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Prized recruits

In the trenches

Forget standout high school newcomers. Fifth-year graduate transfers are in high demand.

See page 5

Head coach Dino Babers barely used tight ends last year. Now they’re seeing more action on the front line.

See page 11

Cover: Daily Orange File Photo (top); Todd Michalek | Contributing Photographer (bottom) Spread: Todd Michalek | Contributing Photographer Editor@dailyorange.com

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SCOTT SHAFER’S last game in the Carrier Dome was a last-second victory over Boston College. The former Syracuse head coach hasn’t been back since being fired in 2015, but on Saturday, he will return to the Dome on the visitor’s sideline. daily orange file photo

GUESS WHO’S

BACK O

n Saturday, Zaire Franklin and Scott Shafer will both enter the Carrier Dome, as each of them have done many times before. But this time it’s different.

Shafer recruited Franklin to come to Syracuse and, in Franklin’s freshman season, Shafer sat him down and told him he had the leadership potential to become a captain in his sophomore season, the first since 1945. SU had only had three sophomore captains in program history before him. Shafer saw Franklin’s potential, but he never saw it fully develop.

There are 37 players left on Syracuse’s roster whom Shafer coached, and junior quarterback Eric Dungey said this week that he “was like a fatherfigure to me.”

This Saturday, Shafer will return to the Carrier Dome for the first time since being fired at the end of the 2015 season. Rather than pacing the Syracuse (1-0) sidelines, Shafer will coach as the defensive coordinator for Middle Tennessee State (0-1). “(Shafer’s) going to want to draw some blood,” former SU defensive tackle Steven Clark said. “… He’s definitely like, ‘I’m going to go back and beat the heck out of these guys.’”

Middle Tennessee State did not make Shafer available for comment for this story.

Shafer’s return to defensive coordinator emblemizes what got him hired at Syracuse in the first place. In 2013, then-head coach Doug

Marrone left to coach the Buffalo Bills and SU’s recent defensive turnaround made Shafer an attractive candidate.

SU had hired Shafer in 2009 when the defense hovered around a No. 100 national ranking in total yards and points allowed per game. In Shafer’s second season, the Orange finished top 10 in total yards allowed (3,904) and 17th in points per game allowed (19.3).

37

Number of Syracuse players, including quarterback Eric Dungey and linebacker Zaire Franklin, who were at SU when Scott Shafer was head coach

Syracuse hired Shafer as head coach for its first year in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Orange won seven games and its second consecutive bowl game. But it was Shafer’s last bowl appearance. In 2014, former SU tackle Sean Hickey said SU expected its offense to breakout.

Instead, injuries plagued the team and four quarterbacks appeared in at least two games. Shafer also demoted George McDonald, his offensive coordinator, to work with only wide receivers. Syracuse won three games.

“The following year, he was backed into a corner because of 2014,” Hickey said, “and 2015 had to

Former Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer returns to the Carrier Dome as MTSU’s defensive coordinator

By Charlie DiSturco asst. sports editor

go really well, even though (Syracuse) was in a rebuilding year.”

In 2015, the defense returned to rankings around No. 100 for points and yards. The offense struggled to score. Through 10 games, the Orange had only three wins.

On the plane ride to North Carolina State for Syracuse’s final road game, Shafer sat next to senior Terrel Hunt. The quarterback’s season had been cut short with a torn Achilles, but Hunt always accompanied Shafer to and from games.

During the trip, Hunt remembered Shafer turning to him and saying that if Syracuse lost, he would likely be fired. Hunt nodded. He remembered saying to Shafer, “Yeah, I kind of figured that.”

Syracuse lost to NC State, 42-29.

SU officially fired Shafer before the season ended but allowed him to coach the Orange’s final game, at home against Boston College. With under three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Boston College hit a game-tying field goal. The Orange then drove 51 yards and as time expired, Cole Murphy drilled a 35-yard field goal.

