Dino Babers is unable to provide an update on Oronde Gadsden II following Saturday’s injury
SYRACUSE, NY — Whether Syracuse Football will miss one of its offensive stars on Saturday for its road game at Purdue is still up in the air.
Orange coach Dino Papers was unable to provide an injury update on tight end Oronde Gadsden II during his press conference Monday.
He said medical staff will see Gadsden later this afternoon and he expects to know more after that.
Gadsden fell on SU’s second offensive play after moving the chains with a 10-yard catch.
He limped off the field on his own but went into the side tent and then into the locker room with the coach. When he returned several minutes later, he was wearing a shoe on his right foot and was using crutches. He appeared in good spirits on the sidelines.
Pappers declined to say whether an X-ray in the locker room on Saturday showed a break.
“This is kind of personal information, so it’s not something I normally disclose,” Babers said.
Babers said Saturday that Gadsden’s injury was to the opposite foot/ankle that he injured in the final week of fall camp. Gadsden had gone down briefly during media viewing and a coach watched, but played Week 1 and Week 2 until his new injury.
The only indication that Gadsden was unavailable was the addition of an ‘or’ between his and Max Mang’s name in the third week’s depth chart.
Here’s what else came up in Babers’ weekly chat with reporters:
– OTHER INJURY UPDATES: Babers also did not have an update on David Wohlabaugh Jr., who left Saturday’s game after Gadsden with a left foot/ankle injury. He was on crutches on the sidelines. He was also seen on Monday entering the facility in a box. As for Joe Moore (ankle) and Callan Ellis (foot/ankle), Babers said he is “hoping to get some of those guys back.”
– The team’s MVP for Week 2 was quarterback Garrett Schrader, linebacker Brady Dinaburg and linebacker Leon Lowry. Pappers said Lowry changed his body between last season and this season, which has contributed to his success so far this season.
– Bordeaux’s Ross-Ade Stadium is “no joke” and “may be some of the best natural grass,” Babers said. A team spokesperson did confirm midway through the press conference that the field is real grass, which is — Bermuda grass, to be specific. According to home improvement company Lowe’s, Bermuda grass is “known for its ability to withstand challenging conditions, such as heat, drought, foot traffic, and even salinity.”
– Although this week’s game against Purdue serves as a rematch of last year’s thriller, the Boilermakers are a completely different team with a new head coach at the helm. Babers said staff changes usually make preparations more difficult, as the team has to watch film from the previous season’s game but also from the new coaching staff’s previous stops.
– Babers opened his press conference in honor of the September 11 Memorial. He said there is a drill the team does in memory of the tragedy, called “Play Push,” in which newcomers to the team play a 3,000-yard dash — one yard for every life lost that day 22 years ago. The workout is organized by strength and conditioning coach Shawn Edinger, Babers said.
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