the experience.

"Once again great experience here at Fort Drum," Shafer said. "The kids camp was wonderful. Seeing those little pee-wee kids running around and our kids spending time with them was great."

Syracuse will close its time at Fort Drum tomorrow morning with one final activity with the soldiers – a paintball match.

Top Articles from Aug. 14 on the Orange:

Syracuse.com: Williams Shines and six other observations from the scrimmage

Orange Fizz: Syracuse Can Only Go Up from Here

Cuse Confidential: Orange Enjoying Fort Drum Trip

ESPN: Davis Impacts Syracuse Off the Field as Well

Daily Orange: Broyld Looks Like a Go-To Option and Other Scrimmage Observations
Daily Orange: Shafer Addresses Kids After Clinic

Lieutenant Colonel Brian T. Beckno Addresses Team

Orange Appreciate the Experience

Senior running back Prince-Tyson Gulley is no stranger to the military. His mother Shellaree Bradford serves in the Navy and his brother Toneo plays football at the U.S. Naval Academy.

The family ties have allowed him to fully appreciate his time on post and the Fort Drum experience.

“Since my mom joined, I see it from a fully different perspective,” Gully said. “Coming up here is real big to me because I know what they do because I’ve seen it first hand with my mother. She’s gone all day just 

working and protecting our country – it’s a big deal. So when we come up here I make sure that I show love to them because I know how big of a deal it is and the time you have to put in. That’s why it’s always a big deal to me because I know what they do even if it’s a different branch of service.”

For senior quarterback Terrel Hunt, the experience is different this time around. Having previously made two trips to Fort Drum, this is his first time at the post as the starter. On top of the military interaction, Hunt feels interacting with his own teammates, especially the freshmen is one of the biggest benefits of the trip.

“The army interaction and time here has helped because you don’t know the freshmen that well, but we’re learning,” Hunt said. “I’m able to work with them, I’m able to talk with them and I’m able to get to know them on a personal basis. That helps a lot”

The Orange have its final full day on post tomorrow, where they will get an opportunity to host a clinic for the children at Fort Drum.

Top Articles from Aug. 13 on the Orange:
Nunes Magician: Eskridge Journey Featured
Cuse Nation Blog: Hodge Poised for Breakout Season
Syracuse.com: Fort Drum Relationship will Continue to Strengthen

Orange Learn Leadership Skills at Fort Drum

The Orange's leadership, teamwork and communication skills were put to the test on Wednesday as the student-athletes were tasked with completing a number of courses and challenges under the watch of members of the 2^nd Brigade Combat Team.

The student-athletes were broken up into five different groups in the morning, where members of the team had to lead each other through a maze while blindfolded, work together to transport a 180 lb. casualty dummy over 400-yards, move through a rope web without touching it, a memory challenge and suspending themselves together as a group in a still position for over a minute.

"The most tiring was using a tire, a pole and a wooden plank to move a 180-pound casualty person across a 200-yard field and back," said senior linebacker Josh Kirkland. "We had to make everything work in harmony, so it was hard to do. It was all the little details and communicating at the same time so we needed a lot of team work.

"The biggest thing is when you begin to get fatigued you start to lose your mental game. That was the biggest variable into this. They wanted us to get tired so that you lose your memory or communication, so that's what we were working on."

The challenges were designed to test the student-athletes' abilities to work in conjunction with one another to communicate and complete tasks under pressure, something SGT Dylan McElhinny thinks the team can use going forward.

"It's an absolutely great opportunity to get our organizations together to do a joint training exercise," Sgt. McElhinny said. "Both of us are very team oriented. We both use team work and leadership to get our jobs done and it's just absolutely great for us to get to share our knowledge with them and hang out with the Syracuse football team."

Following the leadership exercises, members of the 2^nd Brigade Combat Team led the Orange on a march back for lunch where they once again dined with members of the 10^th Mountain Division.

The Orange will take the field for practice this afternoon.

Related Links:
Cuse.com: Photo Gallery from Day 3 at Fort Drum