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AmeriCU Dino Babers Show Returns Thursday - Syracuse University Athletics
The season's first edition of the AmeriCU Dino Babers Show is set to air at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 2, live from Heritage Hill Brewery.
Coach Babers’s show this year show will be Thursday nights at 7PM except when the game is not on a Saturday. This year it will be 90 minutes, with the first hour being with Dino and the last half hour being with a ‘special guest’, who in the past just got a couple minutes at the end of the show.
The show originates from Heritage Hill Brewery in Jamesville:
Heritage Hill Brewhouse
Heritage Hill Brewhouse in Pompey. Handcrafted Beer, Homemade Food & Amazing Views set upon our active crop and animal farm. A family friendly destination that's an escape but close enough to call home.
You can also listen to the show live each week on the Syracuse IMG Sports Network and Cuse.com. Wednesday's show will be on 99.1 FM and 97.7 FM, as well. The show will regularly air on 99.5FM (Syracuse) 99.1 FM (Utica) and 1200 AM.”
You can also get it on: Listen to Free Radio Online | Free Internet Radio | TuneIn
There hasn’t been any change in the phone numbers, which last year were 315-424-8599 (local) or 1-888-746-2873. You can call to ask questions or submit them via Twitter at: https://twitter.com/CuseIMG
#AskDino or through Cuse.com, (the SU Athletic website):
Submit a Question! - Syracuse University Athletics
Submit your question for Syracuse Learfield Sports Network programs.
You can (or could last year, anyway), listen to a podcast of the show, probably the next day, at: Search results for babers | Free Internet Radio | TuneIn
My Question(s) or Comments
First segment question:
“Coach, last week I asked when the show would begin and your team put on quite a show. Your answer last week emphasized the offensive line and you made some changes, moving Airon Servais back to the center position he played in 2018 and bringing Dakota Davis back into the mix. I recall how Matthew Bergeron helped stabilize the line when he moved in two years ago. Are we better off with Airon at center or at tackle and are any of this year’s young guys ready to make a big move?”
Second segment question:
“Coach, I’ve always been an advocate of having two running backs. These days that’s being achieved by turning the quarterback into a running back. I love the play where the quarterback hands off to the running back and has the option of pulling the ball back out to run it himself. But the quarterback and running back have to be on the same page. In the Florida-Alabama game, the running back wouldn’t give the ball back and two point conversion failed. In our game Jarveon Howard had a walk-in and Garrett Schrader pulled the ball away and walked in himself. Jarveon didn’t look very happy about it. How are those two guys getting along?”
The Show
(I sometimes re-arrange the comments so that statements made on the same subject are reported together, even if they came at different points of the show.)
This will be the first of two Friday games and thus the this is the first of two Wednesday shows. The other Friday game is Clemson on October 15th. Dino likes Friday games because “All eyes are on the brand of Syracuse.”
Matt was back and noted that he was the first Syracuse player to have 100 yards rushing and receiving. DB: “It was a break-out game. He works hard but remains humble. I tell him ‘You can’t settle’. He’ll get it done.”
Matt admired the team’s response to the pick-six. DB: “it was a good ball that went through the receiver’s hand. I was disappointed that we didn’t get him down.” They got into talking about whether the quarterback should try to tackle the interceptor. Matt noted that Baker Mayfield had gotten hurt doing that. He recalled that Mike Golic said that he’s intercepted three passes in his career and been tackled by the quarterback each time. Dino said “It doesn’t have to be the quarterback.”
I got through without the usual problems and asked my first question. Dino, as he often does, answered the last part first. He went right to describing Kalen Ellis, the huge Hawaiian freshman. “He’s making the biggest move. He’s already in the 3-4 man rotation at guard. It’s amazing to see the things he can do and will be able to do in the future.” About Airon Servais, he stressed flexibility: “We want to put our best five out there. My son-in-law can play center, guard or tackle and he’s on the practice squad due to his flexibility. From a financial standpoint, that’s the goose that lays the golden egg.” He said that the list of NFL scouts attending this game is the longest he’s ever seen. They are here primarily to see Malik Willis but maybe they will take a look at other players, including Airon Servais, too.
Matt suggested that the main goal is to “build up a reputation you feel comfortable with.” Dino: Someone may be physically better but he has to fit in with the others and be flexible.”
