Ithaca’s Derfel and Orange Football program among those assisting SU resurgence following down year
Silas Derfel has a unique perspective on the magnitude Syracuse sports have on the Upstate area, as the Ithaca native chose to run cross country at the university following his high school career.
“Syracuse is the Upstate New York college that’s for sure,” said Derfel. “When I committed everyone in Ithaca loved it because Syracuse is our team. They represent us.”
Syracuse has a school-record five fall sports teams concurrently represented in their respective national rankings: Men’s Soccer (#4), Field Hockey (#9), Football (#16), Women’s Cross Country (#15) and Men’s Cross Country (#16). Derfel is proud to be a part of the collective.
“It’s not a coincidence that all of the teams are doing well right now,” said Derfel. “There’s a cultural feeling of success.”
Derfel says roster turnover on the Men’s Cross Country team has sparked new life after a disappointing 19th-place finish at the NCAA Division I Championships in 2021.
“I think guys graduating made the guys on the team step up a bit,” said Derfel. “So far we’ve risen to the challenge.”
Derfel is also looking to forge an individual bounce-back story after a self-proclaimed underwhelming season.
“Last fall was pretty lackluster for me. I didn’t really have any good performances in my opinion,” said Derfel. “So, I went into last winter and spring really looking to ramp up the mileage and prepare myself for fall…Definitely out for a little redemption.”
Derfel and his teammates have closely followed the turnaround of the other teams on campus, including the revival of the Orange football program.
“A ton of guys just went to the football game against NC State,” said Derfel. “We love it when everybody succeeds.”
Nate Mink, a reporter for syracuse.com and FWAA All-America committee AP Top 25 voter, has kept a close eye on Syracuse’s squad over the past several seasons.
“It’s an exciting time,” said Mink. “Certainly, in the football realm, they have not had a start to a season like this in a long time.”
Coming off three-consecutive losing seasons (combined 11-24 record), Syracuse Football’s 6-0 start in 2022 marked its best since 1987. Quarterback Garrett Shrader has been at the forefront of the resurgence in his second year with the Orange.
“When you look at the offensive success of this year’s Syracuse team, what jumps out is quarterback play,” said Mink. “Shrader is up near the tops in the conference in completion percentage and passing efficiency…and he’s a difficult guy for defenses to account for because of what he brings to the table with his ability to extend plays and move the chains with his feet.”
Much of the offensive turnaround can be attributed to personnel changes according to Mink.
“You have to look at the changes they made to the coaching staff in the offseason,” said Mink. “Bringing in an experienced play-caller in Robert Anae and a quarterbacks coach in Jason Beck, who has a track record of taking quarterbacks who may be viewed as ‘damaged goods’ and turning them into very productive players.”
The uniqueness of Syracuse’s overall athletic success following a dry spell should be valued per Mink.
“You’ve got to appreciate these types of seasons when they happen because you don’t know when the next one is gonna be,” said Mink. “To most [fans], I would hope, relishing the exorcism of several down years is relatively gratifying.”
To Derfel, the success has conjured a campus-wide feeling of unity among the athletic programs.
“It’s not just one team carrying the torch,” said Derfel. “It’s everybody together.”
