Tight end Ravian Pierce was not in uniform for Syracuse’s (4-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) win over Connecticut (1-3, 0-1 American Athletic).

After the game, when asked about Pierce’s absence, SU head coach Dino Babers did not go into much detail about the specifics of the injury or how it was suffered, but he did say the following:

“He’s got an upper-body injury and he’s going to be out for a while. It’s really kind of disappointing, kind of snuck up on us. He’s such a tough guy, we didn’t know exactly when it happened. And we’ll just kind of leave it at that.”

Pierce entered the season as the starting tight end after a strong first campaign last season for the Orange with 29 receptions for 263 yards and four touchdowns. Pierce is currently a senior, and he transferred from Southwest Mississippi Community College prior to the 2017 season.

In three games this season, Pierce caught six passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns.

Gabe Horan will fill in for Pierce, Babers said. Horan, a Baldwinsville native, hauled in the first catch of his career for a seven-yard touchdown against UConn.