Matt talked about successful SU players in the NFL. Chandler Jones not only tied a record with 5 sacks in the opener but set one with 3 of them in the first quarter. Zaire Franklin ah da big special teams play. He said that that what players learn in Dino’s system doesn’t play off in the NFL but that there are some NFL principles in what he does here. DB: “Our offense is more the NFL than people realize. We use Don Coryell’s vertical deep stretch that he did with the Chargers. Our running game is based on the Redskin’s Hog attack. But we play it a lot faster than they do. I caught a glimpse of a Titans game and saw a play with Travis Henry with the quarterback holding on the backside read.”
Matt brought up the Ravens-Chiefs game and marveled at the talents of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. He repeated the story of John Harbaugh asking Lamar if he wanted to go for it with 30 seconds left on fourth and 1. Dino said “I’m an offensive guy by nature. I always want to go on 4th and 1. He talked about Malik Willis being possibly the first quarterback taken in the draft, calling him “the Lamar Jackson of that program”. Everybody -Hold your crucifixes up!
Dino said “You have to tackle Willis twice” and told a story about when he was at Baylor with Robert Griffin III. The defense had set up a play where a defensive end was supposed to tackle him. Art Briles was dubious. They ran the play. “RGIII, who just missed the Olympics, took 5 steps and the end stook five steps. RGIII stopped and the end stopped. RGIII took off and ran 68 yards for a touchdown”. Here’s hoping that Willis isn’t Lamar Jackson or RGIII.
Matt read off a question from the patrons at Heritage Hill. Johnny wanted to know which player has surprised Dino the most this year. The answer was Duce Chestnut. DB: “Rutgers and Albany went after him. But iron sharpens iron, (and the strongest steel is formed in the hottest fire), so you’re going to wind up with something you can really cut with.” Continuing the metaphor, (sort of), Matt said that, if this were a cooking show, Garrett Williams would be the pre-baked finished product the cook gets out of the oven. Dino said that “Hell be here for two more years”.
Dino said that “Albany was banging. There will be some people who won’t be available to us on Friday and people will say ‘Wow’. But we’ll also be getting some people back and people will say ‘Wow’ to that, too. I think our freshman class, including the redshirt freshmen is really talented. They need time to grow.” Then he mentioned that “Kalen Ellis has already grown up.” So we’ll be seeing more and more of him.”
Matt suggested that Damian Alford and Oronde Gadsden were examples of the freshmen talent we have. Dino tried to douse the flame on Damian, altho9ugh he said he was ‘excited about him…He ran by an FCS cornerback”. He said that Gadsden “looked like he belonged” but that “both have a lot to learn. I can show you the mistakes that get quarterbacks punished.”
Matt dramatically announced that after the next commercial, Dino would announce who his quarterback is. The commercial ended and Dino declined, saying that “Liberty might be listening….I don’t prefer having the competition go into the season but the family, (the team) is OK with it. We’ll every guy in this family to pull off what we’re trying to accomplish. It’s not a bad thing to have your quarterback watch 2-3 series. It’s no different than what’s going on in other sports like basketball.”
On playing a rematch against a non-conference team with virtually everyone back: You very seldom get to watch a tape and see that it’s the exact same guys going against each other. The body mechanics and muscle memory is the same.” Matt suggested that “Liberty is probably better than Rutgers”. He asked about the short week of preparation. Dino: “Players want to play, not practice so they like a short week. But they understand that with practice they can play better.” What will he be doing Saturday with no game to play? “Watching tape of Friday’s game – three times.” Matt pointed out that after that comes Saturday games on the road against Florida State and at home against Wake Forest followed by another short week preparing for Clemson. DB: “It’s going to be an interesting three weeks.”
He still wants the air conditioning turned off. “Fans are staying away because it’s too cold. Make it warmer. Rather than a white out, let’s have a sweat out.” matt noted that the Dolphins normally have an advent age playing in south Florida in September, wearing white to force their opponents to wear dark jerseys. (Not that it helped Sunday.) Dino said that the northern teams have a similar advantage in December, (unless they are in heated Domes) Matt: “Some people don’t enjoy being cold.” Dino: “Some don’t like it hot.” Some do.
On penalties: “We addressed it on Sunday, on Monday and today. We especially can’t afford them against teams that are quote, better, unquote than we are. People think that the best team wins. The team that plays the best wins.” Matt: “The most talented teams have an advantage until the play starts.” He was concerned about the after the play flags. DB: “We need to control our emotions.”