ACC Game of the Week: Syracuse vs. Florida State Prospect Review

In a matchup between a Syracuse squad looking to build on the momentum it gained going 2-0 in its first two games and a talented, though transitioning Florida State team, the Orange defeated the Seminoles in a historic win for the home team in front of their fans and former players at the Carrier Dome.

Having to deal with an injury to the current quarterback he is in the process of grooming for the NFL, third year head coach for Syracuse Dino Babers — who coached and developed current San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garropolo in college — lead his team to a convincing 30-7 victory over first-year head coach for the Florida State, Willie Taggart. While the Seminoles program is certainly not at the strongest it's been in recent memory, there are a number of talented players on their roster who will play in the NFL. On Saturday, Syracuse showed it too stores a few prospects that  have significant ability with the potential to project to the next level. In the next segment I'll detail some of the performers from both teams who stood out as guys that may soon play on Sundays.

Top Prospect Performances 

Syracuse DE Kendall Coleman, Junior 

Causing issues for the Florida State offensive line seemingly throughout the entire game, Coleman was outstanding off the edge for Syracuse and instrumental in securing the win. The 6'3, 266 pound third-year starter showed his experience through his high-quality technique and hand usage in being able to apply pressure to Seminole quarterback Deondre Francois, finishing with a team-high 2 sacks of the four Syracuse compiled during the game, while also adding another hurry. Displaying a couple of different moves to get to the quarterback, Coleman executed a dip and rip technique on multiple occasions and also swatted away the hands of the offensive tackle before bringing his arm over to clear his path to the passer. 

Syracuse CB Chris Frederick, RS Junior 

Lining up on the perimeter as Syracuse best cover guy, Frederick played a solid game and was as effective as any player in the Orange secondary. The 5'11, 193 pound cornerback did well in disrupting the Seminole wide receivers from getting into their routes when playing up in press coverage, taking away opportunities for throws outside the numbers and up the sideline. His ability to not allow receivers a clean release off the line of scrimmage, allowed him to stay with them once in route and make plays on the ball in the air when thrown his way. As a result he came up with an interception and broke up another pass, both near the sideline in the second quarter, helping Syracuse to jump out to an early lead. 

Syracuse WR Jamal Custis, RS Senior

Despite Syracuse starting quarterback Eric Dungey going down with an injury in the second quarter before not returning to the game following halftime, Custis was on top of his game and presented himself well for backup Tommy Devito. Prior to the end of the first half, Custis made an excellent over the shoulder catch, while getting his foot in-bounds near the sideline for a 13 yard reception to set up a field goal as Syracuse took a 6-0 lead into the locker room. The 6'5, 213 pound pass catcher displayed adept technique out wide in his releases off the line of scrimmage, using his hands well to keep defender off his body and stride into his routes with fluidity. He was most impressive on his 33 yard reception in the third quarter, being able to defeat press coverage, then creating just enough space from the cornerback, while adjusting his body to the ball to haul in another pass near the sideline — this time getting two feet in for the catch. When the ball wasn't thrown his way the big receiver also showed an effective effort as a blocker on the perimeter. 

Florida State LB Dontavious Jackson, Junior

With Syracuse holding the advantage in time of possession, it left Florida State's defense on the field a decent amount of the game. One of the few players to show up consistently for the Seminoles was Jackson who ended with a game-high 14 tackles. The 6'3, 228 pound middle linebacker made quite a few plays coming downhill, stuffing the run between the tackles. Most impressively, he did well in reading the blocks of the offensive line, particularly down on the goal line when he recognized a pulling guard and came up with a stop for no gain on 3rd and goal from the Florida State 2-yard line. In addition to his efforts to stop the run near the line of scrimmage, totaling 2 tackles for loss, Jackson also showed awareness in coverage. Though not credited with an official pass breakup, he made a leaping try to deflect a pass over the middle that resulted in an incompletion and also made a big hit on a receiver to cause him to drop a pass that was in their grasp. 

Florida State DE Brian Burns, Junior

Battling through cramps which obviously affected his mobility in the first half, Burns brought pressure from the edge for Florida State and was able to make plays in the Syracuse backfield. The lean and lengthy 6'5, 235 pound edge rusher exhibited an explosive "get-off" at the line of scrimmage, being able to fly into the Syracuse backfield and play the mesh point of a read option to make a tackle for a loss of 6 on the opening drive of the second half. He also was credited with a sack for a loss of 12 yards just a couple of plays later on 3rd down to force Syracuse to punt. Playing from both a standup/two point stance and with his hand in the ground, Burns displayed the ability to bend around the edge with extreme quickness. When Syracuse tried to throw a quick screen to the sideline, he displayed plus instincts and in addition to his advanced athleticism, reacting quickly to get up high and bat down the pass for an incompletion. For the game the true junior ended with 4 tackles, 3 for loss, 2 sacks, and the one pass breakup.

