SYRACUSE ORANGE NOTES:
OPENING DRIVE
ORANGE FACE MINNESOTA IN BAD BOY MOWERS PINSTRIPE BOWL
• Syracuse will make its first bowl appearance since 2018 when it takes on Minnesota in the 2022 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 29 in Yankee Stadium.
• The Orange tied for third in the ACC Atlantic Division with a 4-4 league record after being picked to finish last on that side of the conference in a preseason poll of media voters.
• Syracuse will play in the Pinstripe Bowl for the third time. The Orange have come away victorious in their previous two trips, including a 36-34 victory against Kansas State in the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl in 2010. Syracuse defeated West Virginia, 38-14, in 2012.
• The Orange and Gophers will meet for the second time in a bowl game. Syracuse defeated Minnesota, 21-17, in the 2013 Texas Bowl.
• The contest will air on ESPN with Wes Durham (PxP), Roddy Jones (analyst) and Taylor Davis (reporter) on the call.
GOING BOWLING
• The 2022 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl marks Syracuse’s 27th bowl game appearance. The Orange have won their last four bowl games and have an all-Ɵ me record of 16-9-1.
• Syracuse’s .635 bowl winning percentage ranks seventh all-time among teams with at least 15 appearances and is the highest for an ACC school.
• From 1989-96, the Orange won seven-straight bowl games. The streak is the seventh-longest in college football postseason history. Florida State owns the record with 11-consecutive bowl-game victories from 1985-96.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
• RB Sean Tucker is the fourth player in program history to rush for more than 3,000 yards in his career.
• Tucker rushed for 125 yards at Boston College, increasing his career total to 3,182. With that performance, Tucker moved into third place
on Syracuse’s all-Ɵ me rushing list.
GAME #13 MATCHUP: MINNESOTA
SERIES HISTORY • Syracuse and Minnesota will meet for the fifth time. The Golden Gophers lead the all-time series, 3-2.
• The squads will meet in a bowl game for the second time. Syracuse defeated Minnesota, 21-17, in the 2013 Texas Bowl. That game was the last
meeting between the two teams.
• The Orange’s win in the Texas Bowl snapped the Golden Gophers’ three-game winning streak in the series.
LAST TIME VS. MINNESOTA
• Syracuse extended its winning streak in bowl games to four with a 21-17 victory against Minnesota in the 2013 Texas Bowl.
• QB Terrel Hunt scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 12-yard run with 1:14 remaining. The game-winning drive as set up by a 70-yard punt return by WR Brisly Estime that gave the Orange the ball at the Minnesota 14.
• Hunt was named the Texas Bowl MVP after completing 19-of-29 passes for 188 yards and rushing for 74 yards and two touchdowns.
• Estime finished with 194 all-purpose yards.
• LB Dyshawn Davis and LB Cameron Lynch led the defense with eight tackles apiece.
MINNESOTA AT A GLANCE
• Minnesota finished the regular season with an 8-4 record, including a 5-4 mark in Big Ten play. The Golden Gophers won four of their last five, including a 23-16 victory over Wisconsin in the regular-season finale.
• Head coach P.J. Fleck is in his sixth year at the helm of the Minnesota program. He earned the Big Ten Coach of the Year Award in 2019 when he led his team to an 11-2 record. Previously, Fleck spent four seasons as the head coach at Western Michigan.
• QB Tanner Morgan started eight of the first nine games but has not played since leaving the Nebraska game with an injury. He has passed for
1,324 yards and seven touchdowns this season. QB Athan Kaliakmanis has started in Morgan’s place. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for his performance against Wisconsin.
• RB Mohamed Ibrahim finished fourth in the nation in rushing yards with 1,594 and second in rushing yards per game with 144.9. In addition,
his 19 rushing touchdowns tied for second nationally.
• LB Mariano Sori-Marin earned All-Big Ten Third Team honors in a vote by the league’s head coaches. He leads the team in tackles (78).
A WIN WOULD …
• Improve Dino Babers’ record to 37-48 as head coach of the Orange.
• Be the fifth-straight bowl win for Syracuse.
• Be the eighth win of the season, which would be the most for the Orange since 2018 and the third time since 2010.
• Give Syracuse its 749th all-time victory (includes 11 wins from 2004-06 that were vacated by the NCAA). The Orange currently rank 22nd on the FBS ledger of winningest programs. Syracuse is one of 32 FBS schools to have accumulated 700+ wins.
ORANGE IN THE APPLE
• This is Syracuse’s 10th trip to Yankee Stadium to play college football. The Orange are 7-2, including a 2-1 record at the new stadium, which opened in 2009.
• The Orange have won four of their last five at Yankee Stadium dating back to their 1963 triumph over Notre Dame at the old ballpark. The streak includes a 36-34 victory versus Kansas State in the inaugural New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
• Syracuse’s 3-0 victory in 1923 against Pittsburgh marked the first college football game ever played at the House that Ruth Built.
