Syracuse toppled Louisville 31-7 this Saturday, but lost two key starters in the process.
Syracuse full back, Chris Elmore and linebacker, Stefon Thompson both suffered season ending lower leg injuries in the win over Louisville. Elmore and Thompson are both big presences on the team that head coach, Dino Babers said will be missed immensely. Elmore was a captain this season and the Swiss army knife has played on both sides of the ball in his time in New York. Babers was also impressed with Thompson’s leadership abilities, saying,
“…(Thompson) was right on the edge of becoming a captain for us,”
He continued his praise for the two by stating,
“Both those guys have unbelievable leadership skills, and we expect them to continue to be leaders on and off the football field for this football team throughout the 2022 season.”
It could be the end of Elmore’s college career as he is already in his sixth-year, but Syracuse are looking into his eligibility for next year. Thompson will likely be allowed to redshirt this season, his third-year.
Next Men Up
It seems as though Derek McDonald will be the replacement for Thompson. In his redshirt freshman year at Syracuse, McDonald impressed when he entered the fray on Saturday. He made one tackle for a loss and managed to snag a pick. Chris Elmore could be replaced by the delightfully named Maximilian Mang. The 6’7″ German tight end is in his third year at Syracuse but has seen little action so far. Dino Baber mentioned that Mang is now starting to understand the game a little better which could get him on the field a bit more in Elmore’s absence.
Syracuse travel to Connecticut this Saturday for an encounter against the Huskies. The oddsmakers are not too concerned about the missing starters at this point, making Syracuse 22.5-point favorites.
*Odds courtesy of Bovada
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