#CuseCamp17: Orange Ready to 'Put the Time In'

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse football team is primed and ready to improve on last season's 4-8 record in Year 2 of the Dino Babers era. Following two months of summer conditioning, the Orange took another step in that direction this weekend as the team reported to preseason camp Saturday for a day of meetings prior to holding its first practice Sunday evening.

Babers, junior quarterback Eric Dungey and senior linebacker Zaire Franklin addressed the media inside the Iocolano-Petty Football Complex this afternoon before hitting the practice field in preparation for the season opener against Central Connecticut State on Friday, Sept. 1 in the Carrier Dome. All three voiced their excitement for the upcoming season and their readiness to be competitive from the outset.

"I cannot wait because we have a bunch of guys coming back and some new guys coming in who can contribute," said Dungey, who set SU sophomore records for passing yards (2,679) and most yards of total offense (2,972) in 2016. "I'm excited for this team and to see what we can do."

The trio each emphasized the need to focus on the little things during camp before they can look at the season as a whole.

"If you want to have that pride and you want to have that smile on your face at the end of the year, you have to put the time in now," said Babers. "You need to work on the little things to be consistently good, not occasionally great."

#CuseCamp17 is underway and we're ready to work. ?????? pic.twitter.com/M2p8qJyxMi
— Syracuse Football (@CuseFootball) July 31, 2017

The 2017 campaign marks the team's second season under Babers, who took the reins of the program in December 2015. Now, a year-and-half later, players are much more familiar with not only the coaching staff but the system as a whole.

"I think, as a team, we are so much more comfortable with him," said Franklin. "He's our head coach and everyone in the locker room is ready to go to work for him this year."

The Orange worked out for nearly two hours on the Schwartzwalder and Katz Practice Fields Sunday. Syracuse will hold 21 more practices from July 31 to Aug. 24 prior to starting their game-week preparation for Central Connecticut State.

Syracuse's roster features 20 returning starters from 2016, the most in the nation. That experience will be put to the test as the Orange gets ready to face one of the most challenging schedules in the country. SU's 12 foes combined for a 95-60 (.613) record in 2016 and six are included in ESPN's "Way-Too-Early" Top 25 for 2017.

Season tickets, partial plans and group tickets for Orange football are on sale now online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B). Season tickets start at $125.

Single-game tickets for all home games are also on sale. Tickets start at $25 for non-conference games against Central Connecticut State, Middle Tennessee and Central Michigan, $30 for ACC matchups with Wake Forest and Boston College, $35 for the Oct. 7 Pittsburgh game on Orange Central Weekend, and $45 for the Clemson game on Oct. 13.

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Syracuse University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Eric Dungey

Zaire Franklin

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