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Six days ago, Syracuse made its first head coaching change in eight years, firing Dino Babers ahead of the team’s final regular season game. That said, interim head coach Nunzio Campanile kept the same offensive approach.

For the past three games, Syracuse has utilized a wildcat-reliant, run-heavy offense that has yielded improved results. With a bowl game on the line, the Orange stuck with that scheme, running the ball on 58-of-75 plays (77.3%) and only throwing when necessary. A banged up Garrett Shrader, who played sparingly last week, was crucial to the game plan.

On his first throw of the game, Shrader caught the Demon Deacons off guard. On a 3rd-and-5 in enemy territory, Shrader faked like he was running up the middle before cocking back to throw. He hit Damien Alford on a quick slant, who beat his cornerback to the goal line for a 35-yard score. The entire front seven was tearing toward the line of scrimmage on the second pass attempt for Syracuse in 11 plays.

Shrader wasn’t cleared until moments before the game, and he said the scheme was “built around” his absence.

“We knew at about 2:07 to be honest,” said Campanile on when he knew Shrader’s status. “He warmed up relatively well, but there were so many things he hadn’t done in practice and it was like he was going to ramp it up on gameday and see how that goes … He’s a really gutsy kid and that was a really special performance.”

Using the wildcat offense, Syracuse produced its third-straight 20-point game, something it didn’t achieve once in the first five Atlantic Coast Conference matchups. After Shrader barely played last week, he and Dan Villari both made an impact Saturday, combining for over 224 passing yards and four touchdowns. Their air presence gave SU significant opportunities, and it capitalized consistently in the 35-31 win over Wake Forest, clinching bowl eligibility for the second-straight season. It’s the first time since 2013 that SU has appeared in back-to-back bowl games.

This was the first game in ACC play this season where the Orange topped 200 passing yards, doing it on just 17 attempts. In the three games prior to this one, Syracuse ran the ball 77.1% of the time, ranking first in the nation among non-service academies. It had as many passing yards (98) and touchdowns (one) as it did in the first half on Saturday. This was due, in large part, to Shrader’s improved health.

Shrader was far from 100 percent. His arm strength and accuracy were clearly lacking, but the dual threat that he and Villari provided gave the Orange offense enough uncertainty to keep Wake Forest guessing. Shrader ran tough and passed through pain in a fittingly gritty performance.

“Shoutout to Garrett, he’s a warrior,” Villari said. “Obviously, he could sit out and rest and get ready for the NFL, but he wants to keep fighting with us and he wants us to win. He’s not a vocal leader, but he’ll show you how he leads and I’m just so grateful for him.”

Shrader credited the Syracuse athletic trainers, led by Brandon Hall, for helping him feel comfortable enough to play.

Third down throws were common, but only if the distance or context warranted it. On the second possession, Shrader dropped back in the shotgun and hit Umari Hatcher between the numbers on an in route. The seven-yard pickup set the tone for Shrader, who threw more often as the game went on.

Most of his throws were ducks, not spirals. One such pass had to be scooped up just above the turf by Alford, who tried rolling across the goal line right before the end of the half. The 15-yard pickup was marked a yard short of the goal line, and Syracuse failed to punch it in on a play-action pass to LeQuint Allen Jr. His stretch for the goal line came up just short.

Meanwhile, it was Villari who stepped up to start the second half. Having thrown the ball just once in the first half, compared to nine rushes, the Demon Deacons swarmed the former Michigan quarterback on 2nd-and-8. Villari made the check at the line, so, instead of taking off, he set his feet and dropped a ball right in Alford’s grasp. With zero safety help over the top, Alford beat his defender before jogging in for the 47-yard touchdown.

“We just knew there was going to be a time where they would start to load the box and play Cover 0, so we’re going to have to throw it behind those safeties,” Villari said. “I knew it was coming all week and I was just glad I executed.”

The score put Syracuse up 21-10 through 32 minutes. Villari and Shrader had combined for just one incompletion at that point, emphasizing the advantage gained by efficient passing in their run-first approach.

Yet, the Demon Deacons kept pace. Similar to Syracuse’s passing attack, Wake Forest utilized well-executed fakes to draw in the defense and get receivers open over the middle. The conference foes traded scores for most of the game, right until the end.

Despite his nearly-perfect first half, Shrader’s limitations became clear in the third quarter. On 3rd-and-4 at SU’s 26, Shrader’s short pass got batted into the air by Jacob Roberts, and Nick Andersen intercepted it as it spiraled toward the turf.

On the ensuing possession, Shrader missed two potential deep balls, and one was a surefire touchdown. A rare pass attempt on first down sailed too far inside for Villari, who was sprinting unmarked up the seam. He dove toward it, but the ball was out of reach. Later in the drive, Allen Jr. got open up the seam as well, taking advantage of a well-executed play-action fake. But Shrader missed high.

He made up for these misfires with a teetering completion down the field to Alford that went for 29 yards, followed by a touchdown to Villari. Shrader threw his best pass of the day to Villari, who leapt up to nab it as he crossed the goal line, making it 28-17 Syracuse with a quarter left. Shrader’s three touchdowns are his most since Week 1, and he did it with obvious restrictions.

After Villari’s score, Wake Forest answered immediately with a two-play, 75-yard touchdown drive and a long-winded two-point conversion to bring its deficit down to three.

The two teams continued trading touchdowns in the fourth, and Syracuse struck back through the air. As Hatcher streaked past his defender and toward the right pylon, Shrader’s wobbling ball was well short and inside, but the sophomore receiver adjusted. Wake Forest cornerback Jamare Glasker whiffed on the ball and the tackle as Hatcher walked into the end zone to put Syracuse up by 35-25 with 10 minutes remaining.

Trailing by four, Wake Forest got one last chance at a comeback victory late in the fourth, but Jason Simmons Jr. came up with a goal line interception to seal the game.

There were very few changes in offensive strategy compared to last week. The only difference was improved execution resulting from elite passing efficiency led by a banged up Shrader. The result? Back-to-back bowl games for the first time in a decade.

“He basically did everything he possibly could for us today,” Campanile said of Shrader. “I couldn’t rate his performance high enough for what I know that he’s going through. That was off the charts. I said to him, the level of sacrifice and love he has for his teammates is really clear because of what he went out and did today.”

Published on November 25, 2023 at 5:47 pm

Contact Wyatt: wbmiller@syr.edu