The junior knows SU’s rushing attack needs improvement, and he’s putting in the work.
For a football team, balance is one the most important factors coaches look to strike to be effective on offensive or defense and keep opponents on their toes. The best teams in football can beat you on the ground and through the air. While some emphasize one area more than the other, great teams don’t rely on any one method for fear of becoming predictable.
Last season, the Syracuse Orange offense was largely one-dimensional, and struggled throughout the season on the ground. SU averaged less than 120 rushing yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry, while the passing game was contributing over 321 yards per contest.
The offensive imbalance affected its ability to move the ball on third down, and score with any regularity in the red zone — the Orange’s red zone scoring percentage was among the 30 worst in the FBS. Defenses were able to sit back and anticipate what the Orange were going to do.
An injury-plagued offensive line didn’t help the effort last year, but after practice on Wednesday morning, running back Dontae Strickland says he’s taking it upon himself to improve SU’s ground game.
“It starts with me, just getting stronger in the weight room, putting pounds on. Working on my speed, my vision and my cuts to better myself and this team.”
Heading into fall camp, head coach Dino Babers said there was going to be an emphasis on improving SU’s rushing attack (which was a staple of previous Babers offenses). After the first week of fall camp, Babers praised Strickland, the starting running back shouting, “He’s better!” It’s a positive sign for the Orange in 2017.
Earlier this summer, Babers said he doesn’t like to highlight or comment on individuals, so it may be fair to say Strickland had an excellent camp based on all of Babers’s comments on him thus far.
A few months ago TNIAAM asked, can Dontae Strickland rush for 1,000 yards this year? Dontae doesn’t want to put a number on it, but he does have an outlook on the season.
“We just want to get that first victory and move on to the ACC teams that we face,” he said. While 1,000 yards would certainly be great for both Strickland and the Orange. Strickland is keeping his eyes on the bigger picture and letting his play take care of the rest.
“I just want to win and continue build on what Coach Babers wants to create here in Syracuse.”