In that moment, after the buzzer, Shafer no longer coached those players. But players said it didn’t feel that way, because for many of them he had always been more than a coach. Shafer gave Hunt his phone number, as well as his wife’s and son’s in case Hunt needed anything. He counseled Sean Hickey after the then-SU tackle came to him while struggling to decide whether to leave school early for the NFL Draft. He told Luke Arciniega, a transfer defensive end, about see shafer page 4

4 sept. 8-9, 2017

from page 3

shafer balancing fatherhood and football when Arciniega found out he would soon become a dad.

(Shafer’s) going to want to draw some blood ... He’s definitely like ‘I’m going to go back and beat the heck out of these guys.

Steven Clark former su defensive tackle

These were the people he had invited to his home to use his pool and barbecue. The ones who had fooled around in the water, ate food and played pickup basketball. The ones who went wild when he brought an ice cream truck to the field after a hot practice.

dailyorange.com

“I remember talking to him and he said he never wanted to take a NFL coaching job,” Hickey said. “… He cares about the actual development of the kids.

“They come in as kids and leave as men. He cares about that process.”

After Murphy’s kick, Rob Trudo and Nick Robinson grabbed Shafer and hoisted him up on their shoulders and paraded him around the field before the rest of the team encircled the three. Teary-eyed, Shafer hugged his players one-by-one.

“For us to walk him off and show our appreciation…” Arciniega said, “... (We) just wanted to send him out the right way, let him (leave) on the shoulders of his players who he supported.”

On Saturday, when Shafer walks into the Dome, he’ll see Dungey, who’s blossomed into a star. He’ll see Franklin, the linebacker he made a captain. He’ll see senior Ervin Philips, who’s developed into a dominant slot receiver.

He’ll see Dino Babers, his successor.

Then he’ll walk away, toward the visitor’s sideline.

SCOTT SHAFER told linebacker Zaire Franklin that he could captain the defense as a sophomore. Two years later he’s still a captain. daily orange file photo

csdistur@syr.edu | @charliedisturco

SHAFER’S legacy lives on at Syracuse, for now. Thirty-seven of his former players are still on the roster and playing for Dino Babers.

daily orange file photo

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sept. 8-9, 2017 5

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Syracuse’s graduate transfers among prized recruits

By Matthew Gutierrez asst. sports editor

Last March, Amba Etta-Tawo needed a jump.

His 2000 BMW was broken down along Interstate-81 to Syracuse, so Etta-Tawo flagged down a passing driver to jump start his car battery. A few hours later, the then-Maryland senior visited the SU coaching staff. After a few meetings, Etta-Tawo signed with the Orange as a graduate transfer, cancelling visits to Mississippi State, Arizona State and Missouri.

The jump-start not only helped Etta-Tawo get to Syracuse, but it provided him a literal jump in his career. Last fall, the fifth-year senior broke Marvin Harrison’s single-season receiving yards record, vaulting himself from a little-known receiver to one of the country’s top down-field threats.

“I’m not sure I’d be here if it weren’t for that grad transfer,” said Etta-Tawo, who signed this week with the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad.

Syracuse’s first All-American since 2001 is not alone. SU head coach Dino Babers has already brought on five graduate transfers in his two years as head coach, creating several win-win scenarios. For players like Etta-Tawo, it’s a chance to renew a career lost by injury or boost their draft stock. For Syracuse, it’s a quick way to add depth and experience on the field.

In 2017, Bowling Green’s Austin Valdez, Notre Dame’s Devin M. Butler and Toledo’s Jordan Martin are suiting up for the Orange.

Each is pursuing a master’s degree. Forty-five percent of football graduate transfers in 2013 and 2014 completed their studies, according to the NCAA. That graduate transfers don’t have to sit out a year also has created some skeptics, including Alabama coach Nick Saban.

