Tommy DeVito sprinted down the home sideline toward the end zone. His fists held firm as he pumped them back and forth in celebration. When he reached the end zone, he embraced Eric Dungey, who threw an 82-yard touchdown to give Syracuse a 10-7 lead in the first quarter. He removed his helmet and held onto Dungey for two seconds before he let go and the celebration continued, a similar celebration to what DeVito was on the other end of last week.

After DeVito led Syracuse to an overtime victory last Saturday against North Carolina, in relief of the benched Dungey, it appeared as if Dungey’s reign as a four-year starter may have ended. DeVito dominated as Dungey faded. Syracuse’s leader appeared unseated by the “prodigy,” as DeVito steered the Orange to the brink of a SU’s first bowl appearance since 2013. Something Dungey dreamed of. But when SU head coach Dino Babers chose to go with the veteran Dungey over the red hot DeVito on Saturday night, DeVito was the first one to celebrate with his mentor.

“We’ve been tight throughout the whole situation, always uplifting each other,” DeVito said. “No matter who’s on the field we’re going to be there for each other. Nothing’s going to get between us.”

Following a week where Babers “challenged” Dungey, where he wasn’t the guaranteed starter for the first time since his first game as a freshman, where many called for DeVito to take over the quarterback duties, Dungey produced one of the best games of his career. With a postseason birth on the line, and his dream finally in reach, Dungey played as if his job was never in doubt, leading Syracuse (6-2, 3-2 Atlantic Coast) to a 51-41 victory over No. 22 North Carolina State (5-2, 2-2) and to a bowl game birth for the first time in five years. His 443 yards and four touchdowns vaulted him into first place in program history in total offense, passing Donovan McNabb. Syracuse’s constant threat has been anything but consistent throughout his entire career, making his dominance in Saturday’s win against the Wolfpack that much more noteworthy. His entire career led to this game.

“We’ve been through a lot … A lot of people in the community didn’t really think that we could get to a bowl game,” Dungey said. “But we just believed in ourselves and at the end of that day that’s all that matters.”

The belief began four years ago, when Dungey was thrust into the starting role when Terrel Hunt suffered a season-ending injury minutes into the season-opener against Rhode Island. Dungey, just a freshman from Oregon, took over the signal caller duties, leading SU to a 47-0 win on 134 total yards of offense and two touchdowns.

Quickly, Dungey rose through the SU record books. Despite missing four games due to injury, Dungey broke SU’s freshman single-season passing yards record and threw for 11 touchdowns. The weight of a struggling team rested on the shoulders of a freshman quarterback who struggled to stay healthy.

When Babers took over the program for Dungey’s sophomore season in 2016, the quarterback remained the center of attention. At a men’s basketball game, when Babers was first introduced to the crowd he made a three-word promise: “We will win.”

Over the next two years, that promise tightened the weights on Dungey’s shoulders, and he accepted it. In 2016, Dungey ranked 11th in the nation in total offense and produced a heroic 417-yard, two-touchdown performance against then-No. 17 Virginia Tech. Fans and teammates carried him out of the Dome on national television, lifting him higher, but shining the spotlight brighter. After early struggles in 2017, Dungey and SU shocked the world, stomping on then-No. 2 Clemson at home in a 27-24 win. But injuries in both seasons prevented Dungey from playing down the stretch. Syracuse could not finish the job without its star as two 4-8 seasons of mediocrity came to a finish.

This season had to be different. Dungey had one shot left to return Syracuse to its past heights. One chance to prove he could fulfill Babers’ promise.

Over the first four games of 2018, Dungey dominated, earning a spot on ESPN’s Heisman watch. But after nearly doing the impossible and downing Clemson for a second-straight year, Dungey began to unravel. The following week, Dungey threw an interception in overtime to hand Pittsburgh a win. He let Clemson beat him twice, the entire team did. But Dungey is the leader, it was his job to deliver a win.

Early in the season, Dungey spoke about “annihilating” his opponents. Very quickly that ideology was backfiring on the senior as his play crumbled. After squandering an early double-digit lead against North Carolina last Saturday, Dungey was subbed out for the first time in his career not due to an injury in favor of DeVito. His backup rifled passes down the field, something Dungey couldn’t do throughout the contest. DeVito was heralded as the hero, and Dungey was an afterthought.

“I opened that can because that can needed to be open,” Babers said. “If you have a racing car you can’t drive it like you’re driving Ms. Daisy. We don’t need a chauffeur, you need a racer.”

This past week, Babers refused to reveal a starter. The resulting quarterback competition in practice was the best Babers had ever seen, he said.

“I’ve never seen two archers perform at such a high level,” Babers said. “The offense was absolutely smoking in practice. If it was a racing car, the tires were searing going around the curb.”

Syracuse celebrates after punching a ticket to its first bowl since 2013. TJ Shaw | Staff Photographer

It wasn’t until the first offensive drive started for Syracuse on Saturday that the public knew Dungey would start against the Wolfpack. And then, he reinvented himself.

He ran the offense crisply, throwing deep balls down the field, hitting receivers in stride. When the first quarter came to a close, Dungey had 204 passing yards and two touchdowns. He showed poise in the pocket, rather than looking to create plays with his legs. He had to prove himself to be the passer he believed he could be, the one which the world saw in DeVito last week against North Carolina.

“I said I need to make you mad more,” Babers said. “That guy’s a warrior. When he’s playing like that, there’s nobody better.”

But after SU jumped out to an early lead with three touchdowns, Dungey struggled in the second quarter, prompting Babers to turn to DeVito again for a series, and leaving Dungey sitting on the bench, his eyes aimed straight at the ground.

When SU retook possession, Babers marched toward Dungey, looked him square in the eye and held up a number two. Dungey hopped off the bench, put his helmet on and returned to the field. He thrived.

“He’s like Seabiscuit,” Babers said. “You don’t have to whip him, you just have to show him the whip. Just show him the whip and watch him go.”

When the final buzzer rang, Dungey put forth 443 yards of offense and four touchdowns. He played the game of his life after a week when the future of his career seemed in doubt. After four years of waiting, Dungey finally led Syracuse to a bowl, in a game that may define his career.

Published on October 27, 2018 at 11:01 pm

Contact Matt: mdliberm@syr.edu