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On the Orange’s second drive, Western Michigan dropped into a cover-three look from their 32. On a go route from the slot, Isaiah Jones split the safeties and Garrett Shrader laid up a jump ball for him. Shrader said his hand was hit on the throw, and he thought it was going to sail into the end zone for a pick.

Jones adjusted to the back shoulder toss just in time to leap above Keni-H Lovely and haul in the catch before crashing down on the opposing corner. Shrader was pleasantly surprised by the catch, but Jones saw it all the way in.

“I kind of knew I was going to do that,” Jones said postgame. “I saw the ball in the air and said, ‘okay, it’s time to go make a play.’”

It took SU just five plays to score from midfield on that drive, and 60% of it came from that chunk of yardage on the first-down heave.

Nobody had more targets from Shrader than Jones. The junior finished with five catches for 86 yards and got stopped on the one-yard line twice, setting up two LeQuint Allen touchdowns. He didn’t replace Gadsden on the field, but he certainly took the majority of the vacated targets. Although three receivers went over 80 yards, Jones’ versatility took his performance over the top.

On the second pass play of the game, Shrader hit Gadsden on a quick play-action fake. After taking the slant for a first down, Gadsden reached for his left ankle in visible pain. The training staff looked at him before helping him off the field. He returned to the sideline minutes later with crutches and a walking boot.

Jones, who suffered a season-ending injury three games into last season, knew exactly how Gadsden was feeling.

“I don’t really know what his situation is, but I can understand what he’s going through, especially since I went through it last year,” Jones said. “I went up and talked to him and told him, anything he needs, I’ll be there for him.”

Jones knew the receivers had to step up. Despite Gadsden being listed at tight end, he’s the leader of that pass-catching unit, and his presence was missed.

“We all know how important O [Gadsden] is to our team, the type of plays he’s able to make for us,” Jones said. “But in that moment, you just have to keep playing.”

On that drive, Jones secured two-straight catches in Western Michigan territory to set up the field goal. The first one was the product of heads-up play. Before the snap, Jones recognized the soft zone coverage and that he’d be open right away.

Looking at Shrader, he gave his quarterback a hand gesture to indicate the opening. Shrader understood. Right after the release, Jones settled in the space and Shrader zipped it to him for an easy 16-yard pickup.

Playing in the slot and out wide has forced Jones to know coverage techniques and tendencies all over the field, which he said helps him get open.

“You gotta know the game,” Jones said. “You gotta be smart. I play inside and out, so I think that one of the strengths of my game is to be able to do both.”

In the second quarter, Syracuse faced a 3rd-and-3 from the Broncos’ 18-yard line. A five-man blitz left holes in the secondary. Jones got open on a post route in the middle and Shrader put it on his chest. For the second time in 15 minutes, the 6-foot-4 wideout was downed at the one. Allen finished the drive with a quick score.

Six minutes later, SU motioned Jones from the outside into the slot. The opposing defensive back, Tate Hallock, didn’t switch with Jones, and both perimeter defenders went with Donovan Brown. Shrader saw Jones open on the drag and hit him over the middle. A trailing Hallock was shrugged off as Jones made his way upfield for a 19-yard gain.

That would end the night for Jones, who exited at halftime with the majority of the starters. After the game, Jones didn’t want to speculate about Gadsden’s injury and what his role could potentially look like with him out long-term.

“I don’t want to talk like that, because in my mind it’s putting negative energy into the air,” Jones said of Gadsden’s status. “I’m just going to hope for the best and whatever happens, we’ll go from there.”

However, Jones wasn’t the only wideout to step up for the Orange. He, Brown and Umari Hatcher all had 80+ yards receiving on at least three receptions.

“Those guys are talented,” Shrader said of the receiver trio. “If you get them the ball, they will take it the distance.”

That said, Jones’ size and varied impact – from contested catches to pre-snap reads – make him the natural choice to fill the void left by Gadsden should he miss time.

Published on September 9, 2023 at 9:36 pm

Contact Wyatt: wbmiller@syr.edu