Syracuse walked out of Saturday night with another loss, this one a 34-26 defeat to Louisville, and the same problems that have haunted the Orange kept showing up in the same places.
The biggest bright spot was Umari Hatcher, who kept piling up catches while Louisville’s three defensive coordinators, for whatever reason, chose to leave him with one defender. Syracuse kept going back to him, and Malachi Nelson made sure Hatcher stayed involved. Hatcher finished with 13 receptions for 224 yards and a score.
He’s been doing this all season. At the halfway point, Hatcher has 50 catches for 784 yards and 7 touchdowns.
That puts him tied for third in the country in both receptions and receiving yards, and he has clearly become Syracuse’s go-to target no matter who is playing quarterback. At this point, he is making a real case for All-ACC honors and even 2nd-team All-America recognition.
But the Orange didn’t move the ball into points often enough, and the red zone issues were again a major problem. Syracuse managed only three points in the second half despite three trips inside the 20.
A first-quarter red zone possession also ended with just a field goal. For the season, the Orange have turned 32 red-zone chances into 17 touchdowns.
If you remove the New Hampshire game, that number drops to 10 touchdowns on 23 trips.
Turnovers, penalties and play-calling have all played a part in the wasted opportunities. Whatever the cause, the result has been the same: Syracuse isn’t finishing drives, and that goes a long way toward explaining why the record is 2-4 instead of 4-2.
The second-half numbers tell an even more troubling story. Syracuse quarterbacks have thrown nine interceptions this season, and every one of them has come after halftime. Add in Malachi Nelson’s fumble, and the Orange have committed 10 second-half turnovers in six games.
The offense has also been far too quiet late in games. Syracuse has scored only three second-half touchdowns in its five FBS games. That’s not a formula for winning, and the message is simple: if the Orange have any hope of turning things around, they have to start cashing in when they get chances to score, even if they are playing their 4th-string QB next week.
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