Spring Practice Notebook: Week 4

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – With spring practice winding down, members of the Orange football team have only a few chances left to demonstrate their mastery of the offense and defense to the coaching staff. One of those opportunities was this morning, as Syracuse held a 105-play scrimmage inside the Carrier Dome. The scrimmage was SU's second of the spring and capped the Orange's fourth week of practice.

"Today was very balanced. I don't know if that's good or bad, that's something we'll find out in the fall," head coach Dino Babers said. "There were parts today where the defense really got after the offense. It was good to see the offense regain its composure and finish things off the right way."

Wide receiver Jamal Custis was one player who put his best foot forward Saturday. The Philadelphia native caught three long touchdowns, including a pair of 40-yard scores from quarterback Eric Dungey. Custis was also on the receiving end of a 35-yard touchdown pass from Zack Mahoney.

Dungey commanded the first-team offense and threw four touchdowns, including three that covered more than 35 yards. In addition to his deep strikes to Custis, Dungey hit Steve Ishmael for a 38-yard touchdown and delivered a shorter scoring pass to tight end Ravian Pierce.

Mahoney and Rex Culpepper took turns helming the second offense. Mahoney finished with one touchdown and no interceptions. He also led a scoring drive that ended with a 50-yard field goal from kicker Cole Murphy.

Moe Neal and Tyrone Perkins scored rushing touchdowns. Neal's trip to the end zone covered 21 yards.

Defensively, linebacker Andrew Armstrong and safety Rodney Williams each had an interception. Nose tackle McKinley Williams, linebacker Adam Dulka and defensive end Jake Pickard registered one sack apiece. Pickard's takedown of Culpepper resulted in a safety.

The Orange practice twice more prior to the 2017 Syracuse Football Spring Showcase, presented in part by Falso Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, on Saturday, April 22 at the Carrier Dome. The event gets underway at 10 a.m.

SPRING SHOWCASE FORMAT SET
Speaking of the Spring Showcase, Babers has determined the format for next Saturday's scrimmage. The scrimmage will consist of four 12-minute quarters (running clock, except for the final two minutes of the second and fourth quarters). The first-team offense will face the second-team defense. The second-team offense will go up against the first-team defense. The offenses will rotate drives, which will start at various points on the field. No official score will be kept. To reduce the risk of injury, any special teams elements won't be live. There will be a five-minute intermission following the second quarter.

SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE FOR ALUMNI YOUTH CLINIC
There is still space available for Saturday's Alumni Youth Clinic, which precedes the Spring Showcase. The clinic is free for kids ages 7-12. Several Orange alums have already agreed to serve as instructors, including Shamarko Thomas, Jay Bromley, Rob Long, Delone Carter, Will Hunter, Dan Conley and Donte Davis.

Register: Cuse.com/2017AlumniClinic

ORANGE SCHEDULE RANKED FIFTH-TOUGHEST BY ATHLON
With conference games versus Clemson, Florida State, Miami and Louisville, and a non-conference road date with LSU, several media outlets have ranked SU's 2017 schedule among the toughest in the land. The latest to judge SU's schedule strength is Athlon Sports, which earlier this week tabbed it the fifth-most difficult behind Maryland, Florida State, Michigan and Oklahoma.

Complete rankings: AthlonSports.com/top25toughestschedules

SPEND YOUR FALL WEEKENDS WITH US
Season and group tickets for 2017 Orange football are on sale now at Cuse.com/tickets and the Carrier Dome Box Office (888-DOME-TIX). Season tickets start at $125, a savings of more than 15 percent compared to single-game prices. Tickets for groups of 15 or more start at $20 per ticket.

This year's campaign begins Friday, Sept. 1 at home against Central Connecticut State. The schedule features seven home dates, including ACC games against Pittsburgh (Oct. 7), Clemson (Oct. 13), Wake Forest (Nov. 11) and Boston College (Nov. 25).

For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).

Syracuse University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Andrew Armstrong

Rex Culpepper

Jamal Custis

Adam Dulka

Eric Dungey

Steve Ishmael

Zack Mahoney

Cole Murphy

Moe Neal

Tyrone Perkins

Jake Pickard

Ravian Pierce

McKinley Williams

Rodney Williams

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