• Historically, Syracuse has been successful when playing in pro venues in the greater New York/New Jersey area, boasting a 20-15-2 (.568) combined record in games played in Yankee Stadium (7-2), Shea Stadium (1-0), the Polo Grounds (7-6-2), Giants Stadium (5-3) and MetLife Stadium (0-4).
SAME PLACE, NEW NAME
• Syracuse University and JMA Wireless (JMA) announced a 10-year partnership for naming rights of the University’s iconic on-campus stadium
in May 2022. For the first time since the venue opened its doors in 1980, the stadium will have a new name, only the second in its history—the JMA Wireless Dome, referred to as the JMA Dome.
• The two Central New York organizations, which together employ more than 6,500 people locally, also announced that Syracuse-based JMA will support the Dome’s digital infrastructure transformation by establishing the most advanced connectivity offerings for fans and other users
while at the Dome.
• In April, the University announced it would embark on the next phase of its work to enhance, elevate and expand the stadium experience. In addition to upgrading the entire digital infrastructure, the next phase of renovations includes a complete reseating of the entire venue among other upgrades.
HOME SWEET HOME
• Under Dino Babers, Syracuse is 24-21 at home. Home field success has been a staple at all three of his coaching stops, with Babers’ teams combining to go 42-25 when defending their home field.
• The Orange were undefeated in the Loud House in 2018, going 6-0 in the building. The 2018 campaign was SU’s fourth perfect home season since 1980; the three previous unbeaten campaigns (all 6-0) were in 1987, 1988 and 2001.
ORANGE NAME TEAM CAPTAINS
• Syracuse announced seven team captains prior to the 2022 season.
• OL Matthew Bergeron, LS Aaron Bolinsky, RB Chris Elmore, LB Mikel Jones, QB Garrett Shrader, K Andre Szmyt and DB Garrett Williams were
selected by their teammates as the 2021 captains.
GAME NOTES: TEAM
MISSING PIECES
• Syracuse has used 40 combined different starters on offense and defense in 2022. No team in the ACC has used more than 42 different starters this season.
• Several members of the Orange who were on the depth chart to start the season or were expected to be significant contributors have suffered season-ending injuries this season, including RB Chris Elmore, LB Stefon Thompson, WR Isaiah Jones, DL Terry Lockett, DL Denis Jaquez Jr. and DB GarreƩtt Williams.
• DL Chase Simmons has played in only three games this season, suffering an injury in week four.
• QB Garrett Shrader, OL Kalan Ellis, OL Matt hew Bergeron, OL Chris Bleich LB Mikel Jones, DB Alijah Clark and LB Derek McDonald have missed
at least one game due to injury.
• LB Leon Lowery made his first career start in the regular-season finale at Boston College. He became the 14th player to make his first career start in 2022.
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
• Syracuse finished with a 3-1 record against nonleague foes this season.
• It equals the best mark under head coach Dino Babers. The Orange also posted 3-1 nonconference records in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
• ‘Cuse is 10-5 in its 15 home non-league games under Babers.
• Under Babers, Syracuse has outscored its nonconference opponents in the Loud House, 622-340.
BABERS RISING IN THE RANKS
• The Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl will be head coach Dino Babers’ 85th at Syracuse, which rank as the fourth-most games coached at SU (behind Ben Schwartzwalder – 247, Paul Pasqualoni – 167, Dick MacPherson – 116).
• Babers coached the 137th game of his career at Boston College. In his nine seasons as a sideline leader at Eastern Illinois, Bowling Green and Syracuse, Babers holds an overall record of 73-64 (.533).
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOUR
• The Orange roster features six players born outside the United States, including two from Canada and Germany.
• Syracuse ranks fourth for the most foreign-born players on their FBS roster. Temple leads the nation with nine.
• Redshirt junior Yosuke Sugano is one of four FBS players from Japan. He joins Utah’s Masaki Kudo and Shuhei Mitsumoto and New Mexico’s Ray Iwai.
SHRADER ON THE MARK
• QB Garrett Shrader has been one of the most accurate passers in the nation this season. • He has completed 173-of-266 passes (.650) this
season and ranks second in the ACC in completion percentage.
• Shrader set a single-game school record when he completed all 17 of his passes against Wagner. It marked the first time in school history that a ‘Cuse quarterback with more than 10 attempts completed every one of his passes. Shrader is the only player in the naƟ on to accomplish the feat in 2022.
• His numbers this season are an improvement over his 2021 totals when he completed 123-of-234 passes (.526) for 1,445 yards and recorded a 117.3 passing efficiency.
HOUSE CALLS
• RB Sean Tucker and QB Garrett Shrader have been right at home in the end zone over the last two seasons.
