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Garrett Shrader launched into a 360 degree turn after receiving the snap from under center. On the 4th-and-1, his first read wasn’t there — a pass in the flat to Sean Tucker. His second read wasn’t there either. 

Shrader scanned the field while the Orange’s offensive line each took on one defender, noticing Oronde Gadsden II wide open on the left side. The third option confused Purdue’s defense after motions prior to the snap. 

Shrader missed Gadsden on the “same exact play” earlier in the second half. The throw was late and intercepted, though a penalty gave Syracuse the ball back. This time, Gadsden grabbed Shrader’s soft pass before pausing momentarily near the 20-yard line. He thought about going out of bounds, but Damien Alford cleared a path for him to tip-toe down the left sideline into the end zone. 

Gadsden’s first touchdown of the night gave the Orange their third lead of the game, paving the way for the last-second score from Gadsden eight minutes later. Shrader was impatient throughout the first half, taking off almost every time he didn’t see an option open when the Orange tried to spread the ball out. But changes to the offense allowed Syracuse to score 29 points in the second half and clinch its 3-0 start, even if the air raid wasn’t exceptional. 

“I ran the ball more than I thought I would,” Shrader said. “I wasn’t throwing the ball really well … just wasn’t ready to play. We got our stuff working later and it was able to work out. ”

Shrader said he wanted to throw on every play if he could, and Robert Anae and Jason Beck’s revamped offense have allowed him to air it out. But he faced Louisville, who allowed 27.3 points per game last season, and UConn, who had no chance talent-wise versus the Orange’s offense. Purdue’s defense was Shrader’s first real challenge, and he wasn’t prepared early on. 

The halftime adjustments were immediately apparent on Syracuse’s first drive of the second half. Instead of running the ball, the Orange placed three receivers to the right of Shrader, having Tucker run a dump-off route to the left side for another option. 

Shrader received the snap, continuing to look for an open receiver before looking back at Tucker. None appeared due to Purdue’s man coverage. On a 3rd-and-20 moments later, Shrader’s pass to Courtney Jackson in the middle of the field was tipped. 

The change finally came into fruition on the Orange’s ensuing drive. They were 1-for-6 on third down attempts, facing a 3rd-and-6 late in the third quarter. Shrader glanced to his left prior to the snap and noticed the deep coverage Reese Taylor played on Isaiah Jones, launching the ball right as Jones cut inside. 

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The throw wasn’t on the mark, requiring Jones to lunge back. But it served its purpose, moving the chains for SU. Shrader hit Jones a few plays later when the Orange kept a bunch formation on the right side, leaving Jones on an island with Jamari Brown. Shrader sent the ball high and near the front pylon, letting Jones utilize his height advantage on Brown. 

Simplicity was the narrative for Shrader throughout the rest of the game. Besides his game-winning, falling-back heave to Gadsden, Shrader kept visiting his first read instead of resorting to his running ability. 

Jackson sprinted into the flat with six minutes left, wide open after Syracuse’s two other receivers ran hitches and took Purdue’s defensive backs out of range. Shrader took a short drop, hitting Jackson for 12 yards.     

A minute later, the Orange did the same thing, having two Syracuse receivers clear space for Tucker to run a wheel route. Tucker easily got ahead of linebacker Kydran Jenkins, and Shrader lofted it deep.

The ball didn’t have enough on it, but you can’t always be perfect. Head coach Dino Babers compared Shrader to a pitcher- he didn’t have his best stuff, but he was able to get the batter “out” when it mattered.  

The game was won when…

Syracuse’s matchup against Purdue had an ending similar to last year’s 41-36 win over Virginia Tech. The game came down to Shrader, needing him to make a pinpoint pass while a defensive lineman came at him. Like his pass to Damien Alford against the Hokies, Shrader leaned back and delivered a high, tight spiral in front of the top left pylon, which Gadsden caught easily following his 25-yard post-corner route.

Quote of the night: Dino Babers

“This is a spiritual type of feeling right here. To win a game like that, to have the scoreboard go back-and-forth from the third quarter to the fourth quarter, the highs and lows …. Luckily it finally came to an end and everything was intact, and Syracuse is 3-0.” 

