Dave Clawson has been familiar with new Syracuse starting quarterback Eric Dungey since the true freshman was a high school star in Oregon.

The Wake Forest head coach was impressed with his athleticism and accurate arm and thinks he fits the Syracuse offensive scheme particularly well.

“I thought he played with a lot of poise last week,” Clawson said on the Atlantic Coast Conference coaches’ teleconference on Wednesday. “… Dungey is a guy that can beat you with his arm and his feet.”

Clawson had high praise for what he called an “improved” Syracuse offense. He was also complimentary of the Orange defense and its difficulty for opposing coaches to gauge. In addition, Clawson said it’s important to note that when the Demon Deacons travel to Syracuse for a 12:30 p.m. matchup in the Carrier Dome on Saturday, it will be with only about a quarter of the players that were on the travel roster from when WFU dropped a 13-0 decision there in 2013.

“We expect a very physical, well-coached team,” Clawson said. “I have a lot of respect for Coach (Scott) Shafer, he’s an excellent defensive coach. They’re very creative on offense. Their players and their scheme are a challenge and certainly the Carrier Dome presents a challenge as well in terms of noise and heat.”

Clawson said he expected that Syracuse didn’t show all of its offensive plays in its 47-0 drubbing of Rhode Island, and said that as a result, Saturday will be a bit of a “guessing game.” He also praised SU’s strong third-down package, noting that the Orange get “creative.”

He specifically referenced wide receivers Steve Ishmael and Brisly Estime, along with hybrid Ervin Philips as strong skill players that WFU will need to prepare for.

“They had a lot of success against us a year ago,” Clawson said of its 30-7 loss. “We’ll be challenged with their scheme and their personnel on both sides of the football.”

Published on September 9, 2015 at 4:52 pm

Contact Sam: sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3