• The duo has combined for 45 TDs when playing with one another (since Shrader arrived in ’21) which is the fourth-highest scoring backfield tandem in program history, through just a year and a half.
• Both rank in the top-15 in rushing touchdowns in program history. Tucker ranks seventh (27) and Shrader 12th (21). Only six players have scored more than 25 rushing touchdowns at SU, with Walter Reyes (45) owning the record.
• Tucker is tied for fifth in total TDs at Syracuse (31).
HIGHEST SCORING BACKFIELD TANDEMS
TDs Players Games (Years)
- 61 Walter Reyes/Damien Rhodes 36 (2002-04)
- 50 Eric Dungey/Dontae Strickland 49 (2015-18)
- 45 Sean Tucker/Garrett Shrader 22 (2021-Pres.)
- 41 Floyd Little/Larry Csonka 20 (1965-66)
TUCKER ACROSS THE CENTURY MARK
• RB Sean Tucker has rushed for 100+ yards in 17 of 33 career games, including five games of the 2022 season.
• He set the school record in 2021 with 100+ yards in seven consecutive games.
• Tucker recorded a career-high 232 yards against Wagner to become the fifth player in program history to rush for 200+ yards in a game twice
during his career.
• Tucker had nine 100+ rushing totals in 12 games in 2021, which is a single-season school record.
• He ranks second on ‘Cuse’s leader list for career 100-yard rushing games.
Most Career 100-Yard Games
No. Player Years
- 22 Joe Morris 1978-81
- 17 Sean Tucker 2020-PRES.
- 15 Larry Csonka 1965-67
GAME NOTES: OFFENSE
AND HE CAN CATCH
• RB Sean Tucker has shown his versatility again this season, ranking as one of the team’s top receivers.
• His 36 catches rank second on the team, while his 254 yards receiving are fourth on the squad.
• Tucker has 622 career receiving yards, which rank fourth all-Ɵ me among Syracuse running backs.
• He had one catch against Boston College, increasing his career total to 64. That total ranks third on Syracuse’s record list for receptions by a running back.
1000/250 MAN
• RB Sean Tucker rushed for 125 yards against Boston College to increase his season total to 1,060.
• He becomes the first Syracuse player to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons since Delone Carter (2009-10).
• In addiƟ on, Tucker is the fi rst player to rush for 1,000 yards and have 250 yards receiving in consecutive seasons in program history.
GADSDEN SETS NEW STANDARDS
• TE Oronde Gadsden II switched to tight end from wide receiver prior to the 2022 season and he has recorded the most productive season for a tight end in program history.
• He set the single-season school record for both receptions (54) and receiving yards (891) by a tight end.
• Gadsden also set the standard for a ‘Cuse sophomore for receiving yards, while his 54 catches rank second on the school record list for receptions by a sophomore.
HOLDING ON TO THE BALL
• Syracuse has just 12 turnovers this season. The Orange rank 15th in the nation and second in the ACC in turnovers lost.
• Last season, Syracuse had 13 turnovers, which ranked second in the ACC and 21st in the nation.
• ‘Cuse has finished in the top five in the ACC in fewest turnovers lost in three of the last four years.
CONTINUING A TREND
• TE Oronde Gadsden II needs 109 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the season.
• He would become the fourth player to record 1,000 receiving yards in a season in the Dino Babers era.
• The group includes Amba Etta Tawo (1,482 in 2016), Steve Ishmael (1,347 in 2017) and Trishton Jackson (1,023 in 2019).
GADSDEN BREAKING OUT
• TE Oronde Gadsden II is a major part of Syracuse’s off ense this season. His 54 catches and 891 yards receiving lead the team.
• Gadsden was added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List on November 2.
• He is tied for sixth in the ACC with six receiving touchdowns. The sophomore also ranks sixth in the league in receiving yards (891) and receiving yards per game (74.3).
• Gadsden is one of only five pass catchers in the ACC with four or more 100-yard receiving games this season.
• His first 100-yard receiving day came against Purdue when he recorded 112. It marked the first Ɵ me Syracuse has had a WR or TE with 100+ yards receiving since Taj Harris against Rutgers in 2021.
• He recorded 107 yards receiving against Virginia, making him the first Orange receiver or tight end with back-to-back 100+ yards receiving games since Nykeim Johnson in 2018.
• Gadsden has two multiple touchdown games this season. His second TD catch against Purdue with seven seconds remaining was the game winner.
LEADER OF THE PACK
• RB Sean Tucker led the Orange in rushing for a third-straight season.
• He becomes the first player accomplish the feat since David Walker from 1990-92.
• Tucker would become just the fifth player in modern era to lead the squad in rushing three-consecutive seasons, joining the list that includes Ernie Davis (1959-61), Joe Morris (1978-81), Jaime Covington (1982-84) and Walker.