Last year, Syracuse lost three straight games by three points. With three points in the first half and Charlie Jones ready to embark on a tear against Syracuse’s secondary, SU had its back pinned to the wall against Purdue. But both units resurrected in the second half, proving that the Orange’s 2022 group could prevail when it was close.

Number to know: 7

Babers doesn’t like rollercoasters. He’s ridden three now, including Saturday’s matchup. Overall, there were a total of seven lead changes in the game. This was the most since eight in Syracuse’s Camping World Bowl win in 2018. And the closest other rollercoaster came in last year’s 41-36 win over Virginia Tech, when there were six. 

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Game ball: Oronde Gadsden II

Gadsden made some “Michael Jackson” moves down the sideline for his first score, Babers said. But the receiver was constantly open in this thriller, freezing Purdue’s defensive backs with his routes. Babers added he was excited that Gadsden got his feet down on most of his receptions, threading the left corner of the end zone for his game-winning grab. 

Gadsden only had two receptions for 24 yards last season, but he sprung into Syracuse’s starting rotation this season with a touchdown against Louisville. Saturday’s performance — in which he finished with six receptions, two touchdowns and 112 receiving yards — has him destined to be a new favorite for Shrader.  

Three final points:

Left on an island 

Syracuse has become synonymous with producing some of the best defensive backs in college football during Babers’ tenure. Andre Cisco, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Trill Williams have all graduated from the program in the past few years. Garrett Williams has been next in line, and the Orange added Duce Chestnut last year. 

Babers said that Syracuse’s corners come to the school for a reason. They expect to be left on an island, leaving them alone with their athletic ability against some “amazing wideouts.” On Saturday, Charlie Jones provided the toughest test for Williams, who guarded him for most of the game.

Jones won twice in the second half, scoring on a 55-yard pass before torching Williams for a 51-yard grab to place Purdue in the red zone. But again, like throughout most of Syracuse’s win, Williams came up big at the end. He kept up with Jones as he sprinted to the back of the end zone, letting Jones only get a few fingertips on the ball before it smacked the ground. 

Sloppy mistakes

The Orange almost lost momentum when Shrader’s first touchdown toss to Gadsden was intercepted, but a penalty saved the play. Tucker almost turned over the ball after catching a short toss from Shrader in the third quarter, but he jumped on the ball just in time. 

The Orange tried some trickery in the first half, running a flea flicker in the second quarter. But Tucker almost misfired the ball back to Shrader, and it was picked off by Taylor near midfield before being called back. Earlier, LeQuint Allen overthrew a wide-open Garrett Shrader on the toss reverse throwback.

But Purdue’s mistakes gave Syracuse an advantage. The Boilermakers kicked off from its own 10-yard line after taking the lead, giving Jackson a 40-yard head start compared to what he was used to. Jackson took the ball to midfield, setting up Shrader for the game-clinching throw.

Third down

Syracuse converted 3-of-13 third downs against Purdue, struggling to get the necessary yardage to continue drives. On the other side, the Boilermakers finished 10-of-17, repeatedly chewing the clock with long drives. 

SU especially struggled against Purdue on third-and-shorts, mainly because of Purdue’s unique play calls. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell signaled for a motion before a play in Purdue’s first drive, faking the handoff to shift the Orange’s focus to the right side. Tight end Payne Durham quickly ran out to his left, turning his right shoulder to face O’Connell, who delivered the ball to him after a few shuffles.

The Orange didn’t convert on a third down until midway through the third quarter, when Tucker ran down the middle on a 3rd-and-2. But in more close matchups going forward against ACC opponents, Syracuse needs to find a way to move the chains. 

Next up: Virginia

Virginia has struggled offensively in its opening three games of the season, following a 34-point performance against Richmond with a 3-point outing versus Illinois. The Cavaliers have the second-worst offense in the conference, struggling without Beck and Anae, who are now at SU. Brennan Armstrong has been somewhat of a highlight for the squad with 284 passing yards in its most recent win over Old Dominion. 

Published on September 18, 2022 at 9:12 pm

Contact Anish: asvasude@syr.edu | @anish_vasu