“I’m not for having free agents in our conference,” Saban said in May. Babers said he is fully on board with the rule. Last year, he added Etta-Tawo and former Colorado defensive lineman De’Jon Wilson as fifth-years. Etta-Tawo had the best

In 2011, there were only 17 graduate transfers in the NCAA. The number increased to 70 in 2014 and 117 in 2016. todd michalek contributing photographer

season ever for a Syracuse wide receiver, while Wilson added 2.5 sacks as a key rotational player. Syracuse, with three, has the secondmost graduate transfers in the Atlantic Coast Conference this year. North Carolina, with four, is the only school in the ACC with more, and there are 16 total in the conference.

In April 2006, the NCAA ruled that a college athlete who had graduated but had remaining eligibility could transfer without sitting out a season in order to pursue a graduate degree.

(Non-graduate transfers usually must sit out a year.) The number of graduate transfers competing in NCAA football has since skyrocketed.

In 2011, when Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson played a fifth-year at North Carolina State, there were 17 graduate transfers in Division I. Three years later, that number jumped to 70 and last season it was 117. That’s a 588-percent increase over six seasons.

Players across mid-major and Power 5 schools alike see it as a way to get a free year of graduate school and perhaps a chance to finish

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strong from their undergraduate years.

“We’re able to plug in some holes that we had on our football team,” UNC head coach Larry Fedora said. “Guys have come in and given us some quality depth and some experience that you wouldn’t have in those situations. I think it’s a good rule, and until the rule changes, we’ll continue to try to utilize it.”

At most schools, the process begins in the winter with a few phone calls. Such was the case for Martin, who redshirted the 2015 season after suffering a torn ACL. By midFebruary this year, he had met with Toledo’s athletic director, requested a release form and looked at a few fifth-year landing spots. Within weeks, he chose SU over West Virginia and Rutgers, accelerating the process to ensure he arrived on campus early for summer classes.

Cornerback Devin M. Butler expected to start for the Irish in 2016, but he fractured his foot at the end of the 2015 season and then again in the offseason. Last August, UND suspended Butler indefinitely after he was arrested Aug. 20

near a bar in South Bend, Indiana. Butler pleaded guilty to a Class A misdemeanor of resisting law enforcement. Another charge, for battery against a public safety official, was dropped.

“With my situation, I really wanted to go to a program where the coaches would really support me,” Butler told 247Sports.com. “The Notre Dame coaches definitely supported me, but I just wanted a place where I can re-write my narrative. That’s Syracuse. I wanted to put the bad light away and off my name. I wanted a chance to show people I am the man that everyone knows me to be and the man I’ve always been.”

Valdez, SU’s third graduate transfer, didn’t commit until July, when he was granted his release from Bowling Green. The 6-foot-1, 236-pound linebacker racked up 222 career tackles, 144 of which came in 2015 while Babers coached at BGSU. After his four years at Bowling Green, Valdez said he was recruited by Oklahoma State, Indiana, UNLV and Rutgers, but he made one visit to SU and signed.

“I wanted to give myself a challenge, get a better opportunity somewhere else.” Valdez said.

Over the last couple of years, no graduate transfer has benefited as much as Etta-Tawo.

After four disappointing seasons at Maryland, Etta-Tawo transferred to SU. He ditched plans to take a vacation with his family to Nigeria last summer, arriving at Syracuse early to work out. The move paid dividends for both himself and SU, as his name jumped into NFL Draft conversations.

“I think it’s a chance for guys who haven’t had as great a career as they originally wanted their first four years,” said senior linebacker Zaire Franklin. “It’s an opportunity for them to get that one shot to start fresh.

“On the flip side, it’s an opportunity to get that immediate depth. Guys like Martin, Devin Butler and Valdez, those guys have played big-time games against great players, so it’s a bonus for both sides.” mguti100@syr.edu | @Matthewgut21

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date

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Sept. 9

vs. Middle Tennessee

3:30 p.m.