PROTECTING THE POCKET
• Syracuse has 10 players on its roster in 2022 that started a game at offensive line at the FBS level: Carlos Vettorello (43), Matthew Bergeron (39), Dakota Davis (36), Chris Bleich (26), Darius Tisdale (17), Kalan Ellis (13), Enrique Cruz (4), Josh Ilaoa (2), Jakob Bradford (1) and FB Chris Elmore had started eight games at offensive guard in 2020.
• The four returning starters on the offensive line ranked sixth for the most at the FBS level.
• The Orange’s 163 combined total offensive line starts on its roster Ɵ e for ninth in total starts at the FBS level.
• In addition, the 197 combined games played by the five starters is ninth at the FBS level.
• The unit was instrumental in ‘Cuse’s ground game last season, which ranked 16th in the nation, averaging 213.5 yards per game.
VAN WILDER
• WR Devaughn Cooper is the first known FBS player to catch a pass in seven-straight seasons after catching four passes in the season opener.
• Cooper’s career includes stops at Arizona (2016-18) and UTEP (2019-20).
• He medically redshirted as a true freshman in 2016 and earned another redshirt season after the rule change that a player could play in four games and redshirt. Cooper also earned an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Cooper is one of 23 FBS players who are competing in their seventh or eighth season in 2022.
GAME NOTES: OFFENSE
DUAL THREAT
• QB Garrett Shrader recorded his seventh rushing touchdown of 2022 at Wake Forest, increasing his Syracuse total to 21.
• He now ranks 16th on the ACC’s career list for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
• Shrader also moved into a Ɵ e for 12th place on the Orange’s career rushing touchdown list, a spot already manned by Malcolm Thomas (1993- 96).
• Shrader enters the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl ranked eighth in career touchdowns responsible for at Syracuse, with 45 despite starting just 20 games at SU.
• He is sixth in the ACC in points responsible for per game (13.3).
• Last season, Shrader became just the third Syracuse quarterback since 1979 to post back-to-back 100-yard rushing games (Florida State, Wake
Forest). Bill Hurley was the first to accomplish the feat in 1979 (Northwestern, Washington State), while Eric Dungey matched Hurley’s performance in 2017 (Miami, Florida State).
• Shrader has two of the top 21 ACC quarterback single-game rushing performances of all-Ɵ me.
HOT STARTS
• The Orange have outscored their opponents, 92-57, in the first quarter and have only trailed three times after the first 15 minutes of play.
• ‘Cuse owns a first-half margin of 183-125 across all 12 games thus far. The Orange have taken the lead to the locker room in six of the 12 games in 2022.
CAPTAIN COMES UP BIG
• QB Garrett Shrader has been at his best when the game is on the line.
• In now 20 starts at Syracuse, Shrader has engineered five game-winning or game-tying drives that have been capped with a score in the
contest’s final 90 seconds of regulation.
• Shrader has had seven chances to do so in a Syracuse uniform and presented ‘Cuse with a scoring opportunity six of the seven. SU has won
five of those seven. A missed, game-tying field goal against Clemson in 2021 and an interception in the final minute against the Tigers in 2022 are the blemishes.
• Shrader’s 11-play, 62-yard drive that set up the go ahead field goal with 1:14 remaining against Virginia marked the second game-winning drive in as many weeks. He orchestrated a 50-second, 50-yard TD drive to win against Purdue. In 2021, the Orange kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired vs. Liberty, drove 94 yards for a touchdown to send the game to OT vs. Wake Forest, and Shrader hit Damien Alford on a 46-yard go-ahead score with 19 seconds left at Virginia Tech as well.
THE MOB
• The Syracuse defense has adopted the “Mob” as its moniker this season. Players in the mob wear black wristbands with the letters “ATB” on them, which stands for aƩ ack the ball.
• Each week, Mob Awards go to players who have made exceptional plays, hits or done things that don’t show up in the box score.
• DL Caleb Okechukwu, DB Ja’Had Carter and LB Marlowe Wax launched The Mob podcast last week, which can be found on Syracuse Athletics’
YouTube page in video form and some mainstream podcast networks such as Spotify.
HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
• Syracuse’s defense has been steadily improving since the start of the 2021 season.
• Since the start of the 2021 season, the Orange have held their opponents to less than 400 yards 18 times. Only Clemson (20) has done it more
times among ACC teams, while NC State has done it 18 times as well.
• Overall, Syracuse ranks 29th nationally in total defense, allowing 338.1 yards per game.
Defense Comparison
National ACC
Year Total Yards Allowed Rank Rank
2022 338.1 29 5
2021 330.3 19 2
2020 463.9 112 15
2019 464.1 115 13
TAKETH AWAY
• Syracuse recorded two fumble recoveries against Boston College, increasing its season takeaway total to 19.
• The Orange have more than doubled last year’s total number of forced turnovers (7).
• ‘Cuse has registered at least one takeaway in 50 out of 70 games, dating back to the 2017 season finale against Boston College.
