Syracuse’s trip to Virginia started with enough promise to make the Orange believe they could turn the night into something bigger. Instead, it ended the way too many road games have for this team: with another loss, another missed opportunity, and another long look at what’s gone wrong in ACC play.
The Orange dropped a 28-25 decision to the Cavaliers on Saturday night, sliding to 2-3 overall and 0-3 in conference play. Syracuse hasn’t won an ACC game in more than a calendar year. Virginia, meanwhile, improved to 4-2 and 2-1 in the league.
Malachi Nelson got the start in relief of Amari Odom and Steve Angeli, and for a while he gave Syracuse exactly what it needed. He helped build a 17-7 lead in the first half, but the offense went quiet after that. The Orange managed only eight points after the break, and Nelson finished 16-of-29 for 217 yards and a touchdown.
His night ended in the fourth quarter when he was hurt and had to give way to Danny Lauter, the Georgetown transfer. Lauter completed 1-of-4 passes for 46 yards and a touchdown, but Syracuse couldn’t finish the job with him under center. It’s unclear exactly what happened to Nelson, though he appeared to hurt himself on a scramble late in the game.
The running game did plenty of work early. Syracuse leaned on the ground attack for 47 carries and 163 yards, a 3.5-yard average. Tylik Hill led the way with 118 yards on 23 carries, but once the Orange fell behind, the rushing volume dropped off in the fourth quarter.
That was part of the problem. Syracuse’s defense couldn’t protect the halftime lead, allowing 21 points after intermission. Virginia finished with 171 rushing yards and 119 passing yards, and the Cavaliers consistently found ways to move the ball in the second half.
There were bright spots in the passing game, too. Umari Hatcher kept building his case for All-ACC recognition, catching eight passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. Daunte Bacheyie also came through with four receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown.
Special teams, though, were a mess again. Shay Barker missed two field goals, and Syracuse has now missed seven field goals and four extra points this season.
The schedule doesn’t offer much of a breather. Syracuse returns home next Saturday night to face Louisville at 7:30 p.m.
ET at the JMA Wireless Dome, the Orange’s first home game since Sept. 12.
The quarterback situation is still unsettled, and Syracuse will have to hope at least one of its top three quarterbacks is healthy by then.
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Doty, in an interview featured on the Juice on the Cuse Podcast, sounded eager about what this year can become, pointing to his own development while keeping the focus on the bigger picture for the group. The message was clear enough: Syracuse wants to be in the mix in the ACC and has its sights on NCAA Tournament success, but the next step will depend on how quickly that confidence turns into results once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]
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Luke Wilson is part of that new mix, and so are the young centers Abdramane Siby and Iker Martinez, both of whom add size to a team that appears built to be harder to score on and tougher to handle on the glass. Syracuse still has a preseason opener against UConn ahead, and while the defensive blueprint seems set, the bigger question is how quickly all those pieces can come together once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Let Another Winnable ACC Game Slip Away
Syracuse kept searching for answers at quarterback in its fifth game of the season, rolling through three starters before a fourth ended up taking snaps because of injury, and the instability showed up in a 28-25 loss to Virginia. It was the kind of ACC game the Orange needed to find a way to finish, especially with the offense unable to sustain much momentum and the special teams still offering little help.
Instead, Syracuse let another winnable conference game slip away and stayed winless in ACC play, while the losing streak against Power-Four programs grew to 11 games. The second-half fade was especially costly, with the offense bogging down as the kicking game and special teams continued to create problems the Orange could not afford in a tight game. [Read more 🡒]