Chris Elmore Unavailable For Season Opener, Ohio Without Top Receiver
Syracuse will be without Chris Elmore for the season opener, as first reported by Matt Park. In addition, Park reported that Ohio will be without its top returning receiver Isiah Cox. Details on Elmore's situation were not immediately available, but he was seen on the field with his teammates during warmups in casual attire. Teammates were in helmets, t-shirts and football pants.
It is not all bad news on the injury front for Syracuse. Defensive tackle McKinley Williams was dressed and available. Offensive lineman Dakota Davis was as well. Whether each plays remains to be seen, as each was limited during different parts of training camp. Williams missed all of training camp, in fact.
The loss of Elmore is a big one for Syracuse. He is a versatile player who has spent time at defensive line, fullback, tight end and offensive line during his Orange career. He was named the starting tight end when the depth chart was released earlier in the week.
Without Elmore, it could mean more Maximilian Mang as a blocking h-back type while Luke Benson could see more time as well. Benson, however, was expected to be the primary receiving option at tight end regardless of Elmore's status.
The availability of Williams is significant for the Syracuse defense. Ohio is a physical, power running team. Having on its key cogs in the middle of the defensive line will only help the Orange.
Davis being available provides key depth for the offensive line. Darius Tisdale was listed as the starter on the depth chart, though.