• In all, Syracuse has gained 106 turnovers (48 fumble recoveries, 58 INTs) during that time, an average of 1.5 per contest.
• The Orange had the third-most takeaways in the FBS in 2020, with 24, finishing in the top-12 nationally in the statistic for the third-straight season. Syracuse ended up third in 2018 (31), 12th in 2019 (25) and third in 2020 (24).
EVERYONE TAKES IT AWAY
• Thirteen different players have recorded a forced fumble or interception this season.
• LB Marlowe Wax, DL Caleb Okechukwu and LB Anwar Sparrow have each forced two fumbles, while DB Ja’Had Carter leads the team with three
interceptions.
DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS
• Syracuse has three defensive touchdowns this season, which Ɵ e the Orange for 10th in the nation.
• DL Caleb Okechukwu had an interception return vs. Purdue and sophomore DB Duce Chestnut had a pick six in Syracuse’s win against Wagner. DB
Ja’Had Carter picked up a fumble and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown against Clemson.
• Okechukwu was the first Orange defensive lineman to return an interception for a touchdown since Donnie Simmons did so against Wake Forest in 2015.
• The three defensive touchdowns match Syracuse’s total from 2020 for the most under the direction of head coach Dino Babers.
GAME NOTES: DEFENSE
TURNOVER TALE
• ‘Cuse has won the takeaway battle in 32 of its last 62 games (10 of the remaining 30 were even).
• Syracuse has ranked in the top-15 in turnover margin in three of the last five seasons.
• Since the start of the 2018 season, Syracuse’s 106 takeaways tie for 10th among FBS schools.
• Last season, the Orange caused seven turnovers in a season in which they recorded 37 sacks, which tied for the fourth-highest total in program history.
Turnovers Gained (Since start of 2018)
Rk. Team Takeaways
- Clemson 119
- Iowa 117
- CincinnaƟ 114
- Middle Tennessee 112
- Illinois 111
- UCF 109
- Alabama 108
- App. State/Troy 107
- Syracuse/Louisiana Tech 106
JONES LEADS THE WAY
• LB Mikel Jones has led the Orange in tackles the past two years and ranks second this season (84).
• He will try to become just the fourth player since 1978 to lead Syracuse in tackles in three-straight seasons. The others to accomplish the feat are Jim Collins (1978-80), Tony Romano (1981-83) and David Bavaro (1987-89).
• Jones, who has been named ACC Linebacker of the Week twice this season, recorded a season-high 15 tackles against Notre Dame for his 11th career 10+ tackle performance.
WAX ON, WAX OFF
• LB Marlowe Wax has emerged as a leader on Syracuse’s defense this season.
• He leads the team with a career-high 89 tackles.
• Wax also is tied for the top spot in TFLs with 10.5 and forced fumbles with two.
• He recorded his first career blocked kick when he blocked a PAT against Purdue.
• Wax has reached double figures in tackles in four games in 2022.
BREAKIN’ UP IS HARD TO DO
• DB Garrett Williams had a pass breakup against Virginia, increasing his career total to 23. He moved into a Ɵ e for eighth place on Syracuse’s career leader list with his performance against the Cavaliers.
• Williams has tied for the ACC lead with 10 pass breakups in each of the past two seasons.
• He also led the ACC in passes defended as a redshirt freshman in 2020 with 12.
RETURN LEADERS
• Syracuse ranks second in the nation and leads the ACC in kickoff returns, averaging 26.6 yards per return.
• WR Trebor Pena leads the ACC in kickoff returns, averaging 28.3 yards per return and ranks third in punt returns (8.2 yards per return).
MINNESOTA GOPHERS NOTES:
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
RV/RV Minnesota (8-4, 5-4 B1G) makes its 23rd all-time bowl appearance on Thursday, Dec. 29, when it faces Syracuse (7-5, 4-4 ACC) in the 2022 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. The game will be held at Yankee Stadium at 1 p.m. with ESPN televising and radio coverage provided by ESPN Radio and KFAN.
Minnesota has a pair of All-Americans in center John Michael Schmitz and running back Mohamed Ibrahim. Schmitz was named a first-teamer by the AP and FWAA and a second-teamer by the AFCA and Walter Camp. He’s the first Gopher to be a First-Team All-American since Antoine Winfield Jr. in 2019 and the first such offensive lineman since Greg Eslinger in 2005. A finalist for the Rimington Trophy, Schmitz anchored an offensive line that featured four new starters and helped pave the way for the nation’s No. 11 rushing offense, as the Gophers ran for 218.2 yards per game. Minnesota also ranks 17th in sacks allowed at 1.08 per game and tied for 23rd in the nation in tackles for loss per game allowed at 4.33. Ibrahim, meanwhile, has been tabbed to the second-team for the AFCA, AP, FWAA and Walter Camp teams. This is the second time in his career that Ibrahim has been named an All-American by the AP, as he was a Third Team selection in 2020. Eslinger (2004-05) was the last Gopher to be an All-American in multiple seasons for Minnesota. Ibrahim, who played in 11 games, finished fourth in the nation in rushing yards at 1,594 and second in the country in rushing yards per game at 144.9. He tied for second in the nation with 19 rushing touchdowns and tied for third in scoring with 10.4 points per game.
