ORLANDO, Fla. – With 25 seconds left and a 16-point advantage, Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey rose from his knee and handed the football to a referee. He turned to his right, arms wide, and embraced senior teammate Dontae Strickland. While the rest of their teammates ran to the center of the field, dancing, the two stood feet from the final snap of the game.  

For three years, the two watched as their team rested in purgatory as one of the bottom-feeders of the Power 5. That knee meant more than simply a bowl-game victory. It was the culmination of a four-year struggle that finally saw the Orange return to days of old, and they stood at its epicenter, as catalysts, expediting the process of returning to national relevancy.  

“There were some wins that we had in the past where it kind of didn’t feel real,” SU defensive lineman Kendall Coleman said. “Dungey took that last knee, and it felt like it was really happening. It felt like we had worked our butts off to get to that point, and it finally happened. It was amazing. I wouldn’t trade that feeling for anything else.” 

As Dungey and Strickland stood, amongst a crowd of hundreds filing onto the field, the clock ticked down to 0:00, capping No. 20 Syracuse’s (10-3, 6-2 Atlantic Coast) 34-18 bludgeoning of No. 16 West Virginia (8-4, 6-3 Big 12). Friday’s win vaulted the Orange to 10 wins for the first time since 2001 and just the seventh time in program history in a season. Syracuse, coming off a four-year bowl drought, which was tied for the second-longest among all Power 5 programs, was picked to finish last in the ACC before putting forth the best season it has produced in nearly two decades. 

With sights set on simply reaching a bowl game, SU did far more, etching the 2018 season amongst the best in Orange history. In a year when Syracuse desperately needed to succeed amid a lengthy spell of mediocrity, the Orange turned its doubters into believers despite its recent past, stemming from a promise made nearly three years ago. 

Max Freund | Staff Photographer

On Jan. 9, 2016, SU head coach Dino Babers took center court during Syracuse basketball’s contest with North Carolina to introduce himself to the SU community. All week heading up to that night, Babers struggled to figure out what he was going to say to the crowd of over 26,000 people. He talked with friends and family before, but didn’t believe them when they all told him he would “do fine.” 

“You don’t understand,” Babers repeatedly said, “I don’t know what to say.” 

When he took the microphone to begin his introduction, he started by saying, “We’re not gonna make promises,” but less than one minute later, he raised his voice as the Carrier Dome rose to its feet. 

“We will win,” Babers yelled into the microphone, before exiting the court. 

Following Syracuse’s 51-41 win against then-No. 22 North Carolina State in October to clinch a bowl berth for the first time since 2013, Babers reminisced about that introduction during the basketball game. About how he promised to not make promises, only to make the biggest one of them all. 

“Once it’s out there, you can’t take it back,” Babers said. 

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More Coverage 

• No. 20 Syracuse’s defense stymies No. 16 West Virginia in Camping World Bowl win
• Fast reaction: Three takeaways from Syracuse’s 34-18 win over West Virginia
• Eric Dungey delivers fitting end to historic career in Camping World Bowl
• Superlatives from Syracuse’s 34-18 Camping World Bowl win over West Virginia

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Heading into Friday’s matchup with West Virginia, the Orange were favorites. Three West Virginia offensive players sat out of the Camping World Bowl in order to prepare for the draft, including quarterback Will Grier, a preseason Heisman candidate. For Syracuse, no one sat out to prepare for the draft. But West Virginia had a successful foundation. Syracuse hadn’t played past November in five years. A win in Orlando meant another opportunity to prove that SU had escaped its expectations in the bottom of the ACC.

Yet, in the first half, West Virginia looked like the hungrier team. Without three of its star offensive players, the Mountaineers trailed just 14-12 heading into the break. A team that relied on passing to win all year long broke free for 124 yards and a touchdown on the ground. WVU experimented with the wildcat, ran jet sweeps and simply fooled SU defenders schematically.   

Dungey, who rattled off six total touchdowns in his last game against Boston College, threw two first half interceptions. He tried to create offense when there was no hope, resulting in deep sacks. And the offensive line, one of the most experienced groups in the nation, allowed WVU’s defensive line to penetrate the backfield with ease with five first half sacks allowed. 

“I thought we were trying too hard,” Babers said. “We needed to try less harder and let the game come to us. Really take the icing off and just serve cake and our guys would figure out a way to get it done.”

Max Freund | Staff Photographer

After a rough third quarter, SU dominated in the fourth, outscoring West Virginia 17-0. Dungey attacked more with his legs, moving outside the pocket, and forcing the defense to chase, opening up the rest of the field for his receivers. The offensive line held steady, protecting its quarterback and giving the rest of the team time to create separation. And the defense, which made stops but struggled to create plays in the first three quarters, clicked.  

Syracuse sparked its run on the first play of the final quarter, as Dungey rifled a sizzling touchdown pass to Trishton Jackson to take a 24-18 advantage. Four plays later, Allen Stritzinger picked off his first pass of the season in West Virginia territory, leading to another three points for the Orange. After a 42-yard reception by Moe Neal on SU’s next drive to set up another touchdown, the game was put out of reach. SU elevated its game while West Virginia crumbled.   

For 45 minutes, SU looked like the team that crumbled against Pittsburgh, the one that nearly surrendered a home loss to North Carolina. The team that couldn’t break five wins for four-consecutive years. 

But for the final 15, Syracuse resembled Babers’ vision that he relayed in his opening press conference in December 2015.  

“Close your eyes,” Babers said in his introductory press conference in 2015. “Visualize this…You have a defense that is relentless. You have a special teams that has been well-coached. You have an offense that will not huddle. And you have a game that’s faster than you’ve ever seen on turf.”

“Open your eyes. That’s going to be a reality. That’s going to be Syracuse football.”  

After the victory, Babers stood in front of a podium and re-enacted that same speech to his players and supporters, some who always had belief, others who never had the evidence.

Since 2013, Syracuse teetered on the precipice of success only to repeatedly plummet back into insignificance. Despite wins over Virginia Tech and Clemson, SU found ways to spoil its potential. The Orange showcased on Friday night, like most of the season, they’re a different team. They’re who Babers envisioned them to be.

Published on December 28, 2018 at 9:07 pm

Contact Matt: mdliberm@syr.edu