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Third Down Conversions Have Been Key to Syracuse's Offensive Resurgence

The Orange has shown drastic improvement in a key statistic.
Mike McAllister|
Third Down Conversions Have Been Key to Syracuse's Offensive Resurgence
Third Down Conversions Have Been Key to Syracuse's Offensive Resurgence

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Syracuse Orange

Syracuse football is averaging nearly 40 points per game and has been one of the more efficient offenses in the ACC through two weeks of action. The improvement of quarterback Garrett Shrader has been a key element to that production, as has the play of the offensive line. All of that has led to improvement in one key area that has allowed the Orange to put up points in the first two games of the season. Third down conversions. 

Thus far in 2022, Syracuse is converting 54.6% of its third downs. That is good for 19th in the country and fourth in the ACC. An impressive statistic in its own right that becomes even more impressive when you compare it to the Orange's futility in 2021. 

Syracuse converted 32.9% of its third downs last season, which was last in the ACC and outside of the top 100 nationally. The inability to sustain drives directly impacts the ability to score. It sounds simplistic, and it is, but it is also reality. 

In the opening drive against UConn, Syracuse converted three third downs on its way to a touchdown. Against Louisville, the Orange had multiple touchdown drives that featured at least one third down conversion. 

For Syracuse to continue to be one of the best offenses in the conference, it must continue to convert third downs at a high rate. 

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Mike McAllister
MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting.  EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans.  After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years.  Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports.  Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College. 

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