BananaStock/Thinkstock(SYRACUSE, N.Y.) — On the first day of a new era of Syracuse football, quarterback Eric Dungey was brought to tears before the game even kicked off.
Dungey started seven games as a true freshman last season, and earned the starting job for the Orange under new head coach Dino Babers. Looking to show he could handle the up-tempo style offense Babers is known for — an offense that resembles the Baylor offense that Babers helped create as an assistant coach to Art Briles — Dungey had plenty on his mind ahead of the season opener against Colgate. But when he got off the team bus and walked into the Carrier Dome, it wasn’t football that brought tears to his eyes.
Dungey’s brother, Matt, was waiting there to greet him, having received a month off from his service in the U.S. Army — all unbeknownst to the Syracuse quarterback. Matt Dungey is stationed in Germany and hadn’t seen his brother since Christmas 2014 — meaning he’d never seen Eric play college football in person.
Dressed in a blue Syracuse polo, Matt Dungey greeted his brother, telling him how proud he was to be there.
Dungey proceeded to complete 34 of 40 passes for a career-high 355 yards and two touchdowns. Afterwards, he said the pregame moment was “surreal.”
“It was awesome,” Dungey said. “I was locked in, got off the bus, saw my brother. I hadn’t seen him in years, so that was really cool — overwhelming, surreal to be honest.”
“Then,” Dungey added, “I had to lock back in and get ready for this game.”
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