Syracuse crushes Colgate 65-0 for season-opening win

Syracuse football demolished an outmatched Colgate squad 65-0 in its season opener Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome. 

The victory is the most lopsided the program has had under head coach Dino Babers. Babers’ previous personal best was a 59-point win against Wagner in 2022. The last time the Orange won a game by more points dates back to 1959, also against Colgate when SU won 71-0. 

A flurry of scoring by the Orange had the game nearly sealed by the end of the first quarter with a 23-0 lead. From there, it just kept coming.

“I thought we had some ups, we had some downs but I am satisfied,” Babers said. “I thought the guys played hard overall even though there were periods where we didn’t play as hard as I would’ve liked.”

Beyond the scoreboard, Syracuse racked up some impressive stats outgaining Colgate 677-106 in total yards for a new school record, holding the Raiders to 1.4 yards per carry, and gaining 34 first downs compared to just six from the visitors. The 677 total yards set a new school record.

Senior quarterback Garrett Shrader was poised and efficient, completing 18-of-24 passes for 257 yards, with four touchdowns and one interception. This blemish came seconds before halftime. Many expected Shrader to sit the rest of the game, but he came out for the first drive of the second half and promptly led the offense on a 92-yard touchdown drive.

“I was a huge advocate for that,” Shrader said of the decision to start the second half. “There might have been a little bit of an argument but the (coaching staff) understood where I was coming from. I did not want to come out of the game on an interception.”

Shrader’s passes found many of his reliable targets with junior tight end Oronde Gadsden II topping the list with six catches for 57 yards and a touchdown. Junior wide receiver Damien Alford and redshirt junior wide receiver Isaiah Jones were also recipients of Shrader TD passes. 

“When you see one person get a bunch of catches, everyone wants to get them,” Shrader said. “The biggest thing is just the confidence. I have a lot of trust in each one of those guys.” 

Sophomore running back LeQuint Allen Jr. also stood out with 107 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown in only a half of action. Allen’s touchdown opened the scoring two plays after an explosive 35-yard burst.

The dominant first half allowed Syracuse to give some of their starters a rest and some of their other players a space to shine. 

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson took over duties in the second half and completed 10-of-13 passes for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Umari Hatcher led receiver honors with four passes for 105 yards; all of them in the second half.

More than just an offensive showing, the Orange stifled their outmatched opponent under debuting defensive coordinator Rocky Long.

The Syracuse defense orchestrated a shutout while holding Colgate to 1.8 yards per play on the afternoon and only two first downs in the opening half. Moreover, the Orange finished the game with nine tackles for loss and three sacks.

The Orange next will face their first FBS foe when they host Western Michigan. Kick-off at the JMA Wireless Dome is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Saturday.