Minnesota boasts one of the best and most well-rounded defenses in the nation under defensive coordinator Joe Rossi. The Golden Gophers rank fifth in the country by allowing 279.5 total yards per contest. They also have the No. 4 defense in terms of scoring (13.3 ppg), No. 8 in passing yards allowed (173.7) and the No. 15 rush defense (105.8). Minnesota, Air Force, Illinois, and Iowa are the only teams in the FBS that rank in the top 20 in each of those categories.
The Golden Gophers are 10-12 in their history in bowl games, but they have won five straight bowl contests, including all three appearances under head coach P.J. Fleck (2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl, 2020 Outback, 2018 Quick Lane). The five-game bowl winning streak is the second longest active streak in the country. Only Alabama (excluding national championship game appearances) has a longer streak with seven straight wins.
The 2022 campaign is the sixth for head coach P.J. Fleck at Minnesota, where he holds a record of 43-27. He is already fifth in program history for wins and sixth in Big Ten wins (26) and games coached (70). Fleck’s .614 win percentage is third best among the 11 Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, ‘45-50). In his 10th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 73-49 (.598).
FACING SYRACUSE
Minnesota and Syracuse meet for the sixth time at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. The Golden Gophers lead the all-time series 3-2, though the Orange won the only previous matchup in a bowl game, a 21-17 win in the 2013 Texas Bowl.
All five previous games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less. In fact, the scoring margin stands at just two points as the Orange hold a slight lead at 111-109.
The only ACC team Minnesota has faced more than Syracuse is Pittsburgh, whom the Golden Gophers have squared off with 12 times with from 1933-92 and gone 9-3 against.
Minnesota is facing an ACC opponent for the first time since defeating Georgia Tech in the 2018 Quick Lane Bowl. All-time, the Golden Gophers 15-7 all-time against teams currently in the league.
Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck has not faced Syracuse before, nor has Orange head coach Dino Babers taken on the Golden Gophers. However, the coaches are 1-1 against each other from their time in the MAC when Fleck was at Western Michigan and Babers helmed Bowling Green from 2014-15.
Minnesota has one New York native on its roster in redshirt junior long snapper Austin Sullivan. He’s from Slate Hill and attended Minisink Valley High School. Slate Hill is about 70 miles northwest of The Bronx and roughly 200 miles southeast of Syracuse.
Syracuse has one Minnesotan on its roster in redshirt sophomore OL Jakob Bradford from Brooklyn Park and Park Center High School.
Fleck worked with Syracuse special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012 when Fleck was wide receivers coach and Ligashesky was special teams coordinator/safeties coach.
Gophers co-defensive coordinator/cornerbacks coach Paul Haynes was a graduate assistant at Bowling Green in 1994 when Ligashesky worked there as linebackers coach and special teams coordinator.
Minnesota offensive line coach Brian Callahan was the OL coach at Eastern Illinois from 2010-12. Babers’ first year as the Panthers’ head coach was 2012, while Orange running backs coach Mike Lynch coached EIU wide receivers in the 2010-11 seasons and running backs in 2012.
Syracuse defensive passing game coordinator/safeties coach Nick Monroe is from Mahtohmedi, Minn., and played at St. Cloud State from 1997-01.
Minnesota Athletic Director Mark Coyle was the Syracuse AD from 2015-16 and hired Babers as the Orange’s head coach following the 2015 season.
Syracuse finished the regular season with a 7-5 record overall and a 4-4 mark in the ACC. The Orange finished tied for third in the ACC Atlantic division.
The Orange started the season 6-0, just their third time doing so since 1935. They got as high as No. 14 in the AP rankings, but a 27-21 loss to Clemson on Oct. 22 started a stretch of five straight losses. Syracuse ended the season with a win over Boston College.
Minnesota and Syracuse played one common opponent this year in Purdue. The Gophers lost at home to the Boilermakers, 20-10, on Oct. 1, while the Orange won their matchup in Syracuse, 32-29, on Sept. 17.
Garrett Shrader has completed 173-of-266 passes for 2,310 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions for a QB rating of 154.56 in 11 games for Syracuse. He also rushed 136 times for 415 yards and seven scores, making him the team’s leading rusher heading into the game with Sean Tucker opting out and declaring for the NFL Draft.
The receiving corps is led by Oronde Gadsden II, who has team highs in receptions (54), receiving yards (891) and touchdown catches (6).
