It’s another Sunday morning where we lament over all the things the Syracuse Football team did wrong in their latest game.
When you step back and look at last night’s loss to Virginia, it’s maddening because going into the game, we all felt a blowout was likely. Syracuse was starting their 3rd-string QB on the road and we expected the worse. Yet, somehow what we saw was worse than what we expected.
After Virginia strolled down the field on their first possession, let’s face it most of us were bracing
for a 40-7 shellacking. To their credit, the Orange came right back with a well-scripted and well-executed drive behind Malachi Nelson. Then the defense woke up and with the ball and a 14-7, the Orange had the chance to put some major distance between them and Cavaliers.
It’s been a familiar refrain- offensive execution in prime scoring position. Syracuse started a possession on the Virginia 46 and facing a 3rd and 8, they failed to convert, somehow had the field goal operation rushed and missed a 47-yard attempt. The defense forced another 3 and out and the offense moved down the field, but two holding penalties on the offensive line in the red zone pushed them to a field goal attempt. That one was converted, but instead of going into the half up 24 or 28-7, it was just a 17-7 game and Virginia had hope.
Syracuse took the 2nd half kickoff and drove into field goal range again, but Barker hooked it and Virginia was given another chance. A good team would have stepped on the gas in this swing and put the game in secure grasp. Instead we watched the Orange unravel. Penalties added up. The defense was sloppy and with Nelson and Tylik Hill playing through injury, the offense completely sputtered.
In 2024, nearly everything the Orange did in 4th quarters worked. Outside of the Stanford loss, that Syracuse team found ways to win against Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and UNLV when the pressure was on. This Syracuse team continues to self-destruct.
This isn’t an issue of talent like we watched in so many of the Shafer or Babers Era ACC losses. This team has now controlled two of their three ACC games, only to find ways to lose. The special teams is a disaster. Clock management and attention to detail is missing.
Yes, injuries to quarterbacks would cripple most college progams, but we all watched last night. Nelson did enough to win an ACC road game and yet, the Orange fell short again. It’s very easy to boil success and failure down to the QB position, but at some point you need all three phases to connect. Over the last two seasons, all three phases are more likely to simultaneously misfire.
We could be waking up at 4-1 with a lot of buzz about coming home with a chance against Louisville. Instead we look at 2-3 and there is no joy in Fayetteville for the mighty Orange once again struck out.
