Syracuse’s kicking situation took a sharp turn Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and not in the direction the Orange wanted.
On ESPN, with a national audience watching Syracuse face Pitt, sophomore kicker Tripp Woody delivered a miss so far left it barely resembled a field-goal attempt. The moment came after Syracuse finally put together a drive that reached the 10-yard line. Quarterback Steve Angeli had opened that possession with two completions, including a 34-yard strike to Umari Hatcher, but the offense stalled from there.
Woody came on for what was effectively a short field goal, lined up near the left hash, and sent the ball almost straight down the field instead of through the uprights. The miss was so extreme the camera had to snap back left just to keep the ball in view.
It was Woody’s third miss of the young season, and the staff acted quickly. When Syracuse later reached the end zone on its fourth drive, freshman Shay Barker handled the extra point instead.
Barker didn’t stop there. He also knocked through a 42-yard field goal as the first half expired.
Syracuse’s offense had a rough start overall, turning the ball over on downs on its opening drive and punting on the next one. By the time the Orange got their third possession, Pitt was already up 14-0.
College football rosters are big enough that a coach can make a kicking switch in the middle of a game. In the NFL, that kind of move has to wait until Tuesday.
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