Florida State WR Keith Gavin, Junior

The primary option for quarterback Deondre Francois when he had time to throw the ball, Gavin ran a few highly-effective routes, compiling 6 catches for 79 yards as the game's leading receiver. The 6'3, 213 pound pass catcher accelerated well at the snap and showed off some quick and sudden footwork when breaking out of routes, particularly when faced against off-covergage. With the ball in his hands he was physical in trying to gain yards after the catch, lowering his shoulder to fight through contact. On the longest reception of the game, Gavin was able to get an inside release of cornerback Chris Frederick and haul in a very tough catch for a gain of 39 yards, with the safety coming from over the top to deliver a hit as he reeled it in. Overall, he displayed a solid combination of size, speed, route running, and physicality for a wide receiver, providing a bright spot in an overall offensive performance that was lacking in other areas.

Additional Game/Player Notes

• Playing opposite Kendall Coleman, Syracuse other junior starting defensive end Alton Robinson also had a solid game, himself. The 6'4, 249 pound prospect displayed significant speed off the edge for the Orange, giving the team a dynamic defensive end duo who made it difficult for Florida State and their quarterback Deondre Francois to develop consistency in the passing game. He totaled 3 tackles, a sack, deflected a pass attempt at the line of scrimmage, and also was credited with a hurry. Both Coleman and and Robinson were helped on the interior by defensive tackle Chris Slayton. Causing fits for the Seminole offensive line, the 6'4, 309 pound redshirt senior rose to the challenge going against center Alec Eberle, a highly regarded player at his position who has the potential to have his name called in the 2019 NFL Draft. Slayton started the initial onslaught of pressure on Francois in the opening drive, getting into the backfield to make contact and impact the pass which helped force an incompletion, resulting in a three and out. His short area quickness was evident in his ability to collapse the pocket from the interior and work in cohesion with Robinson and Coleman on stunts, which worked effectively. He finished the game with a tackle for loss and 2 hurries, officially, but his overall impact positively affected the defense as a whole — defensive line, linebackers, and secondary. 

• Syracuse had a tough matchup itself going against Burns and a few talented defensive tackles for Florida State, including Demarcus Christmas and Fred Jones — two potential 2019 NFL Draft picks. Though their performance wasn't a dominating one, the Orange offensive line did play with better consistency as the game progressed and seemed to wear down the Seminoles upfront, especially in the second half. Left guard Aaron Roberts looked to be the most active of the five Syracuse offensive lineman, often pulling around the other side to create opportunities for those in the backfield. He displayed decent agility and delivered a few key blocks, including getting out in front to help spring a 29-yard gain on a screen pass to running back Dontae Strickland. Roberts also made a dominating block in the second quarter, pancaking a defender to give quarterback Eric Dungey room to run and convert a first down on 3rd and 12. Other Orange lineman were key in the victory as well, with right guard Evan Adams playing with palpable physicality and left tackle Cody Conway improving in his pass protection.

• Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey left the game in the second quarter after taking a late shot to the head which caused blurred vision and having also taken a hit directly to his throwing shoulder, from which he was shown wincing in the aftermath. The senior captain didn't return after halftime, but did display his dual-threat ability prior to exiting the game rushing for 33 yards on 9 carries. Though the yardage may not seem overly impressive, the 6'4, 226 pound prospect ran with a noted since of physicality not typically seen in a quarterback, lowering his pad level upon contact with force against the Seminole defense. Most of his pass attempts were within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, including a few screens, though he was consistent in delivering the ball to receivers to give them room to run after the catch. Overall, Dungey showed command of the offense, communicating well with his teammates and allowing Syracuse to dictate the tempo of the game, getting everyone lined up quickly and managing to get the ball snapped often within or around 10 seconds of the play prior. 

• Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois was under immense pressure in the contest, as has been the case seemingly throughout his college career. His overall stat line (18-36, 178 yards, 1 interception, 4 sacks) isn't likely to open any eyes, but in evaluating the 6'1, 210 pound passer's performance, there were certainly positives to extract from. In spite of being sacked and hit with consistency, Francois didn't deviate from standing in the pocket to deliver passes downfield when the opportunity presented itself. With pressure in his face he stood tall in the pocket and made a couple of passes over the middle of the field with tight windows to find slot receiver Nyqwan Murray for gains of 20 and 16 yards just one play apart, driving Florida State down the field in a 2-minute drill prior to the halftime — though the Seminoles ran out of time after reaching the Syracuse 12 yard line. His mobility was also evident on some RPO's and on a couple of occasions when he was able to feel pressure —showing pocket awareness — and escape potential sacks by moving to his left, giving him a cleaner passing window to throw from.