SU Football’s Damien Alford Catching Fire at the Right Time

By Nick Luttrell | @nickluttie

At the beginning of the 2023 Syracuse football season, there was no doubt who SU’s top target was going to be: Oronde Gadsden

But not even two minutes into the second game of the season, the pre-season all-american went down with a season-ending injury.

The attention then turned to the emerging star Isaiah Jones. Who then was notably absent in SU’s week 3 win at Purdue. A week later Coach Babers said this about Jones.

“Isaiah will be down for a whlie. And I have no dates on that,” Babers said.

And yet with two of their top receivers out, it was the veteran Damien Alford who rose to the occasion for the Orange. The Canadian torched the Army defense on Saturday with 135 receiving yards on 9 catches. When asked about his career day after the game he had a little smile on his face but also said preparatino for next week – starts now. 

“I am happy about it, I’m going to enjoy today, but I know this week going into practice I have to prepare myself for another physical game,” Alford said. “Well, not even just Clemson just the stretch that we got and making sure that the receivers are already… are performing as well because it’s not only me it’s them as well so just taking it week by week and … the sky’s the limit from there.”

His head coach also has taken notice of his the junior emergence as a leader on and off the field.

“Alford is a captain. He has a C on his chest and that doesn’t come easy. That means he has not only the faith and the support of the team, but I also the coaches as well and I was excited for him. It was a breakout game for him ya know we used to call him Bambi now we calling Moose since he’s from Canada,” Babers said.

For Damien Alford, who I guess we’re gonna start calling Moose now — he’s emerging at the right time when the Orange need him the most. Looming large above SU’s perfect 4 and 0 record is the Clemson Tigers who travel to the dome on Saturday.