Syracuse — Carrier Dome

Sept. 16

vs. Central Michigan

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Syracuse — Carrier Dome

Sept. 23

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TBA

Baton Rouge, Louisiana — Tiger Stadium

Sept. 30

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Raleigh, North Carolina — Carter-Finley Stadium

Oct. 7

vs. Pittsburgh

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Syracuse — Carrier Dome

Oct. 13

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Syracuse — Carrier Dome

Oct. 21

at Miami

TBA

Miami Gardens, Florida — Hard Rock Stadium

Nov. 4

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Nov. 11

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Syracuse — Carrier Dome

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Nov. 25

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Syracuse — Carrier Dome

sept. 8-9, 2017 11

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Chris Elmore, Ravian Pierce add element to offense

By Joe Bloss

senior staff writer

When Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey slithered into the end zone for the opening score of last week, true freshman fullback Chris Elmore was the first teammate to mob him. Tight end Ravian Pierce, a junior college transfer, threw a block to get Dungey past the pylon.

Pierce was on the field for all six touchdowns scored by the first-team unit, catching one himself after he slipped from a block on the edge from the five yards out. Elmore was out there for four. The two newcomers are not as acquainted with offense as some of their peers who have spent a year in the system, but Week 1 indicated there’s little time for familiarity when Elmore and Pierce can contribute now.

Neither player will rack up big stats, but their presence, as blockers, decoys or targets, could be a catapult for SU’s progress in Year 2. Or it could be nothing more than a test package that stays on the shelf the rest of the season.

Syracuse head coach Dino Babers, who last year used tight ends sparingly and put four wide receivers on the field most of time, didn’t commit to anything this week.

“We want to see how much flexibility we have with some of these other formations,” Babers said. “As the opponents get better and better and better, the younger players may or may not be able to contribute in those games based off of how fast they develop.”

Elmore is listed as the team’s second tight end behind Pierce but was labeled a fullback all summer. Against Central Connecticut State, he shifted between the wing and the backfield and blocked for the halfbacks on handoffs. It did not result in a lot of yardage — running backs

Dontae Strickland and Moe Neal combined to average 2.9 yards per carry — but it forced the defense to respect another wrinkle.

Elmore said he’s been working with running backs a bit in practice and will play wherever he’s told to go. He lined up at fullback in high school, when his primary contributions as a defensive tackle were key to Phillips Academy’s (Illinois) state championship.

The glory days met an abrupt end, though, when Elmore got to SU. The staff told him he had to cut weight and add agility, so he shed 10 pounds before arriving.

His six-foot frame now weighs in at 274, he said. But 5 a.m. runs were not expected. He puked on Day 1.

Coaches talked him up the first day wearing pads. “Hey, Elmore, it’s your day.

This is why we recruited you,” they said. He had a “chip on his shoulder” and wanted to prove he belonged. Cracking a firm block on senior linebacker Zaire Franklin in an eventual Strickland touchdown on his first play did the trick. Everyone chirped Franklin. Loudly.

“Oh, you tripping,” Franklin said later. “I’m never going to let a freshman disrespect me.”

Babers told them to run the same play again. Elmore learned results may vary.

“Zaire gave me that welcome-to-college hit,” Elmore said.

Elmore and Pierce have since clicked in the tight end unit, Pierce said. They laugh a lot during positional meetings. Pierce said he is thankful for their bond — and his new team.

Pierce, listed at 6-foot-3 and 237 pounds, came to the Orange by way of Southwest Mississippi Community College, where in two years he caught 77 passes for 733 yards.

Syracuse rarely used its tight ends in 2016, but the Orange experimented with a heavier package against CCSU. todd michalek contributing photographer

His former coach there, Cameron Achord, said Pierce provided much-needed big plays — such as hurdling Pearl River’s safety or stiff-arming his way to a 54-yard touchdown against East Mississippi.

Syracuse tight ends totaled six catches last year. Even if Babers convinced Pierce’s closest confidant, his grandmother, that this was the best destination for him, coming north to Syracuse didn’t exactly equate to tight endheaven for the Florida native. “(Babers) told me to believe and just trust him and everything is going to pay off,” Pierce said.

