UPDATED: Sept. 10, 2017 at 10:36 p.m.

When Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey slithered into the end zone for the opening score of last week, true freshman fullback Chris Elmore was the first teammate to mob him. Tight end Ravian Pierce, a junior college transfer, threw a block to get Dungey past the pylon.

Pierce was on the field for all six touchdowns scored by the first-team unit, catching one himself after he slipped from a block on the edge from the five yards out. Elmore was out there for four. The two newcomers are not as acquainted with offense as some of their peers who have spent a year in the system, but Week 1 indicated there’s little time for familiarity when Elmore and Pierce can contribute now.

Neither player will rack up big stats, but their presence, as blockers, decoys or targets, could be a catapult for SU’s progress in Year 2. Or it could be nothing more than a test package that stays on the shelf the rest of the season.

Syracuse head coach Dino Babers, who last year used tight ends sparingly and put four wide receivers on the field most of time, didn’t commit to anything this week.

“We want to see how much flexibility we have with some of these other formations,” Babers said. “As the opponents get better and better and better, the younger players may or may not be able to contribute in those games based off of how fast they develop.”

Elmore is listed as the team’s second tight end behind Pierce but was labeled a fullback all summer. Against Central Connecticut State, he shifted between the wing and the backfield and blocked for the halfbacks on handoffs. It did not result in a lot of yardage — running backs Dontae Strickland and Moe Neal combined to average 2.9 yards per carry — but it forced the defense to respect another wrinkle.

Elmore said he’s been working with running backs a bit in practice and will play wherever he’s told to go. He lined up at fullback in high school, when his primary contributions as a defensive tackle were key to Phillips Academy’s (Illinois) state championship. He smiled when he thought about being able to still hit people while playing offense.

The glory days met an abrupt end, though, when Elmore got to SU. The staff told him he had to cut weight and add agility, so he shed 10 pounds before arriving. His six-foot frame now weighs in at 274, he said. But 5 a.m. runs were not expected. He puked on Day 1.

Coaches talked him up the first day wearing pads. “Hey, Elmore, it’s your day. This is why we recruited you,” they said. He had a “chip on his shoulder” and wanted to prove he belonged. Cracking a firm block on senior linebacker Zaire Franklin to spring Strickland for a touchdown in front of the offensive sideline on his first play did the trick. Everyone chirped Franklin. Loudly.

“Oh, you tripping,” Franklin said later. “I’m never going to let a freshman disrespect me.”

Babers told them to run the same play again. Elmore learned results may vary.

“Zaire gave me that welcome-to-college hit,” Elmore said.

Elmore and Pierce have since clicked in the tight end unit, Pierce said. They laugh a lot during positional meetings. Pierce said he is thankful for their bond — and his new team.

Emma Comtois | Digital Editor

Pierce, listed at 6-foot-3 and 237 pounds, came to the Orange by way of Southwest Mississippi Community College, where in two years he caught 77 passes for 733 yards. His former coach there, Cameron Achord, said Pierce provided much-needed big plays — such as hurdling Pearl River’s safety or stiff-arming his way to a 54-yard touchdown against East Mississippi.

Syracuse tight ends totaled six catches last year. Even if Babers convinced Pierce’s closest confidant, his grandmother, that this was the best destination for him, coming north to Syracuse didn’t exactly equate to tight end-heaven for the former Mississippi State commit and Florida native.

“(Babers) told me to believe and just trust him and everything is going to pay off,” Pierce said. “Basically, not to down anyone or anything, but he was telling me last year they didn’t have that tight end they like to use to move around here.”

In one game, Pierce seemed to live up to that mold of versatility. He caught only three passes from Dungey, but one was a touchdown. He sealed the backside defensive end on Strickland’s score and blocked down to the goal line for Neal’s 52-yard trip to the end zone. Pierce said this week the offense didn’t show much of what the playbook has in store for him.

Next comes Middle Tennessee and its defense that should load the box, led by former SU head coach Scott Shafer. The package of Pierce and Elmore could see plenty of snaps again, using their heavy weights to give the Orange offense another dimension before it takes on the Atlantic Coast Conference’s heavyweights.

Published on September 7, 2017 at 10:58 pm

Contact: jtbloss@syr.edu | @jtbloss