Defensively, Marlowe Wax leads the team with 89 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss, and he’s added 4.5 sacks, one pass breakup, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a blocked kick.
Caleb Okechukwu is not far behind Wax with his team-leading 7.0 sacks to go with 10.0 TFLs, while Mikel Jones has 84 tackles, 7.0 TFLs and 4.0 sacks.
In the secondary, Garrett Williams leads active Syracuse players with two interceptions, while Jason Simmons, Jr., has seven pass breakups to lead the squad.
LAST TIME VS. THE ORANGE
With assistance from the AP: Minnesota rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to take a three-point lead in the 2013 Texas Bowl, but Syracuse came back late for a 21-17 win.
Syracuse led 14-3 entering the fourth quarter before Mitch Leidner threw two touchdown passes and a 2-point conversion to put the Golden Gophers up 17-14.
Minnesota cut it to 14-9 when Maxx Williams got in front of two defenders for a 20-yard touchdown reception from Leidner on the first play of the fourth quarter. Minnesota attempted a 2-point try, but Leidner was sacked.
The Gophers took their first lead of the game when Syracuse bit on a play-action fake that left Drew Wolitarsky wide open for a 55-yard touchdown that made it 15-14 early in the fourth quarter. Leidner then hit Mike Henry for the 2-point conversion to push the lead to 17-14.
Syracuse attempted a 45-yard field goal with about 3 1/2 minutes left, but it sailed wide right. Robert Welsh sacked Leidner on third down on the next drive to force a punt and set up the winning drive.
Terrel Hunt scrambled 12 yards for a touchdown with 1:14 remaining to lift Syracuse to the victory and win the Most Valuable Player award. He finished with 188 yards passing and 74 rushing with two scores.
After the Orange regained the lead, Minnesota attempted two long passes to the end zone on the final plays. The first slipped through Wolitarsky’s arms and the second, as time expired, was knocked down near the end zone.
Leidner finished with 205 yards passing, Williams had five receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown and Wolitarsky had 94 yards receiving and a score.
Syracuse took a 7-0 lead when Jerome Smith scored on a 1-yard run early in the second quarter. The Orange used a 5-yard touchdown run by Hunt to push the lead to 14-3 with about three minutes left in the third quarter.
Minnesota cut it to 7-3 on Chris Hawthorne’s 41-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
MEMORABLE WINS VS. SU
Sept. 22, 2012: Donnell Kirkwood rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns and the Minnesota defense forced four turnovers in a 17-10 victory over Syracuse in front of a sellout crowd at Huntington Bank Stadium. Max Shortell threw for 231 yards in place of injured starter MarQueis Gray as the Gophers improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2008.
Sept. 5, 2009: Eric Ellestad kicked a 35-yard field goal in overtime to give Minnesota a 23-20 road victory over the Orange in the season opener. Trailing 20-14 at halftime, Ellestad kicked two field goals in the second half to force overtime, and a Nate Triplett interception in overtime helped lead to the game-winning kick. The victory spoiled the debut of Syracuse QB Greg Paulus, who made his collegiate debut after four seasons of playing basketball at Duke.
Sept. 21, 1996: Two Adam Bailey field goals in the final 5:23, including the winner with 42 seconds left, lifted Minnestoa to a 35-33 victory over No. 23 Syracuse and star QB Donovan McNabb. Minnesota was aided by Tyrone Carter, who scored on fumble returns of 63 and 20 yards on consecutive possessions in the third quarter.
BOWL HISTORY
As mentioned on Page 1 of the notes, Minnesota is 10-12 all-time in bowl games.
This year will mark the first time Minnesota has played in the Pinstripe Bowl, the 14th different bowl in which the Gophers have appeared.
The Golden Gophers are 5-8 all-time when playing in a bowl game for the first time.
THURSDAY FOOTBALL
The 2022 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl is being played on a Thursday. The Gophers are 19-10 all-time in program history on Thursdays, though they’re 0-4 in bowl games on Thursdays.
Minnesota has won five of its last six games on the day and is 4-1 under P.J. Fleck on Thursdays.
The Golden Gophers opened this season with a 38-0 win over New Mexico State on Thursday, Sept. 1. Coupled with the Pinstripe Bowl, it’ll be the third time in program history that they’ll play two Thursday games in one season. The other instances came in 2014 with a season opener
against Eastern Illinois and Citrus Bowl vs. Missouri, as well as in 2002 when Minnesota played on consecutive Thursdays in October due to conflicts with Minnesota Twins playoff games.
The Gophers have a .661 winning percentage in their history when playing on days other than Saturday, going 56-28-3. Under Fleck, it is 9-3 on non-Saturdays.
LAST BOWL: 2021
GUARANTEED RATE BOWL
With assistance from the AP: Ky Thomas ran for 144 yards and a touchdown, Mar’Kiese Irving added 129 yards rushing and Minnesota shut down West Virginia on defense to win the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl, 18-6.
