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Shortly after the Pinstripe Bowl loss to Minnesota last season, Syracuse announced that Garrett Shrader would miss all of spring practice after undergoing surgery on right arm. Shrader was still limited at the beginning of training camp in August, which raised questions about his health entering the 2023 season.

Through two games, he’s thrown for 543 passing yards and four touchdowns, helping Syracuse to a +106 scoring margin. SU led by at least 37 at halftime of each game and Shrader watched the second half of each blowout from the bench. His arm has held up just fine in limited snaps.

Against Western Michigan, Shrader torched zone and man coverage alike with well-placed throws up the seams and some timely scrambling. His consistent, unwavering success is part of the reason why Shrader is the third-highest graded quarterback in the Atlantic Coast Conference through two games, according to Pro Football Focus.

Here’s how Shrader helped put Syracuse up 45-7 against the Broncos at the half:

Umari Hatcher wins mismatch

Syracuse’s offense scored touchdowns on three straight possessions to lead 24-7 at the beginning of the second quarter.

On the first play of the drive, Shrader faked the handoff to LeQuint Allen and looked up to see Umari Hatcher on a skinny post with a step on his defender. Despite heavy pressure from the Broncos, Shrader stood in the pocket and lofted the pass up for Hatcher. He hit the sophomore receiver in stride for a 48-yard gain.

Western Michigan had brought the house and left zero safety help, leaving its defensive backs on islands with physically superior SU wideouts. Shrader recognized that and threw a perfect ball.

After Oronde Gadsden II went down early, Hatcher got his chance and ran with it. He had more catches last game than he did all last year, finishing with five receptions for 83 yards after tallying 100-plus yards versus Colgate in Week 1.

“I’ve always said that Umari is going to come out here and show that he actually belongs out here… and he’s done that last week and this week,” said Isaiah Jones.

Isaiah Jones embraces physicality

On the very next play, Shrader hit a downfield receiver on the seam again, this time against zone coverage. From the opposing 18-yard line, as soon as Jones cut in for the post route, Shrader lofted a pass between the second and third level. Jones leapt up to grab it before he raced down to the one.

From the opposing 32, the Broncos dropped into a zone with three deep safeties. On a go route from the slot, Jones was open right off the release and spun his head around slowly. As soon as he did, Shrader started his throwing motion, but got his hand hit on the deep ball.

After the game, Shrader said he thought it was going to sail over Jones’ head for an interception. Jones had other plans. He adjusted and jumped up backwards so his entire body was above backside defender Keni-H Lovely. Jones then came crashing down on top of Lovely with ball in hand.

Both of these throws split the zone defense perfectly, giving Jones a chance at an airborne catch. He capitalized both times. The seams are where Shrader has succeeded most and new offensive coordinator Jason Beck has helped him continue that pattern.

Shrader’s timely scrambles

Shrader took the first snap of the second quarter for an 18-yard rushing touchdown, bulldozing his way into the end zone. Yet, when Shrader leaves the pocket, it’s not always to run the ball. The dual-threat quarterback uses his scrambling skills to extend passing plays constantly rather than taking easy yardage.

On the first play of Syracuse’s third drive, the Broncos’ four-man rush reached Shrader in a hurry. He slipped off a tackle to escape the pocket to his right. Looking downfield, Shrader saw Donovan Brown streaking down the right sideline. As he approached the white line himself, Shrader hit Brown in stride.

Brown left Western Michigan’s Nate Norris in the dust, scoring an 86-yard touchdown untouched. It was his first collegiate score and put the Orange up 17-7.

This play doesn’t happen without Shrader’s elusive escape. Rather than resorting to a short scramble, he extended the play by moving laterally, close enough to the line of scrimmage to bring the linebacker up.

The physical rushing threat Shrader’s presence provides impacts how the defense reacts when he’s out of the pocket. He had already ran through multiple Broncos for SU’s opening touchdown, making them even more susceptible to being drawn out of position.

Forcing linebackers to step up – whether it’s achieved on play-action, look-off or scramble – opens up space in the middle of the defense. Shrader’s ability to shift coverage is one reason behind his success on extended passing plays. Another skill, which he also displayed on Saturday, is throwing accurately while on the run.

Published on September 11, 2023 at 10:28 pm

Contact Wyatt: wbmiller@syr.edu