Purdue Football Look Ahead: Week 3 - Syracuse

Syracuse Orange - Week 3 Opponent

Schedule Information

Game Day: Saturday, September 16th, 2023

Location: West Lafayette, Indiana - Ross Ade Stadium

TV: NBC

Kick Time: 7:30 PM

University Facts

Legal Name: Syracuse University

Location: Syracuse, New York

Type of School: Private Research University

Founded: 1870

Enrollment: 22,000

Historical Football Facts

Inaugural Season: 1889

Overall Win/Loss/Tie Record: 734-554-49

Conference Affiliations:

Independent - 1889-1990

Big East - 1991-2012

ACC - 2013-?

Conference Championships: 5 (Big East)

Bowl Record: 16-10-1

Seasons Ranked in Final AP Poll: 15

AP National Championships: 1 (1959)

Most Recent Appearance in Final AP Poll: 2018

Mascot: Otto the Orange

Notable Football Alum

Jim Brown

Ernie Davis

Floyd Little

Dwight Freeney

Donovan McNabb

Don McPherson

Larry Csonka

Marvin Harrison

2022 Season Facts

Head Coach: Dino Babers

Overall Record: 7-6

Conference Record: 4-4

Points Per Game: 27.7 (70th)

Points Against Per Game: 23.1 (41st)

Highest AP Ranking: 14th

Best Win: vs NC State (24-9)

Worst Loss: Vs Florida State (3-38)

Post Season: L Vs Minnesota (20-28)

Dino Babers Head Coaching Information

Head Coaching Experience: 9 Seasons

Career Record: 54-58

Bowl Record: 2-1

Teams:

Bowling Green (2014-2015)

Syracuse (2016-2022)

Awards: None

Best Finish: 2018 (10-3)

2023 Preview

Key Losses From 2022

Offense

Sean Tucker - RB

Tucker was option #1, 2, and 3 for the Orange last season. His 1060 rushing yards were good for 3rd overall in the ACC. That was down from his ACC leading 1496 yards in 2021. He was also third in the ACC in plays from scrimmage with 242 in 2022 and 2nd in 2021 with 266 plays. Needless to say, he takes a wealth of experience with him to the next level (he signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent). The focal point of the Orange attack for the last 2 seasons will be difficult, if not impossible, to replace.

Matthew Bergeron - LT

Bergeron was the best overall talent on offense for Syracuse, and was subsequently drafted in the second round by the Atlanta Falcons. Over the last 4 years, it was rare to see the Orange take the field without him at one of the tackle spots. Over his 4 year career he played in 46 games, splitting his 39 starts between left and right tackle. He was named second team All-ACC last season. Much like Tucker, It’s going to be tough for Dino Babers to replace both the talent and experience of Bergeron.

Defense

Mikel Jones - LB

Jones was the second leading tackler for the Orange despite missing two games. Much like Tucker and Bergeron on offense, Jones was a stalwart for the Orange defense, appearing in 42 games over his career, and starting from his sophomore season to senior season. Over his career he amassed 298 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and 4 interceptions. The 3-time All-ACC linebacker was a semifinalist for the Butkus award in 2022. He went undrafted and is currently with the San Diego Chargers.

Deuce Chestnut - DB

The transfer portal was devastating for the Cuse defense this offseason. I’m trying to keep from going through every player that departed, but could have easily have gone with safety Ja’Had Careter (to Ohio State) or defense end Steve Linton (to Texas Tech). All 3 were considered 4 star transfers. Simply put, it’s tough for a developmental program to replace the best players they develop to the portal.

Chestnut was the voice of the defense last season, for better and worse. The opinionated Chestnut recorded 40 tackles and an interception last season for the stingy Orange defense. He started as a freshman for Dino Babers and didn’t leave the field until he hit the transfer portal. He’ll be a started at LSU next season, and they’re known for their corners.

Key Additions For 2023

Offense

Joe More - OT

Tackle is one spot Syracuse needed to shore up, and More, a grad transfer from Richmond should slide into the starting right tackle spot after playing in 41 games for the Spiders. The 6’5”, 300 pounder started pretty much every game in his career when he was available to play. Richmond put up big numbers on offense last season, averaging 424 yards a game, and More only allowed 4 sacks over the course of 542 pass protection snaps. He might not be a flashy addition, but might be the most important on offense.

Allen LeQuint - RB

I’m playing fast and loose with the definition of “addition” because LeQuint played in 13 games last season as Tucker’s under study. He put up 274 yards on 41 attempts (6.7 YPC) and found the endzone once. He also caught 17 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown. The 3* out of Millville, New Jersey, and member of the 2022 recruiting class acquitted himself well in limited action. He carried the load in the Pinstripe Bowl against Minnesota and put up 94 yards on 15 carries and pulled in 11 receptions for 60 yards. His 26 touches were more than the rest of the season combined. He’ll need to adjust to a similar workload this season.

Defense

Braylen Ingraham - DE

Ingraham was a consensus 4* defensive end in the 2019 class when he decided to go with Alabama over heavy interest from Syracuse. Here’s the deal, I have no idea why kids ranked like Ingraham (4* but outside the top 100) sign with teams like Bama. I get that it’s fun to say you’re committing to Bama, but what you’re really committing to is a spot on the bench. Over 3 seasons Ingraham appeared in 5 total games and hasn’t appeared in a game since 2020. Not sure that’s worth the thrill of putting on a Bama hat, but I wasn’t asked. He’ll get a chance to actually play football this year. He’s up to 6’4”, 300ish pounds and should be a bully on the edge in Syracuse’s 3 man defensive front.

Jayden Bellamy - CB

Originally a member of the 2022 recruiting class, Bellamy, a high 3* recruit out of powerhouse Bergen Catholic in New Jersey signed with Notre Dame. Unlike Ingraham, who dry rotted on the Bama bench for 3 years, Bellamy hit the eject button after his redshirt season in South Bend. Syracuse lost 3 starters from their secondary last season, and Bellamy is talented enough to either win a job straight up, or contribute as the 3rd corner off the bench. Either way, he’s going to be on the field instead of the bench this season, and that’s always a positive in my book.

Overall

This is a revenge game for Purdue after the late game disaster in Syracuse last season that saw the Boilermakers snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. If you want to know why Purdue and Jeff Brohm don’t get much respect for winning their division last season, look no further than dropping a game to a mid rung ACC team.

Luckily for Purdue, that Syracuse team was more talented than this one. The Orange will need to lean heavily on quarterback Garrett Shrader and receiver Oronde Gadsen II unless Allen LeQuint proves he’s the real deal. That said the offense has less to replace than the defense.

The Orange had a salty secondary last season, but after the portal defection of Chesnutt and Carter to the portal and the corner Garrett Williams to the NFL, it’s a total rebuild job this season. Throw in the graduation of MLB Jones and Syracuse has to replace the heart of its defense from last season. As a long time observer of Syracuse football, their talent tends to come in waves. One wave crests and then it takes a while for the next wave to mature and take its place.

Purdue needs to win this game.