Thomas and Irving carried most of the load offensively against West Virginia, accounting for 273 of Minnesota’s 358 total yards.
The Gophers overwhelmed the Mountaineers defensively, holding them to 206 total yards to win their fifth straight bowl game, third under coach P.J. Fleck.
The Mountaineers finally clicked a little in the second quarter, moving 75 yards in 12 plays. Jarret Doege capped the drive by diving for the pylon on 4th-and-goal from the 1. They were moving the ball again later in the second quarter before Doege threw an interception at Minnesota’s 14-yard line by Michael Dixon.
West Virginia couldn’t get anything going against Minnesota’s defense in the second half, crossing midfield only once while being held to 79 yards.
Daniel Faalele, the 6-foot-9, 380-pound offensive lineman, lined up at fullback, took the handoff and bulled his way into the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown. Minnesota threw in a fake extra point for good measure, going up 8-0 \after converting the 2-point conversion.
Thomas put the Gophers up 15-6 at halftime, scoring on a 5-yard run two plays after bursting up the middle for a 50-yard gain.
IN THE POLLS
Minnesota ended the regular season receiving votes in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll. The Golden Gophers rank 11th among those receiving votes in the AP Poll and 10th for the Coaches.
The bowl game will mark the 10th time in 13 games this year that Minnesota was ranked or receiving votes. The Gophers have gone 5-4 in those previous nine games.
Three of Minnesota’s four losses this year have come against teams currently ranked in the two major polls. Penn State checks in at No. 9 in the AP Poll and No. 7 in the Coaches, while Illinois and Purdue are receiving votes in both polls.
Minnesota was receiving votes in the AP Preseason Poll. 2022 is the 11th season that Minnesota can make that claim, including three of the past four years, according to CollegePollArchive.com. The Gophers are looking to start and finish the year in the AP Poll for the second time in program history, also doing so in 2019.
SUCCESS ON 3RD DOWNS
Minnesota is one of the top teams in the country this year on both sides of the ball on 3rd downs. The offense is second in the FBS in conversion percentage, while the defense is second in opponent conversion rate.
Minnesota’s offense has converted 82 of 156 3rd downs for a 52.56 percent success rate. For context, Washington (57.06%) is the only other team higher than 52 percent and there are only eight teams total above 50 percent in the FBS this year.
The Gophers have converted on better than 63 percent of third downs in five of their 12 games this year, including a season-best 86.7 percent (13-15) versus Colorado.
On the other side of the ball, Minnesota has allowed opponents to convert just 39-of-149 third downs, 26.17 percent. Marshall (23.43 percent) is the only team with a better rate than the Gophers, and only 10 FBS teams total are under 30 percent on the season.
The 39 conversions allowed are tied for the fewest in the nation with Air Force, while the 149 3rd downs faced are the ninth fewest.
Penn State has had the most “success” against Minnesota this year by converting 5-of-11 3rd downs (45.5%). Otherwise, Illinois was 6-of-17 (35.3%), Wisconsin was 5-of-16 (31.3%), Purdue was 4-of-14 (28.6%), Iowa and Nebraska were 3-of-11 (27.3%), Michigan State was 2-of-8 (25.0%), Northwestern was 3-of-12 (25.0%), New Mexico State was 2-of-9 (22.2%), Rutgers was 2-of-10 (20.0%), Colorado was 1-of-12 (8.3%) and Western Illinois was 1-of-13 (7.7%).
EXTRA EFFICIENT
According to BCFToys.com, Minnesota is one of the most efficient teams this year in regards to points per drive, net available yards and net yards per play.
Ratings and supporting data on BCFToys is calculated from the results of non-garbage possessions in FBS vs. FBS games.
Minnesota’s offense averages 2.44 points per drive, 52nd in the FBS, while the defense is seventh at 1.35. That net rating of 1.09 points per drive ranks 15th.
Available yards percentage is calculated by dividing drive yards earned by available yards measured from starting field position to end zone.
The Gophers rank 39th offensively in available yards percentage at .518, while the defense is No. 13 at .360. That gives them a net percentage of .158 that sits 13th among FBS schools.
Minnesota also ranks 71st in offensive yards per play at 5.65, while the defense is 11th in the FBS at 4.78. The net difference of 0.87 puts the team 23rd in the FBS and 14th in the Power 5.
EXPLOSIVE RUNS PUSH OFFENSE
Minnesota has 174 plays from scrimmage this year that have gained at least 10 yards. Of those plays, 83 have been rushes of 10+ yards, tied for 16th most in the country, and nearly 48 percent of the team’s big plays.
Mohamed Ibrahim is responsible for 46 of those 83 runs to rank third in the country for runs of 10+ yards. His 10 runs of 20+ yards ties for 29th in the FBS and his five runs of 30+ is tied for 25th nationally.
