In the opening statement of his press conference, Shafer offered an unusual plea.

“I want to start off right now by inviting the community and fans to come out and support this team,” Shafer said.

The official attendance number read 33,299, but it was almost certainly less. The Carrier Dome was sparsely filled until minutes before kickoff, and even then it was left with patches of silver bleachers gleaming between dots of orange.

But even with the number, Shafer expected better and said he would like to “get more in the stands against Tulane.”

Tickets for the game were available online for as little as $5, and the game wasn’t available on standard television. The package required to watch the game actually cost $9 — more than a ticket to the Dome on StubHub.com.

Shafer didn’t say he was upset with the turnout, just that he wanted more, but he knows he needs to put a winning product on the field to get people to turn up.

“I was so happy for the people that showed up, and felt worthy to pay to come in here,” Shafer said. “We need to continue to put a great product on the field so people want to come.

“It’s a tough brand of football, a hard-nosed brand of football, but is also consistent and clean and is likable to watch because it’s not ugly.”

Published on September 14, 2013 at 10:08 pm

Contact David: dbwilson@syr.edu | @DBWilson2