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Syracuse needs to strive for more consistency, head coach Dino Babers said Monday in his weekly press conference.

The Orange were down one score late in the third quarter of Saturday’s 47-21 loss to No. 1 Clemson. Babers praised his team’s effort, especially coming off of a poor performance against Liberty two weeks ago in the Carrier Dome. 

“They looked like two different football teams,” Babers said. 

Ultimately, Clemson was bigger, stronger and better, and the Tigers wore SU down. Now the Orange (1-5, 1-4 Atlantic Coast) turn to a home matchup against Wake Forest (3-2, 2-2), who is coming off a 23-16 win over No. 19 Virginia Tech. 

Here are some takeaways from Babers’ press conference, including his praise for the Demon Deacons and his reasons for letting backup QB JaCobian Morgan join the field against Clemson: 

Carlos Basham Jr. is going to be a problem

Babers compared Wake Forest defensive end Carlos Basham Jr. to Godzilla. Basham’s probably the best defensive player the Orange will face all year, Babers said. 

The redshirt senior, who leads Wake Forest with five sacks in 2020, opted to return for a final season instead of declaring for the NFL Draft. Pro Football Network’s latest mock draft projects him to be a late-first round pick. 

“He had that opportunity to come out early, which just shows me, once again, guys making decisions on whether they want to come out early and get drafted in low rounds or stay to get the money you deserve by getting drafted in the higher rounds,” Babers said. “He stayed around, and now he’s going to get an opportunity to make a lot of money.”

On tape, Basham’s speed stands out, Babers said. He first mentioned Basham unprompted, responding to a question about turning the corner after Clemson. 

“Wake Forest has a defensive end that’s better than anyone Clemson has, his name is Carlos Basham,” Babers said. “I keep watching him and going, ‘How much does he weigh?’ He is so fast, he had to turn down money last year to come back.”

Why JaCobian Morgan got his first action against Clemson

True freshman JaCobian Morgan replaced Rex Culpepper under center late in the fourth quarter on Saturday. In one series, the 3-star pro-style quarterback from Canton, Mississippi didn’t attempt a single pass. 

So why did Babers put him on the field? 

“I just wanted to get him out there to see what a stadium was, to see if he was going to drop his first shotgun snap or catch it in front of everyone else,” Babers said. “We also have to remember that with all these freshmen, this year doesn’t count (for eligibility), so there’s at least going to be a chance for him to come back to his place two or three times.” 

For Morgan, the 19,000 fans in Memorial Stadium — although some had undoubtedly exited before he came into the game — was likely the biggest crowd he’s ever played in front of. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound backup appears to have leapfrogged fellow freshman Dillon Markiewicz on the depth chart. 

Another look at the run defense 

Heading into the Clemson game, Syracuse had allowed at least 275 yards on the ground in three consecutive weeks, all to opponents much weaker than the Tigers. 

But SU limited Clemson to 147 rushing yards on 37 attempts (four yards per carry). Travis Etienne’s biggest run was only 25 yards. SU actually out-gained the Tigers on the ground, 150 to 147. 

The key difference was the veterans on the defensive line playing better, Babers said. He lauded the linebacker group and said freshmen safeties Rob Hanna and Ja’Had Carter are making mistakes but learning. 

The Demon Deacons appear to be a strong matchup to build on last week’s run defense. Wake Forest averages 173 rushing yards per game, 10th in the ACC. The team’s 3.9 yards per carry are even less efficient, ranked 11th in the conference. 

SU’s young safeties and its secondary, however, will be tested in the Dome by Wake Forest’s explosive passing game. The Demon Deacons average 8.8 yards per completion, only behind North Carolina.

Published on October 26, 2020 at 3:13 pm

Contact Danny: dremerma@syr.edu | @DannyEmerman