“Basically, not to down anyone or anything, but he was telling me last year they didn’t have that tight end they like to use to move around here.”

In one game, Pierce seemed to live up to that mold of versatility. He caught only three passes from Dungey, but one was a touchdown. He sealed the backside defensive end on Strickland’s score and blocked down to the goal line for Neal’s 52-yard trip to the end zone.

Next comes Middle Tennessee and its defense that should load the box, led by former SU head coach Scott Shafer. The package of Pierce and Elmore could see plenty of snaps again, using their heavy weights to give the Orange offense another dimension before it takes on the Atlantic Coast Conference’s heavyweights. jtbloss@syr.edu | @jtbloss

Q&A with Middle Tennessee State football beat writer

By Tomer Langer asst. digital editor

Syracuse (1-0) squares off against Middle Tennessee (0-1) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. The Orange is coming off a 50-7 win over Central Connecticut State, while the Blue Raiders are coming off a 28-6 loss to Vanderbilt.

MTSU beat writer Erik Bacharach of the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, answered five questions about the upcoming matchup.

The Daily Orange: Vanderbilt managed to sack MTSU quarterback Brent Stockstill five times last week. How and why did that happen, and is it a problem that can be corrected quickly?

Erik Bacharach: Five sacks in a single game is obviously not a good number if you’re the offensive line, but it’s made even more eye-opening when considering Stockstill was sacked just eight times in 10 games last year.

The difference between this year’s offensive line and last year’s? Three of its five 2016 starters. So MTSU had a lot of holes to fill on the O-line heading into the year, and head coach Rick Stockstill continually cited it as one of his biggest concerns during the offseason. Those concerns were fully realized last Saturday night against Vanderbilt. In addition to the

five sacks, Stockstill was hurried four times and the running game averaged just 1.9 yards per carry. While the right side of the offensive line — Stockstill’s blindside — is occupied by a couple of veterans in Chandler Brewer and Carlos Johnson, its left side is manned by two players with hardly any experience as starters. It doesn’t seem like the problems we saw Saturday night are correctable within the span of a couple of weeks, more likely over the course of a season. That said, with as much emphasis as MTSU has placed on getting it fixed in a hurry, I’d expect the O-line to take a step forward against Syracuse.

The D.O.: Can we expect a Mike Minter Jr. shadow Steve Ishmael for most of the game? How does the defense operate when he’s on his game?

E.B.: I’d expect for that to be the matchup we see Saturday. Minter was MTSU’s returning leader in pass deflections (10) and interceptions (two), but perhaps that needs to be taken with a grain of salt: The team’s secondary was by no means lights out last year. That sentiment applies to the entirety of MTSU’s 2016 defense, which allowed 35.8 points per game. It did, however, look improved last week against Vanderbilt in our first glimpse of Shafer as MTSU’s defensive coordinator. Facing Syracuse’s spread offense, Minter’s role is obviously a crucial one, but MTSU’s defense starts up front with its emphasis on stopping the run and continually

applying pressure on the quarterback.

The D.O.: What’s made Richie James so effective and how does an opponent try to slow him down?

E.B.: Put simply, James is an incredibly perceptive football player. At 5-foot-9, 176 pounds, he has to be. He’s a master at reading a defender’s body language, creating space and using his top-tier athleticism from there. Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason said last week, “Richie James could be at Missouri, and he’d be one of the top receivers in the country.” Point being, MTSU found a diamond in the rough in James, and the best part about it is he’s still only a junior. Slowing him down is obviously a tall order and a high point of prioritization if you’re Syracuse, but it’s not necessarily the key to an opponent’s win. Last year, MTSU lost all three games in which James went for more than 160 receiving yards. In last weeks’ 28-6 debacle against Vanderbilt, the MTSU offense was in complete disarray, but James still managed 10 catches for 112 yards and a touchdown. So with James, there’s a certain guarantee every time he steps on the field. You know he’ll be somewhere near last year’s averages of 8.1 catches and 125 yards per game. For Syracuse, it’s a matter of limiting that as best it can, and probably more importantly, making sure the other playmakers on MTSU’s offense are contained, which

Vanderbilt did really well last week.

