There are things you look forward to every season.
Things that have no substitute.
That just make the day feel different.
The air smell different.
Where your feet seem to guide you without a thought, straight to where they have memorized to go.
Here in my hometown of Syracuse, New York, these days are called "Game Days".
Ushering in the 2023 season, the Syracuse Orange football team and their head coach, Dino Babers, who is in his eighth season with the orange, hosted the Colgate Raiders in the JMA Dome from less than an hour away, in Hamilton, New York.
The game began with self-inflicted wounds in the form of three penalties in the first five minutes by the Orange, the latter two being back-to-back and causing the Orange to go from receiving the ball on fourth down to the Raiders gaining a first down at their own 21.
Junior linebacker Marlowe Wax. Jr., would prevent Colgate from getting anything on this drive, however, when he sacked junior quarterback Michael Brescia for a loss of nine yards, forcing Colgate to punt it away; this serves as the first sack of the season for Syracuse.
The man who fought for his return to the Orange squad would fight for the first score of the season, and the first score for the entire team for that matter, when sophomore running back LeQuint Allen, Jr., reached the end zone on a three-yard run with 7:18 remaining in the first quarter. Sophomore kicker Brady Denaburg would secure his first points of the season on the extra point attempt to give the Orange a 7-0 lead over the Raiders.
Allen's three-yard run came after a 35-yard rush to the Colgate six-yard line. From there, new offensive coordinator Jason Beck went back to Allen for two more carries, each for three yards, the latter getting over the threshold of "glory territory".
The next drive by the Orange would start on the Raiders' 42-yard line thanks to a 39-yard punt return by redshirt-senior wide receiver D'Marcus Adams, who transferred into Syracuse last season after starting his collegiate career with the Owls of Florida Atlantic University (FAU).
Syracuse would score on this drive when senior quarterback Garrett Shrader found junior wide receiver Damien Alford in the right back corner of the end zone, bringing the score to 14-0 with five minutes remaining in the first quarter. This touchdown served as the first passing score for the Orange this season and moved Shrader into sixth place all-time at Syracuse in total touchdowns, with 56, passing heavenly running back Floyd Little.
Sophomore cornerback Jeremiah Wilson would intercept Brescia on the third play of Colgate's next drive, heading 30 yards into the Raider's end zone to advance the Orange out to a 20-0 lead with 3:41 to go in the first quarter. The extra point was never attempted as a result of a botched play.
Just seven seconds later, Syracuse's defense would come up with another turnover and a score off of it, when senior tailback Jaedon Henry fumbled the ball following his 17-yard rush. The ball was recovered by junior safety Alijah Clark at the Colgate 42-yard line and the drive concluded with Denaburg's first field goal, and the team's first overall, of the season, a 25-yard make to elevate Syracuse to a 23-0 lead with 54 seconds to go on the first-quarter clock.
The Orange would score on their first drive of the second quarter after new center J'Onre Reed, who transferred into Syracuse this season from Hutchinson Community College, bailed out Allen with a fumble recovery, followed by Shrader finding redshirt-junior wide receiver Isaiah Jones two plays later for a 44-yard on a wide-open catch and move into the end zone, raising the Orange to a 30-0 advantage with 11:36 before half.
Shrader would toss his third touchdown pass of the contest when he went to junior tight end Oronde Gadsden II who grabbed the ball overtop of his defender in the end zone for a 14-yard score to expand the Orange lead to 37-0 with 7:13 left on the second-quarter clock.
With less than 30 seconds before the break, Shrader threw the ball in between two receivers in the Raiders' end zone and it was intercepted by sophomore cornerback Justin Lawrence, serving as the first turnover of the season by the Orange.
The shutout would hold strong at the half, with Syracuse leading 37-0.
Shrader would lead the Orange back into the end zone in the second half, going 4-for-4 to open the third quarter, with the fourth completion being a four-yard score by redshirt-sophomore wide receiver Umari Hatcher, bringing the score to 44-0 Syracuse at the 11:55 mark of the third quarter.
On the first defensive drive of the second half for Syracuse, redshirt-senior defensive end Caleb Okechukwu sacked Brescia on Colgate's first play of the half, for a loss of five yards. This drive would end with the Raiders' sixth punt of the contest.
With 9:55 to play in the third quarter and the Orange ahead 44-0
Del Rio-Wilson would go 3-for-4 on his first drive, the last being a five-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaiah Jones, Jones' second of the game and Del Rio-Wilson's first of the season, moving the score to 51-0 with 7:48 left in the third quarter.
On the second play of the following Raiders' drive, redshirt-freshman cornerback Greg Delaine intercepted Brescia for his first career interception in college.
The first play of the Orange drive set up by this interception would be Del Rio-Wilson's second score of the game, in as many drives, a 25-yard catch-and-run by redshirt-sophomore wide receiver Kendall Long. This score came just 35 seconds after Del Rio-Wilson's first touchdown pass, giving Syracuse a 58-0 advantage with 7:13 on the third-quarter clock.
Del Rio-Wilson went 4-for-5 on the next Orange drive, the fifth being true freshman wide receiver Darrell Gill, Jr.'s, first collegiate touchdown, giving Syracuse a 65-0 lead with 1:34 left in the third quarter.
With 10:06 remaining, third-string quarterback Braden Davis came in for Syracuse, with this being his first action ever as a member of the Orange. Syracuse would unfortunately lose possession due to a fumble by Davis.
Fourth-string quarterback Luke MacPhail entered the game with 5:31 remaining, but did not attempt a pass. On MacPhail's lone drive, running back JJ Branham, who dons #34, ran the ball three times for a total of five yards.
Syracuse completed the shoutout, 65-0, to start the season 1-0 at home and 1-0 overall, as Colgate begins their 2023 campaign 0-1 on the road, and 0-1 overall.
The Offense:
Shrader finished 18-for-24 for 257 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception
Del Rio-Wilson finished 10-for-13 for 149 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions
Hatcher led all receivers on both teams, with 105 yards, coming on four catches, with one touchdown
Isaiah Jones led all receivers on both teams with two touchdowns
Gadsden II, Donovan Brown, Long, Alford, and Gill, Jr., each recorded a receiving touchdown
LeQuint Allen, Jr., rushed for 107 yards on 16 attempts (6.7 yards per carry), with one touchdown
The Defense:
Wax, Jr., Clark, and redshirt-sophomore linebacker Derek McDonald each had seven tackles
Wax, Jr., attained a solo sack
Okechukwu, McDonald, redshirt-sophomore linebacker Stefon Thompson, and sophomore defensive end Denis Jaquez, Jr., each finished with 0.5 sacks
Special Teams:
Denaburg averaged 67.8 yards per kickoff, consistently sending the ball to the end zone
Denaburg was 8-for-8 on extra-point attempts (the ninth was a botched play)
Denaburg was 1-for-1 on field-goal attempts
Jack Stonehouse, who transferred into Syracuse after one season at Iowa, made his Orange debut with one punt for 49 yards
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