Purdue opponent early outlook: Syracuse
As the 2023 football season nears closer, GoldandBlack.com will provide a mid-summer outlook of each of Purdue’s opponents. Today, it’s Syracuse, who will visit Ross-Ade Stadium for the second time in school history.
2022 RECORD: 7-6 (4-4 ACC)
HEAD COACH: Dino Babers (36-49 in seven seasons at Syracuse)
KEY PLAYERS: QB Garrett Shrader, TE Oronde Gadsden II, LB Marlowe Wax
HISTORY VS. PURDUE: Purdue first hosted Syracuse in a rare Sunday afternoon game to open the 2004 season at Ross-Ade Stadium. Led by four Kyle Orton touchdown passes, the home team cruised to a 51-0 shellacking to start the year. In the first game of the current home-and-home series, a touchdown pass in the final minute gave the Orange a victory over Purdue in 2022. While the Boilermakers out-gained Syracuse by nearly 200 yards, several poorly-timed penalties provided Syracuse with a chance to win the wild game in the JMA Wireless Dome. The 2023 matchup in West Lafayette marks the return trip in the home-and-home agreement.
ABOUT THE ORANGE: 2022 turned into a tale of two seasons for the Orange, who started red-hot before going ice cold as the leaves began to fall in northern New York. Many key pieces are gone from the group that earned bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018, giving head coach Dino Babers some stability after entering 2022 on the hot seat.
Quarterback Garrett Shrader returns to give the Orange some continuity on offense, but it may look different with a new offensive coordinator (Jason Beck) and without standout running back Sean Tucker. Though he turned in an up-and-down performance against Purdue, Shrader improved in his second season as a starter for the Orange. Syracuse will need another step forward in year three to overcome the loss of Tucker.
Few other starters return to join Shrader on offense, but he does benefit from the return of tight end Oronde Gadsden II. The tall, athletic tight end led the Orange in receiving in 2022, including hauling in the final touchdown against Purdue. He finished last season with 969 receiving yards, and he’ll look to cross the 1,000-yard mark as the clear top target this year.
The well-traveled Rocky Long takes over as defensive coordinator this season, but the 3-3-5 defensive scheme will remain in tact. All six starters up front return from last year’s D, which finished 20th-nationally in total defense. That group would like to create more pressure on opposing quarterbacks, however, to overcome some key losses in the secondary. Last season, opponents passed for just 184 yards per game on the Orange defense. Replicating that number won’t come easily.
This game sets up as a pivotal one for Purdue. The lights will come on at Ross-Ade Stadium for the primetime NBC broadcast as the Boilermakers seek to close non-conference play on a strong note. While Purdue’s roster has turned over quite a bit, the locker room will want revenge for the heartbreaking loss in the Dome a season ago.
More: Athlon on Syracuse
Others in this series: Fresno State preview; Virginia Tech preview
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