The D.O.: Are players or coaches addressing defensive coordinator Scott Shafer’s return to the Carrier Dome? Or is that not being talked about leading up to the game?

E.B.: There’s been a lot of skillful dancing around that storyline, especially by Shafer himself. He’s been asked about his return to Syracuse several times this week and the most he’s offered is, “It’s just a business trip.”

We did get a window into what Saturday’s matchup will mean to him through MTSU linebacker D.J. Sanders. During a press conference on Monday, Sanders said, “He said we would all be best friends for life if we beat Syracuse. So that’s extra motivation for us.

It’s maybe kind of personal for him, but for us it’s just another game and that’s how we’re going to approach it.”

The D.O.: What’s one big factor you’re looking for Saturday, and who do you think wins?

E.B.: I think it goes back to MTSU’s offensive line. If it has another paltry showing like it did against Vanderbilt last week, MTSU will be in trouble. If Syracuse’s defensive front replicates what Vanderbilt’s did a week ago, MTSU will be in trouble. Ultimately, I think the Blue Raiders’ line looks a bit improved from last week, but would predict Syracuse to get the better of it, sparking a home win for the Orange. tdlanger@syr.edu | @tomer_langer

Opponent preview: Everything to know about the Blue Raiders

By Tomer Langer asst. digital editor

After a lopsided victory in Week 1, Syracuse (1-0) gets its next challenge in the form of Middle Tennessee State (0-1) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. MTSU defensive coordinator Scott Shafer will return to the Carrier Dome for the first time since being fired as head coach of the Orange in 2015.

Here’s what to know about the Blue Raiders: All-time series: This is the first matchup between the two schools.

The Middle Tennessee State report:

MTSU owned one of the most effective offenses in the country a year ago, finishing eighth

in total offense while racking 517.7 yards of offense per game.

That total is mainly fueled by the passing attack, which also finished eighth in passing yards per game. Quarterback Brent Stockstill, son of head coach Rick Stockstill, is all the alltime leader in career touchdowns at MTSU, throwing for 62 in just 25 games.

Stockstill’s most trusted target is Richie James, who has caught more than 100 balls in each of his first two seasons. He hauled in 10 receptions for 112 yards last week against Vanderbilt. Stockstill was sacked five times as the Blue Raiders managed to score just six points in the loss.

On defense the Blue Raiders have Mike Minter Jr., a top corner who should defend

Steve Ishmael for much of the game. Ishmael was a big part of SU’s offense Friday and negating him could be a deciding factor for MTSU.

How Syracuse beats Middle Tennessee State: Get to the quarterback.

Vanderbilt developed the blueprint a week ago and Syracuse would be wise to follow it. Now, head coach Dino Babers admitted that SU might not have as good of a personnel group as Vanderbilt does. But it’ll still be paramount to the Orange’s success.

Defensive tackle Chris Slayton was a force against Central Connecticut State as he normally is and transfer defensive ends Brandon Berry and Alton Robinson impressed in SU’s first game. Somehow, whether it’s strictly from the front four or if SU brings out various

blitz packages, someone will need to get to the Stockstill and rush him.

Player to watch: Richie James, wide receiver, No. 3

James caught 213 balls over the first two years of his career. If he continues his pace of catching 100 balls a year he’d break the all-time receptions record set by Zay Jones and would be the first receiver ever to catch 400 balls. He got off to a hot start last week against Vanderbilt and needs just 16 catches to become the MTSU all-time receptions leader. He’s also been used effectively as a running threat, racking up 339 rushing yards on 38 carries a year ago to go with his 1,625 receiving yards. SU will need to find a way to slow down James on Saturday. tdlanger@syr.edu | @tomer_langer

12 sept. 8-9, 2017

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